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Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Do you like Charlie and The Chocolate Factory

  • Yes

    Votes: 12 17.9%

  • No

    Votes: 34 50.7%

  • A bit

    Votes: 21 31.3%
  • Total voters
    67
RoyJess said:
The Harry Potter books has illustrations, yet Universal Studio immerses you with top quality themeing based on the films. Imagine what Harry Potter world at Universal Studio would be like if they decided to go down the route of using the original book illustrations instead.
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That's slightly different though as Harry Potter has become one of the biggest franchises in film history, the films are world renowned.

Charlie and the Chocolate factory isn't really on that scale. I'm guessing they went with the book illustrations as they are more timeless (wise decision in my opinion). The film used for a ride would have become outdated very quickly.
 
It's amusing they had such a say in it really when you look at the mess it is now.

I guess when they had their money from Tussauds they couldn't give a toss about the quality of it in the end anyway!
 
James said:
The lifts were the only good thing about it but since technology has moved on (the quality of the video was acceptable in 2006 but 9 years on it's very poor)
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I disagree. The screens were just as crap back then as they are now. We all had plenty to say about it when the ride opened lol.

I do wonder what a Charlie and The Chocolate Factory ride could be like, if say Universal or Disney built it. The IP is actually a great one.
 
I joined as I saw this topic so hi I'm new here. CATCF is a heap. However back in the day the lifts where very advanced technology but not now. The ride is pants all round. The best thing tussauds could of done back in the day was leave it and invest in toy land tours. Merlin need to rip the whole ride out and start a fresh something new and something magical to sprinkle a little magic fairy dust back on to Alton Towers.
 
RoyJess said:
The Harry Potter books has illustrations, yet Universal Studio immerses you with top quality themeing based on the films. Imagine what Harry Potter world at Universal Studio would be like if they decided to go down the route of using the original book illustrations instead.
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The original books don't have any illustrations... Apart from the covers... Maybe it's changed since but certainly no pictures within the actual text...

Makes me sad that people are being ignorant of Dahl's work, especially with Blake's illustrations... It would certainly make a fantastic dark ride if it had been done properly...
 
Don't get me wrong here, there is nothing wrong with the books and it illustrations. I also like the CATCF ride, but I will only ride it if when the queues are next to nothing.

However I personally feel that the ride could have been turned into something amazing and very magical. As much as the books are brilliant, after all books are designed to engage in your imagination. As far as a ride is concern, getting it themed in line with a film set would have been more immersing and magical.

I also got to admit, I'm more of a movie person as oppose to reading books which might also explain why I would have preferred to have seen more of a movie style themeing than from the book.

I've never read the Harry Potter books and I've only seen the illustrations on the front covers.

I think one thing we all agree on, the ride could have been done properly in the first place. Take a look at some of the dark rides at Efterlin, these are around 20 years old and the themeing has stood the test of time.
 
I think the main problem with the ride is the seemingly squandered opportunity. Riders get to ride the boat, and then take off in the glass elevator, two of the most memorable parts of the story. It's like 2 rides in one, what's not to love right? On paper it's a great ride, but the problem in my opinion is that the IP was just too big for them to handle.

While certainly not at Harry Potter or Star Wars level, Charlie is a cult phenomenon. Whether you read the book, saw either of the films, went to the west end musical, the fact is we all know the story already. You would be hard pushed to find someone living in Britain today who doesn't know the basic outline of what happens, even if they have never seen or read any of the aforementioned. At the end of the day it doesn't matter which medium they chose to represent, everyone knows the story, and using the illustrations from the book was probably the safest choice given everyone will have experienced and interpreted the story in there own individual ways, regardless of which film they watched.

And I think the fact that it is a strong and well loved IP, and that, on paper, riding in the boat and taking off in the lift sounds fantastic, is what causes it to be so disappointing in reality.

Certainly the boat section is abysmal, the less said about it the better. And the awkward wait around and transition to the lift spoils the experience, and could have been handled better.

For what it's worth the lift is as good as could have been expected based on the low tech solution being used. A lot of small children will still get a big wow factor from this part of the experience. For adults and older kids with big HD tvs at home, the dated looking screen tech may get in the way of the experience. The actual visuals themselves are pretty good, but the tired technology lets it down.

The fact is to do this ride which has quite grand ambitions justice, a budget far larger than Alton would be willing to spend, and a team far more experienced would have been required to make it happen. Add in the cultural regard in which the IP is held by the general public and you are doomed to a lackluster dark ride.

The same ride concept created by Universal for instance in 2015, riding the boat, getting in the lift, followed by a huge chocolate shop at the ride exit, would in all likelyhood be a instant blockbuster ride.
 
I am reasonably widely known for calling Charlie not a ride but an abortion. The reason for this is totally down to effort, imagination, attention to detail and budget.

Start at the building itself:
Whilst it was being rebuilt - We saw the plans of a large industrial cartoon building and saw the drawings, and got excited. Here was a building that had moving fans and chimneys that blew smoke and was in 3d. It looked good quality.
Then the first photos started coming in and we realised that this wasnt full 3d but a cheap semi 3d facard. The thing is, though, that is part of the design, they wanted it to look like it was from a book and this is where, for me, it starts to fall down. The painted on pipes rather than real pipes, the static images at the windows. It suddenly looses all life and becomes cheap and tacky.

The Cartoon going into the entry I quite like. Ok it's not perfect. Its way too short but starts re-building the magic that the facarde ruined.

The boat ride... Just doesnt have enough stuff in it. It feels lacluster and unimaginative. There doesnt seem to be any attention to detail at all. Things dont quite fit with each other and it feels like they have cut corners everywhere.

Then we get to the lift load. To be honest I dont mind this wait where you watch mike tv and the adverts. I just wish there were way more adverts.

The lift section I have major problems with. It seems rarely matched up in the corners. The scale feels wrong in sections. It also feels like a total missed opportunity. For example. As you break out of the roof you see..... NOT ALTON TOWERS.. Why didn't they simply have some cameras on a mini shot tower kind of thing that shot the cameras up at that time and as you break out you see the world outside and in the same state that you left it when you went in? Or if that was too expensive, but a big chimney on the roof with windows in it goung up. Have cameras at the top and have the lift, shoot up in the chimney.
Also, the lift part is too violent for quiet a few little kids, which the rest of the ride seems flatly pitched at. The last 2 times I have heard crying from some kid that didnt like the motion base.

You then leave the lift through a dingy corridor.

So doesnt sound that bad. The problem is, this was a book I grew up with and read at least 3 times during my childhood (It was my 2nd favourite book behind Danny The Champion of the World). You create your own imagery in your head. When you go onto a ride that, not only doesnt meet that but falls short by a long way it makes it feel... a total wasted oportunity.

Could it be fixed? Probably.
 
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Its also frustrating that when you look at what Tusauds/Merlin have done with Star Wars at Madame Tussauds. The company can make great things, it just feels a bit like they spent all the money on the lift simulators and had nothing left for the boat ride. I guess at Tussauds they had Disney quality checking everything, whereas there wasn't the same pressure with Charlie. (I do realise there is a long time inbetween these two projects!)

Leah said:
It does. Though in my opinion, it would be better if they focused solely on one, preferably the second film, as its newer and more well known.
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They would have needed to give Warner Bros a lot of cash to use the film imagery, I really don't think that would have happened.
 
stretchy said:
I am reasonably widely known for calling Charlie not a ride but an abortion. The reason for this is totally down to effort, imagination, attention to detail and budget.

Start at the building itself:
The lift section I have major problems with. It seems rarely matched up in the corners. The scale feels wrong in sections. It also feels like a total missed opportunity. For example. As you break out of the roof you see..... NOT ALTON TOWERS.. Why didn't they simply have some cameras on a mini shot tower kind of thing that shot the cameras up at that time and as you break out you see the world outside and in the same state that you left it when you went in? Or if that was too expensive, but a big chimney on the roof with windows in it goung up. Have cameras at the top and have the lift, shoot up in the chimney.
Also, the lift part is too violent for quiet a few little kids, which the rest of the ride seems flatly pitched at. The last 2 times I have heard crying from some kid that didnt like the motion base.
Could it be fixed? Probably.
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You'd think nowadays with the rise of VR cameras that they could film Alton Towers breaking out in the lift scene, though Alton would want a perfect day of business and sun and to touch it up with "fantabulous imagery" anyway. I would love a second attempt at this ride to be honest to make it actually good, e.g vivid Bubbleworks-esque machinery animatronics. Cadbury I could easily see partnering with their midland bretherin and sisterin at the Towers.
Though in todays climate for The Towers that's highly unlikely and I believe if any plans did indeed exist for a rebrand after 10 years AKA next year it will come at the end of 2016 rather than now, that's how the contracts work isn't it, otherwise it'd been a 9 year contract to end this season. :p And I don't see the Dahl's wanting to renew nor Blake when such talents are better used elsewhere.

And indeed, I remember myself in my early days of disappointment as a child with this ride loud noises did scare me a lot as did the lift with the glass smashing and such but indeed it was the highlight of the ride. Shame I don't remember smelling chocolate, even bigger shame there wasn't a no-brainer of a chocolate shop/stall/vending machine (JUST MOVE SOME OF THE SKYRIDE ONES NEARBY) even after all these years.

What a tragic state this ride has become especially in the 40th and 10th respective anniversaries of the film, though on paper of course the Quentin+Book iteration was chosen - it was the cheapest and closest to home to obtain, less trouble more profit.
Classic Alton Towers.
 
Stelios said:
You'd think nowadays with the rise of VR cameras that they could film Alton Towers breaking out in the lift scene, though Alton would want a perfect day of business and sun and to touch it up with "fantabulous imagery" anyway.
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See I would want live images with people who are waiting for you actually outside and the same weather outside as is actually outside. It ties you into now and makes the whole think more of a blur between reality and fiction.

But no. I agree it wont get fixed. It will sit and rot and then be rethemed to someting else.
 
I think part of the issue is - Back in the day when you look at what that one single building has been its now such a let down.
First off it was around the world in 80 days (which looked like a rip off of its a small world) but it was done to a mega standard. I even remember going on it then as a kid and i loved it. Then that gets fully ripped out and Toy Land Tours came along. Wow just wow great job again. Then that gets ripped out and we get CATCF. Ok its good to sit down on for five minutes but thats it. My point is being we went from mega to wow to hummmm. Ive been reading back on some comments here on this and i was reading there was meant to be a shop at the end and a on ride photo. What a great idea rather than walking down that dark old corridor. Its the Merlin way ;). The other issue is as a few have already said here. You go in with such high expectations because of the films and stage show. You get into your boat (after queuing for 5 years) and when you go in the first room your like what am i meant to look at and come on lets be honest there is nothing. The same until the last room when you get out and move to the lifts. Then sadly you watch the same film two or three times (more maybe if your unlucky) then go into the lift and your expectations are high again and then sadly are shattered into bits when you come out and find your outside. Then you just click you lost 30mins of your life. Again going back to the two rides that used to be there (and lets be honest here we all did this) there was that much going on on both sides of the boat ride you was fully immersed in the ride itself and what was going on. 10 minutes later you got off and dam it all and we all did it you run straight back round and go on again to catch all the bits you missed the first time round. You dont do that with Charlie you get off and go hummmm and walk away. As for the lifts - Whats the score with just using the one lift. Not only dose it make wait times longer than it should be but its daft. Has one lift broke and its to dear to fix? staff cut backs? who knows. Also why on earth did they not use pre recorded footage of the roof of the building and inside the building. Then as the lift brakes out the factory do a aerial view of the park. So as you go higher you see more of the park rather than the crappy cartoon they use now. Not only would it give a massive wow factor because you question yourself to have you actually just left the building. There is so much more that could be done that wont cost the earth to make it a utterly brilliant ride like back in the day. But sadly they seem to of gone backwards rather than forwards with Charlie. Sadly Charlie needs investment which i dont think we will see. So in that case it needs to go.
 
Just a quick question on the IP - When is it due to run out or be renewed????
I thought it was due to run out this year (2015) am i wrong on this?
 
Stubpb said:
Just a quick question on the IP - When is it due to run out or be renewed????
I thought it was due to run out this year (2015) am i wrong on this?
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End of next year I think, but they brought sonic for another 5 years and that's a much worse IP IMO.
 
Stubpb said:
Its the Merlin way ;).
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Merlin bought Tussauds in March 2007, Charlie opened March 2006. So every decision on this ride was a Tussauds one, not a Merlin one. (yes I know they could have fixed it in the last eight years). :)
But 2005-2007 Tussauds were owned by DIC and these were the years of most of the low quality openings.
This is also one reason why some of these cheap things was frustrating, as Tussauds had put in some really great stuff over 25yrs of owning Alton Towers.
 
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jon81uk said:
Merlin bought Tussauds in March 2007, Charlie opened March 2006. So every decision on this ride was a Tussauds one, not a Merlin one. (yes I know they could have fixed it in the last eight years). :)
But 2005-2007 Tussauds were owned by DIC and these were the years of most of the low quality openings.
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I should of made that point a bit clearer - When i said its the Merlin way i ment a shop at the end of Charlie. As that tbh is the Merlin way.

I know it was done in the Tussauds day but thanks anyway - As i said im new here so still getting used to the wording and stuff.
 
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