I saw all three and thought this new one was pretty good. Not deep. It’s a kids’ story and some elements are only appealing to young kids. For example, the “bad guys” are not very interesting and probably don’t add anything to the story for the average adult. But for older viewers, there’s other things to enjoy. If you like British nostalgia, whimsical characters, and sweet friendships, you’ll probably enjoy it. There’s scrumptious chocolate, beautiful scenes around chocolate-making, and some good musical moments as well.
The plot is quite different from the other two in that it’s purely about Wonka, not about the chocolate factory. It takes place before he builds the factory, so Charlie and the other kids are not around. The new characters are very much Dahl, though, so it feels like you’re watching a new story he wrote.
I liked the cast, especially Noodle, but also Wonka. Did not enjoy the Oompa Loompa much because I just never like those guys. At least this one had a bit of a backstory.
I can say that in atmosphere it’s certainly more similar to the first version than to the second. Feels like they went back to the roots.