Drugs enhance the viewing of children’s movies. It’s true. “”Matilda”” works much better on methamphetamines. “”Pippi Longstocking”” is purely poetic on Percocet. And don’t even get me started on “”Dr. Seuss’ The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T.”” In the history of mentally-stimulating films, though, none has so blatantly displayed as strong a co-dependence on illegal substances and still appealed to children as much as “”Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.””
The finest chocolate in the land is produced by one Mr. Willy Wonka (Gene Wilder), an eccentric, abstruse aristocrat who has hidden the delectable secrets to his chocolatey-goodness in a shroud of mystery behind the gates of his factory. That is, until now. Wonka cooks up a delicious contest, and the five lucky children from the four corners of the globe who manage to find a Wonka Bar containing a golden ticket inside the wrapper will be invited on a tour of his magical shop. It doesn’t take long for the children to materialize. There’s overweight glutton Augustus Gloop, spoiled Veruca Salt, selfish Violet Beauregard and self-centered Mike Teevee (an aptly prophetic name). The fifth and final ticket belongs to Charlie (Peter Ostrum), a kind-hearted boy from a impoverished family who wants more than anything to peek behind Wonka’s curtains and experience what he’s told is a “”world of pure imagination.””And experience it, he does. In fact, all of the children and their guests get more than they bargained for but exactly what they deserve in Wonka’s fun-house. Rivers of chocolate, gas-inducing cocktails, geese that lay golden eggs and psychedelic boat rides await this tour, though only one will survive (oh, how very Mark Burnett of me) and learn the real motivation behind Wonka’s hidden agenda.Sprung from the pages of Roald Dahl’s imaginative children’s book, “”Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,”” Mel Stuart’s “”Wonka”” stands the test of time and continues to appeal to children of all ages, races and generations simply because the realm of imagination is never exclusive. It’s benevolent messages of charity and kindness stand tall, though Wilder’s Wonka, throughout the film’s first 90 minutes, may be the most horrific, grotesque bearer of such good tidings ever filmed. His solemn reactions to the children’s antics when presented with the freedom of the factory are beautifully delivered, allowing the kids to hang themselves with their own vices. Wilder’s performance mesmerizes, which says a mouthful when you notice that he has to compete in every frame with Art Director Harper Goff’s sensational set design. An explosion of colors and candy, Goff’s decorations lift Dahl’s visions directly off of the page, twisting the limitations of our physical world to create a land that was, until then, reserved for the expanding minds of children. A world, you could argue, that was created purely on imagination. Grade: ATHE EXTRASIt’s 2001, the 30th anniversary of “”Willy Wonka,”” and Warner Bros. has gone to great lengths to honor what has become a defining children’s classic. The “”Wonka”” disc goes as far back as 1971 and also revisits the film 30 years later with several cast members and crew to show why this creative feature means so much so many years later.Thirty years after they disappeared into the bowels of Wonka’s factory, the Wonka kids return to provide an engaging feature-length commentary. Now adults, the actors also pop up in the film’s updated documentary, “”Pure Imagination: The Making of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.”” Trust me, you’d hardly recognize them. But they, as well as the film’s director and producers, all have clever anecdotes and fond memories of the production to share. It’s also here that we learn that the film’s title, which originally focused on Charlie’s character, was switched to “”Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory”” to coincide with the launch of a new candy bar from Quaker Oats. Apparently, even imagination can be bought for the right price.As a simple blast from the past, the studio also has included an extremely short feature from 1971 with production shots and sequences. It’s interesting, but ends before it ever gets going. And lest we forget, “”Wonka”” is indeed a musical, and the DVD singles out four musical numbers that you can sing along to in a retro-psychedelic Karaoke format. It’s very fitting for the film in question.Grade: B+OVERALL EXPERIENCE“”Wonka”” is one of those movies you never grow tired of watching, as there’s always something new to see. I’d like to say it’s ahead of its time, but it’s almost impossible to categorize it in any time frame. It’s timeless, priceless, and flawless. A golden ticket of cinema to savor for years and years.Final Grade: A