Wonka: Lots of Chocolate and a Little Paddington Confection

Based on the extraordinary character at the center of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Roald Dahl’s most iconic children’s book and one of the best-selling children’s books of all time, “Wonka” tells the wondrous story of how the world’s greatest inventor, magician and chocolate-maker became the beloved Willy Wonka we know today.

Review:

Paul King knows that his future has Paddington in it. The two Paddington Bears are considered near perfect films by critics on Rotten Tomatoes. So when King decided to take on Wonka, the Willy Wonka prequel starring Timothee Chalamet, it’s not surprising that the Candy Man starts off his adventure in a very Paddington like way- with a dream and a smile. And Chalamet keeps smiling until the end- singing, dancing and creating fanciful perfect chocolate concoctions.

Wonka is filled with the fizz of youth. It’s bright, light, and overstuffed with talent performers who seem to be having a delightful time. It’s nice without the misanthropy that can be both a crutch and emotional leavening in other Roald Dahl adaptations. It’s a successful blend of Dahl and Paddington— whimsical inventions, toe tapping sing alongs, silly puns and poetical rhymes (emphasis on -ical neologisms) in the first half and wild fun Paddington adventures and derring-do in the second half- all done with perfect syncopation and choreography.

The songs are a mixture of old familiar ditties from the 1971 Gene Wilder original artfully blended in with newer numbers from Neil Hannon. Chalamet sings them with a reedy tenor, his dreamboat enthusiasm and a faux awkward yet suave Fred Astaire style.

There is really very little of the sour dour Dahl. There’s too much supportive community and maternal warmth here for that old curmudgeon to be happy with here. This is strictly a Paddington 2.5 iteration. For me, the lack of tartness wasn’t a handicap. I don’t like lemons spoiling my sugarplum fantasies. Besides, I like how all this sweetness sets up the original as both a sort of revenge and redemption story, gives it emotional depth. The only note that didn’t sit well with me is the contempt for fat character which is shown in the ever expanding waistline and up size costume alterations in some unfunny business of Keegan-Michael Key chochoholic and gluttonous police chief.

Wonka is a movie that embraces niceness and goodness with unforced sincerity. I like how it let me play what-if with Wonka’s future. Will he become a Johnny Depp Willy or a Gene Wilder Wonka?