At The Movies: ‘Wonka,’ wonk, wonk
BY PAUL WILLISTEIN
pwillistein@tnonline.com
“Wonka” is no “Willy Wonka.”
The movie starts off on the good foot with the charming Timothée Chalamet in the title role of Willy Wonka.
This is a nearly all-singing, all-dancing “Wonka.” Chalamet is fine as singer and dancer. Chalamet (“Dune,” 2021; “The French Dispatch,” 2021; “Little Women,” 2019; “Call Me By Your Name,” 2017) looks the part and is a good enough actor to balance the mix of silly and serious that the role requires.
“Wonka” loses its way in a plot that has to do with a so-called chocolate cartel that wants to melt Willy Wonka’s dreams of owning a chocolate factory of his own. Until then, Willy Wonka gets by on Harry Potter-style magic to pull whatever he wants out of his top hat.
“Wonka” is exemplified not only by the charm of Chalamet, but gorgeous production design, wonderful costumes, quite-good songs, terrific choreography and eye-popping special effects.
Something is missing, however. “Wonka” is not the Golden Ticket one would have hoped for. “Wonka” is dragged down by a screenplay that has a lackluster plot and a trio of bland villains with great names: Slugworth (Paterson Joseph), Prodnose (Matt Lucas) and Fickelgruber (Matthew Baynton). The three of them don’t add up to one good villain, much less a convincing chocolate cartel.
If the matter of child trafficking in the production of cocoa was brought up, which it is not, then “Wonka” might have had believable villains.
According to the United States Deparment of Labor, Burkino Faso, Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana in West Africa annually produce approximately 60 percent of the world’s cocoa with an estimated 1.56 million children working on cocoa farms.
In “Wonka,” the villainous chocolate cartel trio play it for laughs, aided and abetted by Mrs Scrubitt (Olivia Colman) and Bleacher (Tom Davis) and a Chief of Police (Keegan-Michael Key).
On the side of the presumably good guy, Wonka, are Abacus Crunch (Jim Carter, looking like he longs for the sanctity of TV’s “Downton Abbey,” 2010-2015, and feature movies, “Downton Abbey,” 2019, and “Downton Abbey: A New Era,” 2022) and Lofty the Oompa-Loompa (Hugh Grant, looking like he longs for the days of Edward Ferrars in “Sense and Sensibility,” 1995) and Noodle (Calah Lane, looking lost).
In supporting roles, Willy Wonka’s late mother is played by Sally Hawkins and a priest is played by Rowan Atkinson.
“Wonka” is directed by Paul King (“Paddington,” 2014; “Paddington 2,” 2017) from a screenplay King co-wrote with Simon Farnaby (screenplay, “Paddington 2”) based on characters from the novel, “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” (1964) by Roald Dahl (1916-1990).
The excellent cinematography is by Chung-hoon Chung (“Last Night in Soho,” 2021; “Zombieland: Double Tap,” 2019).
The incredible production design is by Nathan Crowley (five-time Oscar nominee, production design: “Tenet,” 2021; “First Man,” 2019; “Dunkirk,” 2018; “Interstellar,’ 2015; art direction: “The Dark Night,” 2009).
The superb costume design is by Lindy Hemming (Oscar recipient, “Topsy-Turvy,” 2000).
The songs by Neil Hannon (“At Hatful of Dreams,” “Sweet Tooth, “You’ve Never Had Chocolate Like This,’ “A World of Your Own”) are catchy and enliven the movie. Joby Talbot, who collaborated with Hannon in the pop group, The Divine Comedy, wrote the music.
“Wonka” inevitably draws comparisons to “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” (2005), directed by Tim Burton, starring Johnny Depp as Willy Wonka, and with songs and music by Danny Elfman, and “Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory” (1971), directed by Mel Stuart, starring Gene Wilder as Willy Wonka and with music and songs by Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley with Walter Scharf arranging and conducting the orchestral score.
When Timothée Chalamet as Willy Wonka gets around to singing “Pure Imagination,” the title song from the original film, one realizes how far “Wonka” has fallen short compared to “Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory.” Chalamet sings with a wan filigree of regret, not unlike that of Gene Wilder in the original.
It’s a lovely moment in “Wonka.” Too bad there aren’t more such delightful bonbons to be savored in “Wonka.”
“Wonka,”
MPAA Rated PG (Parental guidance suggested. Some material may not be suitable for children.) for some violence, mild language and thematic elements; Genre: Musical, Comedy, Fantasy; Run time: 1 hour; 56 minutes. Distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures.
Credit Readers Anonymous:
During beginning of the end credits of “Wonka,” Lofty the Oompa-Loompa (Hugh Grant) projects home movies of out-takes and backstory scenes from the world of Willy Wonka. “Wonka” filming locations included Bath, Watford, Oxford, St. Paul’s Cathedral, Etham Palace and Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden, all England.
At The Movies:
“Wonka” was seen in the Dolby Cinema at AMC, AMC Center Valley 16.
Another resource is the book, “Big Chocolate: Child Slavery in the Cocoa Industry” (2021), by David Bishop and Jamie Chan.
Theatrical Movie Domestic Weekend Box Office,
Dec. 29-31: “Wonka” regained the sweet spot, moving back to No. 1 from No. 2, with $22.4 million in 4,051 theaters, $133.1 million, three weeks, sinking “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom” from its one-week No. 1 perch, $18.2 million in 3,787 theaters, $76.4 million, two weeks.
3. “Migration” stayed in place, $17 million in 3,839 theaters, $54.1 million, two weeks. 4. “The Color Purple,” opening, $11.7 million in 3,203 theaters, $44 million, since Dec. 25. 5. “Anyone But You” dropped one place, $8.7 million in 3,055 theaters, $24.8 million, two weeks. 6. “The Boys in the Boat,” opening, $8.4 million in 2,557 theaters, $22 million, since Dec. 25. 7. “The Iron Claw” dropped one place, $4.6 million in 2,794 theaters, $15.9 million, two weeks. 8. “Ferrari,” opening, $3.9 million in 2,386 theaters, $10.7 million, since Dec. 25. 9. “The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes” dropped two places, $2.8 million in 1,660 theaters, $159.7 million, seven weeks. 10. “The Boy and the Heron” dropped two places, $2.3 million in 940 theaters, $35.8 million, four weeks.
Movie box office information from Box Office Mojo as of Dec. 31 is subject to change.
Unreel,
Jan. 5:
“Memory,”
R: Michel Franco directs Jessica Chastain, Peter Sarsgaard, Elsie Fisher and Josh Charles in the Drama. A woman meets a man at their high school reunion.
“Race for Glory: Audi vs. Lancia,”
R: Stefano Mordini directs Daniel Bruhl, Riccardo Scamarcio, Katie Clarkson-Hill, Volker Bruch, Esther Garrel and Carlotta Verny in the Biography, Drama, Sport. The film is inspired by the rivalry between Germany (Audi) and Italy (Lancia) at the 1983 Rally World Championships.
“Night Swim,”
PG-13: Bryce McGuire directs Wyatt Russell, Kerry Condon and Amelie Hoeferle in the Horror Thriller. A woman swimming in an in-ground pool at night is terrorized by an evil spirit.
Movie opening dates from Internet Movie Database as of Dec. 27 are subject to change.
Three Popcorn Boxes out of Five Popcorn Boxes