Wonka Movie Review

More than fifty years after Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory delighted audiences, Roald Dahl’s classic stories have been picked up again for the silver screen. Warner Bros is hoping that a prequel with some ties to the original will win over viewers new and old. Unlike other tired franchise entries, Wonka is successful in its goals.

In a non-descript time and town, the young Willy Wonka (Timothée Chalamet) arrives in Europe by boat to share his creations with the world, only to run foul of three greedy store owners. Arthur Slugworth (Paterson Joseph), Gerald Prodnose (Matt Lucas) and Felix Fickelgruber (Matthew Baynton) have cornered the market and corrupted the police while their victims are pressed into forced servitude under the spiteful Mrs Scrubitt (Olivia Coleman). With just the right amount of humour and heart, Wonka and his band of downtrodden cleaners conjure up an entertaining caper; they all work together to escape their predicament, realise their dreams and stand up to the bullying chocolatier syndicate. One moment sees the famous inventor bonding with the young Noodle (Calah Lane) to find her family and in the next we dance our way towards key ingredients and a full store opening. The connections to the older film are used quite sparingly for this prequel; Wonka works in references smoothly without becoming overbearing. The film isn’t obsessed with tying into the original and commits to its own self-contained story, a welcome direction that still piles in some fun and heartfelt elements.

The cast of Wonka is huge with a wide range of actors; most roles are very well performed with distinctive characteristics to make them memorable. Timothée Chalamet successfully channels the tone of Gene Wilder while also showing a more vulnerable side in places; he really comes into his own with the musical numbers, always conveying an uplifting presence. Noodle is also very well done; the friendship that builds between her and Wonka is very believable. There is a slight gap when it comes to their fellow cleaners; Abacus Crunch (Jim Carter) is serviceable, but Piper Benze (Natasha Rothwell) Larry Chucklesworth (Rich Fulcher) and Lottie Bell (Rakhee Thakrar) aren’t quite as developed; the title is slightly off balance as a result. The villains are both cheesy and deplorable with some charismatic work from Olivia Coleman and Paterson Joseph in particular. Finally, there’s Hugh Grant as Lofty, all decked out in the original orange make-up and green hair; he delivers a great rendition of the character with a posh twang that always grabs your attention. Not every character is utilised to the fullest, but the film still gets the audience invested.

Wonka features a blend of many varied sets, backdrops, costumes and music notes. The town uses a more classical 1920s aesthetic that bursts with creative colours. When the protagonist opens his store, we’re treated to a dazzling display backed up by a classy original song. Outside of “A World Of Pure Imagination” which plays fittingly at the conclusion, every track is new and very well-staged. The tone, scale and lighting are constantly changing, showing off the character’s aspirations with some fluid camerawork. For the most part, the film’s atmosphere is absorbing and lavish, though some of the special effects will raise some eyebrows, most notably the lone Oompa Loompa interacting with the other characters. It doesn’t take away from Hugh Grant’s performance, but there are times where the little helper juts out from the live action scenery with weaker CGI.

Far from a pandering dose of nostalgia-bait, Wonka ends up being a charming and very well produced musical that uses the 1971 classic as a foundation rather than copying word-for-word. The central performances, the staging of the songs and the whimsical tone are all spot on. If you discount some underused cast members and awkward special effects, this is a solid festive film for the holidays.

Rating: 4/5 Stars (Great)