Episode 41:
That Fellow In The Coat: A Slam at Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory That Fellow In The Coat explains his dis-taste for one of the worst adaptations of a beloved book. He then briefly looks at subsequent Roald Dahl books turned into feature films.
Date And Time: 2011-11-01 13:50:45
Comment: i actually like this movie now because i recently grew to understand it more. but the tunnel scene still creeped me out! i respect your opinion on the movie though. i like the remake as well. everybody has their own opinions when it comes to these two versions and the book.
Name: Leonard
Date And Time: 2011-09-19 23:26:27
Comment: Well, as weak as this review is, it's nothing compared to Confused Matthew's rant on The Lion King
Name: HopelessRomantic999
Date And Time: 2011-08-20 18:59:53
Comment: The Burton movie has some moments where they screwed up, too, like making the whole movie be more about Wonka than Charlie and both of those characters being a bit annoying, with Charlie being an even bigger goody-two-shoes than he was in the book and Wonka just being a pest. Dahl probably would have been glad that they stayed closer to the book but I still think he would have hated it and then hope that no one tries again. I do like the book though, it's pleasent to go to sleep to when you're having trouble sleeping.
Name: Julius
Date And Time: 2011-08-15 13:40:18
Comment: First of all Mr. Coat, I would like to say I respect your opinion and some of the points you make are true. But I found this point unavoidable to bring up. You see, what was great about this movie was that it added conflict by having Charlie constantly almost becoming a brat himself. But he makes up for stealing the Fizzy Lifting Drinks by giving his Everlasting Gobstopper back to Wonka. Think about it, Slugworth wants Charlie to give him a Gobstopper so that he can make them himself and ruin Wonka. Not only does Charlie's family need the money Slugworth is promising, but Wonka has given Charlie no reason to be nice to him since he yells at him and refuses to give him his prize. Yet Charlie gives Wonka his Gobstopper back anyway, proving that he truly is the good kid, which gives this movie a much stronger moral than keeping your hands to yourself. Again, I don't want you to change your opinion, but I had to mention this.
Name:
Date And Time: 2011-07-25 22:27:19
Comment: You need explainations for your rants, because everything that I don't agree with doesn't have any explaination. I know that Roald Dahl would've liked the new version more, but he still wouldn't have been proud of it. Respond if you want an explaination.
Name: Kelly
Date And Time: 2011-07-13 21:02:24
Comment: Although I am dissappointed that you mentioned the songs in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory suck (I love them), I am glad that you praise Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, because i prefer that version better than Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory and it seems that many people are of a different opinion and tend to slam the newer version.
Name: hector
Date And Time: 2011-06-29 22:32:46
Comment: first of all,i like the Cheer Up Charlie song,Charlie has seemingly lost all hope of winning his Golden Ticket in the Great Global Contest at this point,Yet his loved ones never lose hope in him,also his mom works hards all day and takes care of four old people and charie but it's charie's goodness that gets her thru the day.also the whole backstory with willy wonka's dad in the tim burton's version is just weird,i guess it's to explain why willy cames off like a creepy manchild but the movie should be more about charie not willy wonka,he's the main character,Johnny Depp is a wonderful actor but he didn't have the same magical feel Gene Wilder bought to the part.also portraying Oompa Loompas as Black Pygmies would be racist and that's why in later editions of the book,Oompa-Loompas are white skinned and blond.
Name: Eduardo
Date And Time: 2011-05-11 16:39:25
Comment: I highly doubt that people should skip the original mostly because nearly everybody had seen it at a young age. The problem with the remake is that it tries too hard follow the book and it focuses on Wonka rather than Charlie which in fact should of been the other way round, I couldn't help the fact that Johnny Depp is miscast as Wonka sure he's a great actor but the way the character is portrayed seems out of place at times and looks a lot like cross between Michael Jackson and E.B. White. gene Wilder did a fabulous job and earned him a Golden Globe nomination. I like how they used lyrics from the book and make them into songs using different styles of music but they aren't as memorable as the ones from the original since they're written by legendary songwriting duo Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newly. You should check out Nostalgia Critic's Old VS New on both films and tell us what you think
Name: Chris the Movie Guy
Date And Time: 2011-02-05 21:22:18
Comment: Dear Mr Fellow, Now that you have taken a slam at one of my childhood favorites (which still holds up in my opinion), I have no choice but to take a slam at you. The 1971 film was great for the time it came out. It may not be that faithful to the book, and the effects may look dated by today's standards, but there are several things I like better about it than Burton's version. First of all, I thought Gene Wilder's performance was absolutely brilliant. He really came off seeming believable as an eccentric candymaker. I think Johnny Depp is a wonderful actor, but his portrayal of Wonka came off seeming like a pedophiliac manchild who seemed to enjoy watching the kids get tortured. If I was 5 years old, I would be freaked out by that guy. I also felt that the backstory Burton gave Wonka was totally unnecessary. I also found Peter Ostrum's Charlie to be superior to that of Freddie Highmore's because he seemed much more innocent and believable as a poor child who just wants to fit in with the lucky kids. I also found the original Veruca to be much more believable, though I liked Burton's Augustus much better. I also do agree with you on the Fizzy Lifting Drinks scene, but other than that I think you were way, way, WAY too harsh on it. Next time you think about tslamming at a classic, you can bet I will be there to defend it. Thanks for listening.
Name: Adam Davis
Date And Time: 2011-01-27 01:05:29
Comment: David Laux: "And I must point out that the reason they put Slugworth in the film is because the original book had no villain." Yeah, so what? What's wrong with a story not having a villain? There have been some GREAT movies without villains before (see "Bridge To Terabithia" and "Kiki's Delivery Service" for example)
Name: Katie
Date And Time: 2011-01-16 07:01:22
Comment: Man, I thought I was the only person who didn't like this movie. I didn't like it as a kid, and I still don't like it. I thought the Burton version was better, but I'm not that big on it any more. But I loved the songs.
Name: Nick
Date And Time: 2010-10-31 13:21:15
Comment: You do realize that the features and attributes of this films style and character were used in Tim Burton film. Also who cares if it's not to much like the book. Just because it isn't too similar doesn't mean it has to bashed and you give NO good reasons why you hate this movie. I just saying you could of done a lot better on this review and just went into more detail on why dislike this film.
Name: Ebalance
Date And Time: 2010-10-11 20:04:04
Comment: I must consider this film apart from the book, as I do when considering other film adaptations of books that I like; such as LOTR, The Wizard of Oz, and this movie... I love this film. I think Gene manages to get Willy Wonka perfectly as he is at the same time completely crazy and completely lovable. It is true that it deviates considerably from the book, but I still find it a FAR SUPERIOR film to the recent Tim Burton one in which Wonka comes off as a sadistic maniac who seems to find pleasure in torturing children. I think the adaptation most true to the feel and spirit of Dahl is "The Fantastic Mr. Fox." Anyway... the only change I'd make to "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory" is to get rid of that "Cheer Up Charlie" song... I don't like it at all... I usually skip through it when I watch the film... however I must say I have a deep fondness for the songs "Pure Imagination," and also, "I've Got a Golden Ticket." Basically, I'm saying that while I could go on and on and on about how much I HATE the changes made to "The Wizard of Oz"... it is still a good film if you ignore the source material. That is how I feel about "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory." Charlie admits to stealing Fizzy Lifting Drinks, not the gobstopper. Wonka gave each kid a gobstopper, so the one Charlie gives to Wonka is the one Wonka initially gave to him. He gives it back b/c he is upset that Wonka doesn't trust him. Wilder is the ONLY Wonka for me, and frankly I found the Tim Burton adaptation to be really creepy and annoying. I also really hated the changes THEY made to the book... what's with the whole thing w/ Christopher Lee as his evil dentist father?! Bizarre... and then the ending is that they all go live in the factory? Sorry... I prefer the 70's one to the Tim Burton one... mostly b/c Johnny comes off cold, creepy, and... downright evil... whereas you can see that though Gene's Wonka is totally bonkers he actually really cares about other people in his own odd way...
Name:
Date And Time: 2010-09-26 15:25:17
Comment: Wait Im confused, why do the songs suck?
Name: Sara
Date And Time: 2010-08-22 15:56:18
Comment: i don't know why they put it in there! that's nuts!
Name: Sara
Date And Time: 2010-08-22 15:55:45
Comment: the tunnel scene in the 70's version was so creepy!
Name: Keshia Anders
Date And Time: 2010-08-12 08:46:56
Comment: I didn't like the 70's version either. The Oompa-Loompas creeped me out, and the tunnel scean scared me. The Burton is defenitly more true to the original version.
Name: danparkerstudios
Date And Time: 2010-08-01 17:59:03
Comment: I feel sorry for you that you didn't like Willy Wonka. I still think it's a interesting movie though. Lately, I've been reading the book and I must say, it is fun to read. And of course, I have decided to watch the Tim Burton movie.
Name: Daniel
Date And Time: 2010-07-28 12:20:39
Comment: Dude..... I am with you! That movie I loved it at first and now it gets worst everytime I see it. So much that I consider the Old vs New of the Nostalgia Critic the worst of his reviews. I do have issues with the Tim Burton version, but at least that one I enjoy more than that.
Name: payton
Date And Time: 2010-06-30 07:44:06
Comment: did i hear whats this on the matilda trailer?
Name: live long and rock
Date And Time: 2010-05-23 03:54:39
Comment: you want to know the reason this movie was really good was because as a kid it blew everybody's @#$^% heads off just like me. so when your a adult you remember the good times of youth and the time anything was possible in your mind. Plus you watched it expecting the book on film if you forget about the book this movie kicks ass
Name: Sarah :)
Date And Time: 2010-05-15 17:14:41
Comment: Yeah, a lot of what you said about this movie is true. But one thing I really want to point is the girl who played Veruca in the 1971 version had MUCH more passion than the girl in the Tim Burton one.That's what I think anyway...
Name: Sara
Date And Time: 2010-05-14 20:53:13
Comment: very good review! thank you! i love it!
Name: Sara
Date And Time: 2010-05-14 20:51:50
Comment: i really love Charlie and the Chocolate Factory a lot better than Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. the 1971 version didn't make much sense to me.
Name: Meg
Date And Time: 2010-04-21 16:12:06
Comment: I agree, Tim Burton's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was a MILLION times better than Willy Wonka (although I love Gene Wilder.)
Name: Jolly Green Giant
Date And Time: 2009-06-08 06:43:02
Comment: wonderful slam! nice slam, mr. coat.
Name: Yogi Bear
Date And Time: 2009-06-08 06:38:14
Comment: great slam! just, the transition from talking about james and the peach to the tim burton film could of been done a bit better. for a few seconds im like "wait, you were talking about james and peach- OH! transition time". maybe after the talk of james and his peach, maybe a brief intro to the burton one, then, fade to black. silence, as we now see the trailer starting up. just a suggestion. you kinda left me in the dark for a few seconds.
Name: God
Date And Time: 2009-06-07 04:03:46
Comment: Yes, I also fount this to be a jolly-good good slam. never saw why people enjoyed the first movie so much. maybe in that time period, i could see why some would like it. but for people to this day to still find it fun? glad mr. burton redid it.
Name: Stan
Date And Time: 2009-06-07 04:02:07
Comment: great slam.
Name: Daniel Laux
Date And Time: 2009-05-14 18:56:57
Comment: Dear Mr. Fellow, I am a huge fan of this website. And I have to say, Roald Dahl is my favorite author. I loved his book Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. I also loved James and the Giant Peach, The Twits, Esiotrot, Matilda, Danny the Champion of the World, etc. Personally, I thought Willy Wonka was an alright film. Now, I think that you're right that the film is not faithful to the book. But think about the time period. There were certain things in the book that they couldn't do. Also, they had to change the Oompa Loompas because portraying them as Black Pygmies is very racist. And I must point out that the reason they put Slugworth in the film is because the original book had no villain. I honestly think the bratty children are bad enough. And I agree with what you say about the Fizzy Lifting Drinks and the ending. But you say Charlie stole a gobstopper. Wonka gave all the children gobstoppers. Anyway, I loved Dahl's other adaptations. I never saw BFG or Witches. I loved Matilda and James and the Giant Peach. And I also loved Tim Burton's adaptation. Thank you for reading. -Danny. P.S., You never said what you felt about James and the Giant Peach. Did you like it? Also, did you notice that Tim Burton uses Johnny Depp in a majority of his films, including Charlie and the Chocolate Factory?