How could Tim Burton possibly improve on one of the best movies ever?

By Steve Almond Jul. 12, 2005 | A lot of people have been eagerly awaiting "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory," the new version of "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory." I am not one of them. This is no knock on the director, Tim Burton. I enjoyed "Beetlejuice" and "Edward Scissorhands" and, well, I haven't seen any of his other films, but I'm sure they're fine too, in a goth-fairy tale sort of way. It's just that Burton is way out of his league with "Willy Wonka," because the original version, released in 1971, is one of the most important films in the history of cinema. You might ask: How do I know? Answer: Because I have seen it 27 times (not including the three times I watched the film in preparing this piece, which was supposed to be just once, but hey, what can I tell you -- it's that good). I should be forthright in noting that I had a special interest in "Willy Wonka," as a result of a lifelong and rather well-documented candy addiction. I was the kind of kid who thought ...  more