Charlie Wonka Movie Comparison Essay

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Many books get adapted into movies, but very few get two movies made after them. Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971) and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005), directed by Mel Stuart and Tim Burton, respectively, are two different alterations of Roald Dahl’s novel Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (1964). Both versions follow the similar plot of five children finding a Golden Ticket that enables them to tour Mr. Wonka’s chocolate factory and compete for the grand prize. As the movies progress, each child faces some sort of accident, leaving Charlie as the only child left to become heir to the factory. Both directors, however, went in different directions in regards to their adaptations. Charlie differs from Willy in that …show more content…

The ironic part about this is that the 1971 version changed its name to Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory while the 2005 version chose to go with the novel’s title, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (Double Take, 2005). Everyone is familiar with the story centering around Charlie and his humble rise from rags to riches, so creating a story for Wonka was a bold decision. Wonka is meant to be a man of mystery but is made into the center of attention in the newer movie by having a backstory (Text-to-Screen, 2010). His story included a dentist father that never allowed him to eat candy as a child, which gave Wonka the motivation to create a chocolate empire and isolate himself from his father (Double Take, 2005). He learned the true meaning of family when Charlie denied his proposal of living with him in the factory. Charlie’s rejection of obtaining the factory in order to stay with his family was made as a contrast to Wonka’s anti-parent attitude (Text-to-Screen, 2010). In the end, Wonka reconciled with his father, with the help of Charlie. Despite the decision to change the center of attention, the 2005 version still provides the family movie feeling that the 1971 version is known

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