Ever since Tim Burton’s adaptation of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was released in 2005, every single person had said that he or she liked the original movie, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory from 1971 better. Everybody favored the old one—except me. I liked the reboot better. That was right after I saw the remake until the early 2020s.
I watched a good amount of the 1971 adaptation, I discovered that I like both of them equally. But here are the aspects of the reboot that made me enjoy it better than the original before I re-watched the old movie again.
1: Willa Wonka and his sense of humor
Many people would disagree. I didn’t mind Gene Wilder’s portrayal of Willy Wonka. But when I saw how Johnny Depp played him, I admired his sense of humor, even if some of it crept certain people out.
However, I laughed at those things when I was a kid. Although some of Willy Wonka’s mannerisms and lines were clever and pleasing in the 2005 film (i.e. “The prize is a surprise”), I will admit that as an adult now, some of the things he said cross the line a bit.
An example would be where he wouldn’t allow Augustus’s body to be processed into the chocolate, because no one would purchase that. I laughed while typing this. But I’m not going to lie – that went a bit too far.
I also am now well aware that Gene Wilder’s portrayal of Willy Wonka was far more accurate that Johnny Depp’s. Willy Wonka was supposed to be sophisticated and serious – not have a dark or creepy sense of humor.
2: The Oompa-Loompas’ songs
Unlike the first adaptation, the Oompa-Loompas sang different songs each time. I liked how each one differed, based on the child’s action, and I thought they sounded more exciting than the original movie’s “Oompa-Loompa Doo-bity Doo.” Yet, the “Oompa-Loompa Doo-bity Doo” numbers were fine, as well.
3: Veruca was less spoiled—at least she seemed to be
In the 1971 film, she would shout, whine, and want pretty much everything she saw. In the 2005 movie, she seemed to control her emotions better. She seemed calmer, more positive, and overall, less spoiled.
Of course, she wasn’t spoil-free. She did have some moments where she demands what she wants (like when she didn’t get the Golden Ticket in the beginning or when she wanted one of Mr. Wonka’s squirrels). Nevertheless, I liked the reboot’s Veruca better than the original’s version.
Conclusion
So many movies get remade several times, and some franchises of those films (i.e., Scooby Doo and Spiderman) get different versions of their premises.
Many people prefer the original movies over the remakes, and the books over the film-adaptations of them. For me, it varies.
Sometimes, I am neutral, which is when I’ve not viewed either adaptations of a specific story. Occasionally, I prefer the original versions. Other times, I like the reboots or film-adaptations more than the original sources, or both equally.