EAT • SLEEP • REVIEW • REPEAT
WONKA
A sweet-toothed triumph.
As is the case with so many prequels, when Wonka was announced as a thing, the overriding sentiment was – why? For someone like Willy Wonka, whose mystique and enigmatic nature are his biggest assets, would it not undermine his entire character to pad out his origin story?
Between the beloved 1971 Gene Wilder version and the (slightly less beloved) 2005 Tim Burton one, there have only actually been two big screen adaptations of Roald Dahl’s classic book, however, it’s hard to see what another version of Willy Wonka can offer. Wonka is, undeniably, an iconic, infinitely fascinating character, but do we truly need to know any more about him?
Well, no, not really. But with someone like Paul King on board, at least it stands a good chance of offering something.
Armed with nothing but a hat full of dreams, aspiring inventor and chocolatier Willy Wonka (Timothée Chalamet) journeys to a city renowned for its chocolate to open his very own shop. Penniless but with craft and charm to spare, Wonka must battle poverty and the nefarious chocolate cartels that run the town to make his dream come true and change the world forever, one delectable bite at a time.
Hindsight is a wonderful thing, but while there were plenty of worried looks Wonka’s way when it went into production, with the reassuring figure of Paul King at the helm, there really was no need for concern. Pulling the same trick here that he did with Paddington (and, of course, its sequel), King has once again made the big screen adaptation of an iconic literary character look a breeze.
Loaded with charm and whimsey but with a healthy sense of heart, character, and emotion, King’s introduction of Paddington Bear to the big screen was a triumph, making him the perfect directorial candidate to bring Willy Wonka back to cinemas. Throw in his writing partner from Paddington 2, Simon Farnaby, and Wonka was always likely to turn out just fine.
It’s an incredibly fine line to tread getting characters as quirky and overtly whimsical as Paddington and Willy Wonka to work on screen but some way, somehow Paul King has found that magical formula. Paddington 2 was perhaps the finest example of how this delicate blend can be found, telling a story with warmth and heart while nailing its hero’s very essence.
Without missing a beat, both King and Farnaby have transferred this approach over to Wonka wholesale and, despite not getting the blend quite as perfect this time around, they have recreated the formula very well indeed.
In short, Wonka is an absolute treat and every bit as delightful as Paul King’s previous work, something that should not be taken for granted, especially in a year that has offered so many soulless, lackadaisical blockbusters. With laziness and greed abound within Hollywood, it’s no wonder audiences have been dwindling, so it comes as a huge relief that Wonka arrives largely cynicism free.
Packed with whimsy and wonder, Wonka is a big, warm hug in troubling times, choosing to largely eschew Willy Wonka’s darker elements for something far lighter, but no less impactful. Like an over-whipped cream, Wonka does occasionally feel too light and too delicate for its own good, however, with King and Farnaby running on all cylinders, the film is a big-hearted, joy-filled success.
Visually, Wonka is a triumph. Without ever overegging the pudding, King uses the inherent extravagances in Willy Wonka’s character as a platform for some truly astounding on-screen antics. While it never quite feels as tactile as the 1971 film, the sets and cinematography are a real feast for the eyes, as they gently coax you into Wonka’s dream-fuelled world of wonder.
Whether it’s the cobbled streets and the delightfully dressed shops of the film’s unnamed location or the little intriguing intricacies in Wonka’s classic costume and his curious chocolatiering contraptions, the film revels in its quirkiness. There are certainly moments when Wonka’s sweetness and whimsy look in danger of overwhelming it but, thankfully, the film’s huge heart is always there to help anchor it.
And this emotional core is truly where Wonka sings. For all the colour and confection that swirls around the screen, the film gets its heart just right. It’s not an easy balancing act but Wonka’s visual splendour and syrupy tone are beautifully counterbalanced by the emotional weight of both its story and its characters.
For a character that has never really had any emotional depth, it’s always been tricky to connect with Willy Wonka, yet King and Farnaby do a fantastic job of making us truly care about him. Sure, he’s just as enigmatic here as he’s ever been, but the writing adds more than enough shade and dimension to Wonka that you really feel the character’s emotional bond with chocolate more than you ever have before.
More than merely the quirky, one-dimensional loner we’ve seen before, there’s a kindness and a selflessness to Wonka here that’s genuinely endearing. It’s an unexpected, but wholly welcome, emotional connection that not only allows Timothée Chalamet’s protagonist to stand apart from past iterations but one that grows stronger from the collective energy of those around him.
Whether it’s Olivia Colman’s delightfully despicable Mrs. Scrubbit, Hugh Grant’s brillianty bizarre Oompa Loompa, Calah Lane’s adorable Noodle, or the combined nefariousness of Paterson Joseph, Matt Lucas, and Mathew Baynton’s Slugworth, Prodnose, and Fickelgruber, the cast around Wonka really add to the film’s feel-good factor while bouncing off its star beautifully.
Approaching things with open arms and an open heart, Timothée Chalamet is a wonderful focal point for the ensemble, channelling not only Gene Wilder but a fair amount of Fred Astaire, for an all-singing, all-dancing lead performance that easily dispels any worries that he would be unable to pull it off. This is not a side that he has ever really shown before but Chalamet appears born for this kind of larger-than-life role, offering a delightfully different take on the Wonka character.
Like the rest of the film, Chalamet is as whimsical and quirky as they come, and while there are certainly times where the constant stream of idiosyncrasies come very close to grating point, they never cross the line into annoying. Positively glowing with his patented brand of charm and charisma, Chalamet carries the film an awful long way, and even when things do fall a little flat, the star is never far from picking the energy up again.
Starting at eleven and going from there, Wonka’s energy and enthusiasm is almost relentlessly high, however, like a kid on a sugar kick, a crash never seems too far away, and despite its best endeavours, the film certainly finds itself dipping with a couple of its big song and dance numbers. Make no mistake, Wonka is a full-blooded musical, and while there’s nothing inherently wrong with the Neil Hannon-penned songs on offer, they never hit the spot in quite the way you’d hope.
Fine for the most part but never really making it out of second gear, the songs are the one chink in Wonka’s otherwise largely flawless armour, a factor highlighted by the inclusion of “Pure Imagination” and “Oompa Loompa” - two of the 1971 film’s biggest hits. It’s a big shame as tracks like “Scrub Scrub” and “For a Moment” have real potential, yet they never quite shine when held up against the classics.
Despite these minor wobbles, Wonka is otherwise a sweet-toothed triumph. As we edge ever closer to that most chocolaty time of year, Christmas, Wonka couldn’t be better placed to become the whopping hit and the huge dose of endorphins so sorely needed after a year of box office doom and gloom.
With Paul King and Simon Farnaby conjuring up that Paddington charm once again, Wonka is a triumphant, candy-coated treat. Bringing colour and cheer by the bucketful, Wonka offers an irresistibly wholesome story crammed full of whimsy and wonder, topped off by a truly delicious Timothée Chalamet performance that will have you on the highest of sugar highs throughout.
