I saw this film over the weekend and was blown away! The combo of 3 of my favorite movie people (Johnny Depp, Tim Burton & Danny Elfman) continue to entertain & surprise me. Do not go to see this movie expecting to see a remake of Gene Wilder in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. In fact, I heard Depp say in an interview that he worked as hard as he could to play Willy with as much contrast to Wilder as he could. If you ask me, he did.

We all know the story. Poor boy Charlie Buckets wants to win one of 5 Golden Tickets to tour the Wonka Candy factory. He wins the last one the day before the big event. The other 4 children on the tour all represent one of the way to be bad children. One is a greedy pig, one is an over competive snot, one is a spoiled brat, and the other is obsessed with TV/video games. Of course these 4 kids exit the storyline in various ways until only Charlie is left on the tour. He wins the grand prize - the factory itself.

I am continually amazed how Tim Burton can take a well known story, and add his own twisted perspective to it. I especially enjoyed his treatment of the welcome the children and their guardians received upon entering the factory grounds. *Fire Fire Fire! LOL* Very surpising.

The return to the book by Robert Dahl is very nice and fits in well with Burton's storytelling style. All of the original songs from the book that the Ummpa Loompas sing (all played by Deep Roy) are sung by Danny Elfman in wonderfully fantastic musical productions.

I must add a comment on Johnny Depp's outstanding performance in this role. He played an adult that hasn't quite gotten over a trying and difficult childhood with an overbearing dentist as a father. Many have drawn parallels between his interpretation and Michael Jackson. Whle there are a few, I wouldn't say that he is protraying him as Depp did Keith Richards in Pirates. Instead, he is playing Willy Wonka as a disturbed child.

I don't think I would take young children to this movie - particularly as a children's movie. There were a few small kids in the theater when I was there and they behaved and sat through it fine, but I am sure that they had many questions for their parents afterward.

I give this movie a 10 out of 10. It was awesome!