Even though I loved Roald Dahl's book as a kid, I never saw the movie till now. I was too young for the original movie release and too old when it came out on V/C tape. Anyway, I didn't miss anything. Gene Wilder is completely miscast** as "Willie wonka". Even odder, its a musical and Wilder can't sing and the songs are mediocre. To compound the damage the movie looks cheap, changes the story for no reason, and casts Jack Albertson (of all people) in a signficant role. And I hate Jack Albertson.
I think making it a live action film as a opposed to a Disney Animation was a big error. Evidently, whoever bought the movie rights didn't think it would be a boxoffice smash and budgeted only $3 Million. And they were right to be skeptical since it only brought in $4 million. However, it now has a 7.8 IMBD rating!
Summary: As proven by the Pre-1970, Disney films, you can make a film that pleases both the young and the "young at heart". But this old, aged "kid" hated this movie. I doubt i would've liked it at age 10. Were Gene Wilder and Jack Albertson *really* box office insurance in 1971? They must have been cast for other reasons. And those songs! A massive drop from the Jungle Book. While Dahl wasn't English, you have to wonder if an English production might have done a better job. Rating *
** = what makes the casting of Wilder even more weird, is that Wonka in the book is an old man. which means ANYONE could have been cast. What about Robert Preston? Or Rex harrison? Or Spike Mulligan? Or Fred Astaire/Gene Kelly? Or Cary Grant?
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