Love and scandal are the best sweeteners of tea. —Henry Fielding

05 February 2006

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Quite frankly, I'm shocked that almost no one liked Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. I had heard such bad things about this film, and then I watched it this morning and enjoyed it thoroughly. I thought it was absolutely hilarious and full of magic and fun. It's cartoony and silly and bizzare and, well, nearly perfect. I do think Johnny Depp is creepy and weird and that white makeup he's wearing is quite freakish, but he's just so funny in the movie.

I liked Charlie better than Corpse Bride, but I had the same complaint with Charlie: I hate the songs. HATE the songs. I think the film would be great if it didn't have all of that stupidity. It'd be different if the songs were at all good, but they're not. They're all--without exception--dreadful. I had the same gripe with Corpse Bride. Really good film, really bad songs. And lest you think I dislike Danny Elfman, let me tell you that I think the scores to both movies are quite good. It's the songs that Burton and Elfman feel the need to pepper their films with to which I object. They're just ...annoying. They serve no narrative purpose most of the time and none of them has any lyric worth repeating or melody-line worth humming.

But Charlie and the Chocolate Factory: good movie--good, clean, wholesome fun.

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