Review: Wonka (2023)

Opens in Australian cinemas from December 14, 2023
Directed by Paul King
2023, 116 mins, Warner Bros.
Starring Timothée Chalamet, Calah Lane, Keegan-Michael Key,
Paterson Joseph, Tom Davis, Olivia Colman, Hugh Grant

If you’re going to do a prequel to one of the most beloved films of all-time, you better bring your A-game.

The 1971 classic Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory is arguably more popular than the Roald Dahl book that inspired it, so this prequel definitely has its work cut out for it following up on both Dahl’s classic text and that timeless Gene Wilder movie.

Charting the origins of Dahl’s beloved chocolatier, this brightly-coloured, brilliantly-realised family flick boasts extraordinary production design, larger-than-life performances and some dazzling visuals, and although it’s an original story and not directly based on any of Dahl’s works, writer/director Paul King (the talented filmmaker behind the Paddington movies) perfectly evokes the warped world of Dahl and offers us a rogue’s gallery of grotesques and oddballs.

The film opens with Wonka, played brilliantly by Timothée Chalamet, stepping off a boat and arriving in a bustling unnamed town to seek his fortune by realising his dream of opening a chocolate shop. But it’s not long before he finds himself under the evil machinations of two corrupt innkeepers (Olivia Colman and Tom Davis) who literally hold him prisoner until he can pay his exorbitant room bill.

But even worse are a trio of rival chocolate makers – Slugworth (Paterson Joseph), Prodnose (Matt Lucas) and Fickelgruber (Mathew Baynton), the so-called “Chocolate Cartel” who crush any opposition to their thriving sweets businesses. It’s not long before the affable Willy learns he has to beat these scoundrels at their own game, with the help of a plucky orphan named Noodle (Calah Lane), also a permanent “guest” of the inn.

What works best about Wonka is the filmmakers’ insistence not to lean too heavily on the 1971 classic starring Gene Wilder. While it is certainly a direct prequel to that movie, with many production and costume design elements being identical, refreshingly the plot is an all-new one and not just rehashing what has been done before. Even the handling of the Oompa Loompas, so memorable in the original movie, is done well here, as we learn new things about them and we’re treated to a superb performance from Hugh Grant as Lofty, an Oompa Loompa Wonka befriends. Grant has been killing it lately with a string of colourful character roles and he steals plenty of scenes here too.

While visually stunning and evoking Dahl’s off-beat sensibility in every frame, the main letdown of Wonka is the insertion of some fairly generic and forgettable songs. It could be argued the original has a couple of dreary, forgettable tunes as well (Cheer Up Charlie anyone?) but it certainly has a more memorable song score overall. The only memorable songs here are ones lifted from the original – The Oompa Loompa Song and Pure Imagination.

But some forgettable songs are only a minor quibble when the cast and filmmaking is so good. All of the actors are impressive but special praise goes to Colman hamming up a storm as the vile Mrs Scrubbit. Colman was born to play a Dahl villain and she sinks her teeth into the role superbly. Also terrific is Joseph as Slugworth, whose well-mannered exterior hides a truly reprehensible villain underneath, and Joseph is memorably sinister.

If there is one member of the cast that disappoints it is Rowan Atkinson, though it is hardly his fault, as he only really has a couple of minutes of screen time and is given very little to do. He still generates a few laughs, but it’s a shame to see a comedic genius wasted like this.

The whole enterprise might have fallen flat though if not for a terrific central performance, and thankfully Chalamet is up to the task as Wonka. Sharing the cheerful exuberance and eccentricities of Wilder’s Wonka but not doing a straight impersonation, Chalamet has never been more charming and delightful on screen and it’s great to see him having so much fun, as he’s often seen in more solemn, downbeat fare (Dune, Bones and All).

Suitable for all ages, there are only a few mild moments of tension for younger viewers, but nothing to give anyone nightmares like the original movie did. Bursting with visual invention and boasting an infectious sweet-natured tone, Wonka is one delicious cinematic treat.