Wonka
Wonka is playing in theaters at the time of writing. Rated PG. Common Sense says 8+.
STORY: C-
Wonka tells the story of Willy’s struggle to open his first chocolate shop.
While it's certainly an interesting chapter in the life of this iconic character, I’m not totally sure it’s the most interesting one. Wonka has already traveled the world in order to master the fine art of chocolatiering. The opening song summarizes those adventures. Unfortunately for us, they sound a lot more fascinating than most of what follows.
PEOPLE: B+
Chalamet plays Wonka like Forrest Gump, but with a lot more charm and many, many more boxes of chocolate.
The character gives Chalamet a great showcase for his range. There’s not a trace of the brooding, angst-ridden fellas he’s so good at playing (see: Ladybird and Little Women, to name a couple). His eyes can flash with kooky, childlike wonder as easily as they can send forlorn teenage girls’ hearts a flutter.
Calah Lane (Noodle) and Olivia Colman (Mrs. Scrubitt) are the other standouts of an otherwise uneven cast. Without warning, a devastatingly emotional moment cannonballs into this movie’s pool, and Lane swims through it with grace and poise. Colman hams it up as the crotchety Mrs. Scrubitt with wretched delight.
FILM NERD STUFF: C
While there’s definitely a few hits, the soundtrack has more misses.
Some of the tunes are speckled with catchy, playful lyrics. “Choco-late in my Pock-o-late” is a banger of a line. “For a Moment” beautifully serenades the most visually gorgeous scene in the entire film. Yet more often than not, much of the music fails to elevate the story in its most crucial moments.
WHERE HAS THE MAGIC GONE? (Elective Class): D
The story’s final choice strips all of the magic out of the theme.
As I said earlier, the movie covers a single chapter in Wonka’s wacky journey. In the end, it looks like some characters will join Wonka for the next chapter of his story. Some won’t.
I’ll remain spoiler-free, but that choice by Wonka (or more accurately, by the screenwriters) feels completely at odds with the lesson the film is trying to teach us. It feels very “do as I say, not as I do”, which is never the best way to reach people.
FINAL COMMENTS:
Fans of Willy Wonka and fans of films best described as “lighthearted larks” will enjoy this movie. It weaves an enchanting-enough spell, but I can’t help but think that many of the choices it makes leave a lot of magic in the bag. It’s doing better than decent box office, so perhaps they’ll get one more opportunity to let that magic out. If so, I’ll be there. Chalamet certainly proves he’s quite the magician.