If the obits are anything to go by, Gene Wilder had a prolific career but he is first and foremost Willy Wonka.
This is not without reason. There are few more memorable and enchanting performances than this one. He is warm, charismatic and intelligent while being slightly unhinged, possibly mad. Despite being based on a character in the Roald Dahl novel, it’s Wilder who really makes Wonka a name familiar to all, even 40+ years after the film was made.
This is bolstered by some of the most creative set design work ever put to film. The main room in the factory is just so colourful and tactile - you want it to be real. The way Wonka glides around during his musical number makes you feel like he’s been there all his life.
It’s the perfect cocktail of happiness, madness, warmth and danger; easily one of the greatest films ever made. Rest in peace Mr. Wonka.
http://benoliver999.com/film/2016/09/04/willywonkaandthechocolatefactory/
Gene Wilder is the clear MVP of "Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory". He plays the title character with a great deal of nuance. Outwardly, Willy Wonka is a strange oddball, but Wilder also brings a certain sadness and menace to the role. The production is equally good. The entire world is vivid, and the decision to shoot the film in Munich results in a very distinct look. The musical numbers are also fantastic, with several songs proving to be extremely catchy. There is also little else to complain about. Charlie and his grandfather are a great duo; the other children are all pretty much assholes, but in an entertaining way. And the story is also told in a very effective arc. It's a bit of a shame that Roald Dahl later disowned the movie. It is actually by far my favorite adaptation of the author's works.
“Mr. Wonka: "Don’t forget what happened to the man who suddenly got everything he wanted."
Charlie Bucket: "What happened?"
Mr. Wonka: "He lived happily ever after.”
Class movie...
A classic movie that everyone should watch at least once. This film is filled with pure imagination, I love how it's slightly dark but still full of whimsy!
Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory is a timeless kids movie. It has just the right amount of creepy elements and humor that it can be enjoyed by adults as well. Gene Wilder is perfect as the outlandish chocolate maker and all the songs are engraved into my brain. There are some outstanding set pieces and the crew was able to bring the chocolate factory to life.
Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory is one of the best children films of all-time.
Classic movie.. always fun to watch.
This is a right-wing propagandist wet dream... The perpetuation that the poor can with hard work lifts themselves above the oppression of their capitalist masters. The Oompa Loompas are the slaves of Wonka's industrial machine, indentured for life because Wonka saved them from a life in Loompaland. The Oompa Loompas are convinced by Wonka that their previous life was "Nothing but thick jungles infested by the most dangerous beasts in the world - hornswogglers and snozzwangers and those terrible wicked whangdoodles,"
Shoulda had Richard Pryor and his black son stompin thru that place haaaaaaaaaa jesus wtf
Gene Wilder still a zany Wonka after all these years.
Full Review: www.jake-s-entertainment-reviews.com/movies-and-televison/willy-wonka-the-chocolate-factory-1971
It’s incredible to think that a movie made in the 70s would be just as loved and cherished now as it was when it was first released. That is a sign that this movie is more than just nostalgia clouding people’s minds; “Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory” proves that outstanding creativity and timeless storytelling can live on through multiple generations of moviegoing audiences regardless of when the movie was first released. While it’s far from perfect, the things this movie got right, such as the memorable visuals and well-defined characters people can love or love to hate, are outstandingly done not just by 70’s standards but by modern filmmaking standards of today. The filmmakers have undoubtedly created a world of pure imagination that will live on in children and adults everywhere. It well deserves its reputation and holds up just as much now as it did back then.
(Final Grade: B+)
A movie full of pure imagination.
I didn't grow up watching this so I thought it wouldn't hold up for an adult. Boy, was I wrong. What a funny and and charming movie. I loved the first act. It's full of that biting British humor, made famous years later by Monty Python.
I saw the Tim Johnny Depp remake as a teenager so I was expecting a similar creepy performance. So Gene Wilder's calm demeanor threw me off at first. I loved his take, though.
The only catchy song for a first time viewer is the Oompa Loompa song.
Theme- 8.5/10
Rewatchibility- 8.5/10
Acting- 8/10
Kinematography- 9/10
Time- 8.5/10
Total - 42.5/5 = 8.5
This film is the best parts of my childhood rolled up into one, delicious, sweet thing.
Rated a Connor 10, normal 9
Damn is this movie a classic! I haven’t watched it for a LONG time, and still knew every word to every song. Gene Wilder is awesome! The plot is everything I could possibly want out of a movie that is over 50 years old! I’ll watch this many more times in my life. And I wanna live long enough to watch this movie when it’s 100 years old! Easily one of the top tier family films, and if you haven’t seen it you really need to check it out! Yes, I’ve typed “!” at the end of every sentence because I had a great time revisiting his classic!
Rating: 4.5/5 - 9/10 - Highly Recommend
"A little nonsense now and then is relished by the wisest men."
Can't believe I haven't seen this before! It wasn't until I did an escape room yesterday inspired by Charlie & the Chocolate Factory that I realized that I have to see this one ASAP and I did. (We escape with 4 minutes left and the secret notebook!)
I really enjoyed this colorful film, loved the look of the factory, loved the darkness with the kids, loved Gene Wilder's performance and really annoyed by the Oompa Loompa song. IT JUST WON"T GET OUT OF MY HEAD!
Anyway so happy I've decided to watch this this morning. A really enjoyable film and I can understand why it is so beloved. I'm also interested in the Tim Burton version but I can't see how he can top this.
Happy 50th Anniversary!
Gene Wilder... you're the one and only Willy Wonka.
Back when I first saw it as a kid I liked it. but now a days if I have to choose between this one and the remake, I would take the remake.
Gotta give credit for it's time but it didn't age well. Acting is not that good, I still prefer the remake over this.
Rest in Peace Willy Wonka..
Oompa Loompa doopity doo
Shout by whitsbrainVIP 5BlockedParent2022-01-15T17:05:52Z
Entertainingly odd and wildly weird is the way that I'd describe this movie. From Charlie's bed-ridden grandparents to the indescribable boat ride to the Oompa Loompas, it's a bizarre but fun film.
Gene Wilder's Wonka disposes of the children who break the rules and only little Charlie Bucket proves worthy of Wonka's reward. Everything is bright and wonderful here for the most part, a land of candy that is still amazing to watch today. Wilder is perfect in every single frame, teetering from nurturer to psychopath between breaths. The monologue he gives on the boat ride is a thing of nightmares and I really like the scene near the end where Wonka loses it in his office with Grandpa Joe. "Good day Sir!!" indeed.
The way that animation is thrown into the mix during the Oompa Loompa songs is delightfully twisted. Moments like these really add to the strange creep factor in an otherwise happy film. This version of Roald Dahl's children's book remains superior over the "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" remake.