Wonka Movie Review

Wonka (2023)

Rent Wonka on Amazon Video (paid link) // Buy the book (paid link)
Written by: Roald Dahl (characters created by), Paul King (story), Simon Farnaby & Paul King (screenplay)
Directed by: Paul King
Starring: Timothée Chalamet, Gustave Die, Murray McArthur, Olivia Colman, Matt Lucas, Keegan-Michael Key
Rated: PG
Watch the trailer

Plot
With dreams of opening a shop in a city renowned for its chocolate, a young and poor Willy Wonka discovers that the industry is run by a cartel of greedy chocolatiers.

Verdict
This is so much better than I expected. The tone is perfect. It's funny and whimsical, yet surprisingly clever. We get to see a man with a dream and those he helps along the way in a well plotted adventure. While prequels and remakes often feel like cash grabs, this manages to stand out as a solid movie that doesn't need the previous movies. It's an exceedingly fun adventure, and that's all it needs to be.
Watch It.

Review
Wonka seems to be the lone magical character in this story. His dream, born as a child, is to create chocolate and candy. He wants to create treats that are transformative. We're first introduced to a chocolate that can make people float. No one else in this story manages such feats.

Timothée Chalamet plays Willy Wonka

Wonka is completely optimistic and trusting. That's how he ends up in an unfair contract with a hostel that he must then work tirelessly to pay off the debt. He creates one of his many great inventions to perform his task of clothes washing so he can focus on his craft.

The problem is that the Chocolate Cartel doesn't like competition or someone that creates candy far beyond their abilities. They collude to stop Wonka, but Wonka will not be deterred.

I was concerned this would tread too much ground we've already seen. We were first introduced to Wonka in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and again in a remake in 2005. This prequel manages to stand on it's own as a legitimately good movie in a period where remakes and prequels often disappoint.

This movie is so much fun. It manages to create a great tone while also providing touching moments with an ensemble cast that Wonka befriends and in turn helps him succeed. Chalamet helps create a great character. There's never a dull moment as Wonka's optimism manages to overcome all odds and win everyone over.