Wonka

The Plot: Regular daydreamer Willy Wonka (Timothee Chalamet) arrives in a new city somewhere in Europe, following his childhood dream of running his own chocolate shop. It wouldn’t be just any chocolate shop though. It would be the best anyone has ever seen, with delicious and more importantly affordable treats for everyone. This catches the attention of the Chocolate Cartel, who aren’t too keen on him competing with their more luxurious brands. He finds himself under pressure from a number of fronts, including his greedy landlady Mrs Scrubbit (Olivia Colman). However, he befriends orphan Noodle (Calah Lane). They set out to turn all of their dreams into realities and some of their realities into dreams…

The Verdict: Forever green Christmas classic Willy Wonka And The Chocolate Factory continues to cast a long shadow through the generations. It’s been enough to tempt filmmakers to remake it – unsuccessfully in Tim Burton’s case (what was Johnny Depp up to there?). It’s also been enough for other filmmakers to dip back into the chocolate river and see what can be concocted from it. That’s the case for prequel film Wonka, which announces itself with a flourish in the opening credits as ‘A Paul King confection’. The director behind the first two Paddington films has taken onboard the task of telling just how Willy Wonka found his fame as a young man with only dreams in his pockets and no spare change. The pleasingly pleasant result very much ties into that opening statement and the director’s cosy, family-friendly way of approaching a beloved character in both literature and film.

The script by King and his regular collaborator Simon Farnaby (who cameos as a zookeeper) positions Willy as a young man with boundless optimism and self-belief. He’s intent on making his way in the world of chocolate after his mother (a too-brief appearance from Sally Hawkins) introduced him to the magic of the confection. There are obstacles in the way though, including a corrupt policeman and the Chocolate Cartel that hire him to make sure that Willy is shown the door – roughly. It’s an amusingly daft idea to begin with, but King and Farnaby make it just about credible by emphasising how pompous and arrogant these chocolatiers are. There’s an element of mystery too, with the inclusion of Willy’s first encounter with an unfailingly polite but determined Oompa-Loompa. Hugh Grant’s performance here is delightful, though it’s a little too obvious that it’s a digital recreation of him (that pesky lip-sync isn’t fully there yet).

Timothee Chalamet does a commendable job of portraying Willy with a colourful swirl of music and song, bringing a deftness of touch which is sure-footed and briefly tips his hat to Gene Wilder’s memorable performance. Though, the casting department missed out on Jeremy Allen White, who bears a striking resemblance to Wilder. Watching the film though, it becomes clear that King is not particularly interested in linking up his prequel confection with the 1971 film. There’s no hint of the reclusive, eccentric but kind-hearted man that Willy will eventually become. These two Wonkas are worlds apart – perhaps deliberately so. Neither is King particularly interested in the darkly humourous and deliciously twisted world of Roald Dahl. The closest is Olivia Colman’s grotesque landlady, but she’s not nearly grotesque enough. Had Dahl been around, he might well wonder why this film is pure milk chocolate and not dark chocolate. All that satire, edgy humour and charming zaniness has been pumped out for the safe and simple option. That’s somewhat disappointing.

It all comes back to that opening statement then and it rings true. For better or worse, Wonka is very much a Paul King confection that is high on whimsy and the magic of following your dreams wherever they lead. King’s sticky fingerprints all over it. It’s immediately relatable stuff for younger audiences who will no doubt enjoy the chocolate box of delights on offer here. It’s a sweet enough confection that is pure imagination (and a purely imagined story) that will do nicely for a pre-Christmas family treat. One has to wonder though what might have been made of it had the filmmakers been more adventurous and gone full tilt Dahl.

Rating: 3 / 5

Review by Gareth O’Connor