WONKA (2023) review
written by: Simon Farnaby and Paul King
produced by: David Heyman, Alexandra Derbyshire and Luke Kelly
directed by: Paul King
rating: PG (for some violence, mild language and thematic elements)
runtime: 116 min.
U.S. release date: December 15, 2023
When it was announced that there would be a movie giving us the origin story of author Roald Dahl’s famously demented chocolatier, I was less than enthused. After all, like so many other great characters (especially movie villains), we’re better off knowing less about Willy Wonka’s past. It keeps the mystery surrounding the quirky character intact. But, studios can’t just leave an established IP (that’s intellectual property, folks) collected dust, so here we are with “Wonka”, a delightful musical comedy from co-writer/director Paul King. He’s the man who gave us two delightful “Paddington” movies and the material here fits just right with his proclivities for sweet and whimsical entertainment.
Both Warner Brothers and King are going back to the 1971 Gene Wilder classic for inspiration, rather than build off the different (and weird) iteration that Tim Burton and Johhny Depp provided in 2005. “Wonka” is considered a companion piece, including some of the same thematic elements of the original movie, such as greed and selflessness, while also adhering closely to recognizable visual and costume designs. There’s certainly a focus on pure imagination with plenty of musical numbers, along with a new supporting characters and antagonists.
When we meet Willy Wonka (Timothée Chalamet), he has just spent the last five years sailing around the world searching for rare ingredients to add to his delectable chocolate creations. Having just arrived in a nameless city (the closest resemblance is London), his can-do attitude is squashed when he is hoodwinked by Mrs. Scrubbit (a fun Olivia Colman, chewing scenery) and her dim-witted accomplice Bleacher (Tom Davis), both of whom run a boarding house where they prey on naive newcomers, duping them into paying off absorbent charges in a basement launderette. Here is where he meets those in a similar situation: orphan Noodle (Calah Lane), accountant Abacus (Jim Carter), mother hen Piper (Natasha Rothwell), wanna-be comedian Larry (Rich Fulcher), and quiet Lottie (Rakhee Thakrar), all of whom have been subjected to hard labor. Noodle tried to alert Wonka to the fine print of the contract he signed with Scrubbit, but it turns out he’s illiterate. Despite his unexpected predicament, Wonka is determined to make it as a magical chocolatier in the nearby Galleries Gourmet district.
Wonka has his work cut out for him though, since getting in on the candy action will be tough thanks to the “chocolate cartel”. Consisting of three rival chocolatiers, Slugworth (Paterson Joseph), Fickelgruber (Mathew Baynton), and Prodnose (Matt Lucas) – all great classic Roald Dahl names – these shady businessmen go out of their way to make Wonka feel unwelcomed and go above and beyond to protect a vat of chocolate hidden under a church, overseen by Father Julius (Rowan Atkinson). A chocolate mafia protected by the church – didn’t see that coming. Nevertheless, the ambitious Wonka sets out to challenge their dominance by sharing his own delectable creations with the community – including the “Hover-Chocs”, which finds the recipient floating in the air after ingesting – becoming quite a sensation while honoring his late mother (Sally Hawkins), who encouraged his unique chocolate-making talents.
It is an unexpected delight to see this younger version of Wonka, considering Wilder’s depiction had such a wonderful misanthropic twinkle about him. Not so with Chalamet’s Wonka, who’s playing a wide-eyed optimistic character that hasn’t yet grown weary of spoiled, greedy, and disobedient children. Chalamet hits just the right note of sweetness for King’s take on “Wonka”, brimming with the right balance of brightness and mischievousness. The actor also effortlessly fits right in to the musical numbers that has him perform mostly new numbers (written by Neil Hannon, lead singer of the Divine Comedy) as well as the recognizable “Pure Imagination”, which is repeated near the movie’s closing in a poignant manner. Chalamet may not be the strongest singer, but his assured performance while singing comes from a place of uninhibited charm and glee.
Throughout the movie, there are characters new and old that greatly contribute to the intentional comedy and one of them works more effectively than the others. Keegan-Michael Key plays an unnamed chocolate-addicted chief of police who is in cahoots with the chocolate cartel. His scenes eventually fall into a one-note gimmick that involves the actor wearing a larger fat-suit each time we see him. It gets old fast. However, Hugh Grant is a blast as the first Oompa Loompa that Wonka ever encounters. He had a bizarre presence in the trailers, but in context of the story he’s a real hoot. His backstory is funny and the fact that he’s weirdly super small (even for an Oompa Loompa) makes the character such a silly oddity. Despite appearances, Grant takes a serious approach to the role, which increases the humor of it all, injecting unexpected nuances to the irritable orange-skinned, grinned-haired little fella. Grant is given just the right amount of screen time in “Wonka”, preventing him from outstaying his welcome.
The friendship that is gradually established between Wonka and Noodle pulls the heartstrings in “Wonka”, in an earnest and heartfelt manner. Noodle helps Wonka tremendously, especially when the pair need to break in to a local zoo to kidnap a giraffe (since one specific treat call’s for the animal’s milk), which winds up being quite the bonding event for them, albeit in a weird way.
King wrote “Wonka” with Simon Farnaby, his co-writer on the two Paddington movies and the pair definitely bring the same storybook combination of sweetness and whimsy. Filmed in different locations in England, along with the Warner Bros. studio in Leavesdon, the movie seamlessly utilizes interior/exterior photography (thanks to cinematographer Chung Chung-hoon) and fitting production design work from Nathan Crowley, that creates an infectiously enjoyable world. All of which assist in bolstering the charm of “Wonka”, which relies on musical moments and big CGI swings (that are never obvious). The winking tone is set right from the movie’s start when King’s contribution is billed as “A Confection By Paul King”.
The material is treated with a certain benevolence that’s a surprise and quite refreshing. It’s a movie that essentially navigates a fairy tale and fable formula with an emphasis on the concept of goodness and kindness. “Wonka” is an enjoyable and entertaining viewing experience for any age and that’s something that’s always needed.
RATING: ***
