Critic wishes an unhappy 50th anniversary to "Willy Wonka" movie

Posted on July 1, 2021 at 2:00 PM by Sadye Scott-Hainchek

The first film adaptation of Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory turns fifty this week.

Seems like it should be a cause for celebration, right?

Not so much for some folks.

For film critic Guy Lodge, it’s a chance to discuss what he sees as the many failings of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory — and to remind (or inform) us that Dahl himself hated the adaptation.

If you want to cherish your memories of the Gene Wilder movie, don’t go any further, but if you cringed at it or are open to doing so now, read Lodge’s re-examination of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory in the Guardian.