Movie Review : Wonka

Year of Release: 2023
Genre: Fantasy/Musical/Adventure
Director: Paul King

A simply enchanting and magical movie that will make you cheer &  laugh!

Wonka is the spiritual prequel to the 1971 masterpiece and family classic, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. This movie focuses on the backstory of the crazy, eager, and cheerful chocolatier who returns from a seven-year trip and tries to make his way in the world as the most famous chocolate maker. Over the course of the film, Wonka is confronted with the success and failure of a candy maker as he meets a group of captive workers in a laundromat, most notably a young girl named Noodle, who join him on his journey to realize his dream and confront the chocolate cartel trio consisting of Schluckt Viel, two other famous chocolate makers, and the police. The movie is essentially a companion piece to the 1971 film and highlights the humble beginnings of the titular character in a way we never expected. Timothée Chalamet’s performance as Willy Wonka is brilliant. Throughout the movie, Timothée manages to capture the aura we all felt when we saw Gene Wilder in the role of the quirky and funny candy maker. His mannerisms, temperament, humour, wit, and enthusiasm are unmatched and cemented him as the Willy Wonka we know and love in Gene Wilder. Initially, many were skeptical about how well he would perform, but there is no doubt that Timothée Chalament is simply wonderful. Another charming performance is that of Calah Lane as Noodle, the orphan worker Wonka meets in the movie. Her companionship, coupled with Chalamet’s good-natured character, shows so much feeling and hope. Lane’s character is initially confused and silenced, but through Wonka, she finds herself and then develops the confidence to unite with him.

The final performance, which was very impressive and exciting, was Hugh Grant as Lofty, a cunning, bad-tempered, and constantly annoying Oompa Loompa who wants Wonka to pay for his crime of stealing from Loompaland. Hugh Grant is hysterical, even though his appearance in the movie is only half an hour long. Despite having limited screen time, Hugh Grant’s performance as Oompa Loompa is both hilarious and entertaining. He really captures the mood of the Oompa Loompa’s from the 1971 movie and even sings with the enigmatic original voice and rhythm from the 1971 movie! The supporting cast is also exceptional. Keegan-Michael Key, Rowan Atkinson, and co. add even more laughs and interest to the movie. The music that accompanies the movie is beautiful. Just like the original movie, the music and compositions add a wonderful touch to the story and even include subtle references to songs you may have heard in the Mel Stuart movie! This lightheartedness and beauty give the music such meaning and depth that it really captures the movement and tone of the movie. The CGI, practical effects, sets, and more were also superb. Everything was on point and seemed so real that you will feel that making chocolate that you can fly with or meeting little orange men with green hair can actually exist. All in all, Wonka is the perfect movie, not only for its simplicity but also for the way it portrays the backstory of both literature and cinema’s most iconic characters. Even though Gene Wilder is sadly no longer with us, he would be proud of Timothée Wonka‘s performance and the charm that comes from the time and effort that went into making this movie. A must-see if you love Willy Wonka or films like this in general!

So grab your golden ticket and prepare for an adventure you won't soon forget. Willy Wonka awaits, ready to enchant you with his chocolatey wonders.