WONKA

 

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to theatres from writer/director Paul King and Warner Bros. Pictures come another look at the story of the chocolatier named WONKA.

Willy Wonka (Timothee Chalamet) shows up in a city somewhere in Europe with the goal of wanting the world to experience his chocolate. Losing what money he had very quickly, he meets a man named Bleacher (Tom Davis) who invites him to stay at Mrs. Scrubbit’s (Olivia Colman) place. Signing in becomes somewhat of a legal moment but sign away he does, even with a small warning from the orphan Noodle (Calah Lane).

In the center of town, Wonka sets up a bit of chocolate tasting which is met by the unhappy Mr. Slugworth (Paterson Joseph), Mr. Prodnose (Matt Lucas) and Mr. Fickelgruber (Matthew Baynton). When they see the thrilled reaction of the people, they chocolatiers call in the Chief of Police (Keegan-Michael Key) to make it stop. When he doesn’t have the money for Mrs. Scrubbit, she sends him down to the laundry until his debt is paid. Wonka meets Mr. Abacus Crunch (Jim Carter), Piper (Natasha Rothwell), Larry (Rich Fulcher) and Lottie (Rakhee Thakrar) all in the same predicament as he.

Noodle decides she can help Wonka as the two devise a plan to make enough money to free themselves from the creepy Mrs. Scrubbit and open up a place for Wonka to sell his chocolates. Frustration sets in when the Orange Man (Hugh Grant) decides to keep stealing from Wonka and Noodles wants to know the story behind it.

They gang finally has enough to open a shop and the people come from everywhere to see the wonders Wonka has created. When things go wrong, the crowd becomes angry and the three chocolatiers make Wonka a deal. Lofty makes it clear that Wonka needs to make things right but for very different reasons! Wonka and Noodles hatch a plan to make sure Slugworth, Prodnose and Frickelgruber are exposed for everything!

Chalamet as Wonka attempts to play out a version of the character a new backstory about where he comes from and more muddled facts. Sure, he can sort of sing, he gets to dance and has an orange friend so there is that going for him. Is this all snarky? Probably, and the arrow is mainly pointed at King so I’ll give Chalamet credit for being colorful and giving Wonka an innocence that he would need to explain the characters creativity.

Lane as Noodle is charming and befriends Wonka as they share a connection about dreaming about wanting more in their life. Joseph as Slugworth gets to be as evil as he wants to be, Lucas and Baynton get to go along to get alone with side comments that cause a chuckle here and there.

Colman as Mrs. Scrubbit is so amazing in this role because, after years of playing serious roles, she gets the chance to be as hilarious as she can be and I’m all for it. Adding Davis as Bleacher makes them a hilarious couple to watch. Key, Rothwell, Fulcher and Thakrar are a strong supporting cast bringing the cops and the gang along for some humor.

Grant as Lofty is a different kind of Oompa Loompa and has the chance to play it with a voice that can only belong to him. The right amount of fire that had me cracking up because ‘once we start dancing….’

I have two shout-outs starting with Carter as Abacus because, and it must be said, the beloved and so missed Mr. Carson from Downton Abbey is provided his opportunity to shine and he does so brightly. The other is for Rowan Atkinson as Father Julius because, once again, he takes on the small role and makes a big splash into the chocolate holy water!

Other cast includes Sally Hawkins as Wonka’s mother, Tracy Ifeachor as Dorothy, Phil Wang as Colin, Tim Fitzhigham as the Sinister Captain, Simon Farnaby as Basil, Ellie White as Gwennie, Sophie Winkleman as The Countess, Charlote Ritchie as Barbara and Kobna Holdbrook-Smith as Officer Affable.

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King decided, as most writer/directors tend to do when destroying childhood memories, that changing the story to fit his own narrative was a good idea. What he didn’t take into consideration is that Wonka was an amazing mystery to people and we (and when I say ‘we’ I mean a few generations of ‘we’s’) loved that about him. Wonka was an enigma who created such beauty that keeping it a secret was a joy, letting us peek in was a thrill and letting our own imaginations create ‘paradise’.

Look, the best way I can say it politely is that Gene Wilder is my Wonka from 1971, Tim Burton’s 2005 version is my daughters Wonka and Chalamet’s 2023 is my granddaughters Wonka. Having said that, there is only one Wonka for me and as Chalamet is singing Pure Imagination, all I hear is Gene Wilder and I’m okay with that. In fact, my heart is sincerely okay with that and I have no regret because the heart wants what the heart wants.

I’m also not a fan of trying to lure me into someone elses vision of a film by putting in ‘easter eggs’. For me, it actually feels more like a slap to the face and a ‘neener, neener’ which turns into a one hour and fifty-six-minute dragging out of a beatdown to my inner child so thanks for that. Yes, the film is colorful and yes if you never saw the other film (even Burton’s version) a kid can get away with being naïve as to what they are truly missing.

It is colorful and it will get a good showing for families and that’s what going to the theatre over the holidays should be so I can happily give it a thumbs up for that. Now excuse me while I take my inner child out for some ice cream and some cuddles.