“Every good thing in the world started with a dream, so you hold on to yours.”
Possibly the most memorable quote of ‘Wonka,’ the new movie musical, Willy Wonka (Timothée Chalamet) embraces his late mother’s words from the moment his boat docks in an unnamed steampunk city to launch his career as a chocolatier. The origin story of the chocolatemaker developed by Roald Dahl in his children’s book, “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” and famously personified by Gene Wilder and Johnny Depp in film adaptations, ‘Wonka’ is a spectacle of a movie for people of all ages, although the dramatics are turned up a bit too high at times.
Directed by Paul King (“Paddington,” “Paddington 2”), Wonka begins with Chalamet’s aspiring chocolatier being tricked into doing manual labor by entertaining but unfortunately obnoxious hotel owners played by Olivia Colman and Tom Davis. With the help of the hotel’s genial group of laborers, Wonka sneaks into the streets to roguishly sell chocolate and challenge the city’s exclusive monopoly of chocolatiers (Mathew Baynton, Paterson Joseph, Matt Lucas). Partnered with Noodle, an orphan girl played by Calah Lane who holds her own laudably alongside the seasoned Chalamet (“Call Me By Your Name” and “Dune”), the two exhibit a friendship perhaps sweeter than any of Wonka’s confections.
Visually, the film is exquisite with sets, costumes, and colors conveying moods from the dust and drab of the hotel’s grueling environment to the vibrant scheme of Wonka’s mesmerizing chocolate shop and factory. From the visuals and animated characters to the multi-faceted plot, the film provides escapism with smiles and laughter that radiated through the theater of families, middle- and high-schoolers, and adults.
The theatrical supporting characters seem tailored toward young viewers, yet no character, with the exception of Wonka, is onscreen for an extensive period of time, meaning few of the exaggerated personalities come across as annoying. And the comedic performances of Rowan Atkinson as a corrupt monk and chocoholic, Keegan-Michael Key as the chief of the city’s police, and Hugh Grant as a posh Oompa Loompa (imagine his role as the prime minister from “Love Actually” but less than a foot tall, with orange skin and green hair) were amusing without being cloying. Seemingly, Chalamet’s only allusions to the outlandish Wonkas played by Wilder and Depp are displayed by his purple overcoat and “Pure Imagination” song solo; he’s a selfless, kind, and charismatic character, keeping the film from growing too wild.
The movie is somewhat of a musical, although the songs are short and shouldn’t bother non-thespians too much. The catchy “Scrub Scrub” sounds like a crossover between the chorus from “Chicago’s” “Cell Block Tango” and a theme you’d hear in “Fiddler on the Roof;” “A World of Your Own” charms with Chalamet’s sweet vocals paired with marvelous visuals; and while the “For a Moment” duet between Chalamet and Lane starts rather cheesily, it dissolves into a simply adorable rooftop dance. Unfortunately, “Sweet Tooth,” the song of the chocolate monopoly men, is provokingly snooty.
The main flaw with the movie are the melodramatic subplots: Wonka’s efforts to find Noodle’s lost family and his chocolate being mysteriously poisoned are rather unnecessary. Additionally, the histrionic theatrics of Colman, Davis, and the three premier chocolatiers take away from any realism in the film.
From the wisdom of Wonka’s mother (a warm Sally Hawkins) to the motivating lyrics in “A World of Your Own,” “Wonka” champions the American dream-type message that implies that no matter a person’s background, they can invent, overcome hurdles, and bring joy to others through their work, which is the greatest success. This inspiration entwined with stunning visuals and the entertaining, star-studded cast can appetize the ingenuity of young viewers and bring a smile to the faces of older ones. A film of pure imagination!
–Dec. 20, 2023–
