I Want a Beans Feast

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl

Not surprisingly, it took me a whopping two hours to read this yesterday afternoon. Surprisingly, I didn't enjoy it as much as I thought I would. This is probably the effect of not having read it when I was a kid. Why is it that you can enjoy something immensely as a kid and then when you show it to someone who never saw it as a kid, they just don't get it? For instance, one of my friends never saw An American Tail when he was a kid, and I did and loved it (still do!) even though it scarred me for life (I cannot hear Fievel's crazy laugh without getting a bad feeling in my stomach that is related to my fear of being left behind somewhere). It's excellent! You should def netflix it.

Anyway, I feel the same way about Willy Wonka (the movie, obviously, with Gene Wilder). And even though I am a Johnny Depp fan, I just didn't get the recent remake, probably because it was more like the book, which, in my mind, is not the real story. The dialogue (in the new remake and the book) just doesn't seem right, and isn't nearly as funny as the dialogue in the 1971 version, which is just bizarre since Roald Dahl wrote the screenplay. Obviously the movie is a bit darker than the book but even non-dark elements are better. One of the biggest let-downs of the 2005 version is the songs: the 1971 character songs (with the exception of the absolutely horrible and without a doubt must-fast-forward-through "Cheer Up Charlie") are superbly better (seriously, "I Want it Now!" Genius! I want a bean feast! (were there even any in the 2005 one? I don't remember, but I don't think so)) and the Oompa Loompa songs are far superior! The songs in the book/2005 version are way too long. They are darker, but far too long. And they aren't catchy. And the performance of the Oompa Loompa songs in the 2005 version are just downright annoying. Where are my orange faced friends? Now that I think about it, I kinda hate the 2005 version. Not to mention, Johnny Depp was really annoying and not at all like quirkily loveable Gene Wilder. And where is the deception by Charlie? And where is the evil trick by Willy Wonka at the end making Charlie think he squandered his prize by sipping the fizzy lifting drinks? No intense moments where I think Charlie is going to be chopped to bits. Sadsies. Also, I kind of like how we are led to believe that the kids die in the 1971 version. I think it's an appropriate punishment.

Regardless, it's a fun book for kids I guess. I remember reading The Witches and LOVING it, and then the movie was an added bonus. Matilda was also a good one, so I'll let good old Roald slide on this one.

Up Next: McSweeney's Mammoth Treasury of Thrilling Tales, Michael Chabon, ed.