Wonka (2023) - Movie Review

Even for a year where filmmakers have been trying extra hard to swing for the fences, this is arguably one of the biggest ones. And honestly, if it were made by literally anyone else, any and all conversation surrounding it would be dominated by the age-old question of “Why is this a thing?”. Ignoring the previous attempt to revivify Roald Dahl’s classic story with Tim Burton’s Charlie And The Chocolate Factory (and whatever the hell that Tom & Jerry movie was supposed to do), the 1971 film is such an ingrained nostalgic classic that it’s basically untouchable. A film announcing itself as the origin story for pop culture’s most famous chocolatier, on its face, feels like a doomed idea.

But as I wrote above, it would be if it were made by anyone else. In this case, it’s the director and writers behind the Paddington movies, two little confections that defied all preconceptions on first release and have garnered (arguably) a similar untouchable status in modern cinema. They are such pure creations, full of wonder and whimsy and yet perfectly palatable, that they represent an ideal when it comes to making family films that… well, hits at my heart of hearts. That it is possible to tap into that same sense of delight that the best kinds of children’s films bestow on their audience, but as an adult, and without any of the cultural framing that one is ‘too old’ to enjoy things anymore.

It's an ideal that lies deep in the heart of Paul King and Simon Farnaby’s take on Willy Wonka and his earnest beginnings, arriving by boat and wanting to make the world just a little bit sweeter. It takes some music cues from the 1971 original directly, most notably with the presence of Hugh Grant as the Oompa-Loompa, but otherwise, this is entirely its own creation but still fits nicely in with what it’s meant to lead into. The set design and visuals are fairy tale through and through, filtered through all manner of Dahlian perspectives on the world that adults unleash upon their young and young-at-heart. 

The soundtrack, with its score by Joby Talbot and musical numbers by Neil Hannon, does justice to the classics that it brings back and the new additions are just as catchy and thoughtful. A Hatful Of Dreams as the inspiring opener, Scrub Scrub with its working class woes, Sweet Tooth’s delectable corruption, and A World Of Your Own as Wonka’s mission statement, and indeed that of the film as a whole, about having that special place where you can indulge in that childlike joy.

As for the characterisation of Wonka himself, it leans away somewhat from the more sinister notes of Peter Pan Syndrome that Gene Wilder made iconic, and instead shows that same retention of youthful ideals and optimism as a shining light against the murky cynicism of the world around him. Timothée Chalamet lets the frequently-clever writing ring through every word he utters (both the lyrics and the straight dialogue), and his physical presence is a bit of casting genius, since one of his defining traits is his perpetually-teenaged appearance, which fits the character to a tee. Much like with Andrew Garfield’s starring role in tick, tick… BOOM!, it’s a starting sprint as a musical performer on-film that makes it look like he’s been doing it since infancy, such is his aptitude for theatrical expression and downright giddy physicality.

The rest of the cast is terrific as well, continuing Paul King’s knack for finding just the right place for recognisable British talent. Oh, and Keegan-Michael Key as the ever-ballooning Chief of Police, who holds his own. Paterson Joseph, Matt Lucas, and Mathew Baynton as the villainous Chocolate Cartel are all scrumptiously evil on-screen, Rowan Atkinson as a corrupt priest shows that he’s still got deadpan comedy down to a science, Olivia Colman and Tom Davis as two shady laundry proprietors are highly entertaining, Calah Lane as Wonka’s assistant Noodle works wonders next to Chalamet, and of course, Hugh Grant as the Oompa-Loompa. That CGI is Uncanny AF, but as with a lot of his roles nowadays, it shows off another side of him that seems almost-criminal that it hasn’t been showcased before now.

But of course, sweetness can only carry a film so far; even the Paddington films had to thicken the syrup by appealing to man’s better nature and being good to one another. Here, it takes a look at Wonka as this mysterious business magnate, who all but dominates the sweets business in the original story, and then ponders the kind of work he’d have had to do in order to reach that status. Specifically, toppling the regime of the Cartel that essentially took that same place before him. This reminded me a fair bit of a candy-coated take on (bear with me on this) Leviathan in how it shows societal corruption and abuse pervading through all facets of society. The Cartel runs the business sector with an iron fist, has paid off the Church to horde their riches, and benefits from slave labour through their connections with the Scrubitt and Bleacher laundry. All kept running on, and designed to maintain, the same product that the title character believes is a gateway to uncomplicated joy and wonderment: Chocolate. Because if there’s one thing capitalism excels at, it’s taking the things that make us happy and twisting them into a source of anxiety and dread for the very people they’re supposed to benefit.

Yeah. There’s a remarkable lack of subtlety to this, and it's to the film’s benefit. It hardens the larger message about happiness as a collective right by highlight that it shouldn’t be beholden to those intent on watering it down to suit their own ends, along with Wonka’s position as the champion of that ideal. Not that Wonka himself is immune from that same scrutiny; the entire reason Hugh Grant’s Lofty exists within the narrative is to serve as a reminder that Wonka is also guilty of exploiting others to make his product, with his recurring mission to pay back the cocoa beans Wonka took from his people “a thousand-fold”. Admittedly, this comes across more as lipservice than actual dissection of his own role in this practice (this film may be daring, but not quite to that extent), but considering the previous Wonka films barely even glanced at that implication, it's still noteworthy that it's here at all.

While I wouldn’t qualify this as the kind of revelatory elevation of the source material that, say, the Matilda musical reached, or even necessarily being as good as Paddington 2, this still benefits from being a story that makes the most sense being told through Willy Wonka. It’s a vibrant and consistently heart-warming musical treat, treating its own idealistic worldview with remarkable (if imperfect) clarity and allowing it to ring true while still being honest about how such things usually turn out ‘realistically’. In the age of Mr. Beast, where Wonka's brand of extravagant charity has become so comfortable as to be rather cloying, it’s honestly a minor miracle that this film not only managed to restore Willy Wonka’s image as a genuinely beneficial figure, but also critique how easily that notion can become toxic, while still being through-and-through a satisfying and rapturous family film.