Stubs - Wonka

Wonka (2023) starring Timothée Chalamet, Calah Lane, Keegan-Michael Key, Paterson Joseph, Matt Lucas, Mathew Baynton, Sally Hawkins, Rowan Atkinson, Jim Carter, Natasha Rothwell, Olivia Colman, Hugh Grant Directed by Paul King. Screenplay by Simon Farnaby, Paul King. Based on Characters created by Roald Dahl. Produced by David Heyman, Alexandra Derbyshire, Luke Kelly Color. Run time: 116 minutes. UK/USA.Musical, Fantasy

A sort of prequel to the modern classic Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971), Wonka hit theaters on December 15 in the U.S. The film attempts, and for the most part succeeds, in telling the Willy Wanka origin story, though it does not seamlessly fit into the 1971 film, the way Rogue One (2016) flowed into Star Wars (1977).

The film almost pure fantasy, as we see that Willy faces an uphill climb trying to make his dreams come true. In a situation that almost seems lifted out of Pinocchio, Willy ends up an indentured servant of  a scheming Mrs. Scrubitt (Olivia Colman) and her rather uneducated henchman/partner Bleacher (Tom Davis), but he also faces headwinds from the current big chocolatiers in town, Arthur Slugworth (Paterson Joseph), Gerald Prodnose (Matt Lucas), and Felix Fickelgruber (Mathew Baynton) who use a corrupt chocoholic police chief (Keegan-Michael Key) to enforce their boycott.

Aiding Willy are other people who got caught up in Scrubitt's scheme, Noodles (Calah Lane), Abacus Crunch (Jim Carter), Piper Benz (Natasha Rothwell), Lottie Bell (Rakhee Thakrar) and Larry Chucklesworth (Rich Fulcher). But Wonka's biggest help may come in the small package of Lofty, an Oompa-Loompa (Hugh Grant).

Noodles (Calah Lane) and Wonka (Timothée Chalamet) dance together.

This is a musical, but the songs are not overly long and get to the point, as it were, rather quickly. There is a minimum of overly produced production numbers which do help keep the pace of the film moving. But, of course, the stand out song is a leftover as it were from the 1971 film, "Pure Imagination" written by Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley.

Timothée Chalamet as Wonka.

While I am not personally a fan of Timothée Chalamet the person, for his throwing Woody Allen, his director in A Rainy Day in New York (2019), under the bus over unsubstantiated claims, I do think he did a good job here as Willy Wonka. While he doesn't have the presence of Gene Wilder (who does?) in the original film, he does show that he can sing and dance, which is something I didn't know he could do. As far as actors who have played the character, he is far and away better than Johnny Depp's in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005), but not up to Wilder's portrayal.

Hugh Grant as Lofty, an Oompa-Loompa in Wonka.

The supporting cast is very strong with shout outs to Calah Lane as Noodles, Paterson Joseph as Arthur Slugworth and Keegan-Michael Key as the unnamed police chief. Hugh Grant, who has shed his romantic leading roles, seems to be flourishing in smaller roles and does about as good as one could hope for as an Oompa-Loompa. Also, there is a small role in the film for Rowan Atkinson as a priest and he makes the most of his screentime. Sally Hawkins also shines as Wonka's mother.

Sally Hawkins plays Wonka's mother.

Overall, the film was quite enjoyable and provided a nice way to spend a couple of hours in a theater. If you're a fan of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, you shouldn't be disappointed in Wonka.