Directed by Paul King and based on the extraordinary character at the center of Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Wonka tells the wondrous story of how the world’s greatest inventor, magician, and chocolate-maker became the beloved Willy Wonka (Timothée Chalamet) we know today. With dreams of opening a shop in a city renowned for its chocolate, a young and poor Willy Wonka discovers that the industry is run by a cartel of greedy chocolatiers and so must confront them and other obstacles in order to make his dreams a reality.
Out of all of Roald Dahl’s stories, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is considered to be his most popular, with several adaptations made over the years (the two most popular ones being the 1971 Mel Stuart film and the 2005 Tim Burton film.) But now famed Paddington director Paul King is the newest on the block to take a shot at adapting the iconic story, but this time goes about it from a different direction by creating a prequel focusing on the origin of Willy Wonka. The idea itself was interesting, and even though Paul King’s previous work was considered to be reputable a lot of people seemed to have major doubts about the film after seeing the casting of Timothée Chalamet as Wonka, as well as some less than convincing trailers. Even I will admit I wasn’t sold on what I was being initially presented with, but when word of mouth quickly began to spread about how the film is actually really good despite what the marketing showed I decided to give it a chance.
I am glad I did because Wonka is absolutely marvelous. This is yet another example of “don’t judge a film by the trailer,” because the film itself is a surprising gem filled with great amounts of heart, laughs, creativity, and whimsical weirdness that is fitting for an adaptation based on Roald Dahl’s original work. This film may not necessarily appeal to everyone but it is a charming and passionately made film that was made for everyone to enjoy and not as a cash grab prequel catered towards a specific audience of fans as the marketing would have you believe.
From start to finish this film made me feel warm and fuzzy inside while also keeping a smile on my face the entire time, much like Paul King’s previous work has done for me personally. When it comes to the two other film adaptations, I have a soft spot for each of them respectively as have others, although there has clearly been a generational divisiveness over which one is the best. So with that in mind, I could see the same generational divisiveness happen for this film as well due to the direction it takes and how it adapts the character of Wonka differently from others. But I am not here to spend all day comparing this adaptation with the others because that would be pointless and would take away from what makes this adaptation truly stand out from the rest with its own awesome qualities.
The cast is an absolute joy all around, delivering fun and committed performances that radiate infectious energy throughout the film. Leading the charge of it all is Timothée Chalamet as the titular character. Now I have always considered Timothée Chalamet as a very talented actor but admittedly I did think he was miscast as Wonka at first, until I saw his performance in its entirety. I fully rescind my doubts about his casting because I feel Timothée knocked it out of the park with his own fun and heartfelt portrayal of the iconic character. He certainly incorporates some elements from both Gene Wilder and Johnny Depp’s performances of the past but most of the time he goes his own way as an energetic showman and genius inventor who not only seeks to fulfill his own dreams but to add some light and joy into the lives of everyone he comes across.
The previous portrayals of Wonka have shown the character as a mostly self-absorbed individual who cares very little for the thoughts and feelings of others, while this portrayal of Wonka is very selfless and caring for others. While he certainly is super passionate about his candy-making craft he also wants everyone around him to enjoy it and to give as much happiness to them as he attempts to do the same for himself.
Timothée beautifully displays the sincere nature of this version of Wonka in such fantastic fashion while simultaneously delivering laughs with comedic bursts of energy that show the character to have flaws of his own as a younger version of the individual he would become. He also makes certain emotional moments in the film hit hard, especially when he brings up his mother (Sally Hawkins) who is the driving force behind his pursuit, giving a personal touch to the theme of following one’s dream. His portrayal of Wonka may not win everyone over, similar to how the performances of Gene Wilder and Johnny Depp didn’t win everyone over, but I personally loved Timothée’s performance as a whole for this specific version of the character. Also his singing in this film I think is seriously impressive and top-notch.
Surrounding him is a plethora of fun personalities and fantastic performances including Calah Lane as Noodle (who also gives serious heart to the story), Jim Carter as Abacus Crunch, Natasha Rothwell as Piper Benz, Rich Fulcher as Larry Chucklesworth, and Rakhee Thakrar as Lottie Bell. They are a wonderful combination making for an underdog team led by Wonka. You can’t help but root for them given the circumstances that they have been dealing with individually and together.
The opposition they face includes several villains who are given hilariously over-the-top performances that are very fitting for this kind of film, including the chocolate cartel composed of Paterson Joseph as Arthur Slugworth, Matt Lucas as Gerald Prodnose, and Mathew Baynton as Felix Fickelgruber. Then you have the additional supporting villains like Mrs. Scrubitt played deliciously by Olivia Coleman, Bleacher played by Tom Davis, Father Julius played by British gem Rowan Atkinson, and the continually unnamed chocolate-addicted chief of police played by Keegan-Michael Key.
Each one of them offers something different and hilarious to the table with their respective villains, almost as if they are trying to one-up each other throughout the film, which on paper may sound messy and chaotic but on screen delivers so much energetic entertainment thanks largely to the respective cast members and Paul King’s direction with them.
And then we come to the elephant in the room, or should I say the Oompa-Loompa in the room: Hugh Grant’s Lofty. Hugh Grant has had quite the major comeback performance-wise with some of his most recent work, though I truly did not expect to see him play an onscreen Oompa-Loompa of all things, and yet the end result is glorious. Hugh Grant is a certified gem in this film as Lofty, guaranteed to get many laughs out of everyone, especially with his rendition of the Oompa-Loompa song. Oh yes, you read that right. Hugh Grant actually sings the original Oompa-Loompa song in this and he does it extremely well, giving perfect tempo to each variant of the song he sings. My only personal gripe with him was that he’s not in the film as much as I would have liked because he was such a fun addition, but given all that is going on in an already wild film, I do understand why he wasn’t in it as much. Still, he’s such a blast and definitely will be a fan favorite for many.
The entire cast clearly had fun and their commitment really uplifts this film a thousandfold.
In terms of the story, this film follows a straightforward narrative that has very surface-level themes that we have seen plenty of times in other films, and yet here there is so much light-hearted charm and warmth that it offers so much blissful escapism that you can’t help but enjoy it, much like the tasty chocolate confections that are within the film itself.
Additionally, the creative elements of Wonka’s world make this film stand out both narratively and visually, making it very inviting for people of all ages, as well as delivering some surprisingly smart humor that goes in unexpected ways. For instance, one particular joke I expected to be a one-time throwaway joke ends up circling back later in the film in such a hilarious fashion, leading to a payoff that I couldn’t help but appreciate. Not every joke may land with everyone but I think there are several in particular that will bust a gut for some, mostly due to the delivery by some of the cast members.
Now if you are wondering if this film has any dark undertones like the original book or the previous adaptations, this adaptation has none of that as it is a very whimsical light-hearted film that also is primarily a musical. For some, this may not appeal to them but to me personally I find it a nice change of pace that makes this adaptation stand out from the rest in a refreshing way, and to be honest, there was no necessity for dark undertones for the story this film is telling. There are certainly some dark and even emotional moments on occasion but nothing too severe and frankly, I’m ok with that.
This film both narratively and visually feels very much like Paul King’s signature style as seen in the Paddington films but it does manage to incorporate some elements of previous adaptations that are used in a different way for his vision. With it being a prequel you can expect references and clues to the story we all know though you can tell that this leans more into the 1971 Mel Stuart film with some of its references and even major elements such as quotes and songs from that version but treated in a respectful way. One particular reference to the famous Golden Tickets was beautifully executed in an extremely emotional payoff that brings things full circle. It shows that Paul King does indeed respect the original story and past adaptations, even when putting his own spin on it from a narrative and visual sense.
Speaking of visuals this film is very vibrant in its looks, making use of extremely well-done practical sets as well as effects and the occasional mix of some CGI sets and effects that don’t go too overboard, kind of like the Tim Burton adaptation did at times. There’s a near-perfect balance of both kinds of sets and effects used in this film to make this weird yet wondrous world come to life in phenomenal fashion, all shown through stellar cinematography and editing all done in Paul King’s directorial style. The film reflects the same energy and mood that all the characters have when they’re on screen, making for a beautiful hand-in-hand relationship that gives this film such potent life.
Adding on to it all is glorious musical work by Joby Talbot and Neil Hannon that skyrockets this film’s inviting warmth. All the songs sung by the cast are performed and choreographed in exemplary fashion, with not one single weak aspect that I could pick out. Besides the hilarious rendition of the Oompa-Loompa song, I also really loved the rendition of Pure Imagination, both used in the score and later sung by Timothée himself in a beautiful culmination that for me personally rivals Gene Wilder’s rendition of the song.
This adaptation may not potentially win everyone over, much like some of the previous adaptations, but I can see many others absolutely loving this film for how heartwarming it is. It can feel like an inviting escape from reality with its passionately crafted world, with fun characters that can be enjoyed by all ages rather than catering to one particular audience. It’s a lesson that the film teaches within its story that I feel many should consider, as well as serving as an example of how to not let lackluster marketing completely turn you away from seeing something that can surprise you. Take a bite and find out for yourself. I’m going to give Wonka an A = 97.
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