Book to Movie (2): Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, by Roald Dahl

After I devoured Matilda and the BFG, I found another of Roald Dahl's classics, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. I was roughly junior-high age, and found the stories delightfully imaginative, with the characters coming to life by the talented Quentin Blake. (Who I personally feel was created solely to illustrate Dahl's books.)

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, by Roald Dahl
Juvenile, 1964

Charlie is a poor kid with a hard-working mom, bed-ridden grandparents, and no luck to speak of. When Willy Wonka gives out 5 golden tickets to his Chocolate Factory, Charlie's greatest wish is to get one.
This is another delightful Dahl book, which I hope if you haven't read you'll pick up and do it NOW. I must confess I like the sequel Charlie and The Great Glass Elevator almost a little more...almost, but not quite. It is just as fun to read though, so pick that up too.
Graded a B+.

In 1971, Gene Wilder starred as Willy Wonka in Charlie and The Chocolate Factory. I'm not a big fan of musicals, but this one was lively and cute with very little 'down time'. (You know, where the song really has done it's time but now we need to move on...) The acting is great, the ideas incorporating Dahl's imagination were fabulous, and this is a rewatch for any age. (But specifically when you're young!)
Graded a B.



And then Tim Burton pulled out Johnny Depp again and made a remake of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory in 2005. Although I'm not typically a fan of Burton's work, I wanted to know what 34 years of technology had done for this great storyline. I loved the special effects, and the acting was impeccable, but I hated how they twisted the story around, adding new ideas and changing old ones.
Graded a C+.