Wonka Review

Willy Wonka is probably Roald Dahl’s most recognisable character, appearing in two novels, two adaptations of Charlie of the Chocolate Factory, and the Gene Wilder version being lovingly parodied in numerous American shows. The team behind the Paddington Movies aims to make a prequel about Willy Wonka and how he became the famous chocolatier.

Willy Wonka (Timothée Chalamet) arrives in the big city after travelling around the world for seven years. He dreams of opening a chocolate shop in the Galleries Gourmet and spreading joy with his sweet delights. However, Wonka faces challenges, from being tricked into indentured servitude, and the corrupt Chocolate Cartel attempts to stop the eccentric from selling chocolates.

There has been a resurgence of Roald Dahl adaptions. In the 2020s there has been a second adaptation of The Witches, an adaptation of the West End’s Matilda the Musical, and Netflix has released three shorts based on Dahl stories directed by Wes Anderson. Like 2022’s Matilda, Wonka was a full-blown musical, even though the marketing tried to hide this fact as much as possible.

Wonka had the added challenge of being a prequel to a film that audiences hold in such regard. The Tim Burton/Johnny Depp version of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory struggled with this challenge and has a divisive reputation. Wonka aimed to bring back memories of the 1971 classic. It opened with ‘Pure Imagination’s’ melody and it was a film filled with references, like the Oompa Loompa tone, Wonka getting a warning to read the small print, and some callbacks in the dialogue. Wonka came across as a Legacy Prequel as it pulled the nostalgia strings.

There had been an air of negativity before Wonka’s release. Wonka had a high budget of $125 million, online commenters complained that it was a film that no one wanted, and the box-office numbers for the US release were initially reported to be $20-$23 million. However, this negativity has subsided since Wonka has been met with positive reviews, including perfect scores from The Guardian, Daily Telegraph, and Evening Standard. It has already been a popular film in the UK and it’s the busiest I have seen in the cinema since Barbie. Hopefully, good word-of-mouth will help it’s box-office numbers in North America.

Some people shouldn’t bet against Paul King and Heyday Films. This team had great success with the Paddington films and the marketing highlighted that it came from the producers of Harry Potter. Heyday were one of the production companies behind Barbie so they have had a great year.

King is a clever filmmaker; I remember at the London Screenwriting Festival 2015 he talked about the process of writing the first Paddington film. He said he was influenced by Up because of its emotional storytelling and talked about the importance Paddington had on the Brown family. The YouTube critic LS Mark described Paddington 2 as having a Wes Anderson quality to it in his review. He’s a man who knows what to reference and he makes earnest, feel-good films.

Wonka felt like an old-fashioned family film, a joyous film that people of all ages can enjoy. It was a big song-and-dance-filled film. It was like Mary Poppins and Oliver in look and tone. The opening number, ‘A Hatful of Dreams’ felt like King and his team were making the antithesis to the opening scene in Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, whilst crooked landlords felt a lot like the Thénardiers in Les Misérables. This comparison was even more apt because Olivia Colman played one of the Thénardiers in the BBC/PBS adaptation of Les Misérables.

Neil Hannon of Divine Comedy wrote the songs, and he did create some great numbers for the film. The team was able to make some sequences that fitted the music, like when Wonka goes from the boat to the city and Wonka and his friends go around the city to sell chocolate whilst avoiding the police. My nephew’s favourite song in the film was the villain’s song, ‘Sweet Tooth.’ Chalamet has already proven himself as one of the best actors of his generation and his musical ability will just add to people’s envy. Calah Lane showed she’s a star in the making with her role as Noodle, a young orphan who became Wonka’s sidekick and was able to take control of a situation despite her age.

King and his team ensured that Wonka did have a Paddington vibe. Chalamet’s Wonka was the kindest version of the character. He wanted to spread joy with his chocolate and make his mother proud. He wasn’t as malicious or callous as Gene Wilder or Johnny Depp’s versions. The humour in the film matched Paddington’s, having a quirky sensibility and having the occasional moment for the adults. It was a film that was filled with whimsy, wonder, and sentiment and the wintery conditions gave Wonka a Christmasy feel. I went to see it with my five-year-old nephew and it was the first time he sat through a whole film without going to the toilet, so Wonka could hold the attention of young children.

British audiences can play a game of spotting recognisable British actors since many have small roles. Since Wonka was partly filmed in Bath, I was keeping an eye out for locations in the spa town.

Wonka was a lovely film that was made with passion and heart. It shows that there’s still a place for wholesome, old-fashioned entertainment.