The original is one of my favorite movies of all time. I was born the year before it was made. Throughout my childhood, it was shown once a year on TV, and I considered that day a holiday on par with Halloween. I think Gene Wilder is a god. Loved the book too.
I’ve never liked anything Tim Burton has done, and I think Johnny Depp is only a somewhat talented woman.
I freakin’ LOVE IT! Tim Burton? Love. Johnny Depp? Love. Roald Dahl? Love… The only thing I liked about the Gene Wilder thing was, well, Gene Wilder. But only a couple of scenes. Otherwise I found WW didn’t have much of interest.
Hmm. I really liked the second one, and it edges out the older one somewhat. Not by a lot, but a little bit.
As someone who has actually memorized the ‘you stole fizzy lifting drinks’ speech, I gotta say the original has my heart. That offbeat, brilliant performance by Wilder is a puzzle piece to my childhood.
And so quotable. To this day, I can work, “And the schnozberries taste like schnozberries!” into conversation.
I like Burton, and I like Depp, but they were not able to capture or recreate the magic of that movie. The comedic timing and deadpan delivery of the pure imagination song and scene is classic.
ETA: And ‘Open your mouth a little wider when you talk.’ HAHAAA! So many quotables. And the nightmare boat scene! So many things to stick with you!
The older I get and the more I see his roles reprised by other people (see also: The Producers), the more I realize how much of a comic genius Wilder is.
I saw a television clip of him talking about being offered the role and saying that he’d only take it if he was allowed to do the bit where Wonka first appears as a decrepit old man only to do a forward roll and jump up sprily, because it indicated to the viewers that from that point onwards nothing could be taken for granted or at face value. If they wouldn’t put it in the film, he wouldn’t do the film.
I thought it was…okay. It had its moments. The original *WWatCF *is arguably my favorite movie of all time. Gene Wilder’s Wonka was my first love (at age 5 or 6) and probably had a lot to do with shaping the kind of characters I like in literature and movies now. I can quote practically entire scenes from it.
The second one…eh. I didn’t hate it, I didn’t love it. Some scenes, like the “It’s a Small World” intro gone wrong, were fantastic. The rest of the actors were probably better. But nobody in my mind could ever replace or improve on Gene Wilder’s original portrayal.
I thought the Gene Wilder Wonka was sort of creepy/unhinged in addition to being charming. Like how the kids would put themselves in danger and he’s kind of laugh or encourage them but clearly didn’t give a shit. I felt like the Johnny Depp one was trying way too hard to convey creepiness and I just didn’t buy it at all.
And what was up with the single guy playing all the Oompa Loompas? That was disturbing in a “I can’t help noticing the CGI.”
Wilder version, for sure.
An absolutely brilliant scene, too. Not only for the reason Wilder gives, but it’s an excellent introduction to the character who the entire world is buzzing about. It’s very hard to do that kind of reputation justice, but the long, silent walk down the carpet followed by the fakeout did it perfectly.
Wilder version. It has it’s sweet charming parts but you can see the contempt Wonka has when he is annoyed by people’s behaviors and his snarky replies.
“Do something mister Wonka!”
“help, police, murder…”
“well well, two naughty, nasty little children gone. Three sweet good little children left.”
“I’m a trifle deaf in this ear. Speak a little louder next time.”
“I’m sorry, but all questions must be submitted in writing.”
“The suspense is terrible… I hope it’ll last.”
Mrs. Gloop: He’ll be turned into a marshmallow in five seconds!
Wonka: That’s impossible my dear lady! Unthinkable! Absurd!
Mrs. Gloop: Why?
Wonka: Because that pipe doesn’t go to Marshmallow Room, it goes to the Fudge Room.
I love both movies because of their differences.
I love the songs in the Wilder version but as a kid the psychedelic boat ride scared me and to this day I don’t really like it. I love the way Wilder portrayed Wonka.
Agree, Hampshire–those were the lines I was thinking of when I mentioned how Wilder’s Wonka could be evil. I think “Help, police, murder” was my favorite. Though I also liked how he responded to Mike. I think it was something like “I wouldn’t do that” while he smiled encouragingly.
It scared me as a kid, but these days I just appreciate the completely sick sense of humor Wonka has. That ride’s not for the visitors’ enjoyment, it’s purely for his.
One of my favorite lines is when they’re in the Inventing Room.
Violet: By gum, it’s gum!
Wonka: Wrong!
It’s all in the way he says the word. It’s just perfect. 
(And I love the tunnel scene. Scared the crap out of me as a kid (“Did they really just show a chicken getting its head chopped off??”) but I still love it.
This is my favorite line from the original. He might as well have called Violet a retard. 
absolute calm indifference
“no, stop, wait…”
Yes.
The new one had some good aspects - the squirrels (genuinely scary!), the Bucket family, the little boy was good (Charlie in the original was just a little too soppy). But I didn’t like Depp’s Wonka and I didn’t like the Oompa-Loompa, so that’s a hell of a lot of the film to dislike; for me, they were the wrong side of creepy. And the songs were just dull.
I haven’t had time to read the whole thread but I have to vote for the Depp version. While Gene Wilder’s snark was fun, that was about the only thing I liked about the original version.