Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

THE GIST: When world-renowned and famed recluse Willy Wonka announces that he has hidden five golden tickets inside five random chocolate bars, the world goes crazy. The five lucky winners would win a tour of Wonka's candy factory and a lifetime supply of chocolate. Everybody wants to find a ticket, but none more than Charlie Bucket, whose family is so poor they can barely afford food at all.

Tim Burton's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is a pretty faithful remake of the famed 1971 Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory. Naturally, the craziness of the original movie is only amped up by Burton's trademark style.

Furthermore, Gene Wilder's role is now played by Burton's favorite muse, Johnny Depp, who's all too adept at exploring the nuttiness and eccentricity of the varied characters he tackles, especially when working in a Burton movie.

The cast also includes Freddie Highmore, Helena Bonham Carter, and the great, late Christopher Lee.

THE BOTTOM LINE: Aided by decades of advances in visual effects technology, Burton's take is a feast for the eyes of course, but overall I felt that the story ran more smoothly and have to admit that I've enjoyed it a bit more than the original, even though that might infuriate the fans of the classic version.

Grade: 6.5