Oompa loompa doompety doo — I have a half-baked prequel for you.
Wonka is a fascinating little film. It’s not another adaptation of Roald Dahl‘s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory novel. Rather, this is an origin story for the iconic eccentric chocolatier Willy Wonka. This film tells an original tale that takes place years before Wonka sends out five golden tickets in his chocolate bars and hosts a tour of his factory. It’s not a story anyone was asking for, but if a movie can tell a story well, that’s all that matters.
Furthermore, Wonka is a Paul King confection. King is the director of the phenomenal Paddington movies. We also have Timothée Chalamet, one of the most popular young actors in the industry, in the titular role, with an all-star supporting cast that includes Olivia Colman, Keegan-Michael Key, Rowan Atkinson, and Hugh Grant. How could this movie possibly go wrong?
Well, it all starts when you try to capitalize on the success of an age-old story and approach it with the sensibilities of a modern event film while losing all the charm that made the 1971 movie the masterpiece that it is.
This is a prequel that borrows heavily from that movie. It features the same type of Oompa Loompas with the same song, only this time, we have the British charms of Hugh Grant chewing up the scenery in a role he hated playing. However, it doesn’t compare to that film at all. It’s better than Tim Burton’s oddly dark 2005 adaptation, but Wonka exists in the shadow of the 1971 movie for many reasons. Although the original movie definitely has its dark moments, it’s surprising how mean-spirited this movie can feel. The original story from Dahl was fun because it featured spoiled children getting consequences for their own terrible behavior. However, Wonka features the forced slavery and attempted murder of many nice characters, which is significantly less enjoyable to watch.
I’ve seen praise for Wonka’s lighthearted nature and family fun, but neither quality is present. We have wicked villains in this film, such as Mrs. Scrubbit (Olivia Colman) and Arthur Slugworth (Paterson Joseph). While family movies can feature dark villains, the way the film treats slavery and poor people left a bad taste in my mouth. The same goes with a running gag in the film featuring Keegan-Michael Key’s character, the Chief of Police, who becomes increasingly heavier as the film progresses. Putting an actor in a fat suit for a laugh has been outdated since Nutty Professor II: The Klumps. While the movie will cut to Key’s appearance as a cartoonishly overweight man obsessed with chocolate for laughs, laughing was the last thing I felt like doing while watching this film.
It’s a comedy that does not deliver the laughs that you may expect. It’s filled with scenes that have King’s humorous charm, and his joy and wonder show up every once in a while. However, for the most part, the jokes don’t land very well. Something the marketing hid is the idea that Wonka is a musical. The songs from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory have stood the test of time, from “The Candy Man” to “Cheer Up Charlie” to “I’ve Got a Golden Ticket”. Three days after I watched Wonka, a friend of mine asked me if I could recite any of the new songs. And I could not remember any of them for the life of me. I remembered a line or two, but the songs in Wonka are completely forgettable. The most memorable musical numbers in this film are the ones taken from the 1971 movie.
Now, let’s talk about Chalamet. With his growing popularity, some have grown tired of him as a performer. I think he’s given excellent performances in many films, but he was a little much for me in this role. It’s a challenging role because you have to find the right amount of eccentricity. There are moments where Chalamet gets it right, and there are others where he seems like he’s channeling a more over-the-top Jim Carrey or Nicolas Cage performance. One example is a scene featured in the trailer, which has him say, “I’m making chocolate, of course! How do you like it? Dark? White? Nutty? Absolutely insane?” His off-kilter delivery is so absurd that I cannot fathom why it ended up in the movie. It’s a far cry from Gene Wilder’s eerie, naturalistic approach to Wonka’s strange personality.
Wonka features songs that sound as if they are from an average stage musical. It boasts elaborate production design and a few lively moments, such as a scene where Wonka and his young assistant, Noodle (Calah Lane) fly into the air. Lane is excellent in the film, and the supporting cast members all feel like a natural part of this world of King’s creation.
Although there are a few fun moments and ideas that work well, it does not capture the magic of Mel Stuart’s 1971 . It can be challenging to buy into Chalamet as the character, and overall, it’s one of the more mediocre cinematic experiences of the year.
SCORE: 5/10
As ComingSoon’s review policy explains, a score of 5 equates to “Mediocre.” The positives and negatives wind up negating each other, making it a wash.
Disclosure: ComingSoon attended a press screening for our Wonka review.