WONKA (2023) Review:

Director Paul King earned widespread praise for his Paddington movies, which defied expectations and even beat Citizen Kane at the RT score. Even then, he faced an uphill battle with a Willy Wonka prequel, which many deemed yet another pointless addition existing as a mere brand extension. Well, ladies and gentlemen, let me introduce you to a tale of how an individual, talented at their craft yet still faced adversity, persevered and turned the heads of the naysayers. After seeing Wonka not once but twice with previously little enthusiasm, I’m
glad to say that the pessimism can scratched and reversed. It’s far from an everlasting gobstopper but a true surprise of earnestly delivered charm with an ounce of corporatism in sight.  

Wonka mimics the Paddington surrealism of being a family-friendly film in this generation. All too often I see icons of my generation or my parents or grandparents defamed by modern tendencies of using CGI, pop-reference-filled humour or a forced message. I wasn’t on the Paddington hype train as everyone else was but it was refreshing to see a director bring back a classical character as if he were an elder telling his grandchildren fairy tales. And in fairy tales, we don’t look for logic or tie-ins to the real world (at least not bombastic and in-your-face ones). We, as children or as families as a unit, listen to those tales for the joy of it. Wonka relieves itself of snub-nosed criticism (and yes I include myself in that category) and instead invites audiences of possibly all ages to a world of pure imagination. It’s a very aesthetically pleasing movie with a decent spread of colour that consistently balanced out scenes of dour and hopelessness. My favourite use of cinematography is a shot of Wonka before opening up the new shop and the background behind him is completely silhouetted.

Timothee Chalamet has proved to be an in-demand actor, one that all the most famous directors fight over. However, at the sight of the trailers and what seemed like an impression of Gene Wilder’s mannerisms, I was worried we might see a chip in his armour; the armour being the great films he’s starred in and beneath may be a one-hit-wonder. Blissfully, I was wrong because again the whole film is about the surprise of the underdog and Chalamet is the essential coco bean Paul King needs for his own chocolate surprise. Whilst the performance lacks the pathos of Wilder (but I blame the script on that which I’ll soon explain), Chalamet acts in circles around his peers, bringing the same level of commitment he does in other roles, just in a different genre. Every other cast member operates on a C or B-tier level of performance, whereas Chalamet is a clear A. That being said, some of the cast bring joy through their embrace of the cavalier spirit the film brings. Olivia Coleman can do no wrong at this point and she makes for a brilliant comedic side villain along with Tom Davis; Sally Hawkins is someone I’d bang the drum for no matter how small a role it is and she is as fabulous as always; the villains are just hilarious, led by Paterson Joseph who is eating up the role so vigorously he’d make Augustus Gloop jealous. And I’m glad to announce that, unlike Spielberg’s The BFG, the villains balance the wire between goofy comedy and devious menace. Others all do fine but deliver their lines merely superficially, particularly the group that Wonka forms a bond with. Calah Lane was fine but required a few more takes for her lines to feel more natural but her chemistry with Wonka saves it. Hugh Grant is still hard to get over as Lofty the Oompa Loompa, from the odd casting choice (with him not being a dwarf) and the creepy CGI. 

The songs were an unexpected surprise but then I remember both versions were musicals. Although, like those two films, the music won’t be something you remember. The singing is obviously not on par with The Greatest Showman but, hey, I like it a lot more than Wish… I let that sink in for you! One parish notice is that someone pointed out how eerily similar the song ‘Scrub, Scrub’ is to Tango from Rent, almost to the level of copyright infringement. But I think the worst aspect of this prequel/retelling is a mild identity crisis- Chalamet’s Willy Wonka is charming and wide-eyed and whilst that makes for a loveable hero, it lacks the intrigue of Wilder. That is something Depp lacked entirely as well. A part of Willy Wonka’s appeal was how mysterious he is, not just through a lack of backstory but on the morality spectrum. From the way this Wonka is characterised, it’s definitely not the Wonka that will put bratty kids through traumatising experiences like turning into a blueberry or shrinking into a TV. I say this because the film wants to adhere to the 1971 original but ends up going in a different direction where neither Wilder nor Depp would have had.

But the most admirable aspect of Wonka is that he achieves equal status to the 1971 classic. The direction and ensemble have such commitment to bringing this new vision to life that at the point of a rendition of Pure Imagination, the moment and impact were all earned. It reminded me of how Hot Fuzz continuously referenced action films but stood shoulder-to-shoulder with its peers. Wonka is very much a sweet treat to temporarily forget your worries and embrace the whimsical nature of a sweet-natured story, one only too rare today.