Movie Review

This weekend, just in time for our post-Halloween candy gorging, Uncommon Productions shows the old and new film adaptations of Roald Dahl’s classic story, “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” as well as the remake of the classic film “Bad News Bears.”

NOW PLAYING at the University Student Commons Theater

Nov. 4

Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory @ 7 p.m.

Nov. 5

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory @ 7 p.m.
Bad News Bears @ 9p.m

Nov. 6

Bad News Bears @ 7 p.m.
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory @ 9p.m.

The original and more musical film based on Dahl’s story, “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory,” features more songs, dwarf-like Oompa Loompas and 1970s haircuts. Gene Wilder plays Willy Wonka, a famous chocolatier who is forced to close down his factory after some worker spies sell his secret candy recipes to competing companies. The closing forces him to work in seclusion until he holds a contest where five golden tickets are sent out in random Wonka bars to five lucky children from anywhere in the world. As the children soon discover, Wonka’s years of seclusion have gotten to him, and he is now walking a fine line between genius and insanity.

The remake of this film titled “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” follows closer to the literary work. In this version, Willy Wonka is played by Johnny Depp in one of his most fascinating and believable roles. Everything is revamped for a modern generation of moviegoers. The songs in the film use a wider array of styles and instrumentation. Also, the special effects used for the wonders inside Wonka’s factory, the great glass elevator and the Oompa Loompas have improved a great deal since the 1970s. These all provide excellent eye candy along with the theme of the film. The film can be mildly disturbing, however, when one looks at the factory as a childhood paradise for the man without a childhood. Remind you of anyone?

The second remake of the weekend, “Bad News Bears,” stars Billy Bob Thornton as an ex-professional baseball player and an alcoholic. He is recruited to coach a failing baseball team of 12 year-olds and lead them to a comeback.