Wonka is the spiritual prequel to the 1971 masterpiece and family-classic Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. This film is hyper focused on the backstory behind the wacky, eager and joyous chocolatier as he returns from a seven-year excursion and attempts to make his way in the world as the most renowned chocolate maker. Throughout the film, Wonka is faced with the success and failure of a candy-maker, while meeting a group of captive workers in a launderette, most notably a young girl named Noodle, who follow him on his journey to attaining his dream and facing the Chocolate Cartel trio consisting of Slugworth, two other well-known chocolate makers, as well as the police force. It is, in essence, the companion to the 1971 film and illuminates the humble beginnings of the titular character in a way we never thought we would see. Timothée Chalamet's performance as Willy Wonka is brilliant. Timothée, throughout the film, is able to capture that aurora we all felt watching Gene Wilder play the quirky and fun candy maker. His mannerisms, temperament, humor, wittiness, and enthusiasm is unmatched, cementing himself as the Willy Wonka we know and love in Gene Wilder. As first, many seemed skeptical of how well he would perform, but undoubtedly, Timothée Chalament is simply wonderful. Another charming performance is that of Calah Lane as Noodle, the orphan worker Wonka meets in the film. Her companionship matched with Chalamet's well-natured character, displays such emotion and hope. Lane's character is confused and silenced initially, but through Wonka, she finds herself and then builds the confidence to become wholesome while tagging along with him. The last performance that was quite impressive and exciting was Hugh Grant as Lofty, a cunning, ill-humored, and persistently annoying Oompa Loompa bent on making Wonka pay for his crime of stealing from Loompaland. Hugh Grant is hysterical, even though his appearance in the film is short of just half an hour in segmentation. Though his screen time was limited, Hugh Grant's performance as an Oompa Loompa is both comical and entertaining. He really does capture the disposition of the Oompa Loompa's from the 1971 film and even sings in the original riddle-like voice and rhythm from the 1971 film too! The additional and supporting cast are exceptional as well. Keegan-Michael Key, Rowan Atkinson, and company just add that much more laughs and interest to the film. The music accompanying the film is beautiful. Just like the original film, the score and compositions add such wonder to this story and even contain subtle clues of songs you may have heard in the Mel Stuart film! Such light-heartedness and beauty give the music such importance and depth, truly encapsulating the movement and tone of the film. The CGI, practical effects, scenery, and more were outstanding as well. Everything was on the dot and seemed real to the point that it will leave you feeling that making chocolate that can make you fly or coming across little orange men with green hair can actually exist! Overall, Wonka is the perfect film, not only because of its simplicity, but how it is representative of establishing the backstory of both literature and cinema's most iconic character. Though Gene Wilder is sadly no longer with us, he would be proud of Timothée's performance and the charm presented by every bit of time and effort put into the making of this film. A must see film is you love Willy Wonka or if you generally love this type of film!
6 out of 13 found this helpful.
Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
Tell Your Friends