Wonka: A Ton Of Fun

The cinematic prequel has evolved over recent years, and that’s definitely for the best when it comes to storytelling within large franchises. In the past, a prequel has been bound to the constraints of whatever narrative arcs were established in prior entries, regardless of how awkward that could make the ending of such stories. More recently though, a prequel is more of an origin story that is inspired by what came before it without worrying about being specifically in line with existing canon. Wonka is another great example of this emerging trend as it tells the origin story of Gene Wilder’s Willy Wonka from the 1971 film while growing the world in interesting ways.

Wonka stars Timothée Chalamet as the titular Willy Wonka as he travels to a new city to try and make his mark in the candy industry. Already an expert chocolatier, he aspires to break into the market at the famous Galeries Gourmet, however he encounters fierce competition from established competitors like Slugworth (Paterson Joseph), Prodnose (Matt Lucas), and Fickelgruber (Matthew Baynton).

There is a lot to be said about Timothée Chalamet’s performance in this film. He doesn’t feel like the same character viewers know from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, in fact he feels more like the Warden from Superjail. Considering this is more of a reimagining than a straight adaptation, that is not necessarily a bad thing though viewers may be jarred by the difference. Chalamet’s singing performance is also serviceable while nothing special which is not dissimilar from Ryan Gosling in La La Land because his performance does make up for it. That said, a lot of the major moments that viewers are likely to come away from the movie thinking about mostly come from the supporting cast like Oliva Coleman and Keegan-Michael Key.

Similarly, a lot of the musical numbers are unlikely to stick in the viewer’s brain in the same way that the soundtrack from the original movie has. They’re memorable for their choreography and visuals, however the underlying songs tend to be more lackluster and occasionally overlong. It says a lot when the two songs that people will tend to remember are ones that previously appeared in the prior movie, even though the major set pieces around the other musical numbers look fantastic.

Wonka definitely has the potential to become a major hit and a favorite among younger viewers if for no other reason than it’s just a plain fun experience from start to finish. The visuals are impressive, the comedic moments land, and there is enough whimsey to the characters to make them fun to watch without overstaying their welcome. The visuals are big enough for a theatrical experience on a premium format screen and the final sequence of the film is easily a top five moment in a movie this year. It is worth watching as soon as possible on the largest screen possible.

Final Rating: 8/10