Rating: 
Summary: But I Want An Oompa Loompa Now!
Review: This is a Great DVD! My 3 year-old daughter loves this movie even more than the Wizard of Oz. Gene Wilder is spectacular as the "Greatest Magician of them all--Mr. Willy Wonka!" His ability to shift moods at the flick of cane twirl really makes the movie. Part mad-scientist, part imaginative child, and part philanthropist, Wilder is funny, frightening, warm, and even pitiable when he needs to be. The idea of a magic world behind the gates of a chocolate factory will always hold meaning for imaginative children, who aren't constrained by the knowledge big business and corporate profiteering. The Oompa Loompas, by the way, have a real show-stealing nack. Their dance routines and lectures via song, are my daughter's favorite scenes. She can do most of their routines, and has memorized their lyrics. Of course, there is also a very nice story of the first being last and the last being first, and of the gentle inheriting the earth. So despite a slight amount of 1970's baggage (e.g., all the children are caucasian)the film's message is very admirable. A question I would like to know the answer to is, how much the author of "Charlie & and the Chocolate Factory" owes to Dr. Seuss, as it appears there a many Seussian homages in the film? A bigger question I have is why this wonderful movie hasn't had more of a Wizard of Oz sort of treatment? While the Wizard of Oz is shown at least once a year, I never see Willy Wonka on TV. I also haven't been able to find any Willy Wonka toys for my daughter. That is one of the reasons it seemed important to have the DVD in our video library.
Rating:
Summary: Scary? Only for the sheltered.
Review: I have read reviews about this movie where it was trashed for the 'scary' boat in the cave scene. What kids' 'live action' classic would be complete without a moment of intensity? Like, the 'Wzard of oz'...it has many moments that people could rage about if they wanted too...the man on fire, the flying 'evil' monkeys, the whole 'witch' thing... The moments of peril that place the people in possible danger only to drop them out on the other side unhurt is the true way to grab a childs' attention. If your child must sleep with a nightlight, then maybe he/she should only watch vegitales. As for me and my family, we are WONKA fiends. Along with every other classic enjoyable film that came before and after it that offer a 'fear' factor for children..like 'Atlantis', or 'the fox & the hound', or the 'grinch', or 'The Lion King',or................
Rating: 
Summary: great movie....
Review: ...regardless of the pseudo child psychologists ("that awful river boat scene! Think of the children!") and militant feminists ("all girls are portrayed as bratty, and the mothers are screechy or passive" blah blah blah). The Wizard of Oz is still higher up on my list, as the music is far better, and that film has more of a "classic" feel to it (and weren't the flying monkeys and the witch just as scary as the river boat ride?), not to mention Willie Wonka seems to have stolen the whole midget concept from Oz. However, Willie Wonka does have a dark edge to it, which is charming in an off-beat kind of way. But those calling this a "horror" film are way off-base. I saw this as a child, and I don't recall being scarred for life. And as a child, the beginning seemed to drag on FOREVER. However, now as an adult, I can appreciate the set-up. Lots of cynnical humor for the adults, and lots of eye candy for the kids.
Rating:
Summary: great movie, one to show to the kids
Review: I found this movie to be extremely entertaining and watched it with my nieces ages five and six. They loved the boat ride in particular, which I found rather funny considering all the controversy I see in other reviews about the beheaded chicken (which appears to me to be already dead), and the worm inching across a face (which doesn't seem dead). So, I asked them what they liked about it, upon seeing the movie a second time. The five year old (funnily enough) said that it told her that nothing about the movie was what it seemed and it made her pay attention more (my paraphrasing). The six year old simply said it was cool. Fast forward 20 years. They're still paying attention to life around them like they were paying attention to the movie years ago, and treating nothing as what it initially seems. They're extremely successful in their endeavors (right now it's college). I have wonder if this boatride scene in this movie didn't have something to do with that.
Rating:
Summary: Great!
Review: This is a great movie, except for those stuck-up kids. The fat one tried killing himself from eating the chocolate in the river, another one almost exploded from eating a gum, a really, really, stuck-up brat, got thrown in a dumpster, and a kid who watched TV too much, turned small, so I think Charlie, and Grandpa Joe should win. I give this a **** (4 out of 5).
Rating:
Summary: Fun for Children and Adults
Review: I have 2 children ages 3 and 1, so I've seen this video numerous times and I enjoy it each time I see it. The story revolves around Charlie Bucket (Peter Ostrum), a lower-class child who longs to find one of the elusive golden tickets. Willy Wonka (played magnificently by Gene Wilder) has hidden 5 golden tickets inside Wonka bars. The finder of the ticket will be treated to a lifetime supply of chocolate as well as a trip through Wonka's magical factory. Charlie grows more and more distressed as the tickets are found. Finally, Charlie finds some money lying in the street and purchases 2 Wonka bars. The second bar contains the elusive 5th golden ticket! Charlie is allowed to take 1 member of his family along for the trip to the factory. Charlie chooses Grandpa Joe (Jack Albertson). Once inside, the lucky winners are taken on a magical tour of Wonka's factory. I particularly enjoyed the way the Oompa Loopas gave a moral to each of their stories to help children learn right from wrong. The numbers dwindle as the tour continues due to misbehaving children. Finally, only Charlie is left. At the end, Wonka "tests" Charlie by saying that he and Grandpa Joe violated a clause in the agreement they signed, and he uncerimoniously dismisses them. Charlie gives the gobstopper back to Wonka before leaving. This was the test; a test of honesty and trustworthiness and Charlie succeeded. Wonka gives the factory and all of his most precious candy making secrets to Charlie. Morals are taught throughout the film by the actions of the characters. Agustus Gloop falls into the chocolate river and gets stuck in the pipe. The moral: don't eat too much. Violet Beauregard turns into a blueberry while chewing a special gum. The moral: don't eat a lot of sweets. Veruca Salt falls down a chute while trying to get a golden goose. The moral: don't whine and continually ask for things. Finally, Mike Teavee gets shrunk by a tv camera. The moral: don't watch a lot of television. The Oompa Loompas also teach morals in the puzzles and riddles they share. The special effects in this film are pretty good considering it is 30 years old. The "fizzy lifting drinks" and the "great glass elevator" are especially well done. As a parent, I highly recommend this movie. Your children (and you as well) will love it!
Rating:
Summary: Fun Fun Fun
Review: Very well restored DVD, I can't remember this moving being so vibrant.
The extras are fun as well, we didn't listen to the audio comentary but the other extras were a lot of fun to see.
I wonder how this film would be done today? I doubt it could compare to fantastic performances of all the kids and Gene Wilder.
The music is simply wonderful and was a delight to hear agin after so long......
Rating:
Summary: Gene Wilder Is The man And The Magic!
Review: Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory is a classic. Why? Not only was it makes ion the whim of a child and financed by oatmeal company but it survived the most important test of all - time. It has music, warmth and magic. The ensemble of children - including Charlie, was very well cast. The energy and enthusiasm of what their plight is made each one of them funny, obnoxious and charming. Their respective parents can be identified in your everyday life as 'real' parents. Even the songs like 'The Candy Man', 'Cheer Up Charlie' and 'I Want It Now' make you smile, cheer and sing along. Who could ever forget the Oompa Lumpa songs too? The sets were fantastic. Colorful and detailed is what everything on the set was made to be. From the moment the title role...to the blasting out of the Wonkavator at the end - you are left with a warm heart, good feelings and the extreme desire to eat chocolate. (Recently the movie 'Chocolate' did that to me.) The costumes and location and sets were all timeless and the movie works well even 35 years later. The DVD extras include a clever menu that guides through the various scenes, languages and captions that this film was dubbed in. There is a 'making of' documentary that was produced in the 70's and there is one produced last year (2001). They both are insightful and funny and complete with behind the scenes footage of the making of the very unique and detailed sequences that make the Magic of Willie Wonka so wonderful. I've saved the best comment for last. Mr. Gene Wilder is a genius. His acting and performance as Willie Wonka was one that I can even any other actor in history doing. He is so interesting and exciting and unpredictable that watching him makes you laugh, wonder and be amazed. His charm and talents also include my favorite song - Pure Imagination. Mr. Wilder has a very melodic and talent voice that sends shivers down your spine. He is got to be one of the best actors of our century and his Legacy that is Willie Wonka will be loved for generation to come. He is Willie Wonka, he is the magic and he is 100% of the fun.
Rating:
Summary: my favorite ki's movie
Review: I've been watching this movie since I was about 5 years old. I'm only 16 now. but I still love it just as much if not more. I bought this dvd last year. and I think it's great. I really like the "pure imagination" documentary extra. Everything about this movie is perfect. so i'd advise everyone to get this. it will be countless hours or maybe even years of entertainment for the whole family.
Rating: 
Summary: PARENTS, BEWARE -- ONE SEQUENCE NOT AT ALL FOR KIDS!!!!!!!!!
Review: I grew up watching this movie as a little kid. The thing about it is that the boat ride scene ruins the rest of the movie. I think that in a certain way, this movie tricks the viewer because the rest of the movie is so sweet and child-friendly, seemingly overshadowing that one boat sequence. But after you finish watching the movie, the boat scene can come back to haunt children, because it sticks out so much from the rest of the movie. I don't understand how the filmmakers could be so stupid!!! Gee, this is a family movie about a chocolate factory but let's have a boat ride with very disturbing images shown such as a live chicken's head being chopped off with a butcher's axe and a centipede crawling across a dead man's face!!! Oh, little kids and their parents alike will love that! Geez, it doesn't take a brain surgeon to figure out that that is an awful idea!!! Yes, thousands of chickens are slaughtered to be eaten each day, but why the [...] would someone show the slaughtering of a chicken to a child. It's disturbing enough to watch for an adult. If this were a horror film, it would be different. The boat ride scene is present to shock viewers with grisly images, but it literally comes out of nowhere, with no true significance to the plot about the chocolate factory. And after the disturbing scene, it's back to candy land! Bizzare. It is clear that this movie wants to have a little bit of everything, so it becomes a horror film for a few minutes, but if the creators wanted to scare viewers for a few minutes, couldn't they tone this down? For the love of [...], there are 5-year-olds in the audience (!) -- I'm sure parents don't want little kids to see an on-screen chicken decapitation! Now, if the creators wanted this portion to be scary and succeeded, that would be different -- but it is just demented and disgusting. Just how messed-up were the creators to put this in a family movie? They look like tid-bits from a graphic R-rated picture. Why couldn't they save these ideas for a different movie? And why couldn't they have something scary along the lines of a monster, but a beheaded chicken -- good [...]! Too demented and random for words! Parents, even if you have seen this film before and didn't find the boat ride much of a bother, please DO NOT SHOW THIS SCENE TO YOUR CHILDREN! An executed animal and some other things one would not think this film to have! This is a really great movie except for this one scene, so I do quite strongly recommend it, but I very strongly suggest fast-forwarding the boat ride, and if you have youngsters with you, be sure to have them cover their eyes until the scene is finished being fast-forwarded. (Just before they enter the tunnel, start fast-forwarding.) Shame on the creators for letting this sequence pass and shame on Roahl Dahl for including this really-far-too-gruesome sequence in his otherwise really great screenplay!!! Think of the little ones!
| 
