Wonka (2023) is directed by Paul King and stars Timothee Chalamet, Calah Lane, Paterson Joseph, Olivia Coleman, Keegan-Michael Key, and Hugh Grant. This is the supposed prequel to Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971), but I beg to differ (we’ll get into that later). The plot follows a young Willy Wonka as he arrives home after years of worldwide exploration. Willy’s dream is to open his own chocolate shop in order to honor the memory of his loving mother (who made the best chocolate). Willy quickly learns that even though he produces the best chocolate, that doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll be allowed to sell any. All chocolate in the city is controlled by the corrupt “chocolate cartel.” This cartel is run by the devious Slugworth. His only wish is to produce cheap chocolate and Wonka stands directly in his way. Soon after Willy Arrives in town, he is tricked into accruing a large debt with the local laundry. To repay his debt, they force him to work as a prisoner in the basement of the shop. Willy quickly makes friends with his fellow prisoners and hatches a plan to escape. With the help of his newfound friends, Willy sets out to provide his delicious chocolates to the masses. Will Slugworth and the cartel stand in his way or will Wonka stand in theirs?

Timothee Chalamet’s performance here is kind of a mixed bag. I do feel that this is the weakest of the current three Willy Wonka portrayals. That being said, it’s not all bad. He brings a level of childlike whimsy that I feel is necessary for the character. He’s also generally heartwarming and funny. I think that actually has a little more to do with how Wonka is written as opposed to Chalamet’s performance. Compared to previous portrayals, he’s not as well-rounded in his emotions as Gene Wilder and not as uniquely quirky as Johnny Depp. It almost feels like Chalamet is attempting to do a mix of Depp and Wilder as opposed to making it his own unique thing. I don’t think it’s a bad performance, I just don’t think it was approached in the right way. Calah Lane as Wonka’s young friend Noodle gives a decent performance here. The character doesn’t give her too many opportunities to show off any real range, but in terms of child actors, she gives an admirable performance. Hugh Grant is fun as the sole Oompa Loompa character, but unfortunately feels wildly shoehorned. It’s as if the script was written and the writer went “Oh, Crap. I forgot about the Oompa Loompas!” The rest of the supporting cast is fun in various ways, but their performances are so goofy and cartoonish that they sort of defy analysis. One performance that stands out a bit is Keegan Michael-Key as the corrupt police chief who takes bribes in the form of chocolate. He puts on a sort of thick New Yorker accent and consistently becomes a bit fatter throughout the runtime. Very memorable for both the performance as well as how the character is used. 

How the film really succeeds is by perfectly emulating the whimsical and uplifting tone of the original. In a way, Wonka’s journey aligns nicely with Charlie’s eventual journey. They both come from nothing, and through belief and moral strength are able to overcome. The film is filled with these subtle callbacks to the original, but they never feel like cheap fan service. I would imagine most viewers won’t even catch most of them. Unless you just watched the original like me, they’ll fly over your head. They are THAT subtle. There are also a lot more characters to root for here. Even seemingly the smallest characters get some sort of focus or follow-through. In that way, the script feels a bit more complex. Most of these characters are fun, but I couldn’t get past the fact that a few of them are just downright stupid (and I’m not sure if that was the intention). 

The songs are mostly fine here, but they have a traditional musical approach to the songs. This does help to achieve a little more consistency, but sort of makes the songs forgettable. For example, I can’t see myself listening to any of the songs outside of the film. The only times I felt like I could is when they reuse some of the best songs from the original. What happens though is that those songs stand out and end up highlighting the fact that the new songs aren’t as strong. I will say that the updated “Pure Imagination” score is a complete winner in my book. 

What really grinds my gears about this movie is the fact that it has been claimed since its inception to be a prequel to the 1971 version specifically. The thing is, this doesn’t even feel like the same world. In the original, everything outside of Wonka’s factory seemingly takes place in the real world where the laws of reality/physics matter. Once they are inside his factory, that’s when things start to become fantastical. In Wonka, everything is fantastical. People are flying around in the streets and the town doesn’t feel real. It’s like a fairytale town. This helps to make the movie a lot of fun, but also brings up a lot of questions about continuity. Likewise, Slugworth in the original film is portrayed by a white man. In Wonka, he’s suddenly black. Obviously there’s nothing wrong with that on its surface. If they didn’t claim continuity with the original, I wouldn’t have thought twice about it. The thing is, they do. I know that in the real world, people don’t just inexplicably change skin color. If you want to break continuity, don’t claim this to be a prequel to  the original. I’ve come to the conclusion that this was just a marketing ploy. The thing is, what you claim is the intention of the film matters. Don’t claim it’s one thing and then give me another. No one likes when that happens in any context.

Although I have issues, this is mostly a worthy addition to the Willy Wonka canon. It’s not a film for the cynical in any way. There’s an intense and almost irresistible feeling of hope and happiness that could be grating to some. The movie is less about lessons and more about just making the viewer feel a certain way. Some may find this odd, but because the feelings were so intense, I was ok with it. 

Overall, this is a better than average prequel story that has an identity crisis. If you enjoyed Paul King’s Paddington films, I’m confident that you will enjoy Wonka. He directs with a lot of skill. As for fans of the original, I think you’re more likely to dislike this film. Though, if you’re like me, it’s difficult to resist the overwhelming positivity. Likewise, the film is funny for all ages. More specifically, I find it “witty.” In all honesty, this is a film I want to discuss with other people. I want to know how it affected them because it sure as hell affected me; even with its imperfections. B