Of all the unnecessary sequels, prequels, and remakes, a prequel to Wily Wonka and the Chocolate Factory was near the top of that list. Part of the fun and intrigue to the Wonka character was the mystery, the unknown behind his early life and what made him him. He was truly a one of one. Suffice I was already out on Wonka. Then the first images and trailer came out, and I really thought I was going to hate this movie; I thought it was going to be average at best, truly awful at worst. Well…
What a surprise this was. I loved it. Relative to expectations, it just might be my favorite movie this year.
Wonka opens with a young Willy Wonka (Timothée Chalamet) arriving in a small European town, with big dreams of opening his own chocolate shop, featuring chocolates and treats the world has never before seen. However, he runs into obstacles almost immediately. Already established in the town is a trio of chocolatiers, aka the Chocolate Cartel Paterson Joseph as Arthur Slugworth, Matt Lucas as Prodnose, and Mathew Baynton as Fickelgruber).
They run the town much like a drug cartel would, using their chocolate to bribe the police chief and others in positions of power. They have a monopoly on the chocolate trade, and the intend to keep it that way. After ending his first day broke, Willy is tricked into indentured servitude at a local laundromat run by Mrs. Scrubbit (Olivia Colman) and Bleacher (Tom Davis).
Being the innovator he is, Willy finds a way to sneak out each day to sell his chocolates. He recruits the other workers at the laundromat, with the young Noodle (Calah Lane) quickly becoming his right hand woman. They have to contend with the local authorities, with the Chocolate Cartel keeping the Chief of Police (Keegan-Michael Key) in their pocket with chocolate bribes.
When your movie’s bad guys are controlling the town with off-the-books chocolate payments, you know what kind of movie you’re getting. And Wonka leans hard into the silliness. It might be too saccharine for some, but if you buy in, you’ll likely be all in. And I was all in. Like the title of this review says, Wonka is just delightful. It’s funny, charming, sweet, heartfelt. It wants to be a fun movie anyone can enjoy, and it nails it.
And that starts with Chalamet, who is perfect for this version of Wonka. Now, one complaint some might have is they don’t see how this version of the character eventually becomes the version perfectly depicted by Gene Wilder in the 1971 classic Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. And I would agree with that sentiment. But I also don’t care. Whether or not this is a one-off or the start of a new series remains to be seen. If we do get a sequel (or more), there is plenty of time for Chalamet’s Wonka to change his persona. Or maybe he never does, and he remains as positive and effervescent as he is here.
Chalamet’s endless charisma and charm fit in perfectly with the overall feel and aesthetic of Wonka. Everything is bright and colorful and (at least) a tiny bit silly. If even one part had been off, the whole thing could have fallen apart. But director Paul King has a firm grasp on his vision here, and he never loses sight of it.
And Chalamet isn’t the only highlight in the case. The entire cast is a highlight. Lane’s Noodle is the only character who has any real depth outside of Wonka. And while we grow to care about the other characters helping Wonka, the story badly needed a secondary character to show some depth and development alongside Willy. The Chocolate Cartel trio are hilarious villains, as are Mrs. Scrubbit and Bleacher. Rowan Atkinson gets some great material as a corrupt priest, heading a group of chocoholic monks. Everyone is all in and they understood the assignment.
Like its predecessor, Wonka is also a musical. And while the musical numbers are fun, this was one of the weaker aspects. None of the songs are all that memorable, none of the singers are great. They’re all fine, and good enough so as not to take away from the movie. But the songs themselves didn’t add as much to the movie as you would hope. Again though, they still manage to fit right in. Every musical already has an over-inflated sense of reality. And with the world Wonka is set in having some magic-like qualities, the dance numbers and songs feel like a natural inclusion.
If there’s one thing holding Wonka back from being a great movie, it’s the story. There’s nothing necessarily bad about it. But it’s just so simple, straightforward, and predictable. You can see every plot point and development coming from a mile away. And while a movie like Wonka is never going to try to thrive on suspense, keeping a few surprises in store for the audience never hurts. It’s still a fun time hanging out with the characters as they progress through the story, but the simplicity lowers its ceiling.
I had a great time with Wonka. Timothée Chalamet sets the tone for this funny, silly, whimsical journey, and every bit of the movie follows suit, from the rest of the cast to the music to the costumes and production design. Even with its simple story, it still manages to mine some good emotional material, with some moving elements with the Willy and Noodle characters. If you’re looking to have a fun time at the theater during the Christmas season, you probably won’t do better than Wonka.
Score: 86/100
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