Paul King, known for his delightful Paddington films, takes on the challenge of directing Wonka, a prequel to the classic Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. However, this new cinematic venture unfortunately falls into the trap of overproduction, resulting in a film that, much like excessive chocolate, becomes overwhelming rather than satisfying.
In a climate where Roald Dahl’s original works are being revised to eliminate potentially offensive language, Wonka seems to continue this trend of prioritizing inoffensiveness. The outcome is a rather generic and safe film, hardly a fitting tribute to Dahl’s often edgy and imaginative storytelling, if that was even the aim.
The essence of Willy Wonka, in my view, should be akin to a fantastical hallucination – self-contained, enigmatic, and open to individual interpretation, free from the burden of an elaborate backstory. Wonka should be an experience, not a meticulously explained origin story. He is meant to be unpredictable and unique. In Dahl’s book, Wonka is innovative, flamboyant, stubborn, arrogant, and authoritarian. While Timothée Chalamet embodies the innovative and flamboyant aspects, the crucial stubbornness, arrogance, and authoritarian undertones are noticeably absent. His portrayal, despite its innocent charm, lacks the comedic and delightfully unpredictable edge that defined Gene Wilder and Johnny Depp’s iconic Wonka performances. This absence of dimensionality is a significant drawback.
This “edge” would have ideally interacted with the sassiness of the Oompa Loompa, played by Hugh Grant, creating a dynamic where the audience could witness how Wonka wins them over beyond mere chocolate samples. Instead, Grant’s Oompa Loompa often outsmarts and outshines Chalamet’s Wonka, disrupting the intended character dynamic.
The musical aspect of the film, considering the enduring popularity of Wilder’s “Pure Imagination,” was a potentially inspired choice. However, the original songs in Wonka lack impact, both lyrically and musically. Despite this, the trio of main antagonists, portrayed by Matt Lucas, Paterson Joseph (a standout), and Mathew Baynton, are a definite highlight. Their performances are genuinely entertaining.
Ultimately, Wonka presents a relatively undemanding cinematic experience for children when compared to the 1971 classic starring Gene Wilder, grounded in the original source material, or Tim Burton’s more satirical 2005 adaptation. Imagining Willy Wonka as simply sweet and predictably charming, as depicted by Chalamet, misses the nuanced and slightly unsettling charm that makes the character so compelling.
Overall: 6.8/10
