Review: "Wonka"

In 1964, Roald Dahl published the beloved children’s novel, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. A smashing success, Dahl published a sequel: Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator in 1972. “Chocolate Factory,” had two film adaptations: the movie-musical Willy Wonka the Chocolate Factory in 1971 and the non-musical Charlie and the Chocolate Factory in 2005, as well as a stage musical adaptation which premiered in London’s West End in 2013, and on Broadway in 2017. Warner Bros. Studios, who previously distributed the 2005 film adaptation, have just released Wonka (2023), a movie-musical prequel describing how Willy Wonka came to be a chocolatier. This is my review:

Arriving in England, Willy Wonka is a naive, but ambitious young adult who is determined to make his living as chocolate seller. Despite being illiterate and of little means, his determination and optimism are unrelenting, as he aspires to sell chocolate to please his diseased mother. While most of England thinks that his obsession with selling chocolate puts his sanity in question, Wonka manages to befriend five people, each of whom had their dreams cast aside, including a young orphaned girl named Noodle. His friends agree to help him pursue his dream of selling chocolate illustriously in exchange for his help pursuing their dreams. Noodle also helps him learn to read and write and the process.

Although “Wonka,” was written exclusively-for-the-screen, and is not based on any book, it nonetheless features the same iconic character and it manages to entertain surprisingly well. As a musical, it recalls more of the 1971 film than the 2005 film, but it gives the vibe of a book coming to life on film. It is released under the production of David Heyman and the direction of Paul King, both of whom previously collaborated in their same respective roles in Paddington (2014), Paddington 2 (2017), and the upcoming Paddington in Peru (2024). King also co-wrote the screenplay with Simon Barnaby and Heyman is also known for producing the entire Harry Potter film series (2001-2011).    

The film’s all-star cast stars Oscar-Nominee Timothee Chalamet as Willy Wonka and Calah Lane as Noodle. Oscar-Winner Olivia Colman plays Mrs. Scrubbit, the film’s main antagonist who holds Wonka, Noodle, and all their friends hostage at her boardinghouse and does everything she can to keep them from pursuing their dreams. Emmy-Nominee Jim Carter portrays Abacaus Crunch, one of the friends who is determined to get back to the family he was separated from. The film is Edited by Mark Everson who also edited both the “Paddington” movies. Neil Hannon wrote the films songs.

All in all, “Wonka,” is a great film, reminding us of “Teamwork makes the dreamwork.” Whether your family is biological or not, we all hope to find a team that always has your back. It’s a rare thing to see such a strong message like that in a movie-musical.