Review: ‘Wonka’ is Wonderfully Amusing Enough

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

Review: ‘Bones and All’ Intertwines Beauty and Ugliness

Beauty and ugliness are seemingly two opposing things, but what happens when you combine them?  What you get is Bones and All.  The very title alludes to this, it refers to a quote from the film when a man is describing the extreme high he gets from consuming a human, bones and all.  Yet towards the end of the film this very line is tenderly spoken between two lovers as one of them bleeds out in the arms of the other. This stark contrast is where the film’s power really shines through, and the audience can experience the true brutality of identity and life.  

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Review: ‘Dune’ is a Good Movie on its Own, But a Mediocre ‘Dune’ Movie

When David Lynch released his adaptation of Frank Herbert’s Dune in 1984, reviewers believed it was almost impossible to follow, leading to a theory of Herbert’s iconic 1965 sci-fi novel being “unadaptable.” 40 years later, Denis Villeneuve’s attempt at “recreating” Dune is earning the exact same reactions.

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Review: ‘The French Dispatch’ Is a Love Letter to Writers Who Cover the Extraordinary

There is a joy in settling down to read a special newspaper or magazine article, one where you know the writer is cataloging the unordinary. Something about an everyday medium that normally covers topics and records events we consider commonplace (sports, politics, violent crimes, etc.) instead chronicling astonishment and intrigue is uniquely appealing—perhaps because it reminds us that the world is not constantly a cold, dull place. Two of my favorite examples of these are “The ballad of the Chowchilla bus kidnapping,” which recounts the hijacking of a school bus and the nationwide fervor that followed, and “Pellet Ice is the Good Ice,” which takes a deep dive into a kind of ice cube that’s hard to come by and unrivaled in quality. 

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Review: ‘Little Women’ is Heartwarming, Grounded, and Just as Relevant as Ever

Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women is widely considered to be one of the most beloved coming of age stories of all time. The classic story follows the March sisters, Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy during the Civil War as they struggle to get by while their father is away. It’s been adapted many times to various stage, film, television, and musical productions. Newest to this family of adaptations is Greta Gerwig’s film starring Saoirse Ronan, Florence Pugh, Emma Watson, and Eliza Scanlen as Jo, Amy, Meg, and Beth March. It is difficult to fully say how unique and pivotal this story is, and how much it is a tribute to women in particular as a female driven story. Little Women details life, loss, and love as it chronicles a bittersweet journey of growing up. Gerwig’s writing and directing, as well as the stellar performance of the cast, captures this spirit with a steadfast and dutiful hand.

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Review: ‘The King’ Has Questions About Strength, Yet Lacks the Will to Be Original

In the past couple years, Netflix has been trying really hard to establish itself as a premier movie production company. The King is part of this year’s Netflix bid for their elusive Oscar Best Picture win. Based on a series of Shakespeare plays, The King follows the life and story of King Henry the V in 1400s England.

One thing is clear about The King: it is a Netflix movie. This is far from anything supremely original or wildly captivating; it is the type of film to put on in the background while you work. However, while it’s riddled with problems, it does have a few redeeming qualities. For one, there is clearly talent behind the camera. The cinematography of the film manages to perform a high wire act as it balances beautiful shot lighting (most of which was impressively natural) with a subtlety that gives the film authenticity. Particularly during the battle scenes, it feels as if you are involved in the stakes, thanks in part to the camerawork. The costumes and locations also felt very authentic to the time, as opposed to Hollywood’s typical depiction.

The acting is adequate/solid for most of the film. Chalamet, playing the protagonist, King Henry V, did not reach the heights of some of his performances in previous works, but nonetheless played a very humble and dutiful character. Robert Pattinson also gives a decent performance and the Dauphin of France, but the performance that shines by far is that of Joel Edgerton. As Sir John Falstaff, an Englishman loyal to King Henry, Edgerton expertly adds comedy and depth to his character.

However, herein lies this film’s biggest flaw. The writing is simply not that good. Not in the sense of style and language, but in that it lacks structure and direction. For example, take the opening and closing of the film. Both, in my opinion, do not thrust or close the questions that the film asks. They are completed wasted moments that serve no purpose to the narrative. As a result, the pacing of this movie also suffers. For the first half, too much time is spent on Henry V before his ascension to the throne. This could’ve worked if not for the fact that the main philosophical question of this story revolves around his campaign for France. Though there are many small moments that were quite impressive, there is nothing that is inherently original with this film. The King relies far too much on history to be a good movie. It’s just another film that Netflix puts in its library to give curious viewers new options. Otherwise, it’s not worth the time.

3/5 STARS

Review: Beautiful Boy Makes Overt Appeals to Emotion

If the trailers for were any indication, Beautiful Boy positioned itself as an emotional look at addiction. With its flag firmly planted, the film promises a rollercoaster of emotions that hopes to make you shed a few tears in the process. With such lofty intentions, you would think the emotional moments of the film should be handled with great care to ensure that they have the weight and reverence to match the seriousness of the subject matter. You would think.

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