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Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005)

  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 5, age appropriate for kids over 8; suggested age 8.

  • Is it any good?

    4.0
  • Common Sense says

    Bright, spirited, and edgy version of Willy Wonka.

Why We Rated This on for Ages 8 and Up

What to watch out for

  • Messages:

    Several kids and parents are repeatedly rude, narcissistic, and unpleasant.
  • Violence & scariness:

    Some physical and emotional abuses of mean children; Willy has mildly scary flashbacks of his dentist father, featuring horrible headgear for his braces.
  • Sexy stuff:

    Not an issue.
  • Language:

    At least one use of "hell."
  • Consumerism:

    Not an issue.
  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    Not an issue.

What Parents Need to Know

This review of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005) was written by Cynthia Fuchs

Parents need to know that this colorful kids' adventure -- like the book -- includes some intense scenes. Obnoxious children are ridiculed visually and in words by the Oompah Loompahs and dispatched. One girl blows up into a giant blueberry, another boy is sucked into a tube, the other girl is attacked and pinned down by squirrels who proceed to throw her down a garbage chute. In one early scene, dolls burn up and their eyeballs pop out. The movie is much closer in dark tone to the book than its cinematic predecessor. Willy Wonka himself seems to disdain families.

Families Can Talk About

Talk to your kids about the media in their life. We have more tools and tips that can help
  • Families can talk about Willy's difficulties with his dentist father. How does his fear of his father's disapproval lead him to rebel? How does Charlie's good relationship with his parents and grandparents allow him to feel self-confident, trusting, and generous? How does the film compare Charlie (as the good child) with bad children (rich, spoiled, greedy, materialistic)? How does the movie show that selfish, silly parents produce selfish, silly children?
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More on Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005)

What’s the Story?

Young Charlie Bucket (Freddie Highmore) wins a chance to tour Willy Wonka's (Johnny Depp) chocolate factory, with four other children, when he purchases a chocolate bar that has a "golden ticket" inside. The group of children and guardians tour the factory, where they will see the top-secret, magical processes by which Willy Wonka makes his delicious candy. Specifically, they see the Oompa Loompas (all played by a digitally multiplied and reduced Deep Roy) make the candy and mete out judgments against misbehaving children.

Is It Any Good?

Each child-parent set in CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY reveals its dysfunction. Portrayed in broad, cartoonish strokes, the kids' cruelties serve as comedy, though they're not always funny. Indeed, the non-Charlie children are so loathsome that their various "punishments" seem deserved. These are staged as song-and-dance numbers by the Oompa Loompas, modeled after scenes that some parents will recall from other venues, for instance, Esther Williams musicals, the Who's guitar-smashing rock shows, Hair, Psycho, 2001, The Fly, and even Burton and Depp's Edward Scisssorhands, in Willy's flashbacks to his troubled relationship with his dentist father (Christopher Lee). There are some current-day references, some of which fail miserably (the Oprah appearance comes to mind), while others are merely annoying and serve to break the film's dreamlike power.

The film's strangeness is often fun, in particular Depp's white-faced makeup, frisky line readings (check his explanation: "Everything in this room is eatable; even I'm eatable, but that's called cannibalism and frowned on in most societies"), and weird affect. But the narrative rhythms are uneven, and Charlie, especially, is undeveloped, more an emblem of goodness than a full-on character. While the novel maintains a more or less steady focus through Charlie's perspective of all these crazy goings-on, the film is less coherent. It skips about to cover multiple storylines, including Willy's memories and the four bad children's separate exploits, all eventually pulled together by Charlie's good-boy summary of what matters most, his cozy family.

Movie Details

Studio: Warner Bros., Director: Tim Burton
Run time: 115 minutes
Theatrical release: 7/15/2005, DVD release: 11/8/2005
MPAA Rating: PG for quirky situations, action, and mild language

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Our Members Say

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Most Recent Reviews

  1. Parent Reviewer
    I rate this title iffy for age 3 and give it 5.0
    • My concerns are:
    • Inappropriate language
    • Excessive consumerism
    • My highlights are:
    • Positive messages
    • Good role models

    good for Little Kids and up

    It is a fairly Great movie and really fun. It is obvious that they're trying to get you to buy a candy bar but who cares. It teaches you to follow your dreams like willy wonka. it MAY be a tad scary for sensitive young tots. Its funny and heartwarming and everything you need to make magic in a movie. A++++!

  2. I rate this title iffy for age 8 and give it 5.0
    • My concerns are:
    • Excessive violence
    • My highlights are:
    • Positive messages
    • Good role models

    good but scary

    Okay very scary for my little bro the dolls losing their eyeballs is horrific

  3. I rate this title on for age 5 and give it 4.0
    • My concerns are:
    • Inappropriate language

    ok

    Its ok

  4. I rate this title on for age 5 and give it 4.0
    • My concerns are:
    • Inappropriate language

    ok

    Its ok

  5. I rate this title on for age 5 and give it 4.0
    • My concerns are:
    • Inappropriate language

    ok

    Its ok

  6. I rate this title on for age 5 and give it 4.0
    • My concerns are:
    • Inappropriate language

    ok

    Its ok

  7. I rate this title on for age 5 and give it 4.0
    • My concerns are:
    • Inappropriate language

    ok

    Its ok

  8. I rate this title on for age 5 and give it 4.0
    • My concerns are:
    • Inappropriate language

    ok

    Its ok

  9. I rate this title on for age 5 and give it 5.0
    • My concerns are:
    • Inappropriate sexual content
    • Drinking, smoking, or drug use

    good morning star shine the earth says hello i love this movie if ur thoes boring annoying stupid parent who i hate and your kids may think its violent but isnt

  10. Parent Reviewer
    Lives in Utah
    I rate this title iffy for age 8 and give it 3.0
    • My concerns are:
    • Inappropriate sexual content
    • Negative role models

    This was a clever rendition of an old classic. My only problem with it was the mother of Violet is portrayed sexually by the showing of too much cleavage. She is clearly dressed to show off her bust and the camera takes full advantage of this at times. Otherwise the movie was fine for me. Just be aware of this.

  11. I rate this title on for age 7 and give it 3.0
    • My concerns are:
    • Excessive violence

    A-OK

    this movie isnt very good or fantastic but it is not awful or bad. I just say it's a fine movie and people who like movies about about adventure should probably try watching it and most of those people probably wont find themselves dissapointed.

  12. Teen Reviewer Age 14
    I rate this title iffy for age 8 and give it 4.0
    • My concerns are:
    • Excessive violence
    • Negative message
    • My highlights are:
    • Positive messages

    Not better than the original.

    Johnny Depp is CREEPY!!!!!!!!! Anyone agree??? This version was okay, but I saw the 1971 version first, and that will always be the REAL version to me. This was less family-friendly. In the original one, the only really scary part was the psycho boat ride, with the scenes on the walls and the dark tunnel. Now, in this version, it's so much more dark and sinister! This version actually scared me a little... and I'm 14. (Young Wonka's headgear... ugh!) Although the mean, greedy, spoiled kids get punished and stuff. That's good.

  13. Kid Reviewer Age 10
    I rate this title on for age 9 and give it 3.0
    • My highlights are:
    • Good role models

    A 3-Star Good Family Movie

    This is one of my favorite movies, although I like the older version bettter. Johnny Depp is one of my favorite actors but I think he wasn't fit out for the part of Willy Wonka. But he did really GOOD!

  14. Kid Reviewer Age 11
    I rate this title on for age 5 and give it 3.0
    • My highlights are:
    • Positive messages
    • Good role models

  15. I rate this title on for age 3 and give it 5.0
    • My concerns are:
    • Excessive violence
    • Negative role models

    Fun for all ages!

    My kids watch this and love it! It is not too scary, but interesting enough to hold their attention. There may be some concerns about the dynamics between parents and their kids, but it is not something that you can't explain to your children (even my 3 year old understood that their behavior was unacceptable). Great for family movie night!

  16. I rate this title on for age 3 and give it 5.0
    • My concerns are:
    • Excessive violence
    • Negative role models

    Fun for all ages!

    My kids watch this and love it! It is not too scary, but interesting enough to hold their attention. There may be some concerns about the dynamics between parents and their kids, but it is not something that you can't explain to your children (even my 3 year old understood that their behavior was unacceptable). Great for family movie night!

  17. Adult Reviewer
    I rate this title on for age 8 and give it 3.0
    • My concerns are:
    • Negative role models

    A bit of a let-down in my opinion-

    I have to admit, my daughter (17), son (5), and I, were all a bit disappionted by this version of the Roald Dhal story. The humour was cuttingly sarcastic at points- which of course my little on didn't like or understand, and Willy Wonka was much colder than we had expected, which none of us liked or understood the need for. I suppose it would be a wonderful experiance for anyone who hadn't read the book or watched the earlier movie adaption, but for all our anticipation we found it rather lacking the same amount of sheer joy that we had come to associate with Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

  18. Kid Reviewer Age 12
    Lives in Tennessee
    I rate this title on for age 4 and give it 4.0
    • My highlights are:
    • Educational
    • Positive messages
    • Good role models

    appropriate for all ages

    I think charlie and the chocolate factory is a cute and funny kids movie i loved it!! it has great family values and i think it is appropriate for all ages

  19. I rate this title on for age 2 and give it 1.0

    AHHHHHHHH

    HOLY BANANAS! WHY THE HECK DID THEY PUT JOHNNY DEPP IN THIS HORRID MOVIE! STAY IN PIRATES OF THE CARRIBEAN,JOHNNY DEPP!!!!!GAHHHH! All actors are horrible,does not follow the book at all, and SUCKS!

  20. Kid Reviewer Age 10
    I rate this title on for age 6 and give it 4.0

    Awesome

    Love it sooooooooooooo much

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