Sommerleigh Pollonais, Senior Writer
Plot: With dreams of opening a shop in a city renowned for its chocolate, a young and poor Willy Wonka discovers that the industry is run by a cartel of greedy chocolatiers.
I don't eat chocolate. Before you reach for those keys to comment on how weird/horrible/dumb that is, let me add I'm kind of allergic to it as I get migraines whenever I try your beloved treat. I'm also not a fan of musicals. That said, one of my best friend's favourite movies was Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, so by the Law of Besties I had to watch the classic tale which I admittedly enjoyed a lot (mostly due to the maniac that was Gene Wilder).
I'm just a poor boy, who wants to make some chocolate
Need some sugar, need some cocoa, I'll make it smooth, make it flow
Sadly, my friend passed away and so when I saw Wonka was in the works, I just had to see it in memory of him. I know he's probably laughing his head off at how many times I cringed whenever someone broke out into song but I would also be lying if I said I didn't enjoy this unexpected prequel exploring the bizarre world of Willy Wonka.
With a name that already sounds like the world's most expensive chocolate, Timothée Chalamet (Call Me by Your Name, Dune: Part One) takes up the role of a young Willy Wonka. He journeys to Europe with hopes of opening a unique and magical chocolate factory to produce the sweetest confectionaries available to one and all. Quickly burning through his meagre savings he's tricked into forced labour at a hotel where he meets and makes friends with an eclectic group of people.
You get a chocolate, and you get a chocolate, EVERBODY GETS A CHOCOLATE!
Soon his sweet nature combined with his delectable chocolate recipes win over the group who agree to help him. But their plans are constantly thwarted by the local Chocolate Mafia (yes, that's a thing here) and a little creature called an Oompa Loompa who has his own issues with the young chocolatier.
While the previous entries into the world of Roald Dhal's 1964 novel Charlie and the Chocolate Factory have had a darker tinge to them, this one leans heavily into the magical and hopeful aspects, and it does so quite well. Chalamet's performance proves once again the young actor is capable of embodying any type of character, with his take on Wonka being one that's full of naïveté and positivity, even when things aren't going his way.
I'm going to lay down the boogie and play this funky music till I die
The ensemble cast are just as memorable and the costumes as well as the cinematography all blend together to create the type of story destined to become a children's classic to this generation the way the 1971 version has to the previous. Of course, this being a musical, the songs have to be just as catchy as the visuals and while there were a lot of them (and I mean A LOT) they were all entertaining especially when coupled by fun choreography.
Deciding what didn't work here really comes down to personal tastes as Wonka is every bit the predictable magical fairy tale seen time and time again in these types of movies, yet it's handled with such brevity and self-awareness it's hard not to smile along with the jokes and ridiculous puns even while you're rolling your eyes. The movie also touches on issues like class (only three people control all the chocolate in this land) while side-stepping issues of race. They get past any previous naysayers of the whole "Oompa Loompas" are a metaphor for indentured labor by casting only one man, specifically one very English man, to play the single Oompa here (which by the way Hugh Grant nails by stealing every scene he's in).
When I get out of this case, I will sock him right in the jaw
The whole thing comes together to deliver what I can only assume to be a lively musical allegory for the delight chocolate brings to the masses. So, whether you prefer your desserts savory or sweet, you don't have to be a chocolate lover to enjoy this delightful tale of Wonka.
Sommer's Score: 7.5 out of 10
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Sommerleigh of the House Pollonais. First of Her Name. Sushi Lover, Queen of Horror Movies, Comic Books and Binge-Watching Netflix. Mother of two beautiful black cats named Vader and Kylo. I think eating Popcorn at the movies should be mandatory, PS4 makes the best games ever, and I'll be talking about movies until the zombie apocalypse comes. Double Tap Baby! Read More
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