"Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" musical wowed the audience when it opened in London but garnered mixed reviews from critics.

Celebrities graced the gala opening at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane. Spotted at the event were Uma Thurman, Barbara Windsor and Sarah Jessica Parker with husband Matthew Broderick and their son James.

Oscar-winning director Sam Mendes received praises for the polish technical wizardry of the lavish West End production.

However, critics were not very much happy with the music and some of the dragging scenes, which included Charlie winning the golden ticket with greedy Augustus Gloop, spoiled brat Veruca Salt and the other kids.

The Times' Libby Purves gave the musical three stars and wrote, "Marc Shaiman's music is mainly unmemorable and the lyrics are hard to make out in the ensemble numbers."

On the other hand, award-winning actor Douglas Hodge as Willy Wonka was enjoyed by the critics. "Douglas Hodge is a splendidly charismatic and disconcerting Willy Wonka, brilliantly combining jokes with a twitchy hint of the psycho," wrote Charles Spencer of The Telegraph.

Mendes' production was unfavorably compared by most reviewers with Tim Minchin's Tony Award-wining musical "Matilda" for the Royal Shakespeare Company. "Matilda" won a handful of awards at last year's Tony's.

The "Skyfall" director battled for almost two decades to acquire the rights of Roald Dahl's much-loved children's novel.

"I spent 25 years trying to get the rights for 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory' to do on stage," he said.

"Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" will run until the May 31, 2014