To be wild about Wonka depends on how many times an individual wants to see this musical. This prequel about the chocolatier (Timothée Chalamet) before he’s set up his empire is well done and offers a lot more music than its predecessors! While this latest is rooted in magical realism rather than being a social commentary, what’s key to all films (including Tim Burton’s remake) is that we’re dealing with how to deal with ill-mannered individuals.
Here, we see this wannabe magician cum chocolatier arrive at some borough in London. While we see him do a lot of daydreaming, hopefully those glimpses of that empire he wants won’t come crumbling down. That’s because he’s facing stiff competition. That cartel of other local chocolate makers he’s next door to believes he’s trouble. But instead of finding his operation infiltrated upon, what happens here is that they’re trying to prevent him from setting up shop!
However, just what he likes to make isn’t meant for everyone. What we discover here are meant to be sold at Honeydukes (from Harry Potter) rather than anywhere else. When considering Warner Bros is distributing this film, I’m surprised there weren’t some Easter eggs added on top! I firmly believe this property and the Potterverse can exist together.
Chalamet is the perfect choice to eventually morph into Gene Wilder. As for the Johnny Depp version, not so much. This 2005 film isn’t as memorable because what Tim Burton made here felt like a testing ground for whether his take on Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass would fly. This filmmaker is famous for injecting the bizarre and this latest is more romantic than anything else. While both narratives concern the virtue of having family to help, what’s presented here is just as equally powerful.
Here, this latest entry doesn’t even hint at anything Burton. Instead, it’s a perfect buildup to showing how the character has developed between now and the original film and perhaps the book as well. The ploy to test the weather Wonka is as virtuous is a precursor to how he’ll have to find the right individual who’ll take over his operation. Although Noodle (Calah Lane) is a new character, she’s the perfect companion to Wonka. However, her introduction introduces a plot hole. So where’d she go if this film is indeed considered the prequel to the story we all know and love?
4 Stars out of 5
Wonka Final Trailer
