Wonka’s back! Well…sort of.
Over 50 years since its inception (and 20 since the remake), Warner Bros. released a prequel telling the origin story of the now iconic Willy Wonka. Directed by family film giant, Paul King (“Paddington”) and starring Timothee Chalamet, “Wonka” follows his journey toward his legacy as a “magician, inventor, and chocolate-maker.” In pursuit of his dream to establish a shop in a chocolate haven city, a struggling young Willy Wonka stumbles upon the harsh truth that the industry is dominated by a ruthless cartel of greedy chocolatiers. Although a reinvention of Wonka, in some ways the film does stay true to the roots of the 1971 classic, “Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory.”
Just like the original story, there is a charm in the film that comes from rooting for someone trying to make it in a world where the odds are stacked against them. The difference is that rather than watch a boy’s dreams come true as a result of his good nature, we watch a young man attempt to start his own chocolate factory in a world of corporate greed and monopolization. While this formula points to the reality of profit-driven institutions–a reality emerging more in public discourses on the modern era of politics on social media–the story loses some of its charm when we realize that Wonka will eventually hold the very monopoly over candy-making that he deems unjust and strives to overthrow in the prequel film.
However, the prequel does bring with it a naivety and change of tone from the original while maintaining the magic and boyish charm of the original. The visuals are striking and vibrant, benefiting from the advancements in CGI and special effects since the original release, enhancing the overall experience.
Wonka is nothing if not consistent. Much like the plot, the music isn’t remarkable either. “A Hatful of Dreams,” “Scrub, Scrub,” “Sweet Tooth,” you name it. The songs are barely distinguishable. And Timothee’s consistent but ordinary voice does nothing to add some much-needed variety to the songs’ standard tune. However, despite their forgettable nature, the songs’ playful rhyme scheme (I’m obsessed with the song “You’ve Never Had Chocolate Like This” rhyming chocolate with sky rockelete) is on brand with Wonka’s out-of-the-box portrayal. The film even ensures musical callbacks to the original that longtime fans of the franchise can appreciate, including sprinkles of “Oompa Loompa” and “Pure Imagination.”
However, the most important role these aspects play is that they distract from Timothee Chalamet’s flat performance. As many have seen from his other work, his emotional range is not the problem. Rather, Timothee is not a character actor. He is far too pragmatic for a character as whimsical as Wonka, and the film would have benefited from an unknown actor who brings the character we know to life. The result is that rather than relish in the outlandish nature of Willy Wonka (made possible by Gene Wilder in the original film), the audience is forced to just watch Timothee Chalamet play Willy Wonka. To put it simply, Timmy is not Willy.
While the film made for a visually stimulating experience in the theater, its flaws meant that the film fell short of its promises of transporting the audience to a world of pure imagination.
