I have a confession to make: as a kid, I hated Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory with Gene Wilder. It scared the heck out of me, and no matter how much I liked the songs, they didn’t override the nightmares of a girl turning into giant blueberries or hellish boat rides with a screaming man. But when I was a little older, I read Roald Dahl's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and loved it. So, I decided it was time to face my fears and rewatch the 1971 musical, and I pleasantly found a new appreciation for the movie.

I am also a big Tim Burton fan, and have loved his movies for years. When the 2005 version of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory promised to be more accurate to the book, I was intrigued. However, when the end credits rolled, I wasn’t horrified, nor overjoyed by what I had just seen. Instead, I was left with a feeling of cold indifference. While Burton’s version of the Dahl classic was more accurate to the book in some ways, it seemed to have lost much of the spirit. And one of the biggest additions that Charlie and the Chocolate Factory made felt completely forced and unwarranted.

Willy Wonka’s Backstory Was Unnecessary

Wonka Works Better As An Oddball Enigma

Director Tim Burton is famous for repeat collaborations with actors, including the late, great Christopher Lee, who played Dr. Wilbur Wonka in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Dr. Wilbur is a dentist who forbade his son Willy from eating chocolate because of the damage it causes to teeth. Naturally, Willy falls in love with the confectionary marvel the first moment he sneaks a bite. He then rebels and leaves home to start his chocolate factory, against dear daddy’s wishes. The rift caused between father and son lasted for decades, until the end of the film when they are reunited and resolve their long dispute.

At no point did I ever wonder who Willy Wonka was before the factory, nor did I care to know.

When I saw the 2005 adaptation for the first time, I wanting to throw my popcorn at the screen for this completely unnecessary bit of context. While I can’t speak for other fans, at no point did I ever wonder who Willy Wonka was before the factory, nor did I care to know. Not to mention that the horrific retainer headgear that Willy was forced to wear as a kid gave me nightmares, and really belonged in a Saw movie instead of a film for children.

In a 2005 interview with Entertainment Weekly, Burton stated that he wanted to explain Wonka’s personality by exploring his relationship with his father: “You want a little bit of the flavor of why Wonka is the way he is. Otherwise, what is he? He’s just a weird guy.” I think many fans of the book and the 1971 film will agree that Wonka being a “weird guy” without any explanation is part of what makes him so great. We love the enigma of the whimsical, oddball character, and don’t need or want to know the reason behind his personality.

Reportedly, that’s not the only reason Burton added this superfluous bit of lore. In a Reddit post from 2021, a fan claimedthat the director’s own life experience mirrored that of Willy and Wilbur’s in the 2005 movie. In 2002, Burton, who was estranged from his mother, went to visit her in 2002 just before she died. He was moved to find that she had hung up framed posters of his movies on the wall, just as Wilbur Wonka had displayed the news clippings of his son in the film.

In the audio commentary for Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Burton said, “I think all artistic endeavors are a way to resolve things, a form of therapy, a fantasy of resolving something. That's why I chose to resolve it that way.” (via What Culture) While I can’t fault him for trying to find an outlet to resolve the issues in his personal life, I just wish he hadn’t used a beloved children's character to do it.

Gene Wilder’s Wonka Is A Better Representation Than Johnny Depp

Wilder Was Truly "Alight Of Fun And Laughter"

Tim Burton and Roald Dahl made it clear that they were not fans of the 1971 movie musical, yet ironically, it has held up as the most favored adaptation of Dahl's novel. Much of that is due to the performance of Gene Wilder, who donned the purple suit and top hat in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. During the casting process for the ‘71 film, Wilder nailed the audition and was cast immediately (via Legacy). He understood the spirit of Willy Wonka from the start, even insisting upon the devious entrance where he walks with a cane before somersaulting on the carpet.

Wilder’s portrayal of Wonka was whimsical, heartfelt, and yes, maybe even a little creepy. Yet all of this contributed to the heart of the chocolatier’s charm.

The book described Willy Wonka as being “alight of fun and laughter,” a trait that Wilder had in spades. But the actor also enhanced the part with his own brand of oddball eccentricities, and wasn’t afraid to lean into the darker edge of the character. Wilder’s portrayal of Wonka was whimsical, heartfelt, and yes, maybe even a little creepy. Yet all of this contributed to the heart of the chocolatier’s charm, making his eccentricity delightful and magnetic.

Johnny Depp’s version of Wonka, on the other hand, just made fans cringe. His weirdness felt predatory and awkward, with none of the paternal aspects of Wilder’s performance. Depp once said that he based the character on kids' TV show hosts like Bob Keeshan of Captain Kangaroo and Fred Rogers of Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood, which I find hard to believe, because he managed to capture none of their warmth.

The 2023 Wonka Movie Is A Much Better Backstory

It Captures The Spirit Of The Beloved 1971 Film

Where Tim Burton’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was a far departure from the classic ‘71 film, the 2023 Warner Bros. movie Wonka brought back the magic and whimsy the franchise sorely needed. Starring Timothée Chalamet as a young Willy Wonka, the film sets up a far superior origin story for the beloved character than the one from Burton’s 2005 version.

As WIlly Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, Wonka stayed true to the original film, while paying homage to the spirit of Dahl’s books. Chalamet’s costume is closely designed like the one Wilder wore, and he captured the warmth and quirky genius of the character — albeit with a bit more naivete. Like the 1971 movie, Wonka features new original songs, and Chalamet sings his own rendition of the classic tune, "Pure Imagination."

I’ll it that I watched the movie with some skepticism when it was released, yet I found myself rather enjoying Wonka. It takes its inspiration directly from the 1971 movie, rather than any of the books, but for what it is, it’s quite good. And if filmmakers insist on giving Wonka a backstory, then this movie at least did a way better job than 2005's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.