Author Spotlight
Connor Vogel
I walked into the movie theater without much hope, preparing to see yet another adaptation of the classic Roald Dahl tale “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.” “Wonka” follows Willy Wonka’s early days – before Charlie had even heard of him – as he attempts to become the world’s greatest chocolate maker.
The messages in the plot, like many parts of this film, are not at all subtle. Timothee Chalamet represents an immigrant’s American Dream story as he attempts to overcome a local chocolate cartel run by his wealthy competitors — a critique of capitalism that never reached its full potential.
While director Phil King introduces viewers to another ambiguous port town and various musical numbers, there’s no spark that makes it stand on its own. Not that the film tries very hard to be original, relying on references to the book and Timothee Chalamet’s overly theatrical singing to distract from the paper-thin plotlines.
This is especially true for his solos in the movie’s original songs, a successive series of letdowns that fail to live up to classic hits like “The Candy Man” from the 1971 classic “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.”
The supporting cast does little to contribute to the plot and their lack of screen time. They may as well just be members of the ensemble.The only highlight is the mildly amusing dynamic between the wicked innkeepers that have scammed Wonka into working for them, played by Olivia Colman’s Ms. Scrubbit and her surprisingly funny henchman Bleacher.
The film’s impeccable production design, well-choreographed dancers and comic relief caricatures are fun to watch, but don’t add much to the plot. What do you expect from this origin story lost in intellectual property purgatory – creating a superfluous backstory for an already well-known character. I know the studio didn’t want to do a third direct adaptation, but nothing original can be expected from this distracting and easily forgettable prequel.
In a pile-up of chase scenes, stereotypical villains and a string of unresolved subplots the only thing that pays off is Hugh Grant as the “Little Orange Man,” who seasoned viewers might refer to as an Oompa Loompa. While he has little screen time, Grant makes the most of it with his distinguished performance as a chocolate thief — setting the character apart from the singing factory workers we remember from Dahl’s books.
It’s difficult to comprehend how Chalamet received a Golden Globe nomination with his one-sided take on the iconic character. His performance shows all the fun from the young magician and chocolate maker. The thing that’s missing is the original film’s sense of dark mystery that surrounds such an enigma. Gene Wilder’s performance in the 1971 classic was the palate cleanser I needed after such a disappointing movie.
But with director Phil King, who set the industry standard for family-friendly movies after the success of the “Paddington” franchise, people will surely find a way into theaters this holiday season based on name recognition alone.
Mark my words, “Wonka” will be remembered as nothing more than a dark spot on Timothee Chalamet’s IMDb card.
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