Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory

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Catching Up

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So, being that this is my first one of these, I'll need to make a few things clear about my format. What I do here is see one of the many titles I've never seen before, OR don't remember at all, so it's like watching it for the first time again. Instead of going into what the movie is about like a normal review, I just go into what I liked and/or didn't like about the movie. So fair warning for all of these; potential spoilers ahead!

This one seems to amaze just about anyone when I say I haven't seen it. I do have a love for candy, and I do have a love for imagination and good story-telling. Most would tell me the same, that it's a movie right up my alley and that I'd love it.

I'm not entirely sure what has taken so long for me to check it out. If I had to guess, though, it probably has something to do with the load of farces on it that are out there in a lot of the shows I watch. 'Futurama' and 'Family Guy' have both done outright episodes, while shows like 'The Simpsons' would just cover one of the songs. Before going into it, I was pretty much familiar with most of what happened in it already. Surprisingly, however, I never knew how it all actually ended. With that thought in mind, I ventured forth and checked it out for myself.

All in all, I was very pleased. My friends and family were just about 100% accurate in their predictions that I'd enjoy it. It all starts off pretty light, and with a delightful twinge of humour. But then, the first kid wins his ticket. During the interview scene, the kid's father just straight up takes a bite out of the microphone, and I had a good, loud laugh. That scene alone made me wish I could have gone into the whole thing a little more blind.

A lot of what happens to the other kids, I already knew about, but this is one area that I had a problem with. You never DO find out whatever happens to them. Wonka just kind of assures us all that they'll be just fine. That's all well and good, but sometimes leaving it all to imagination isn't great. I love open concepts, but when it comes to the potential killing-off of children, I feel like something's gotta give. Even if Wonka does say they're fine, he plays a pretty creepy dude throughout the movie. He's a character I don't feel I could really take the word of.

The ONLY other thing I have to sort of complain about is that tunnel scene. It's just so out of nowhere, dark, nightmarish and creepy. BUT with that said, this is of course a famous scene now for that very reason, and I knew about it going in. I can't act like I'm shocked about it, but again, if I was going in blind, I feel like that scene would have messed with my head a little too much. Not that it would have scared me, but it would have confused the living hell out of me.

With that out of the way though, the film was overall great for it's time in 1971. Other magical movies were made like it, but nothing quite had the feel of this. While other films would take place in otherwise normal everyday places, this takes place inside a sort of fun house factory. It feels closer to a 'Wizard of Oz' than a 'Mary Poppins'.

So, in closing, I can finally say that I have seen 'Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory', enjoyed it, and will certainly give it more viewings in the future. If not, maybe just that microphone-munching scene on a constant loop.

4/5

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