Blu-ray/DVD Combo review: Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory: 40th Anniversary

Synopsis ~ A poor little boy wins a ticket to visit the inside of a mysterious and magical chocolate factory. When he experiences the wonders inside the factory, the boy discovers that the entire visit is a test of his character. Join the expedition visiting legendary Candy Man Willy Wonka (Gene Wilder) in a splendiferous movie that wondrously brings to the screen the endlessly appetizing delights of Roald Dahl’s classic book.
Coated with flavorful tunes and production design that constantly dazzles the eye, this effervescent musical never fails to enchant young and old. On a whirlwind tour of Willy’s incredible, edible realm of chocolate waterfalls, elfish Oompa-Loompas and industrial-sized confections, a boy named Charlie (Peter Ostrum) will discover the sweetest secret of all: a generous, loving heart. And you’ll rediscover the timeless magic of a delicious family classic.

Studio: Warner Bros.
Running Time: 100 minutes
Rating: G
Number of Disks: 3

Special Features:
*Blu-ray & DVD:
- 1971 Movie Classic in Eye-Popping 1080p High Definition (on Blu-ray)
- Documentary Pure Imagination: The Story of Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory
- Commentary with the Wonka Kids
- 4 Sing-Along Songs
- Vintage 1971 Featurette
- Theatrical Trailer
*Interview & Featurette DVD:
- Mel Stuart’s Wonkavision: New interview with the movie’s director
- A World of Pure Imagination: Recently rediscovered archival featurette, including an interview with original author Roald Dahl
*Delectable Collectables:
- Limited and numbered Edition of 100,000 collectable foil packages
- Retro pencil tin with Scratch-N-Sniff pencils and scented eraser
- Pure Imagination 144-Page Behind-The-Scenes book from the film’s director
- 14 pieces of Wonka production correspondence

   Deliciously infused with the ultimate embodiment of “Pure Imagination” Roald Dahl’s peerless candy-man classic gets some new Blu improvements, and while it might be extremely hard for the film’s legions of fans to believe that this classic is hitting 40, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory: 40th Anniversary Ultimate Collector’s Edition is certainly a perfectly packaged present.
   Some features are making their second or even third journeys through Willy’s factory - Commentary with the Wonka Kids, 4 Sing-Along Songs, the 1971 vintage featurette and the Pure Imagination documentary - but for those who haven’t yet punched their Golden Tickets and popped for a Wonka original, the new upgrades and doses of first-time features; just like a tasty box of chocolates, holds something within for everyone to enjoy.
   New attractions include “A World of Pure Imagination” - not to be confused with the earlier offered “Pure Imagination” documentary – which holds most of its novelty in the Roald Dahl interview, and “Mel Stuart’s Wonkavision” which is an all too short dive into the very heart of production, containing all the high-times and headaches director Mel Stuart had to deal with during production.
   Aside from the two new features, the other enticement of this large Wonka Bar lay in the unwrapping of its 144-page Behind-The-Scenes book. And though booklets are being seen more and more with other classics being released, there is definitely a wide distinction between Wonka’s “Book” and other sets “Booklets”. The book is filled with everything you wish Stuart would have covered in his Wonkavision interview; from casting to construction, and at 144 pages the only way Warner could have improved upon it would’ve been to produce it as a hardcover.
   Hand in hand with the book, the 14 pages of production correspondence also offers its fair share of movie memories and massively makes the production seem all the more real. From a letter sent by Gene Wilder to director Mel Stuart pertaining to Wilder’s concerns about his costume to correspondence from producer Stan Margulies to production manager Pia Arnold discussing proper Oompa-Loompa pigmentation, the letters are wonderfully unique and wildly informative.
   A retro “Wonka Bar” pencil tin along with scented eraser and pencils and a descent “Golden Ticket” replica round out the sweetness. So though Fizzy-Lifting Drinks, Everlasting Gobstoppers, and Snozzberry flavored wallpaper never made it into the box, one thing will always be eternal, Willy Wonka rocks!

*Purchase this title and other recent releases locally HERE