Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory

Exuberant, macabre and unpredictable...

Probably the best film of its sort since The Wizard of Oz. It is everything that family movies usually claim to be, but aren't: Delightful, funny, scary, exciting, and, most of all, a genuine work of imagination.

The passages in the mysterious factory, which should be Charlie's and our release from the oppression of the earlier scenes, are just as ugly as everything that's come before, so there's no contrast.

An okay family musical fantasy.

Great fun, with Wilder for once giving an impeccably controlled performance as the factory's bizarre owner.

Aspires to the whimsy and fantasy of The Wizard of Oz but doesn't really capture the magic… more a fond tribute to 'pure imagination' than a triumph of it.

The imaginative visuals tend to be the highlight, though the ideas intermittently seem too farfetched even for this flighty spectacle, causing the film to be far more memorable for individual elements rather than the production as a whole.

Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory is a classic delight for all the senses. Gene Wilder has the commendable ability to balance levity and no nonsense charm to confectionery and commentary.

Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory remains a timeless treasure. Its humor still sparkles, proving its enduring appeal. A heartwarming, whimsical journey that continues to delight audiences of all ages.

What else to say? My amazement is generational, but finding out more about the film makes it even better. Let's just say this may be the greatest film ever made to promote a corporate candy bar, which ultimately melted. Gene Wilder, Best. Wonka. Ever.