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Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Play trailer Poster for Charlie and the Chocolate Factory PG 2005 1h 55m Kids & Family Fantasy Comedy Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
83% Tomatometer 227 Reviews 51% Popcornmeter 250,000+ Ratings
Based on the beloved Roald Dahl tale, this comedic and fantastical film follows young Charlie Bucket (Freddie Highmore) and his Grandpa Joe (David Kelly) as they join a small group of contest winners who get to tour the magical and mysterious factory of eccentric candy maker Willy Wonka (Johnny Depp). Aided by his diminutive Oompa Loompa workers (Deep Roy), Wonka has a hidden motivation for the tour, one that he will reveal only after the children in the group show their true colors.
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Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

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Critics Consensus

Closer to the source material than 1971's Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is for people who like their Chocolate visually appealing and dark.

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Critics Reviews

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Ryan Gilbey Sight & Sound Sep 28, 2006
If anything cramps Depp, and the film's sense of fun, it is the weight that is placed on reconciliation between Wonka and his father. Go to Full Review
Ken Tucker New York Magazine/Vulture May 12, 2006
As the star who's framed in the center of nearly every shot he's in, Depp is a constantly surprising Willy Wonka. Go to Full Review
Sandra Hall Sydney Morning Herald Jan 17, 2006
Finally a worthy, excellent remake. Go to Full Review
Diego Batlle Otroscines.com Aug 10, 2026
4/5
...Burton crafted a visually captivating film, disconcerting in its tone—which oscillates between naiveté and humor perhaps too dark for children—and featuring a deeply unsettling protagonist. [Full review in Spanish] Go to Full Review
Jana Monji Age of the Geek Dec 27, 2023
3/5
While Wilder's Wonka had the pensive perfume of bittersweet chocolate, Depp's Wonka is that weird white chocolate--not really what you have in mind when you want to eat chocolate but can be an acquired taste and definitely part of the culinary craft. Go to Full Review
Joe Lipsett Hazel & Katniss & Harry & Starr Podcast Dec 12, 2023
3.5/5
Credit Burton for going the practical route; it visually grounds the otherwise fantastical film. Surprisingly Depp's unhinged and frequently bizarre performance works more often than not. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Daniel B @cool_dude95 16 hrs ago Great movie but the end is bad I don’t like all the flashbacks they are kinda boring See more Jake B @RT30223832 2 days ago I think the aesthetic of the movie is great, and Johnny Depp does a great job as Willy Wonka. However, parts of the story, especially the ending, hold it back for me. There was so much potential with the ending, but having Wonka go from building a massive chocolate empire and being this bizarre, isolated character to simply joining Charlie’s family for dinner didn’t work for me. I understand it’s supposed to be heartfelt, but the entire movie is quirky and strange, so ending it in such a normal, sentimental way feels out of place. I also don’t like Wonka’s backstory with his father being a dentist. The candy-versus-dentistry conflict makes sense, but it never feels deep or meaningful and comes across more like filler meant to explain why Wonka is the way he is. The movie gets so much right visually and stylistically. With a stronger backstory and a more fitting ending, I think it could have been more enjoyable and potentially even better than the original. See more Marco L @decatur555 6 days ago A very Tim Burton adaptation: full of sugar, shadows, strange colors and a cruelty that feels close to Roald Dahl. What works best is the contrast between Charlie's poor but warm home and Wonka's gigantic factory, which is dazzling, mechanical and slightly unsettling at the same time. Freddie Highmore gives the film its calm center, while Johnny Depp's Wonka remains the most debatable element: cold, neurotic, artificial and sometimes too mannered, but impossible to forget. The film understands that a children's story does not have to be soft or toothless. Its spoiled children are punished like figures in an old fable, with the Oompa Loompas turning every lesson into a weird musical trial. Some digital effects and the explanatory family subplot have aged less well, and the film can be excessive. But I would rather have too much imagination than none at all. Imperfect, funny, visually rich and a little dangerous, it builds its own identity instead of merely repeating what came before. See more Dom M @Dom2m Sep 7, 2026 Worst rendition of all time See more Ethan S @ethanthemoviefan Aug 29, 2026 DO NOT RECOMMEND. The beginning was really good but after that it went south. The beginning is the reason I have one star and not half a star. See more Rusty-James R @JackRay05 Aug 28, 2026 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is a fantastic adaptation of the 1964 book of the same name, written by Roald Dahl. It feels like the book came to life with stellar performances across the cast. The children are all satisfyingly terrible, and updated from the book in a way that makes sense for the modern era. The sets are gorgeous and gothic, and they feel like a twisted fantasy. Something vaguely realistic, but taken from a dream. The acting, the songs, the atmosphere, it's perfect. Willy Wonka, himself, was played in a unique way by Johnny Depp. He felt like a byproduct of his childhood, which is told in a backstory unique to the film. I think the backstory was a great addition, and if felt like something Dahl might have concocted. Charlie, played by Freddie Highmore, was also pleasant to watch, displaying that some children know sacrifice at such a young age, which sadly, people say have him act unrealistically saintly. That is just untrue. This is my favorite film of all time. See more Read all reviews
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

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Movie Info

Synopsis Based on the beloved Roald Dahl tale, this comedic and fantastical film follows young Charlie Bucket (Freddie Highmore) and his Grandpa Joe (David Kelly) as they join a small group of contest winners who get to tour the magical and mysterious factory of eccentric candy maker Willy Wonka (Johnny Depp). Aided by his diminutive Oompa Loompa workers (Deep Roy), Wonka has a hidden motivation for the tour, one that he will reveal only after the children in the group show their true colors.
Director
Tim Burton
Producer
Brad Grey, Richard D. Zanuck
Screenwriter
John August, Roald Dahl
Distributor
Warner Bros. Pictures
Production Co
Village Roadshow Pictures, Warner Bros., Zanuck Company, Plan B Films
Rating
PG (Quirky Situations|Action|Mild Language)
Genre
Kids & Family, Fantasy, Comedy
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Jul 15, 2005, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Jan 15, 2008
Box Office (Gross USA)
$206.5M
Runtime
1h 55m
Sound Mix
SDDS, DTS, Dolby SRD
Aspect Ratio
Flat (1.37:1)
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