Long before a golden ticket brought five lucky children to a fantastical chocolate factory, a young confectioner sets his sights on his first shop. While Willy Wonka has delighted readers since 1964 — with two feature film adaptations — Wonka brings a new perspective of the beloved Roald Dahl character as a hopeful young man with a big dream.
Starring Timothée Chalamet, the film follows the titular character as he goes through many obstacles to get his business started while dodging the threats of competing candy makers Slugworth, Fickelgruber, and Prodnose. Along the way, he befriends a few outcasts, including a young girl named Noodle, who excitedly help him bring his vision to life.
The film certainly brings the candy-coated whimsy you’d expect. Mainly in the more technical areas, with production designer Nathan Crowley and costume designer Lindy Hemming doing a stellar job in their respective roles. Although CGI is used heavily, the film retains a sense of realism with an eccentric touch.
For the script, writers Paul King and Simon Farnaby did a nice job weaving in a concise backstory for Willy, introducing his mother in flashbacks, though never making it feel overstuffed. Therefore it’s able to maintain lighthearted fun with a sprinkle of sentimental moments. And it offers plenty of amusing jokes that garnered notable laughs from the audience.
And for such little screen time, Hugh Grant truly steals the show as an Oompa Loompa. While it was a controversial casting choice, he does provide some great comedic relief and was a highlight in the film.
As for the musical piece, there were some great numbers, though not as many as you’d expect. There was a wonderful surreal sequence in the first act that was a highlight for me, and overall, the film quenches a bit of that musical theatre thirst.
However, the film’s star looks quite uncomfortable in the musical bits. You can almost read the uncertainty on Chalamet’s face and I couldn’t help but feel he was missing that spark and quirky charisma. He does a decent job with the standard dialog and delivering quippy lines. But then at times, he feels rather dull. It’s uncertain if that blasé attitude was an attempt to mimic some of Gene Wilder‘s performance, but it just didn’t work.
It’s fair to say Wonka is a pleasant adaptation of the beloved chocolatier and offers a sufficient origin story while not overselling it. It’ll certainly be a nice treat for families during the holidays. Though, I do believe there is someone else who would have been a much more charismatic fit for the lead role.
Wonka is in theaters December 15
Jordy Reviews It 
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