With the success of the film, there was no doubt in your mind Warner Brothers was going to capitalize on the Willy Wonka franchise - and they did with the release of the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory video game.
You are Charlie; you must first find the 'Golden Ticket.' Once you do that, you're taken inside Willy Wonka's magical chocolate factory! And then from there, Willy Wonka asks you to help him rescue the other 'rotten' children from Wonka's different candy rooms. The game is very true to the story - first is Augustus Gloop, who falls into the chocolate river, and so on... Don't forget about the Oompa Loompa's; they're here to help Charlie on his mission to rescue the kids!
What I found extra nice was almost all the actors from the new movie do the voices - Freddie Highmore voices Charlie, Annasophia Robb is Violet, David Kelly is Grandpa Joe, and even the narrator, Geoffrey Holder, returns as the narrator. Johnny Depp is the only main cast member not to make an appearance on the video game; James Taylor plays Willy Wonka. But it still works; you can't tell the difference. The Oompa Loompa's don't talk in the game so no Deep Roy. I think by having the cast do the voice overs, you feel like you're part of the movie as well.
The second stage of the game (before you enter the factory) was my favorite part! Chasing after the 'Ticket' you slide down hills and past snowmen, knock into snowmen, trying to avoid trash cans. It was a blast for me!
Movie PictureA gem for me was letting the story unfold through the animation of the game. The real credit goes to the animators and game designers from Warner Brothers Interactive, Global Star Software, and High Voltage Software. As you're introduced to the factory, your task, and the overall game, the pictures tell the tale.
The Charlie and the Chocolate Factory video game is available on Playstation 2, X-Box, Game Boy Advance, Game Cube, and even for your PC! It's rated 'E' for everyone. It's in stores now.