MOVIE REVIEW – Wonka, starring Timothée Chalamet, retells the story of Roald Dahl’s eccentric chocolate maker Willy Wonka. The story may seem superficial at times, but the stunning visuals and innovative approach make up for it. The film takes us back to Wonka’s early years, revealing the experiences that shaped his character and created this unique world of chocolate. This prequel is worthy of the beloved character created by Dahl, combining youthful ambition with the world of Hollywood musicals.

Paul King’s “teddy bear” Paddington and Paddington 2 are funny, charmingly novel and free of the cynical humour that dominates most children’s films. King continues this tradition with Willy Wonka, the latest adventure of Roald Dahl’s eccentric chocolate-maker. But while it’s a return to the psychedelic, candy-filled world of Dahl’s 1964 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Wonka departs from the mood of the book and two earlier films by Mel Stuart and Tim Burton, and does so with a well-developed sense of style.

King and Chalamet have taken the character in a different direction

Gene Wilder’s unique performance as Willy Wonka in the 1971 film ‘Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory’ is probably unsurpassed. Timothée Chalamet makes no attempt to match Wilder’s unique style, which brilliantly shifted his character from lovable and jovial to menacing and angry. Instead, in a prequel set in an earlier era, Chalamet creates an energetic, spirited Wonka who exudes warmth and tenderness, perfectly suited to the vivid and quirky world King creates.

Wilder and Johnny Depp’s Wonkas focus on the darker side, from parental hatred to indifference towards selfish children, while Chalamet’s Wonka focuses on ingenuity, innovation and determined zeal. This Wonka is a gentler, more digestible version of the character, but that’s not to say that King has completely removed the menacing undertones around the character that characterise all other Wonka stories. In fact, the menace suggested by Dahl’s novels and previous films is carried forward by the film’s many imaginative and madcap enemies, creating a new dynamic around the character.

Tough but amusing enemies

Wonka’s arrival in the city famous for its chocolate brings him face to face with the ruthless, yellow-toothed Mrs Scrubbit (played by Olivia Colman), who proves to be an amusing adversary after enslaving him with the help of the amusingly baritone-voiced, clumsy Bleacher (Tom Davis). Wonka is also harassed by an Oompa-Loompa (Hugh Grant) who, in his brash, arrogant style as Phoenix Buchanan in Paddington 2, steals from him at night and demands repayment for the cocoa beans he took earlier.

Wonka’s longtime nemesis, chocolatier Slugworth (Paterson Joseph), works tirelessly to bring down his eccentric colleague, with the help of fellow businessmen Prodnose (Matt Lucas) and Fickelgruber (Mathew Baynton) and a chocolate-loving police chief (Keegan Michael-Key). This evil foursome’s secret alliance is a scathing critique of the long-standing collusion between private corporations and the legal establishment. Their message – a chocolate cartel and an underground chocolate vault guarded by “a greedy priest and 500 chocolate-obsessed monks” – is cleverly hidden behind a fabulous sugar-coated backdrop.

Magic for kids

Almost every element of Wonka is presented in a way that will entertain and captivate young people, whether it’s Neil Hannon’s exciting original songs, Nathan Crowley’s stunning sets or Linda Hemmings’ imaginative costume designs. King once again demonstrates his genius for bringing imaginary worlds to life, and his meticulous attention to detail makes Wonka’s astonishingly magical. The film is full of subtle sight gags and character designs, such as Prodnose’s Hitler-like hair, or the business card for a company called ‘Elastipants’ that the protagonists give to Chief Michael-Key to help him hide his future chocolate-induced obesity. These elements are amusing even when they are not emphasised.

The film’s actors also play their roles with refined precision, giving Wonka a verve and lightness that recalls the magic of a live-action cartoon. This constant lightness of touch makes the film the least reminiscent of Dahl’s novels, but also the most spectacular and emotionally complex adaptation, reimagining the iconic character and his quirky world, full of youthful ambition and the joy of the Hollywood musical world.

-Gergely Herpai (BadSector)-