OUR MOVIE REVIEW:

It’s not an easy feat to one-up a classic or even come close to its greatness, but Wonka excels in its sweetness and robust charm. While being more of a musical than expected, this Paul King confection delivers everything we’d want from a prequel to Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory with wondrous delight. 

The music is catchy, taking inspiration from several key memories from the original feature and allowing it to present something original - crafted with sincerity that couldn’t have been captured so perfectly without the proper ingredients. Timothée Chalamat delivers a brilliant portrayal of the young chocolate maker as he fights to make a name for himself in a town that at every attempt tries to run him out. His musical notes may at times feel a bit tweaked to fit the tune but his softness and optimism is worthy of a smile. 

The ensemble cast is an absolute delight as they deliver a wonderful display of the hopeful, the villainous and the corrupt surrounding Wonka’s ascent to his factory. Its dialogue is whimsical and full of Dahl moments that excel with the storybook direction of King. The largest question many had from the trailers was the inclusion of Hugh Grant as the Oompa-Loompa involved in this tale and I sure wish there was more of him. Grant is an absolute force as the grumpy Oompa-Loompa that takes revenge on Willy. The design works well within the confines of this film and for a movie revolving fantastical dance numbers, the wilder it gets the more enjoyment it produces in this otherwise dour world King has created with the work of Dahl. 

Paul King continues to do no wrong in the director’s chair as he has engineered one of the best of the year. It’s a tale engulfed in its sweet storytelling and lovely performances throughout. Wonka is a surprise in many ways but its greatest accomplishment is how well it manages to stand on its own for both fans of the book, those that love the films or anyone going in entirely blind. “Come with me and you'll be in a world of pure imagination”