A One Mann’s Movies review of “Wonka” (2023).
I can’t say that I built up very big expectations for “Wonka” from the trailer. But when my illustrious daughter Jenn (follow her hilarious susiesecondhand on Instagram!) gave it 10/10 I thought “Hello… maybe this is something special after all”. And so it turned out to be! I don’t give out many top marks during the year. But in this case, I just had to.
Bob the Movie Man Rating:
Plot Summary:
Willy Wonka (Timothée Chalomet) is an impoverished chocolate maker returning to the city after an extended maritime tour. His dream is to open his own chocolate shop. But the city is controlled by the crooked chocolate-makers cartel of Slugworth, Prodnose and Fickelgruber and they will stop at nothing to disrupt Wonka’s plans.
Certification:
UK: PG; US: PG. (From the BBFC web site: “Mild threat, violence, implied bad language”).
Talent:
Starring: Timothée Chalomet, Olivia Colman, Hugh Grant, Calah Lane, Tom Davis, Paterson Joseph, Matt Lucas, Mathew Baynton, Jim Carter, Rowan Atkinson.
Directed by: Paul King.
Written by: Simon Farnaby & Paul King. (Story by Paul King based on characters created by Roald Dahl).
Twitter Handle: #WonkaMovie.
Running Time: 1h 56m.
Full of charisma… Timothée Chalomet as Wonka. (Source: Warner Bros.).
“Wonka” Review:
Positives:
- This is just SO much fun! From the brilliant opening song (“A Hatful of Dreams”, sung brilliantly by Chalomet) the film sucks you in with the same quirky brilliance that “Paddington” and “Paddington 2“, made by the same writer/director team, did. There is slapstick comedy, some flights of fancy (literally, with balloons and flamingoes!) and moments of mild peril (that might unnerve younger sensitive children). It’s just a delight.
- It also manages to hit the ‘feels’ hard at some points. A horribly manipulative and contrived ‘meeting’ in the finale still managed to get to me in the same way as Aunt Lucy turning up at the doorstep in “Paddington 2“. (You bastards!!) Suddenly there was an awful lot of dust stirred up in the cinema.
- The performances are all top-notch:
- It’s Chalomet’s show and I was pleased to see him get a Golden Globe nomination today for the performance. His singing is superb and so is his dancing (who knew??) I’ve been critical that in some of his films (notably “Bones and All“) he didn’t seem to inhabit his role very convincingly. But here, he IS the young Wonka. So engaging and endearing.
- In a supporting role, as the evil and conniving Mrs Scrubbit (“Scrub, Scrub”), Olivia Colman seems to be having enormous fun… and so we do too. Tom Davis (who was hilarious as the convict T-Bone in “Paddington 2“) here is equally funny as the ‘heavy’ with a crush on Scrubbit!
- Hugh Grant apparently only did it for the money to feed his ever-increasing family! But, despite the furore from the ‘Little People of America Association’ about the casting choice, he is very funny in the part.
- Young Calah Lane does a great job as Noodle.
- The supporting cast are a who’s-who of British comedy, led by Rowan Atkinson in a typically humourous role as a corrupt bishop. I particularly enjoyed Simon Farnaby as the zoo-keeper eating his ‘big night out’ chocolate treat!
- The original songs are by Neil Hannon of “The Divine Comedy” (with additional music by Joby Talbot). And there are some real crackers in there, reflecting the quirky nature of Hannon’s lyrics. Anyone that dares to rhyme “chocolate” with “eye-sockelet” and “pockelet” deserves a standing ovation! A soundtrack I shall by listening to on Spotify! The new songs are cleverly mixed in with some of the classic original songs by Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley. Some new songs start with the chords of the old songs, messing with your mind in an amusing way!
- Hats off to the production design team at Warner Brother’s Leavesden Studios. Really terrific design, costuming and set-dressing.
Negatives:
- I have very little here. Like Wonka’s chocolates, it’s a confection that is hard for me to find fault with.
Showing the flamingoes how to do it! Noodle (Calah Lane) takes a flight with Wonka (Timothée Chalomet). (Source: Warner Bros.).
Summary Thoughts on “Wonka”
Think back to the classic live-action family musicals of the past…. the sort that get trotted out on Bank Holiday afternoons. What are they? “Mary Poppins”; “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang”; the original “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory”? The list of ‘classics’ is actually quite short. But I genuinely think that there is a new name on this illustrious shelf. And that movie is “Wonka”. So go out and see it on the big screen, with all the family. You’ll have fun and you can say to future generations “I was there in the beginning”!
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Trailer for “Wonka”:
The trailer is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=otNh9bTjXWg .
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Agree with you about this film. I enjoyed every minute of it and thought it was a lot of fun.
I had no idea how Timothée Chalamet would be in this role, but he sold me right off the bat (or boat!). I agree that it is a film that will stand up to repeated watching.
“Right off the boat”… LOL. Thanks again for commenting Helen. Haven’t had a recent film that the illustrious Mrs Movie Man has gushed more about telling other people they should go to see it!