Rating: 
Summary: BORING!
Review: This movie is sooo stupid! This boy crying like a baby for a stupid "golden ticket". I'ts terrible my friends,terrible. TAKE MY ADVICE. DO NOT GET THIS MOVIE.
Rating: 
Summary: Not the Best
Review: While it has been proclaimed as a family classic along side of "The Wizard of OZ" and "Mary Poppins", I just cannot see what all the fuss over the film is all about. Perhaps it is because I never saw the film growing up or perhaps it's just that the theme does not seem appealing. Whatever the reason, I just don't get it. The film centers around a poor boy named Charlie who wins a chance to enter the doors of the Wonka Chocolate Factory, guided by the extremely secretive "candy man" Willy Wonka himself. He along with almost half a dozen bratty children and their parents enter the factory finding a strange and bizarre world where candy grows on trees and singing and dancing little creatures named "Oompa-Loompas" create a variety of sweets. The film, at many times, boarders on sadistic as Wonka gives each child a taste of their own medicine throughout the tour. The acting is mediocre, the songs and musical numbers are not much better, and about the only bright spot is the little girl playing the role of the spoiled little girl, Varruca, does a great job in the role. Lots of scenes would frighten small children, adults roll their eyes at many of the jokes throughout the film, which makes me wonder what audience this film is aimed at. All in all, I wouldn't recommend this film unless you grew up with it and it holds a sence of nostalgia for you.
Rating: 
Summary: Timeless Classic
Review: Good DVD reproduction, but without many extras. Interview with Gene Wilder could have been longer or more in-depth.Commentary by the child stars (now grown up) was borderline annoying trying to figure out their inside jokes. (Read - don't waste your time with the commentary).
Rating: 
Summary: One of Wilder's best performances
Review: This is a great, silly film, but the reason why I think it ought to be standard issue is that it is one of Gene Wilder's best performances. Wonka is a difficult character, there's a sadness to him, a disappointment with the meaness of the world, and a real malicious streak. Yet he's generously brilliant, and there's more capacity for joy in him than most. Wilder's performance is really brilliant; running from subtly hilarious to hilariously creepy, with an undercurrent of kindess the whole time. I think he was underappreciated in his time. This film really shows what a great comic talent he was.
Rating:
Summary: children must conform or suffer
Review: I thought I liked this but re-watching really was an ugly experience. Wonka is a fascist and treats his army of servants like dirt, he has complete disregard for the death and mutilation of the obnoxious kids (sure they're annoying, but is it just sort of okay that they die?). Charlie, who remains a total bootlick through all this, is rewarded with the dubious honor of Wonka sort of adopting him and playing continuious mind games with him. Clearly this is the work of a cynical group with an intense dislike and distrust of children.
Rating:
Summary: Welcome to The Chocolate Factory, 1 man's total environment
Review: The iconoclast has created his own kingdom according to his precise design, at the same time providing a wonderful world of reality / fantasy crossover for children of all ages. This movie is indeed Satanic, & let Me explain why. Each participant harbors rather rotten personality traits, either insensitivity towards others, Letharginator neurosis, obnoxiousness, excessive gluttony, &/or disobedience. Total self-uncontrol. And the parents were spineless. Basically, they are all brats ----- except for one. The chosen one. He who demostrates deportment & consideration. I Am reminded of Dr. LaVey's sign on the bookshelf in the purple parlour, "Do not remove books from shelves. Anyone caught removing books from shelves, will have their hands amputated." This is in fact, the exremely simular way in which Mr. Wonka operates his factory. Unfortunately for them, they did not bother to really read the disclaimer at the beginning of the tour. The question is, would it have mattered anyway? For about the first 45 minutes or so, we become acquainted with the characters' predispositions towards the afore-mentioned traits. There's Varuca Salt, an unsufferable brat devoid of manners. There's a TV-loving cowboy kid whose entire existence seems to be centered around the boob-tube. There's a gum-chewing girl who does not listen to advice when given, & then there's a German boy who can't get enough food ---- whatever it is. In every case, they exhibit irresponsible & just annoying tendencies that need to be abated. Every one of these, after being tested, meets with an appropriate & poetic fate, all commandeered by the resident God, Willy Wonka. The infamous "Golden Ticket," the instrument of their greed, brought them to The Chocolate Factory, but this is natural, for what candy-loving child can resist a trek into the wonderful world of Wonka? Indeed, all of the events leading up to the gates seemed planned. Within the hallowed walls of that chocomantium, there are total environments at every turn, each with their respective rides & attractions. Mr. Wonka makes a wonderful host; animated & witty. We get to see the "Umpa-Loompahs" from "Umpahland", & become familiar with their lore ----- it seems that kind Mr. Wonka took them in because they were being preyed upon by "Pernicious Knids", & other marvellous creatures from Umpahland. The Umpahloompahs provide moralistically compelling questions to the viewer with delightful little dances & songs. Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory is a semi-musical & comical production, providing interesting insights & alternative techniques of moral instruction.
Rating:
Summary: I think I like it more now that I'm an adult
Review: I saw this movie in the theaters when it first came out. I had already read the story "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory". I was about 13 years old when I saw the movie - not quite a kid and not quite grown up. I was old enough to think that the "cute" elements of the film fell a bit flat, but not old enough to appreciate what a frightening character Willie Wonka really was as protrayed by Gene Wilder. Wilder is a genius! He played Wonka with a psychotic edge. His non-sequiters and view of the things occurring around him were "eccentric" to say the least. Kudos to the script writer(s) and major kudos to Wilder for doing so much with this role. We bought the movie for my 4 yr old son, but I'm certain that "Mom" and "Dad" enjoyed it more than he did. Having said that, the movie still succeeds as a kid's movie. There is the moral lesson that a good and honest person will win out against all odds (and there were some pretty "odd" odds!) while greedy insensitive, spoiled kids get what they deserve. I'd happily recommend this movie.
Rating:
Summary: Widescreen ... fullscreen ... Guess what? Everybody's WRONG!
Review: Well, not exactly... Some here have complained that the widescreen version is simply a matted version of a full screen print, and that the widescreen presentation chops off part of the image at the top and bottom. Well, according to my copy of the DVD, that is only half correct. I own the 25th Anniversary 1996 release of this film on DVD, which has both the widescreen and full screen version on one DVD. I compared numerous scenes in freeze-frame between the widescreen and full screen versions. In widescreen, sure enough, a bit of the top and bottom of the image seems to be cut off when compared to the full screen version. But I also noticed that when viewing the full screen version, an equal bit is missing from the left and right compared to the widescreen version. So no matter which version you watch, you aren't seeing "everything". But which is proper? After comparing many images, I conclude that the widescreen version is what we are supposed to be seeing. Consider the beginning of chapter six. If you watch the widescreen version, you see a news anchor sitting at a desk. the bottom of the image is framed with his name plate on his desk, and the right side of the screen says "Evening Report" on the back wall. Watch the full screen version, and you will see a bit more blue background on the top, and more of the desk below the name plate on the bottom, but the right side of the image now reads, "Eveni Repo"! Folks, you ARE missing the left and right sides when viewing the full screen version, and from what I saw, the little bit of information that is missing from the top and bottom of the widescreen version generally was inconsequential. Every scene I watched and compared looked better composed when watching the widescreen presentation. Just FYI...
Rating:
Summary: Holds up amazingly well
Review: While children's movies with adult undertones are relatively commonplace today, "Willie Wonka" was a groundbreaker that appeals to me as much today, if not more so, than it did 30 years ago. Especially good are the early scenes in the movie, depicting worldwide reaction to the golden tickets. Is it realistic? Of course not, that's not the point! The point is the sharp social and political commentary focusing on modern variants of basic human greed, material almost worthy of "Kelly's Heroes". The computer scene is absolutely hilarious, easily the best in the entire film. The hint of strange, mystical, almost faerie (in the sinister sense) forces at work carries very well in the movie. It didn't bother me 30 years ago and I appreciate it all the more now. And the weird twilight scene at the Wonka factory is just lovely. Gene Wilder was an incredible find, fresh from his magnificent role in the "Producers". According to the documentary, he maintained his unsettling character throughout the production, keeping the rest of the cast off-guard. Foreshadows of Andy Kaufman! I must deduct a star for it being a musical, and not a great one at that. "Golden ticket" is an especially horrid song that unfortunately clings like a TV commercial jingle. This is not ironic because, as the documentary reveals, this movie was indeed intended to be a large-scale commercial for a new candy line by Quaker Oats. The true irony is that the Wonka bar line was cancelled because the chocolate melted in the stores, while the movie went on to become a classic. I find it particularly heartening that the director and writers went beyond the commercial aspect to craft a witty and smart, if somewhat bizarre, movie. BTW, the documentary is well worth watching, and the commentaries are pretty fun. [Regarding the full-screen/wide-screen debate, there's a recent and especially helpful review describing how the movie was shot full-screen with the intention of cropping it down for widescreen release. I don't recall seeing any stray microphones in the full-screen version, though, and I'm perfectly happy with it.]
Rating:
Summary: Family-friendly film
Review: I remember watching Willy Wonka on TV when I was young. I looked forward to the annual event because my parents and I would watch it, and I just loved the story and the experience. The DVD allows for this experience to be at your leisure, rather than at the networks pleasure, now. And the DVD quality is superb! The story of Wonka is not a complicated tale, but the set designs and the characters make this movie a wonderful experience. Wilder is a strangely-workable mix of charm, blunt honestly, and plays the perfect grown-up kid. The children are also perfect represenations of parenting pitfalls, albeit exagerated .(I want an Ompa-loompa NOWWWWWWWWWWW!) Even the parental characters are dead on representations of every nightmarish trait (disinterested, over-indulgent, etc.) It's a great movie to illlustrate the spoils of spoiling and the rewards of trying to just be a good person. The extras are great, and I personally loved the commentary on this one...added a nice dimension to a film I'd seen hundreds of times before. All in all, a terrific addition to your DVD collection.
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