❗❗MILD SPOILERS SO BE WARNED IF YOU ARE YET TO SEE THE FILM❗❗
Disclaimer: ALL PICTURES PROPERTY OF WARNER BROS. (WONKA, 2023) & PARAMOUNT PICTURES (WILLY WONKA & THE CHOCOLATE FACTOR, 1971)
Directed by Paul King
Genre is adventure/ comedy/ family
Duration is 2hr
Written by H.E. Smale
I watched Wonka before Christmas and was left pleasantly surprised despite my previous hesitation towards another adaption of the well-known story.
Did we need another film? More specifically, did we need to know the backstory of Wonka? The eccentric chocolate maker, whose ambiguity added wonder and mystery to his character.
On the whole, I thoroughly enjoyed the film, with the tone being very reminiscent of director Paul King's previous success 'Paddington' with its vibrant colour palette, quirky humour, and good-natured, lovable (though gullible) hero.
However, the setting and its characters felt over-the-top, with villains such as the eccentric and pristine members of the chocolate cartel (portrayed excellently by Paterson Joseph, Mathew Bayton, and Matt Lucas) and the grouchy and grisly Mrs Scrubbit and Bleacher (Olivia Colman and Tom Davis) coming off like cartoons that had leapt off the page and into the real world.
But the exaggeration produced many humorous moments also, and using that lack of realism in scenes with Wonka brings those elements of magic and wonder to the surface. Such as when he jumps off a truck and uses a lamp post to graciously spin down to the ground.
In particular, the scene with Wonka and Noodle (played by Calah Lane) dancing through the night sky with balloons over the illuminated city below was one I thoroughly enjoyed.
It's beautiful, both visually and emotionally.
Not only is it a stunning bit of cinematography, but it's also a moving scene showing their developing closeness and care for one another.
Noodle loves how Wonka can make her forget her troubles, and Wonka, in turn, wants to provide her with love and fun.
It's reminiscent of the original films in which Wonka is again a source of wonder and escapism for Charlie Bucket and the hardships he faces in his life.
However, despite all this, there was one issue floating around my mind during and after this film, and that was "How did I feel about Timothée Chalamete and his portrayal of Willy Wonka?", and more specifically, how his version compares to Gene Wilder's Wonka.
The film has been dubbed a "companion piece" to the original 1971 adaption of Dalh's story, 'Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory' in which the late Gene Wilder brought Wonka to the screen for the first time, and throughout the re-make the visual callbacks to the film are obvious.
From the Oompa Loomas being small with green hair and orange skin to the return of the iconic song 'Pure Imagination', originally performed by Wilder.
So therefore, if the objective of this film is to bring us the origin of the famous candy-man, and, specifically, the origin of Wilder's version, how does he compare?
I found that despite Chalamete bringing a lot of charisma to the role, he doesn't feel like Willy Wonka, and I find it hard to picture him evolving into Wilder's Version.
Timothée Chalamete, as Wonka, is bubbly, ambitious, loving, and ready to throw away his dream to benefit those he holds dear.
In many ways, he has become this adaption's Charlie Bucket.
But Wilder's Wonka is not like that.
Yes, he is entertaining and ambitious, but he's also arrogant, stubborn, and authoritative.
He has a darker side that Wilder brought to the screen in many unforgettable moments, the most memorable likely being the iconic boat ride of horror, where while the group are sailing down the chocolate river, anxious by the violent current and kaleidoscopic colours and images appearing around them, Wonka, as if in a trace, begins to sing in a hypnotically eerie manner.
With unblinking wide eyes and a small smile, he moves from gently singing to franticly screaming about not knowing where they are going, asking "Are the fires of Hell a-glowing?" and "Is the grisly Reaper mowing?", before laughing like a mad man while the passengers scream.
Pretty dark commentary for what is meant to be a magical boat ride on a chocolate river, don't you think?
Is he crazy? Is he just eccentric, and likes to put on a show? Does he genuinely care about the well-being of the children he has brought to his factory? These are all questions that arise when we encounter Wonka.
Wonka is an ambiguous character. He warns the children not to do certain things, and yet he appears to have planned the whole day knowing the children will eventually drop off.
He is the ultimate puppeteer throughout the day. He expects, and wants, these children to encounter these hazardous situations so there is only one left standing. He isn't wishing the children to come to serious harm, but it's still dark.
Wonka isn't evil. Even when he is yelling at Charlie and Grampa Joe at the end, he isn't angry at Charlie for sneaking a sip of the fizzy lifting drinks, he is angry at Grampa Joe, as the adult in charge, for allowing and encouraging Charlie to break the rules.
However, he still chooses Charlie as the successor for his life's work because Charlie's traits of honesty and kindness align with Wonka's own values.
Ultimately, he is still a very unique character through traits that go beyond just being illiterate and quirky.
Even Johnny Depp, in the 2005 Disney remake by Tim Burton, captured that darker edge.
Yes, his portrayal was noticeably odd, but he still has moments that show him being more capable and in control than he lets on.
I would describe Depp's portrayal of Wonka as being far more child-like, as his higher-pitched voice and more awkward manner make it appear as if he hasn't fully grown up in many ways, making him more uncomfortable and unfamiliar with social situations like dealing with the parents of the children.
All of that has been stripped away in this remake, and it's for this reason that I find the connection between the two films to be nothing more than a visual one because I can't see this younger version of Wonka, developing into the Wonka the world knows and loves.
But what makes Chalamete's version lean over into being awkward, is when he tries to replicate that same level of quirkiness that Wilder brought to the camera. But while Wilder's quirks felt natural, Chalamete's feel copied and flat.
The best example I found in the new film was when the classic line "Scratch that, reverse it" made an appearance, when Chalamete's Wonka is looking to gain the attention of a crowd, and muddles up his lines.
However, when Wilder uses this line in the original, although he is guiding the group and preparing them for entering the factory, he doesn't feel like he is performing for them.
As he says the line, he physically freezes in place, and his gaze is unfocused. It feels as if he is only speaking to himself - correcting himself, by uttering out loud an internal thought.
In the remake, the exclamation of this line feels more like a bizarre performance to gain the attention of the crowd, while also acting as another moment for fans of the original film to point and go "Oh look, he said the thing!".
And that is another problem with this version of Wonka. I feel it is relying too much on callbacks to the original film while feeling like a separate story entirely. It would have been better if this film had created its own style, and not been an indirect prequel to the 1971 film. Similar to how the Disney remake was telling the same story, but Burton used his distinctive style to make it feel fresh and unique.
However, I can see why this film gained so much popularity. As a cinema usher, I was astounded by the number of people going to see it, and seeing how busy it was still, only a few weeks ago, when it felt like everyone in a ten-mile radius must have seen it.
It's fun, colourful, and a perfect film for everyone to enjoy. Customers old and young walked out praising it, and I fully understand why.
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