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Willy Wonka has been a childhood favorite of children long before either film version of Roald Dahl's faboulous world came out. Everyone has a different idea of what he's all about and how he should be played. Gene Wilder and Johnny Depp have shown us both ends of the spectrum. Wilder creating a witty and glib grump, who gradually shows us he has a heart of gold, whereas Johnny Depp's Wonka is a strange, childlike man haunted by recollections of his dentist father, who is taken under the Bucket family's wings. They are extremely different portrayals of the same character, but both work in their own way.

Many prefer Gene Wilder's Willy Wonka and it's easy to see why. Wilder was a comedic and dramatic genius, a rather unheralded one at that. His work as Willy Wonka brought out the best in him, allowing him to be witty and a little bit mean, while also showing his sweeter, kinder side. It's a fantastic portrayal that fits in perfectly with the sharply written but sugary sweet underneath original film. Many Dahl fans however found Wilder's portrayal lacking many of the features they believed were central to the character.

Johnny Depp's Willy Wonka is more true to Roald Dahl's depiction, though even weirder. Depp plays Willy Wonka as an almost other-wordly figure. His comedy is a little more surreal and he's more menacing than Wilder's Wonka, but this works well in Burton's uber styled fantasy world where things are not as they seem. Depp's creation is futuristic and strange, but as the film goes on, he's also quite moving. He has the feel of a little boy left all alone, and thus we begin to feel sympathy for him as well as the hard on their luck Buckets.

In the end, what it comes down to is that each actor's portrayal of Roald Dahl's brilliant creation perfectly suits their respective films. Wilder's witty yet heartfelt characterization would have felt out of place in Tim Burton's fantastical showpiece, and Johnny Depp's weird and wonderful creation would have stuck out like a sore thumb in the original film. It's impossible to say which is better as they both fit into their respective films like a glove, and isn't that what the best roles do? If you must choose a version, I'd put forward that you are not so much choosing your favorite Wonka, but choosing your favorite film.

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