Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory
It's Scrumdidilyumptious!
Based on the beloved children’s book by Roald Dahl, this surreal children’s classic was Gene Wilder’s defining role in which he played the eccentric, manipulative but extraordinarily kind character of Willy Wonka. The story, familiar to anyone who has read the book, follows a young underdog named Charlie Bucket who despite being a cheerful happy boy, lives in a primitive wooden house outside a large bustling city with his mother and four grandparents. Charlie lives in such hard gruelling poverty he can’t even afford to buy one of Willy Wonka’s chocolate bars.
Then after a sudden turn of events, the Wonka factory which has been closed for a number of years, suddenly opens it’s doors again to five lucky children who find the golden tickets which are hidden in a small handful of Wonka Bars spread around the world. Out of extraordinary luck Charlie finds a ticket. Though as soon as he walks through the doors of the factory with his eccentric Grandpa Joe, he soon realises that he is the only winner of the golden ticket who actually warrants the award, as the other four ticket holders are greedy, selfish, rude and obnoxious. Along the way, all of the other characters have harmless and funny accidents, that leave Charlie and his Grandpa as the last remaining ticket holders, receiving a prize beyond their wildest dreams.
Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory is on my all time favourite list, as it will be for those film fans that love heart-warming-movies. Gene Wilder’s performance, the brilliantly memorable songs and the colourful art direction make this visual feast an absolute classic. Although in his traditional and mischievous way Roald Dahl actually said that he didn’t enjoy the film. He called it “rather crummy” it’s the sort of sardonic expression that could only have come out of his rather wonderful and totally unique mind!
10/10 – Calum Roberts
