Wonka Review: A cute, whimsical origin story for the famous chocolate maker

Paul King (Paddington) finds the whimsical magic in this Wonka origin story.

Timothee Chalamet does a good job in the title role. He doesn’t have the most dynamic vocal range and his goofy demeanor is off-putting at first. However, like Luffy D. Monkey from One Piece, his optimism is impossible to resist. Chalamet shines brightest when he shows us Wonka’s doubts.

Adding to Wonka‘s charms is an impressive supporting cast. Keegan-Michael Kay, Olivia Coleman, Sally Hawkins. Roy Atkinson and Hugh Grant all provide strong expectedly strong performances. However, it’s Calah Lane as Noodle, an orphan girl whom Willy befriends, who stands out the most. Noodle provides a dose of reality for Willy, while at the same time, becoming enamored by the magic of Willy’s chocolate.

The story is pretty simple and the Chocolate Cartel is as goofy of a villainous trio as you can imagine. Although there’s a late-arriving subplot involving Noodle and how she became an orphan that’s pretty dour and doesn’t mesh with the goofy tone.

Still, like the title character, it’s tough to resist Wonka‘s magical charm. Willy arrives in a European city looking to unleash his chocolate creations. However, he shows up impoverished, illiterate and gullible. Bleacher ( Tom Davis) invites Wonka to Mrs. Scrubitt’s Inn, but when Willy fails to read the fine print, he’s forced to work off his debts in the laundry room while trying to start his chocolate shop against steep competition.

As a musical, Wonka is pretty good, certainly better than Wish. None of the new songs come close to matching the tunes in the 1971 original film. However, the choreography, cinematography and lyrics are pleasant enough.

Overall, Wonka doesn’t supplant the Gene Wilder version but stands as a compelling complement to the original film.

With the other view out of the way, let’s unwrap the Wonka bars and see what’s inside this treat of an origin story. 1971’s Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory is available to stream on Max.

Pure Imagination of Wonka

Willy’s optimism for his dream as well as how he helps other people turns him into a compelling protagonist.

When Willy shows up in a fictitious European town, he’s greeted by a cold dose of reality. The police forbid him from even dreaming of opening a shop, the innkeeper blackmails him into a life of servitude and his chocolate is also being stolen while he sleeps. Despite these hardships, he’s undeterred and keeps pursuing his dream.

King and Simon Farnaby‘s script shines in treating Willy’s chocolate as magic more so than science. Their script also succeeds in adding little callbacks to the 1971 film., but in a way that adds to Willy’s journey in Wonka.

For example, Willy is conned by not being able to read the fine print. In the 1971 film, Willy uses a similar tactic with the wallpaper. In Wonka, Willy’s failure to read the fine print isn’t an oblivious oversight. He doesn’t know how to read at all which leads to some clever comedic beats and compelling dramatic moments.

Fighting the Chocolate Cartel

In addition to servitude, Willy must also contend with the Chocolate Cartel. Mr. Slugworth, Mr. Prodnose and Mr. Fickelgruber represent the cartel. Their chocolate empire has the police commissioner (Key) and even the priest (Atkinson) under their thumbs.

Willy is less concerned about the cartel and more worried about skipping out on his chores so he can get his chocolate shop up. He strikes up a friendship with Noodle. Scrubitt took her in as an orphan and has held her captive ever since. She loves to read. In exchange for chocolate, she offers to teach Willy how to read. Meanwhile, they hatch a scheme to escape the innkeeper and gather ingredients for Willy’s creations.

In addition to Noodle, several other people join Willy’s endeavor after tasting his chocolate. There’s Abacus Crunch who was a former accountant for Slugworth who was about to blow the whistle on the illicit enterprise, but was fired. Lottie Bell is a former telemarketer who everyone thinks can’t speak until she does. Larry Chucklesworth is a wannabe comedian who has the unique skill of talking as if he’s underwater. Natasha Rothwell rounds out Wonka’s mates as Piper Benz.

These people are the first to believe in Willy’s vision and help him open his first shop. Willy’s shop is a visual feast and conjures that same magic spell of seeing Wonka’s factory for the first time. The only problem with the Chocolate Cartel is they’re far too cartoonish up until the 3rd act. Noodle’s backstory is heartbreaking and evil to the point that it doesn’t seamlessly mesh with the rest of the movie.

Oompa-Loompa

Grant provides just enough scene-chewing goodness as an Oompa-Loompa named Lofty. To make his delicious chocolate, Willy took some of the giant coco beans while Lofty was asleep. Similar to Willy, Lofty is forced by the other Oompa-Loompas to make up for the loss.

Lofty resorts to stealing Willy’s chocolate while Willy sleeps. Eventually, Willy catches up to the Oompa-Loompa. Willy and Lofty have a mostly antagonistic relationship until the film’s later stages.

Wonka final thought

Overall, Wonka is a charming, musical adventure for families. There are enough dark elements and shoutouts to the 1971 movie to entertain adults. The songs and whimsical fantasy elements will likely enrapture children.

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