Another remake? Not quite. In this day and age, movie studios are pumping out remakes and sequels to beloved franchises, even when no one particularly asked for them. Upon hearing of Wonka, another movie inspired by Roald Dahl’s novel Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, some may wonder whether this film was worth making and worth watching. But, if you get Paul King to make it, the director of the beloved Paddington movies, get ready for a heartfelt movie full of family-friendly fun—and this is exactly what Wonka turns out to be. As long as people go into this film with room in their hearts for a fun (albeit slightly predictable) time, then they’re in for a treat.
Previously, there have been two film adaptations of Dahl’s cherished novel, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971) and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005). Both these films directly pull from the novel’s plot, following Charlie and the other kids who win trips to Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory, learning lessons in morality and honesty along the way. Wonka is a prequel to this story, telling the tale of how Willy Wonka comes to be the positively passionate, eccentric character he is.
The movie begins with Willy Wonka (Timothée Chalamet) moving to a new city as a poor young man excited to begin pursuing his dreams of opening a chocolate shop. However, things don’t go as planned and people aren’t as nice as he believes them to be. He falls into a debt to his landlord, Mrs. Scrubbit (Olivia Colman), and a Chocolate Cartel consisting of a corrupt policeman (Keegan-Michael Key) and a money-hungry chocolate shop owner (Paterson Joseph) who are out to stop him. Despite this unfortunate start, Willy never loses hope of selling chocolate. By getting help from others indebted with nothing to lose, Willy’s adventure of becoming a chocolatier also becomes one of spreading optimism and happiness to others.
What makes this story so charming is Chalamet’s performance as Willy. When the trailers for this movie first came out, the initial audience reaction to his acting was very mixed. Many people thought his lines were too stiff and had a forced humor to them. However, when these lines are seen in context with the movie, they sound natural and make total sense. Additionally, Chalamet’s delivery of these lines characterizes Willy through his intonation. From Willy’s confidence when he reveals his chocolates to a crowd, to adapting the delivery of Willy’s jokes to match other characters’ ups and downs, Chalamet proves he has the wit and whimsy to pull off a memorable Willy Wonka.
Another aspect making this an enjoyable watch is the numerous song and dance sequences. Although some of the songs may be less memorable and important than others, they’re not bad. Next to the full-scale dance numbers, however, we can see the effort and care that went into everything from choreography to set design. These big dances come with some catchy songs that get us smiling, vibrant colors and patterns everywhere, all which bring us into the joyful world of imagination inside Willy’s mind. These musical scenes are an entertaining way to drive the plot, in which it’s sometimes obvious what will happen next. Nevertheless, Wonka might not be an extraordinarily impressive feat in filmmaking, but it still makes for a heartwarming and sweet-as-chocolate two hours.
3.5/5 STARS