“So shines a good deed in a weary world.” That quote actually comes from Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice, but 1971’s Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory made it an even more quotable piece of wisdom, as Gene Wilder’s embittered chocolatier uses it to signal his restored faith in humanity.
Release Date: December 15, 2023
Directed By: Paul King
Written By: Simon Farnaby & Paul King
Starring: Timotheé Chalamet, Calah Lane, Keegan-Michael Key, Paterson Joseph, Matt Lucas, Mathew Baynton, Sally Hawkins, Rowan Atkinson, Jim Carter, Olivia Colman, and Hugh Grant
Rating: Rated PG for some violence, mild language and thematic elements
Runtime: 116 minutes
I could use that same quote to describe how I felt when leaving director Paul King’s Wonka, as it manages to stick a landing most prequels or IP expansions of the like don't. The Timotheé Chalamet-starring prequel is a shining example of building out a universe with fun new twists while also understanding why the original was so magical in the first place.
Taking place decades before author Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, the movie sees Willy Wonka Chalamet) arriving in the town where he’s set to make his chocolate fortunes. But the road to success has tons of pitfalls, as anyone who understands Dahl’s sense of humor and storytelling would expect. With young orphan Noodle (Calah Lane) as his loyal companion, obstacles ranging from a deranged chocolate cartel to a crooked police force are never insurmountable.
The movie co-written with his Paddington collaborator Simon Farnaby, Paul King’s vision of the world of Willy Wonka embraces music, color, and yes, even imagination. It’s not an easy formula to pull off, but just as they did with that bear from Peru, Wonka’s writers continue to pour actual heart into each of those buckets. The result is something so sweet that it’s hard not to keep your eyes glued to the screen.
Wonka is deliciously beautiful cinema that honors the past, while knowing when to step out of its source’s shadow.
Discussing what Wonka does right means we need to firmly address how it honors the memory of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. As someone who grew up with a great fondness for that picture, and the book that inspired it, I can gladly tell you that there are fantastic nods to the classic. Rather than trying to be an overbearing reminder that yes, this movie is a prequel to the Gene Wilder hit we know and love, the threads connecting this movie to its predecessor are subtle, but effective.
Not content with fitting into the Willy Wonka legacy, the story at work in Wonka manages to combine the lyrical sweetness of director Mel Stuart’s classic with more of the sharper tongue and wilder adventure that Roald Dahl’s novel includes. Similar to how Doctor Sleep marries Stephen King’s novels with Stanley Kubrick’s vision of The Shining, Paul King and Simon Farnaby have achieved a similar feat in this vision of Willy’s past.
A healthy dose of credit is also owed to Wonka composer Joby Talbot and songwriter Neil Hannon. Having to follow up the iconic songs that Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley provided for generations to sing-along to is just as daunting as writing a tale that precedes that very adventure, and the pair manage to do just that.
While time will tell just how well received songs like “A Hatful of Dreams” or “Sweet Tooth” will be when stacked up against “Pure Imagination” or the Oompa Loompa songs (both of which are lovingly referenced in this song book), there’s never an impression that Hannon and Talbot were attempting a pale imitation of what came before. And that same notion can be applied to the entirety of Wonka’s cast and crew.
Timotheé Chalamet’s performance is the center of a vast cast that delivers.
Timotheé Chalamet is doing his own thing as Willy Wonka, and rightfully so, as he’s a younger incarnation that hasn’t gone through the massive heartbreak that led to the character's eventual hermitage. Nailing the spirit that Gene Wilder originated on the big screen, Wonka’s titular lead dives into the iconic role with full energy and gusto.
Chalamet fans are going to be pleased to see their boy cranked up to full wattage, but even those who may be new to his charms should find themselves pleasantly surprised. Also of note is the fact that playing the eager accomplice to Timotheé’s burgeoning entrepreneur is actor Calah Lane, whose young orphan Noodle is the right figure of encouragement and innocence to keep Willy going on his path to greatness.
Lane’s mentee/mentor chemistry with Timotheé Chalamet is the heart of everything that pushes Wonka towards its thematic goals, and the results couldn't be more beautiful. That much is particularly present during the musical number “For A Moment,” where the pair get to share a heart-to-heart that involves running around a zoo and floating on balloons. You know, pure Wonka magic.
Expanding upon those feelings, Wonka’s entire ensemble is easily another reason why this movie works. With a murderer’s row of talent that includes Keegan-Michael Key, Olivia Colman, Jim Carter, and Patterson Joseph in the cast, Wonka works like a charm as all involved have the chops to sell it. Whether it’s singing, dancing, or acting, the entire troupe is all in on what the film is trying to deliver, with only the most sincere belief in anything thrown their way.
Wonka is not only a fantastic musical; it’s a glorious holiday cinematic treat.
Wonka commits itself to colorful amazement, big heart, musicality, and more, leaving very little out of its campaign to dazzle and delight. If it wasn’t for the same energy and heart that Paul King and Simon Farnaby brought to their Paddington movies being alive and well in Wonka, this could have been the cynical cash grab that some still think this project represents – which naturally brings it all down to the one factor that’s going to determine your enjoyment: your inner child.
Much like Paddington before him, Willy Wonka is a dreamer who strolls into town with a worn coat and hat, believing that if we’re kind and polite, the world will be right. Connecting with the unabashed level of heart, humor, and yes pure imagination contained in Wonka, means devouring this cinematic confection that deserves to be the runaway hit of this season.
