With that in the back of film lovers’ minds, there was little wonder that they became nervous when it was announced that director Paul King (Paddington) was going to tackle the classic Willy Wonka tale with a prequel to the 1971 Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory. Not only is that film considered a perfect masterpiece of a classic, but the performance of the late great Gene Wilder is considered an acting masterclass – something that Johnny Depp found out the hard way when he tried to recapture the Wilder magic back in 2005.
In Paul King’s Wonka, Timothée Chamalet (Dune) plays a much younger Wonka. Here Wonka is dirt poor and arrives in the big city with a dream to use the ingredients that he has gathered from right around the world to start his very own chocolate shop.
But things take a very bad step for him from Day One. First of all he learns that the city has a kind of chocolate cartel – made up of Slugworth (Paterson Joseph – The Beach), Prodnose (Matt Lucas – Alice Through the Looking Glass) and Fickelgruber (Matthew Baynton – Bill) and they have paid off the local chief of police (Keegan-Michael Key – The Super Mario Bros. Movie) to the extent that he is willing to arrest Wonka whenever he tries to sell chocolate to the public.
Then Wonka has the misfortune of falling into the trap set by Bleacher (Tom Davis – Paddington 2) and Mrs Scrubbit (Olivia Colman – The Favourite), which leads to him being in their debt and then being kept prisoner in their sweatshop until he can work it off. It is here that he meets a young orphan named Noodle (Calah Lane – This Is Us) and together they dream up a plan that may see them not only freed but start up a chocolate business that can make their dreams come true.
To their credit the filmmakers behind Wonka use all of their past experiences in the film industry to bring a warmth and feel to the film that many would just not be able to do. Paul King and screenwriter Simon Farnaby use the mix of humour and family-friendly entertainment that worked for them so well with the Paddington franchise. While the general look and feel of the world that Wonka finds himself in is not too far removed from the films that the producers have previously worked on – Harry Potter and of course Fantastic Beasts. All of that film experience comes together here and the result is something quite magical.
Wonka really is a film that you watch and realise that it contains all the things that you love from the original film. The look of the film mirrors the world that director Mel Stuart created in the 1971 classic while the same humour and catchy songs also recapture that magic. Even the original songs here do not sound out of place alongside the songs from the original film and after a few watches of the film and several listens to the soundtrack you will be singing along to these just like those familiar classics. In fact you will notice while watching Wonka that Chalamet’s version of Pure Imagination will send shivers down your spine.
One of the other reasons that Wonka works so well is Timothée Chalamet. This young actor is a star on the rise for a reason. In the last couple of years he has shown us that he can carry an action blockbuster like Dune while also delivering the acting goods in a gritty film like Bones and All, but with Wonka he shows that he can mix it with the acting greats. Despite playing a younger version of Wonka, Chalamet captures all the elements that made Wilder’s version of Wonka so great. From the little mannerisms, including how Wilder had Wonka walking down stairs, through to the voice and charisma Chalamet nails the role and it is his performance that will win over a lot of the people that love the original film.
Wonka really does bring some old school movie magic back to the cinema. This film is destined to become a family classic and once again reminds us why Timothée Chalamet is one of the most gifted young actors going around at the moment. Wonka is pure magic that will be loved by the entire family.
Wonka is currently screening in Phuket and is rated ‘G’
4/5 Stars
David Griffiths has been working as a film and music reviewer for over 20 years. That time has seen him work in radio, television and in print. He is also an accredited reviewer for Rotten Tomatoes. You can follow him at www.facebook.com/subcultureentertainmentaus