Willy is Silly and “Wonka” is Wonderful
When it was announced that they were making a Willy Wonka prequel, I rolled my eyes and was completely prepared for an awkward and unnecessary cash grab. After the Tim Burton movie, I had no desire to have this enigmatic character explained. Then they announced that Paul King was directing, with a script by him and Simon Farnaby, and I became cautiously optimistic; that’s the writer/director duo that brought us Paddington 2, which is unbelievably good. Some of the initial photos released seemed interesting, but much of the marketing material did little to inspire confidence. The marketing also really buried the lead- this is a fully fledged musical. I wonder how many people sat down in the theater and were shocked when the very first words weren’t spoken, but sung as a charming musical number began.
That charm persists throughout the rest of the movie. Being a fan of the Paddington movies, but unfamiliar with any of Paul King’s other work, I was curious how this would feel, especially as a musical. During just the first twenty minutes, any concerns I had were quashed. It carries the same compassion for each of its characters, the same sense of whimsy and warmth, and the same overwhelming charm of the Paddington films. It was delightful, and had me smiling throughout.
The movie revolves around a young Willy Wonka, played by Timothee Chalamet, as he arrives in a nonspecific European town with dreams of opening his own chocolate shop. He finds a cheap room, and signs some sketchy terms and conditions for it. Those who’ve also signed the dotted line collectively begin working together to improve their quality of life. All the while, Willy is trying to find a way to sell his chocolate in a market already dominated by three large chocolate selling companies. There’s a theme of commerce at play, as the independent chocolate seller Willy has to sell his chocolate against those mass produced by three companies that have cornered the market.
Some characters, including Willy himself, have short vignettes explaining where they've come from. These vignettes have their own style, Willy's has a nostalgic grainy film effect, a character named Noodle has doodles that flesh hers out, each is stylistically distinct and works to tell their story effectively. It’s a technique King previously used in Paddington 2, and it works well here. The result is a group of characters you can't help but love as you spend more time with them.
The film is shot by cinematographer Chung-hoon Chung, who rose to fame with Oldboy (2003) and has established a career of well told visually striking films such as The Handmaiden (2016), It (2017), and Last Night in Soho (2021). Even in less acclaimed films such as Uncharted (2022), his visuals and storytelling style keep it interesting and engaging throughout. He and Paul King shoot the film with a fun colorful flair that is somehow equally as charming during the dialogue scenes as it is in the musical numbers.
The musical numbers themselves are good fun and equally as silly as the rest of the movie. It doesn’t take itself too seriously, and encourages the audience to smile and laugh at the absurdity. The original film with Gene Wilder had some songs, but there wasn’t much dancing, and none that wasn’t done by the Oompa Loompa’s. This is not the case here, with various characters bursting into complex and choreographed dance sequences that accompany the music.
The music, composed and arranged by Joby Talbot with original songs written by Neil Hannon, is uplifting, sweet, and often hilarious. Each song contributes to the plot or characters in a significant way, and none outstay their welcome. The music and dances feel very theatrical, like something you’d see on stage. One number in particular, that involves a trio singing at the police chief, played wonderfully by Keegan-Michael Key, is easily imaginable as a stage number, and absolutely hilarious. The singing largely feels on par with Gene Wilder singing Pure Imagination; their voices aren’t especially impressive, but the control, tone, and emotion behind it are exactly right.
Timothee Chalamet plays Wonka with a naive charm and unafraid optimism that was delightful to witness, and is one of my favorite roles of his so far. He does great in Lady Bird (2017), Little Women (2019), and Dune (2021), but those are largely ensemble films; this feels totally his, and he isn’t afraid to play how strange and silly it is. Certain moments or line readings have an undercurrent of intensity to them that feels a little uneasy, and are reminiscent of how Gene Wilder played the character. Olivia Colman is having fun as Mrs. Scrubbit, who rents a room to Willy, and Hugh Grant appears as a rather posh Oompa Loompa. They’re both fun performances with characters that are a bit less defined than some of the others. Paterson Joseph plays Slugworth, the leader of the Chocolate Cartel (yes, Chocolate Cartel, you read that correctly), and is clearly having a blast with the character.
King has a knack for playing sincerity well in ways that most movies would be hesitant to commit to. Between this and the Paddington movies, his movies are totally unafraid to wear their heart on their sleeve, and are all the better for it. He has a talent for playing relatively straight scenes with such tenderness and care that they tap into something pure and childlike that powerfully evokes nostalgia. Here that tenderness is sprinkled with various easter eggs and references to the original film, which many already feel nostalgic for, resulting in a movie that feels very personal and rewarding.
I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this movie. I maintain that a prequel to Willy Wonka really isn’t necessary but I must admit, I’m glad we got this movie. I don’t think we could’ve gotten a Willy Wonka prequel better than this, and really enjoyed the amount of heart it had. I think it makes an excellent companion too and is worthy of the original film. In fact in some ways, just between us, I prefer it to the original. No one in this gives a performance on the level of Gene Wilder’s in the original, which may be one of the most iconic performances in film history, and quietly one of the best, but this new film consistently brought me to a higher level of emotion and involvement than the original did. I think it will age nicely and, having rewatched the original afterward, the two really do pair well together. The new film explains a little of the melancholy in Wilder’s performance; one can imagine the bright and optimistic Willy in this film slowly becoming the reclusive Wonka we know from the original, and it’s sort of heartbreaking. Still, this movie remains overwhelmingly sweet, and cements Paul King as a director whose films I’ll always go to see in theaters. It’s a delectable little treat.
