willy wonka and the chocolate factory 30th Anniversary Edition.

The 30th Anniversary Edition of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory was originally botched as a fullscreen-only effort. However, Warner listened to the people and gave them a wonderful widescreen transfer. Colors are vibrant, the 5.1 Dolby Digital track is very nice, and there are a handful of cool extras. There is the 30-minute documentary “Pure Imagination” which shows some of the cast today, including all the children and Gene Wilder himself. The interviews of the cast looking back at the movie which was the defining thing for so many of them is very interesting. The documentary on the whole is rather fulfilling. While one feels that the documentary could have delved deeper and maybe been an hour-long, at a brisk 30 minutes, the pacing seems okay and it won’t leave you wanting too much more. There is a limited amount of archival on-set “B” roll footage, but all that is there is interesting. Also included is the original theatrical trailer (Warner left off the 25th Anniversary trailer that was on the original DVD release from 1997), a 4-minute featurette on the production design, and a feature-length audio commentary from the children, who have now grown up. The other features – “character bios” and sing-alongs – are pretty much fluff features. Since this was one of my most anticipated DVD releases of the year, I can’t help but feel Warner could have done more in the way of extra features – games, outtakes, deleted scenes, etc. Nevertheless, the overall content of this DVD is satisfying enough. As one of the greatest films of all time, and certainly one of the most enjoyable musicals and most enjoyable films of the 1970s, “Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory” has a timeless feel to it. This DVD deserves a place in every collection. If you like the movie, then know better than to be the fullframe edition, which was released earlier. Widescreen in the original ratio is the only way to go. Especially in a few years from now, when we all have 16 x 9 widescreen TVs, and that “fullframe” version leaves you with big bars on the side of the TV. See the movie the way it was made and meant to be seen – in widescreen. And when you do get that 16 x 9 television, guess what – the widescreen DVD will fill your screen! A classic movie with classic peformances, and a wonderful amount of heart. What are you waiting for — get the widescreen 30th Anniversary Edition DVD of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory so you can enter a world of pure imagination today.