Board Thread:General Discussion/@comment-25192098-20140803033043/@comment-6175354-20140828050758

Utter solitude wrote: Aw, I liked Johnny Wonka... it was a lot truer to the book.

Can't touch Gene Wilder, of course, but that's why they didn't try. Johnny Depp's portrayal may have been "closer" to the book, but that does not mean it was a good performance. I am a firm believer of "just because something works on page, does not guaranty that it will work on-screen". Gene Wilder's interpretation of Willy Wonka, was much more sutble. His exterior was calm and debonair, but one could still tell that he was insane.