Wonka
★★★ 1/2
File Wonka under the "completely exceeded my expectations" category. Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory is one of my most cherished movies from childhood, so when I first saw this trailer, I honestly didn't want anything to do with it. Now, if somebody told me before going in that Paul King from the Paddington franchise was the director, I would have gone in with more ambition. King might be the master of commercializing childhood characters because Wonka is a delightful, family film. Yes, I prefer the darker side of Roald Dahl's creation, but if you can erase any prior knowledge of the story (including Tim Burton's eerie version), you'll find this sweet prequel funny, enjoyable and sometimes magical.
Wonka takes the fanciful spirit of Dahl's world and adds songs and characters that are catchy and imaginative. Honestly, I'm a little on the fence about Timothée Chalamet's version of Wonka. I don't quite see him as Wonka himself, but he was the right person for the spirit of this film and completely understands what tone to take with the character. The cartoonish supporting characters are the secret behind the sauce of this story even though I thought that Calah Lane who plays the child stand-in for Charlie was not great. I think it's cruel to dog too much on a child's performance, but when you are surrounded by the likes of Chalamet, Keegan-Michael Key, Hugh Grant, Paterson Joseph, Olivia Coleman and a bevy of terrific character actors, she honestly didn't stand a chance.
Wonka was the perfect movie to go see with our whole family during the holidays. Every age thoroughly enjoyed it and it was nice to see a family film whose aim was to please all, just like Wonka's chocolate, I suppose.
