AS I sat down for more than an hour of eagerly-awaited, cocoa-induced bliss, little did I expect what was billed to be the best film of the year to be such a disappointment.

Maybe I've got very high standards, maybe I expect too much, but apart from the predictable special effects, most of which had already been seen in the trailer, I did not find much in the film to really blow me away.

Tim Burton, as usual, puts on a huge visual display, and Johnny Depp gives another great performance as Willy Wonka himself, but this is all to be expected.

Once an actor or director sets himself a benchmark, unfortunately he is expected to hit that or reach higher every time and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory just didn't do that.

The effects are great, with chocolate waterfalls, exciting new candy creations and the well-known story that rewards poor Charlie while punishing the spoilt brats that join him on a tour of Wonka's factory.

But we've seen it all before, firstly in our imaginations when the book came out, and then in the first film that was made.

The Oompa Loompas are impressive but a bit scary for children, as is Johnny Depp, while Charlie is fairly run-of-the-mill and the rest of the children just annoying, as their characters probably should be.

The best part is the second disc of Sweet Special Features, including a look into the life of Roald Dahl, and even a lesson in how to dance like an Oompa Loompa.

Maybe I was just too excited about watching it in the first place, but for me this movie was a bit of a let down - good, but not great.

Then again, it did scoop this year's Bafta Kids' Vote, so maybe I'm just missing the magic they saw in it!

ECB