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Tell Others About This Page By Using This Button "CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY" (2005) (Johnny Depp, Freddie Highmore) (PG) Alcohol/ Drugs Blood/Gore Disrespectful/ Bad Attitude Frightening/ Tense Scenes Guns/ Weapons Minor Mild Heavy *Mild Minor Imitative Behavior Jump Scenes Music (Scary/Tense) Music (Inappropriate) Profanity Mild None Mild None Minor Sex/ Nudity Smoking Tense Family Scenes Topics To Talk About Violence Mild None Mild Moderate Mild QUICK TAKE: Comedy: Joining a small group of other winners, a poor boy gets to visit a massive candy factory run by its imaginative if reclusive and quirky owner. PLOT: Charlie Bucket (FREDDIE HIGHMORE) is a nice kid from a poor family -- including his parents, (HELENA BONHAM CARTER & NOAH TAYLOR) along with Grandpa Joe (DAVID KELLY), Grandma Georgina (LIZ SMITH), Grandma Josephine (EILEEN ESSELL) and Grandpa George (DAVID MORRIS) -- that collectively lives in the shadow of the enormous Wonka Candy factory that dominates their small town. Grandpa Joe once worked in the factory for the highly imaginative but quirky owner, Willy Wonka (JOHNNY DEPP), but when rivals stole all of his secret candy formulas, Wonka fired everyone, shuttered the doors and hasn't been seen since. He's continued to make candy, however, with the aid of the tribesmen known as the Oompa Loompas (all portrayed by DEEP ROY), and has come up with what appears to be a brilliant marketing campaign. Inserted in just five of the millions of Wonka Bars distributed around the world are five golden tickets that will admit the bearer and one parent into the factory for a private tour and meeting with Wonka himself. Among the winners is Augustus Gloop (PHILIP WIEGRATZ), a German glutton who can't get enough chocolate and arrives with his mother (FRANZISKA TROEGNER). There's spoiled rich brat Veruca Salt (JULIA WINTER) who's accompanied by her businessman father (JAMES FOX) who gives her whatever she wants; brash TV addict Mike Teavee (JORDON FRY) and his dad (ADAM GODLEY); and the highly competitive and egotistical Violet Beauregarde (ANNASOPHIA ROBB) and her mom (MISSI PYLE). As luck would have it, Charlie is the fifth winner and he joins the group as they meet Wonka and enter his enormous factory. Happy to show off his candy inventions but uncomfortable around the kids and the notion of parents, Wonka is reminded of his own unhappy childhood where little Willy Wonka (BLAIR DUNLOP) had to deal with his stern, candy-hating dentist father (CHRISTOPHER LEE). As he deals with that and a number of the kids who get in over their heads due to their defining characteristics, Wonka has a big surprise for the child who turns out to be purest of heart. WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT? It's a good bet many younger kids will want to. WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: PG For quirky situations, action and mild language. CAST AS ROLE MODELS: JOHNNY DEPP plays the highly imaginative but quirky and somewhat standoffish owner of the candy factory who's invited a number of winners to tour his factory but must contend with unresolved issues from his own childhood. FREDDIE HIGHMORE plays a nice and optimistic kid from a poor family who gets to live his dream when he finds the last winning ticket to visit the Wonka factory. Despite a lucrative offer made to him, he chooses his family over that, a trait he demonstrates at other points in the film. DAVID KELLY plays his lively grandfather who once worked in the Wonka factory and now accompanies his grandson on the special tour. HELENA BONHAM CARTER plays Charlie's mother who tries her best to make do with what little they have. NOAH TAYLOR plays Charlie's father who worries about how they'll make ends meet when he's laid off from his job. JULIA WINTER plays a rich girl who's a spoiled brat thanks to her father giving in to her every whim and demand. JAMES FOX plays her businessman father who does just that. ANNASOPHIA ROBB plays a snobby, egotistical and ultra-competitive kid who thinks she can do and get away with anything. JORDON FRY plays a brash and hyperactive TV addict who doesn't listen to others. PHILIP WIEGRATZ plays a German glutton who can't get enough of Wonka's candy and eats it nearly nonstop. DEEP ROY plays all of the Oompa Loompa tribesmen who now work in Wonka's factory and perform various musical numbers. CHRISTOPHER LEE plays Wonka's dentist father who forbids his young son (in flashback) from eating any candy. BLAIR DUNLOP plays young Willy Wonka who's forbidden to eat candy but finally sneaks a piece and then runs away from home to taste and study all candy. DAVID MORRIS plays Charlie's other grandfather, a pessimist who doesn't think his grandson has any chance of finding the winning ticket. CAST, CREW, & TECHNICAL INFO HOW OTHERS RATED THIS MOVIE Curious if this title is entertaining, any good, and/or has any artistic merit? Then read OUR TAKE of this film. (Note: The "Our Take" review of this title examines the film's artistic merits and does not take into account any of the possibly objectionable material listed below). OUR WORD TO PARENTS: The following is a brief summary of the content found in this comedy that's been rated PG. Profanity consists of one use of the word "hell" (and other words may be mouthed in a muted scene), while various colorful phrases are uttered and a double entendre is made about touching a squirrel's "nuts." A woman's cleavage is seen in several scenes, while lingerie is briefly seen on a department store mannequin. Various characters have varying degrees of bad attitudes, while certain bizarre scenes, a few moments of what look like potential peril, and some visuals may be unsettling, suspenseful or maybe even scary to very young viewers, but probably to no one else. Some bug-related goo is briefly present, as is the shot of a woman drinking. Various bits of potentially imitative behavior are present, as are some flashback scenes where a boy must contend with his stern father who doesn't allow him to have any candy. A young girl does some martial arts moves on her adult sparring partners, some brief property damage occurs, and some material involves people striking animals or vice-versa. If you're still concerned about the film and its appropriateness for yourself or anyone else in your home who may be interested in seeing it, we suggest that you take a closer look at our detailed listings for more specific information regarding the film's content. ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE We see a quick shot of Veruca's mother drinking. BLOOD/GORE While in Loompaland in a flashback, Willy Wonka strikes a large flying insect with his machete, killing it. We then see insect goo on the blade and he tastes it. A bit later, we see an Oompa Loompa crushing green caterpillars into a thick pulp in a small bowl (that's all they eat). He then wants Willy Wonka to try it and Willy Wonka reluctantly does so, lifting up some green goo then hangs from his finger and then sucking it down in his mouth. We see rotten garbage and buzzing flies all over Veruca and her father (after they earlier landed in a garbage dump). DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE We hear that rival candy makers sent spies into Willy Wonka's factory to steal his secrets (we briefly see a worker hand over a secret recipe to another man outside the factory). A person refers to the overweight Augustus as a "porker" and it's said about Veruca that "she's even worse than the fat boy." Veruca is a spoiled rich girl who wants and demands everything of her father who always caves in to her wants and desires. One of Mr. Salt's employees (whose job is to open Wonka Bars to look for the winning ticket) finds the ticket and seems ready to keep it for herself when she's caught doing so. Violet is an egotistical child who'd driven to win in everything she does. Mike says that even a "retard" could figure out something. Two adults offer to pay money to Charlie for his winning ticket (one doesn't offer much, hoping to take advantage of the boy). Despite having invited them (through anonymous winning tickets), Willy Wonka is rather cold and indifferent to the children who visit his factory (such as when Violet says who she is, he replies that he doesn't care). Eating some candy, Augustus asks Charlie if he'd like some chocolate. Charlie indicates he would, with Augustus then replying that Charlie should have brought some with him. Let loose to eat whatever they want in a large candy room, Mike repeatedly stomps down on some large, pumpkin like piece of candy. When Charlie asks Violet why doesn't chew new gum, she says it's because she's a winner, and if she didn't, "I'd be a loser like you." Some may view Willy Wonka as having enslaved the Oompa Loompas (since he has the one thing they covet the most -- the cocoa bean) to make the candy in his factory. We see some Oompa Loompas whipping a strung-up cow to make whipped cream (played for laughs although some may not like the joke). Violet doesn't pay attention to Willy Wonka's warnings about some experimental gum, tries it and then keeps chewing it despite him asking her to stop. Mike refers to someone else by saying, "He's an idiot." He also belittles Willy Wonka and then ignores his warning by jumping into a candy teleporter. FRIGHTENING SCENES Scenes listed here may be unsettling, suspenseful or maybe even scary to very young viewers, but probably to no one else. We see a flashback to an Indian Prince and Princess fleeing from inside their immense chocolate palace as it melts and falls apart all around them. Various old-fashioned mechanical toy figures of children (seen as part of an introductory bit to the factory) suddenly catch on fire (and the sight of a few of them engulfed in flames -- and melting, with one's eye falling out -- might be unsettling to some younger kids). From a distance, we later see the puppet hospital and burn center. Augustus falls into a chocolate river, causing his mother concern since he can't swim. A large suction tube then comes along, drops into the river and starts sucking up the chocolate, causing a whirlpool around it that then draws Augustus into and then halfway up the tube where he gets stuck. Willy Wonka, the kids and their chaperones hold on as they ride in a large boat down a rapidly moving river through a tunnel. Violet doesn't pay attention to Willy Wonka's warnings about some experimental gum, tries it and then keeps chewing it despite him asking her to stop. Since it's a substitute for food, she tastes blueberries, but then starts turning into one herself, beginning with her nose turning purple, then the rest of her skin and then her body blowing up like an enormous balloon (some younger kids might find all of that a bit unsettling). The group enters a nut shelling room where many normal-sized squirrels work to shell nuts. Veruca decides and demands that she wants one, so she goes down into the room, drawing the attention of all the squirrels who eye her suspiciously. The one she wants then jumps on her, causing her to backpedal as more jump on and eventually knock her to the floor where they pile onto her and hold down her limbs. One then crawls up to her head and raps on her forehead (to see if she's a "bad nut" or not). When they decide she is, they drag her toward a hole in the floor that leads, according to Willy Wonka, to the incinerator that's scheduled to burn today (but we learn that it's not working after she falls in). Mr. Salt then goes to see if she's okay, prompting one squirrel to jump up and push him into the same hole and he disappears from sight. In a Oompa Loompa song (and the spoof within it), one is dressed like Norman Bates in the mother outfit from the movie "Pyscho" and stabs a large knife into an empty shower/tub. Some kids may be unsettled when Mike disappears in a teleporter and then arrives on the other side of the room in an extreme miniature size. Willy Wonka's glass elevator flies upward toward the glass ceiling, gaining speed as it goes (and eventually blasts out, but everyone inside is okay). Once hitting its highest point, it then starts to fall rapidly back toward the ground and eventually crashes through Charlie's house, causing some property damage (but no one is harmed). GUNS/WEAPONS We see Mike playing some sort of first person shooter video game where he blasts an alien character (we hear and see additional flashes from such shots). Oompa Loompa's fire gumballs that explode like fireworks, as well as what look like machine guns of some sort that shoot something that sparks upon impact (but no harm or damage appears to have occurred). In a Oompa Loompa song (and the spoof within it), one is dressed like Norman Bates in the mother outfit from the movie "Pyscho" and stabs a large knife into an empty shower/tub. IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR Phrases: "Balderdash," "Porker," "Like hell," "What a beastly girl," "Retard," an incomplete "You ungrateful..." "Yippee," "Only a dummy would give this up for something as common as money," "Cads," "All in good time," "Loser," "Nincompoop," "Oh poppycock," "Little buggers," "Slide me some skin" (said while holding out one's hand), "It's just weird," "Let's boogie," "Really starting to bum me out," "You're really weird," "Don't touch that squirrel's nuts," "Let's keep on trucking," "Mr. smarty pants," "Okey-dokey," "Holy buckets," "He's an idiot," "Don't push my button," "Jerk," "Gosh darn the consequences," "Nuts" (crazy) and "You smell like peanuts" (followed by "You smell like old people"). In a flashback, Willy Wonka has Joe put a chocolate egg into his mouth that then turns into a small chocolate bird (it's possible some kids could attempt the same with a real egg). A person refers to the overweight Augustus as a "porker" and it's said about Veruca that "she's even worse than the fat boy." Violet spars with several adults in some sort of martial arts where she delivers various kicks and blows to them. Eating some candy, Augustus asks Charlie if he'd like some chocolate. Charlie indicates he would, with Augustus then replying that Charlie should have brought some with him. Violet puts her gum, which she's been chewing for weeks, behind her ear. When Charlie asks Violet why doesn't chew new gum, she says it's because she's a winner, and if she didn't, "I'd be a loser like you." While making various gestures to communicate with an Oompa Loompa, Willy Wonka includes putting his hand under his armpit and flapping his arm. He also makes a loud and rapid tribal sound with his tongue. We see some Oompa Loompas whipping a strung-up cow to make whipped cream (played for laughs although some may not like the joke). In a Oompa Loompa song, one is dressed like a hard rocker and flicks his tongue like Gene Simmons from the rock group KISS. Willy Wonka accidentally walks face-first into the wall of his glass elevator and falls to the ground. He later does this again (played for laughs). JUMP SCENES None. MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE) A mild amount of suspenseful music plays in the film. MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE) None. PROFANITY At least 1 hell. In addition, one of Charlie's relatives apparently cusses as another relative holds her hands over Charlie's ears so that he can't hear what's said (we don't either). SEX/NUDITY As children rush and swarm around a Wonka Bar display situated around a dressed mannequin (seen in sped-up motion), they leave the mannequin in just some lingerie (from their furious grabbing at the candy bars, but nothing explicit is seen). Violet's mother shows cleavage and then does so again in the jogging outfit she wears to the factory (the cleavage is seen in several scenes). Although not sexual in basic nature, the following line is said by Willy Wonka to Veruca when she approaches a squirrel employed to shell nuts for Willy Wonka: "Don't touch that squirrel's nuts." SMOKING None. TENSE FAMILY SCENES We hear that Mr. Bucket was laid off from work and he's worried since they were barely making ends meet with his job. We see that Willy Wonka has an unresolved child-parent issue (he can't mouth the word "parents") and we then see several flashbacks to when he was a kid with a stern father who wouldn't let him eat candy (despite going out trick or treating on Halloween) and burns what he brought home. In a later flashback, young Willy Wonka runs away from home to taste and study candy around the world. Later, however, he and his father reconcile (in the present). TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT Real-life chocolate factories. We hear that rival candy makers sent spies into Willy Wonka's factory to steal his secrets. Being poor. Why Charlie's grandparents all share the same bed (because they're poor). How the various kids get their comeuppance based on their dominant characteristic or personality trait. How kids can become spoiled by always getting what they want and/or demand. Charlie shares his candy bar with the rest of his family despite it being his lone birthday present. Workers replaced by modernization. It could be implied that two men briefly seen together in passing, walking their dog, are gay, but there's no other indication of that. The fact that Charlie says he'll sell his winning ticket since their family needs the money. Some viewers may see Willy Wonka as somewhat appearing and/or behaving like Michael Jackson or at least a similar man-child type character. We see that Willy Wonka has an unresolved child-parent issue (he can't mouth the word "parents") and we then see several flashbacks to when he was a kid with a stern father who wouldn't let him eat candy Cannibalism (Willy Wonka briefly mentions it when saying even he's eatable -- like things in a vast room in the factory). Augustus is a glutton who can't stop eating candy. Some may view Willy Wonka as having enslaved the Oompa Loompas (since he has the one thing they covet the most -- the cocoa bean) to make the candy in his factory. We see young Willy Wonka in braces and all sorts of related, wild looking headgear. Charlie's decision to stay with his family rather than forsake them for Willy Wonka's factory. VIOLENCE Violet spars with several adults in some sort of martial arts where she delivers various kicks and blows to them. We see Mike playing some sort of first person shooter video game where he blasts an alien character (we hear and see additional flashes from such shots). Let loose to eat whatever they want in a large candy room, Mike repeatedly stomps down on some large, pumpkin like piece of candy. While in Loompaland in a flashback, Willy Wonka strikes a large flying insect with his machete, killing it. We see some Oompa Loompas whipping a strung-up cow to make whipped cream (played for laughs although some may not like the joke). The group enters a nut shelling room where many normal-sized squirrels work to shell nuts. Veruca decides and demands that she wants one, but the one she picks jumps on her, causing her to backpedal as more jump on and eventually knock her to the floor where they pile onto her and hold down her limbs. They then drag her toward a hole in the floor and Mr. Salt then goes to see if she's okay, prompting one squirrel to jump up and push him into the same hole and he disappears from sight. Willy Wonka accidentally walks face-first into the wall of his glass elevator and falls to the ground. He later does this again (played for laughs). Willy Wonka's glass elevator flies upward toward the glass ceiling, gaining speed as it goes (and eventually blasts out, but everyone inside is okay). Once hitting its highest point, it then starts to fall rapidly back toward the ground and eventually crashes through Charlie's house, causing some property damage (but no one is harmed). Reviewed July 9, 2005 / Posted July 15, 2005

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