"LAWFUL EVENTS"

I went on a family road trip to Whistler. We stopped in Squamish, Porteau Cove, and we had Cow's Ice Cream. It was a lot of fun and reminded me how much I actually love my family. Very refreshing.



"POINT OF REVIEW"


Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Starring Johnny Depp, Freddie Highmore, David Kelly
Written by John August and Directed by Tim Burton


Being a comic book and superhero fan, it was natural that at the age of eleven I saw Tim Burton’s name many times. Of course we all know Tim Burton directed 1989’s legendary Batman film and from that point on he has treated us to many dark and fantastic tales that somehow always make us smile. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is no exception.

You may remember the 1971 version of the Roald Dahl book, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, starring Gene Wilder -- but let me state that Tim Burton’s interpretation of the book is no remake whatsoever. It is a true original. How can it be anything else with Tim Burton and Johnny Depp headlining. If you are not familiar with the story of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, it is about a wunderkind chocolate maker by the name of Willy Wonka, who runs a mysterious chocolate factory where amazing and wonderful sweets such as Ever-Lasting Gobstoppers and scrumptious chocolate bars are made from top secret schemes. After being hit by corporate espionage, Wonka fires all his employees and closes his factory doors to the public... Until now. For the first time since he shut the doors some twenty odd years ago (think Michael Jackson’s Neverland Ranch or Howard Hughes’ house) -- Willy Wonka is opening the factory to five kids who are lucky enough to find a golden ticket in one of his famous chocolate bars that are sold all over the world. Charlie (Finding Neverland’s Freddie Highmore), a poor, but good-hearted kid, Augustus Gloop, a fat and glutinous child, Veruca Salt, a spoiled English kid, Violet Beauregarde, an overly competitive girl, and Mike Teavee, a genius kid who appears to have ADD -- are the lucky five. Each child is to be accompanied by one guardian and we can see how each child got to be the way they are now by that chosen guardian. These five kids are perfect examples of the kind of children we see these days.

Inside the factory is where the fun really begins though. It is like Disneyland on acid. The factory has edible plants and landscape, a chocolate waterfall, and little creatures called Oompa Loompas that service the factory. In this version of Roald Dahl’s tale, the Oompa Loompas look like an army of identical middle-aged midget East Indians (actor Deep Roy was digitally replicated like a million times), who happen to perform sensational musical numbers with zany choreography. As they make their way through the factory, the tour group keeps decreasing -- one naughty child at a time.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is as much about chocolate as it is a commentary on children and how they are raised. Even Willy Wonka himself has numerous flashbacks about his relationship with his father (Tim Burton fav, Christopher Lee), who ironically was a respected dentist. The film reminds us of what it truly means to be a child and that it does not include activities such as shooting people in video games, excessive eating, or extreme competitiveness. The film has heart with its message and is a fun ride as well. Zooming around the factory in a glass elevator and sailing across a chocolate rivers is about as fun as any ride at an amusement park and of course it goes without saying that Johnny Depp gives another wonderful performance as Willy Wonka, channeling Michael Jackson’s creepy but friendly demeanor. Park rides and Johnny Depp... could this be the secret formula for blockbuster movies?

So, whether you are a parent, teenager, child, or a child-at-heart -- I encourage you to enjoy Tim Burton’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and be reminded of what fun is.


THE RUNDOWN:

The Good: Loads of sweet entertainment.

The Bad: May frighten some very young and sensitive children.

The Law: Fun for the whole family -- take a bite!