Wonka (2023)

After spending a couple of months now trying to persuade my six year old to accompany me to the cinema to see this latest iteration of Roald Dahl's creation, I finally ground down the young lady with the promise of an Oreo brownie and a soft toy (to be purchased only in a charity shop).

Blackmail, threats, pleading and begging- none of it had done the trick, so it was with some sense of satisfaction that we nestled into our seats at the cinema this weekend to finally watch Wonka.

The first thing to say about it is that the critics that have given this five star reviews (and there have been several) are just factually wrong. Paul King's film isn't a masterpiece and it's actually quite some distance away from being so. That said, it's easy to see why many have been charmed by it's sweet (literally) nature and its spectacular musical sequences, and there's without doubt something to be said for producing something this entertaining considering the source material has been somewhat flogged to death in various forms across film, theater and literature.

There's little doubt that the appetite for a Willy Wonka origin story didn't exactly have the masses rioting on the streets to pre-book their tickets when the film was announced, but I admit to being completely sold on the trailer when I first saw it; I thought it looked terrific. The decision to make it a musical is a sensible one, even if there was something to be said for perhaps adjusting the format from 1971's original, and Timothee Chalamet is perfectly fine in the central role; it's a somewhat thankless task of following Gene Wilder but Chalamet performs his duties rather nicely.

He's supported by a cast that includes Olivia Colman, Rowan Atkinson, Paterson Joesph and Calah Lane (who is a standout in the role of Noodle) and the much discussed performance of Hugh Grant as an Oompa-Loopma. Grant doesn't appear until nearly an hour in, and despite the fact this might be a surprise considering the promotion of him as a selling point, this is an origin story of Willy Wonka- following him as he travels to Europe in the hope of establishing a chocolate shop at the Galeries Gourmet, although one does cynically wonder whether future adventures with Grant in a more central role have already been discussed. An future origin story of Grant's Oompa-Loompa genuinely wouldn't surprise me. Sally Hawkins is utterly wasted in a minuscule role as Willy's mother, she's literally on-screen for under a minute in a couple of brief flashback sequences and although this might be considered Paul King doing a Wes Anderson with his favourite actresses, I love Sally Hawkins so I was pretty miffed by this.

The feel and tone of Wonka is extremely good natured and as well as openly nodding to another Wilder vehicle (Singin' in the Rain [1952]) it's musical whimsy also brought to mind Oliver! (1968) and Mary Poppins (1964), not least a couple of sequences in which customers are twirling and opening umbrellas. This is all very deliberate, but instead of making me wish I was watching those (admittedly better) films, I was perfectly content sitting through these feel good dancing numbers.

The middle section of Wonka lags, in particular a lengthy scene in which Willy and Noodle attempt to kidnap a giraffe from the local zoo. It drags on and on and ends in a musical performance that I failed to appreciate because I really wanted the film to get on with the crux of the story by that point, and the section had already offered up some fairly flat attempts at humour. And that brings us onto another shortcoming of Wonka; with the cast on offer I expected something a lot funnier. Olivia Colman is always reliable but the material she's offered hardly raises the roof, while Paterson Joseph aside, the trio of chocolate makers who make up the 'chocolate cartel' are particularly disappointing. Matt Lucas especially is irritating, his character is meant to be funny but is simply an idiot.

The idea of humour leads us back to Hugh Grant's Oompa-Loompa, and although the on-screen movement of the CGI is a tad odd, he once again confidently nails down a Paul King character. The performance isn't in the same league as Phoenix Buchanan, Grant's wonderful portrayal in King's superb Paddington 2 (2017) but you do want more of him in Wonka; certainly Grant as the Oompa-Loompa isn't anything to get upset about.

There's also not enough chocolate in Wonka. A ludicrous thing to suggest perhaps, but in the film's finale some bad 'uns are given their just deserts quite literally, yet the chocolate in question has already been used in a sequence early on, and it is without question a stupid thing to suggest, but I wanted a greater range of magic chocolate on display. Perhaps I'll get my wish in Wonka 2, or 2 Oompa 2 Loompa, whichever title they opt for.

My daughter has now developed her own Roger Ebert style review system for our film viewing: thumbs up for something she loves, thumbs down for something that stinks, and an outspread palm on its side for middling. Wonka received the outspread palm which I considered harsh; despite its flaws it is at times joyous, and at the very least reminds you of past classics of the genre whilst putting a smile on your face. 7.2/10