Rating: 
Summary: Come with me, and you'll be, in a world of pure imagination.
Review: One of my favorite movies. Lessons learned from the "bad" children and the heart of the good child. The quotes from Wilder, derived from many sources of literature, well placed quips that helped make the movie. Gene Wilder has to be one of the greatest comic actors of our time.. what more needs to be said.
Rating:
Summary: The Commentary Takes The Cake (or Wonka Bar)
Review: I grew up on this movie and thought I had seen all there was to see until I bought the dvd. Watching it with the five "kids" had me laughing through the whole thing. From the girls fighting over Charlie to "Chicken Hair" the commentary makes buying the dvd worth while. You find out that they were feeling all the same things when they were making it that you felt the first time you watched it (However, I never worried about the Director's son seeing Veruca's underwear when she was rejected as a bad egg).
Thanks for the great entertainment!
Rating:
Summary: At Last, Wonka in Widescreen
Review: I'm sure we all remember the petition that resulted in over 20,000 signatures and prompted Warner to release this movie in widescreen. It was all worth it, because this DVD is as good as we hoped. The restoration has given this fantasy/comedy/horror/musical a whole new look. The DVD has a very nice transfer for a movie that's this old, and the 5.1 comes in handy during the music sequences. The extras are very entertaining too, even a sing-along feature. I'll admit, this movie has some parts that could scare little kids (you rarely see the Wonkatania sequence when the film comes on tv), but it really is a great family film.
Rating:
Summary: Another 10 Star movie
Review: hmm I think its time Amazon added another 5 stars to their ratings because I'm forever adding 10 stars to the description! I saw the VHS version as well but I'm more impressed with the DVD. I think its a great movie even for adults it makes me wish I was a kid again!
Rating: 
Summary: Imagine all the People- Eating Chocolate all day...
Review: ...You may call me a dreamer, but I'm not the only one. In Willie Wonka's 'Imagination Room', many children have so much fun! And fun is this yclept of this DVD- WiLLiE WoNkA aNd ThE cHoCoLaTe FaCToRy!!!! A true timeless classic in rich CMYK color which seems to bleed from the screen! If you own a Liquid Matrix TV, you migth find yourself licking the screen! Mr. Wilder acts a great role in this film, and in fact it was with this film that he made his name on the silver screen. I especially like the boat ride sequence where animals eat each other, a chicken is decapitated, and a snake runs across a woman's face. This is a children's musical at its best! My kid just loved it, but then again, my child- 'RatMouse Jr.'- owns a pet ant. Recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Minor classic
Review: This is a movie that every child born thirty to forty years ago will remember growing up with. A frequent objection bandied about by critics is that the movie makes no sense to children. On the contrary, I have found that the film's enchantment is almost universal (I have spoken to many who, like me, spent their childhood under Wonka's spell; I also don't recall speaking to a single person who didn't enjoy it). With that in mind, I find it hard to criticize; nevertheless, I'll make a noble attempt.The film has a few differences with the original book by Roald Dahl. The setting now appears to be America, rather than England (though it was filmed on location in an amusingly ill-disguised Bavaria). In the original book, Charlie had both mother and father; in the film his father is deceased before the story begins. This is not an arbitrary change, however. A thread that runs through the film is Charlie's need for a father (a male to fulfil his dreams and fantastical aspirations) and, just as importantly, Wonka's need for a son and heir. Here is an added dimension that builds nicely on Dahl's initial story. The film exhibits a few disturbing inconsistencies at the same time, however. One crucial blunder, that threatens to tear the narrative fabric apart at the seams, is the addition of a scene in which Charlie and Grandpa Joe explicitly disobey Wonka's instructions by tasting the fizzy-lifting drink, which has almost disastrous consequences for the pair. What, then, makes Charlie's actions qualitatively different to the other childrens'? When the entire plot hinges on Charlie's good character, next to the brazenly brattish and ignorant demeanour of his peers, this slip could easily prove fatal. It is not sufficient that Charlie is given the chance to redeem himself later on in the film, for this is an opportunity the other children simply did not have. It makes Charlie's subsequent dismay over the other children's behaviour ('Why don't they listen to Mr Wonka?' he asks his grandfather) a little incredulous. What saves it is the fact that most people will probably not notice this error, since the rest of the film is at pains to set Charlie apart from the other characters, so the incident is more likely to be taken as the result of misguided curiosity, rather than juvenile insolence or malice. Another error, with similar consequences for the story, is in the creation of a new character, Mr Wilson, an assistant to Mr Wonka. Though the character does play a significant part in the story, it is a role that would have been much better being fulfilled by some other plot device, since it is introduced only at great expense to the overall cohesion of the plot. In the creation of a world (Wonka's factory) unpolluted (ostensibly!) by greed, selfishness and worldly cynicism, ie. the influence of grown-ups, we have yet another central element on which the whole narrative hangs, thematically. The new character only serves as a badly-judged novelty that clashes woefully with the tenor of the rest of the picture. (The reason the character of Wonka is no hindrance, incidentally, is that his character is clearly neither child nor grown-up, per se, but belongs to the realm of fantasy, something which Wilson's character does not; indeed, if they had made Wilson's character more fantastical, it probably wouldn't have been convincing). There are a few other potentially worrying holes. For example, the aura of enchantment and magic surrounding the world of candy and chocolate, summed up in the rather hummable Candyman number (one of a few good songs; though there are also one or two real clangers), is offset by the fact that this is an enchantment and magic that only rich kids can afford. Charlie watches on enviously as those who can afford it taste of the delights of Wonka chocolate, whilst the Candyman ('He mixes [candy] with love and makes the world taste good') presumably passes Charlie by on account of his poverty. I won't go so far as to call this capitalist propaganda (!), but it is certainly an example of another glaring inconsistency. So, with all this in mind, what makes this such a great movie? It is imaginative and inventive. The production design certainly has a few technical flaws, but it is fun, original and captivating. The characters (from the mind of one of the 20th century's greatest storytellers) are pitched straight for the child in every one of us, regardless of age. It is funny and exciting, an involving fairytale that appeals to our sense of fantasy, curiosity and adventure. It is a minor classic that has become a part of generations of children and grown-ups. That tells me that, despite its flaws, it works. I heartily recommend it. Enjoy.
Rating:
Summary: Willy Wonka - Best Ever
Review: For any person who loves confectionary, this is the movie to watch. It is every childs/persons dream come. To be in a room where everything is edible. It also teaches a lesson to children to be nice and caring to others instead of being greedy and selfish brats. Gene Wilder would have to be the best ever person to play the part of Willy Wonka. He has that unique quality about him that just makes the movie more interesting. I have two copies of the movie, the 25th and the 30th anniversary(which is in mint condition). I would recommed this movie to anyone. You are never too young or too old to watch this one.
Rating:
Summary: Usually I find commentaries boring, but.....
Review: So far on most dvds' I find the commentaries to be quite boring, but this one takes the cake! I found the commentary for this movie to be almost funnier than the movie! The other extras where they tell more about the stories and the kids and interview some of the cast and the kids helps to explain quite a few things about the story. But I must say, listening to the kids (especially the one who played Veruca was hysterical to listen to! She seemed to have the most fun in the movie as well as talking about it during the commentary, even so much so as to interrupt the others by reciting a few of her lines such as: MAKE THEM WORK NIGHTS! In the version of the dvd I own, I don't think it was deleted or omitted since I remember it being discussed during the commentary by the actress who played Violet. But I'm not positive it is there or not without watching it again. I have both the vhs and dvd of the movie, but the commentary by the kids makes the dvd worth it for me anyways.
Rating:
Summary: Pure Imagination
Review: Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory is one of those rare films that has made a seamless transition from book to screen. The adaptation of Roald Dahl's classic is true to form and delivers the goods. Children of any age will relate to candy, chocolates, magic, and mystery; and Willy Wonka has it all. The characters are interesting and each have their faults: Augustus is a glutton, Violet is obsessive compulsive, Mike T.V.'s affliction is fairly obvious and Veruca Salt is the perfect spoiled brat. Charlie seemingly does not have any imperfections except for one that is revealed at the conclusion of the film: he is TOO kindhearted. All of the actors do a great job especially Gene Wilder who Willy Wonka is wry and cynical but a true dreamer. This is a timeless film for people of all ages. The factory itself has aged very well, it still looks like magic everytime Willy opens the door into the chocolate room, and don't deny it every single one of us would love just 5 minutes alone in that room! There is only one questionable scene in the film which comes during the boat ride sequence and really has no place in the film. It depicts animals eating each other, a chicken being decapitated, and a snake running across a woman's face. These images should not have been included and are scary to children. Some of the other musical sequences are quite trite as well. The one in particular is when Charlie's mother is singing as he is walking home(talk about skip or fast forward). But regardless, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory is a timeless, magical journey of a film and should not be missed by anyone. Highly Recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Transfer
Review: Great transfer. They did not restore 2 or 3 angles, copy the rest from the video tape, and slap on a "RESTORED AND REMASTERED" sticker. There has been some confusion about the format, full screen. Guess What? It was FILMED in full-screen.I love wide-screen movies, but this is not one of them. There are some angles that look like the video tape, but very few. There is still some dirt on the film, but it looks better than ever. Picture Quality:5/5 We rarely see films this old look this good. Sound:5/5 Good surround sound (only in English), crisper than ever. Format:5/5 Shown in the way it was filmed. Special Features:4.5/5 Good, but not too many. 19.5/20, or 97.5%
A+
|
