Wonka (2023) - Review: Sugary Sweet Down to the Core

It's amusing that “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory” has become such a beloved piece of family entertainment given the original film’s origins as a snark, satirical, somewhat cynical book. With two films based on the original novel, countless pieces of merchandise, theme park attractions, and other experiences, the next logical place to go is an origin story for the titular chocolatier himself, of course! 

The film follows a younger Willy, played by Timothée Chalamet (“Dune (2021),” “Little Women (2019)”), years before establishing his famous factory, attempting to make a name for himself in the Galéries Gourmet. Shortly after arriving, he’s confronted by the Chocolate Cartel, a group of rival chocolatiers run by Arthur Slugworth, played by Paterson Joseph (“Peep Show,” “The Leftovers”), Gerald Prodnose, played by Matt Lucas (“Come Fly With Me,” “Little Britain”), and Felix Fickelgruber, played by Mathew Baynton (“Horrible Histories,” “Bill”). He’s threatened by them and the Chief of Police, played by Kegan Michael-Key (“Keanu,” “Schmigadoon!”), and eventually enlists in the help of a young girl named Noodle, played by Calah Lane (“The Day Shall Come”), to help him make and sell his candy under the Cartel’s nose. 

While his casting was mocked a bit upon initial announcement, CHalamet himself ends up being the movie’s secret weapon. He walks a delicate line between being overly earnest and overly cheesy, and somehow ends up delivering a performance with a childlike whimsy that can be best compared to co-writer/director Paul King’s (“Paddington 2,” “Bunny and the Bull”) previous film “Paddington.” Lane keeps the same kind of energy, but plays the straight man to Chalamet’s whimsical nature, and the pair have a fantastic back and forth. 

As with the best musicals, the rest of the ensemble all make a mark on the viewer without upstaging each other or the main cast. With minor players full of the likes of Olivia Colman (“The Favourite,” “Hot Fuzz”), Jim Carter (“Downton Abbey,” “Cranford”), Rowan Atkinson (“Mr. Bean,” “Johnny English”), Natasha Rothwell (“Insecure,” “The White Lotus”), Hugh Grant (“Four Weddings and a Funeral,” “Paddington 2”), Tom Davis (“King Gary,” “The Curse”), and more, each scene is a delight, purely based off of how entertaining it is to see them all interact with Chalamet and the chocolatey, whimsical world King and co-writer Simon Farnaby (“Paddington 2,” “The Phantom of the Open”) have crafted. 

Musically, the film is a remarkable success, with original songs from Neil Hannon (“The Divine Comedy”) and a score by Joby Talbot (“The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (2005),” “Son of Rambow”). While not every song is a showstopper, even the worst among them are still extremely enjoyable. There are a handful of songs from the original Gene Wilder film as well that are woven smartly, without over relying on nostalgia, instead being deployed at specific moments for maximum efficiency. The music is paired with some excellent choreography, both of the traditional dancing variety and the more “staged parkour to music” type. It’s all staged against some genuinely gorgeous and inventive production design that blends the modern CGI aspects with built sets to great effect. The combination of musical and practical elements really makes the film come alive, like a playground of song chords and candy. 

What seems most remarkable of all is the genuine sincerity at the center of it all. It’s not just Chalamet’s performance, but the aura of the film as w hole. For a blockbuster Hollywood musical based on a beloved IP, it's a remarkably honest movie about the burning passion of creativity and how mixing it with commerce can become poisonous. Not just that, it wears its heart on its sleeve and is shockingly emotional at a variety of surprising points. King’s expert use of Sally Hawkins (“Blue Jasmine,” “Paddington 2”) as Wonka’s mother helps to bolster the comparison, but it really does feel like an extension of his “Paddington” sensibilities; the ability to make a film so achingly sincere and without malice, without falling into the sweet or sappy trappings of a more cloying or annoying film is no small feat. 

It’s hard to describe “Wonka” as anything more than a wonder. It’s genuinely amusing and fun, coupled with a fantastic sense of style and production design. Its central cast is electric, led by an impressively open and endearing performance from Chalamet. What’s even more impressive, it seems to avoid Hollywood’s most annoying cliche, avoiding any sense of sincerity, and instead embraces the sweetness. It’s a delight of a film, plain and simple, and one of the biggest and best surprises to come out of the American cinema candy factory in a long, long time. 4.5/5