Attach the names Richard Zanuck, Roald Dahl, Johnny Depp and Tim Burton to a film and you've got a very inter-esting way to spend almost two hours.
"Charlie and the Chocolate Factory," projected onto the IMAX screen of the Boeing Theater at the Pacific Science Center, provides just that.
First published in 1964, "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" recently celebrated its 40th anniversary in print. As beloved by children and adults today as it has been throughout past decades, the book has sold over 13 million copies worldwide and has been translated into 32 languages. Its enduring popularity indicates how well author Dahl understood, appreciated and communicated with children.
The filmmakers also sought the support and collaboration of Felicity Dahl, the author's wife and the caretaker of his estate since his death in 1990. Says co-producer Brad Grey, "Without her blessing, we wouldn't have a movie."
"This was bigger than anything I've been involved with my entire career, not only as a producer but as a studio head. It's bigger in scope, size and imagination," says Zanuck, Oscar-winning producer of "Driving Miss Daisy" and 1991 recipient of the Academy's Irving Thalberg Award.
If you're like me, you've seen a few films in the IMAX format. But they usually have been "nature"-type endeavors, or action documentaries filmed from the nose of a twisting and swooping jet fighter. This was one of the first fictional films I've seen that has been blown up to the large IMAX 15/70 film frame.
The Boeing IMAX Theater has Seattle's largest screen. The theater features more than 400 comfortable stadium seats and 12,000 watts of digital sound.
I have to admit right off, I've never seen the 1971 Gene Wilder-starred "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory" that is cherished by so many. This time around Johnny Depp stars as Wonka, the somewhat unusual and famous chocolatier. With purplish hair, violet contact lenses and pale white face makeup, Depp sounds and looks just a bit like Michael Jackson. This Wonka seems clearly somewhat freakish.
Depp's oddball-yet-mesmerizing Wonka is paired with a more conven-tional performance by young Freddie Highmore (who co-starred with Depp in "Finding Neverland") as Charlie. This boy, lacking in material wealth, makes up for it by being rich in love and character and is the story's real hero. The two actors neatly balance each other and create a genuine bond by the end of the film.
Moviegoers young and old who appreciate breathtaking visuals, dark humor and heartfelt storytelling shouldn't miss director Burton's film, which goes down as scrumptiously as one of Wonka's chocolates.
Burton's trademark eye for color and detail treats us to a feast. The ramshackle hovel that is home to the Bucket family - Charlie, his parents and four grandparents - leans dangerously to one side and looks as though a strong wind could blow it over. Its windows, however, glow with family warmth.
Wonka's factory, which looms above the unnamed fantasy city where Charlie lives, is, in contrast, foreboding. Even the factory interiors have a certain darkness about them.
The fascinating Oompa Loompas - all played by one actor (Deep Roy) who acted each of the many shots individually, then magically duplicated through computer special effects into an army - contribute, among other things, musical numbers, one of which includes a stylized, Busby Berkeley-esque routine shot from overhead.
The IMAX version of the film is scheduled at the Pacific Science Center through Sept. 5, with three shows daily and additional showings Fridays and Saturdays at midnight.
How did I like it? I thought it was a delightful film for audiences of all ages, and I found myself laughing out loud during some of the subtler humor. On a scale of 1 to 10, I'd give it an 8.[[In-content Ad]]
