A scene from ‘Wonka’

Review: ‘Wonka’ is a delectable exercise in imagination

‘Wonka’ is the delightful origin story of Willy Wonka, the famous chocolatier filled with boundless energy and optimism.

Children are taught not to take candy from strangers — but with two significant exceptions: Halloween and Willy Wonka. The latter is the master candy maker in Roald Dahl’s classic story about a boy whose dream comes true when he finds the golden ticket for an exclusive tour of the legendary chocolate factory. But that’s the end of Willy’s tale as he seeks an heir to his throne and looks to retire from the sweets business. Now, it’s time to see how he got his start and what inspired all his unique confectionary creations in Wonka.

Willy Wonka (Timothée Chalamet) arrives in the world’s chocolate capital with a dream and a handful of coins, but he’s met with a bit of hard luck. The Galeries Gourmet is controlled by three shrewd businessmen — Mr. Slugworth (Paterson Joseph), Mr. Prodnose (Matt Lucas) and Mr. Fickelgruber (Mathew Baynton) — who, with the aid of the police chief (Keegan-Michael Key), block any new chocolatiers from setting up shop in the square. Moreover, Willy finds himself indentured to a laundry house run by the merciless Mrs. Scrubitt (Olivia Colman) and her henchman, Bleacher (Tom Davis), alongside a number of other poor souls, including a young, hopeless girl named Noodle (Calah Lane). But Willy is unwilling to give up on his dream and vows to find a way to share his chocolate with the world.

A prequel to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, this is Willy Wonka’s origin story. Even though he’s not yet famous or successful, he has a lot of potential for both. A magician, inventor, adventurer and chocolatier, Willy has many talents, all of which he’s focused on becoming the world’s greatest candy maker. He’s also full of unwavering optimism, which inspires everyone around him, giving them all hope that his success will inevitably restore their happiness too. Thus, they are all in when he reveals his resourceful plan to circumvent their adversaries, sell his magnificent chocolates and settle their debts.

This movie is overflowing with marvellous, fantastical imagery. Starting with Willy’s chocolates, which are made of rare and extraordinary ingredients gathered from around the world. They are beautiful to look at and do remarkable things to the consumers. The musical numbers are energetic and uplifting with classic choreography and cheerful lyrics, some of which harken back to the original 1971 film. Willy’s miniature chocolate factory is magical and the first iteration of his candy store is expectedly enchanting. Combined, all of these elements produce a charming movie going experience that will delight audiences of all ages.

Chalamet brings an infectious and unparalleled level of joy to the character. He sings, dances and inspires. While remaining eccentric, he lacks the weirder qualities projected by Gene Wilder and Johnny Depp, though he does use many of the same phrases. Lane is the perfect accomplice and Key goes through some amusing transformations over the course of the picture. The all-star cast of villains and allies are exceptional, while Hugh Grant’s Oompa Loompa is sarcastically hilarious.

Writer-director Paul King offers a different type of story from his Paddington films, yet it remains wholesome and enjoyable. This is undoubtedly the feel-good movie of the year, just in time for the holidays.

Director: Paul King
Starring: Timothée Chalamet, Olivia Colman and Keegan-Michael Key

Similar Posts

  • TIFF 2015: Director and actor go with the flow in ‘River’ (Includes interview and first-hand account)

    Writing and directing one’s first feature-length film is already a daunting task, but setting it in a communist country halfway around the world is an added challenge that could have had mixed results. Jamie M. Dagg’s thriller, River, is set and shot in Laos, which was no vacation in spite of the exotic location. In addition to the “stifling heat,” there was “very little film infrastructure,” says Dagg. At the same time, “all these little things that seemed insurmountable problems contributed to the film.” The film’s star, Rossif Sutherland, agrees that the limitations were blessings in disguise; “We couldn’t have done it with a bigger budget and crew because we would have been too noticeable… You stick a crane in there and you lose the quality of what it is to be in that place.”

  • Review: ‘Farhope Tower’ of terror opens Canadian horror fest (Includes first-hand account)

    One of the key components of a haunting story is being able to differentiate between a coincidence and a supernatural occurrence. The former is harmless and what most people safely assume is the cause of the majority of accidents; however there is a small percentage that may be traced to a more malevolent force whose source may never be known. In Farhope Tower, a group of paranormal investigators set out to explore an abandoned building with a sordid history.

  • Review: ‘Gifted’ has a touching and undeniable authenticity (Includes first-hand account)

    Stories that centre on a child’s well-being are always interesting because its constitution often seems to be a matter of opinion. Of course there are minimum standards regarding food, shelter, safety, education and other necessities on which most people can agree, but beyond that things begin to become subjective – particularly when it comes to matters of money and who has more of it. However, a child’s happiness is reliant on much more than just material things and their best interests are not always served by bigger wallets. In director Marc Webb‘s Gifted, a young girl’s future is debated by the courts after seven years of no one taking an interest.

  • Review: ‘The Forest’ lacks horror movie know-how (Includes first-hand account)

    Not all of a country’s famous landmarks are places they want to actively promote. At the base of Mt. Fuji in Japan lies Aokigahara, a.k.a. the Sea of Trees since it looks like a green body of water from above; however it’s better known by its less charming nickname, Suicide Forest, as it’s a notoriously common site for people to end their lives. In addition, local myths suggest the area is haunted by the ghosts of those who died. The Forest follows a woman’s journey into the eerie landscape in search of her missing twin sister.