Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is a timeless classic based off the children’s book by British author Roald Dahl. The book has since been adapted into film twice, the first time in 1971, and the second in 2005.
Directed by Tim Burton and starring Johnny Depp as the eccentric Mr Wonka, the film is about Young Charlie Bucket, a likeable boy who was born into a poor family and was obsessed with the fantastical Mr Wonka and his chocolates. Mr Wonka himself is an eccentric inventor and owner of a chocolate factory which was shrouded in much mystery after shutting the factory away from the world for 15 years while still producing chocolates. When he finally revealed himself to the world once more, he opened his factory to five lucky children and their parents if they had a golden ticket.
Through the film, we saw the variety of characters and personalities who each wanted a Golden Ticket for their own purposes. As the children explored the fantastical factory that’s full of wonder, we see each of them eliminate themselves from the tour of the factory by succumbing to their own mischievous or greedy behavior.
The most obvious moral of the story here, is that good children get what they deserve, but some could say an ever deeper takeaway is that it never hurts to dream big or have an imagination, because Charlie Bucket could never have imagined he would actually end up in the factory after having always dreamt of getting the golden ticket, while the chocolate factory itself seems to be one big factory of imaginations by an eccentric inventor, Mr Wonka himself.
Throughout the film, the constant use of soundtracks to send off each of the children certainly left an impression and emphasized the wrongdoings of the children, making it both a fun and enjoyable show to watch.
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is certainly a timeless classic for all ages, and if you haven’t yet watched it, perhaps it’s time to do so!