Movie Review: Wonka (2023)

Wonka (2023) co-written and directed by Paul King based on the character by Roald Dahl

This prequel to the Chocolate Factory story finds a young Willie Wonka (Timothee Chalamet) traveling to a big European city (which is never properly identified, probably deliberately so) to sell his chocolates and make a name for himself. He has traveled the world over collecting exotic ingredients that make his chocolates not only the tastiest but also magical. The first confection he introduces makes people float off the ground! He has two main problems. First, the flop house where he spends his first night is run by charlatans (Olivia Colman and Tom Davis) who get him to sign a contract that puts him in their debt, seemingly for life. His other problem is the chocolate cartel in the city who want to stop him from selling his much better chocolates and threatening their industry. At the flop house, Wonka befriends the other imprisoned "customers" who work in the basement wash house. He slowly wins them over to his scheme for selling chocolates on the side, a way to pay off not only his debt but theirs as well.

The movie has the whimsical attitude of Dahl's stories while telling a different, earlier tale from Wonka's life. It is visually creative and awe-inspiring, crafting a mythical European city which has more than the usual interest in chocolate. The visual effects are amazing and very enjoyable. The movie is also a musical, even borrowing some tunes (and sometimes lyrics too) from the Gene Wilder film. Chalamet does most of the singing and carries the film ably. He has the charm and winsomeness needed to make the character larger than life, since that's his persona in his larger-than-life world. The rest of the cast is also very good, making this movie a delightful Christmas treat.

Recommended, highly for Wonka fans.