Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (film) channeling Keith Richards, which may have primed us to look for possible inspirations for this performance." Mick LaSalle from the "San Francisco Chronicle" found "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" Burton's "best work in years. If all the laughs come from Depp, who gives Willy the mannerisms of a classic Hollywood diva, the film's heart comes from Highmore, a gifted young performer whose performance is sincere, deep and unforced in a way that's rare in a child actor." Peter Travers wrote in "Rolling Stone" magazine that "Depp's deliciously demented take on Willy Wonka demands to be seen. Depp goes deeper to
Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory those rare, genuinely imaginative children's entertainments at which no adult need be embarrassed to be seen." By the mid-1980s, "Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory" had experienced a spike in popularity thanks in large part to repeated television broadcasts and home video sales. Following a 25th anniversary theatrical re-release in 1996, it was released on DVD the next year, allowing it to reach a new generation of viewers. The film was released as a remastered special edition on DVD and VHS in 2001 to commemorate the film's 30th anniversary. In 2003, "Entertainment Weekly" ranked it 25th in the "Top 50