Wonka movie review. Wonka, directed by Paul King, is based on Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, written by author Roald Dahl in 1964, and tells the origin story of the iconic chocolatier Willy Wonka. Of course, this cannot be called a complete adaptation, it presents the story of how the interesting chocolate maker became famous through a musical drama. This preliminary adaptation, starring Timothée Chalamet, follows the references of two films, including Mel Stuart’s 1971 classic and Tim Burton’s 2005 film.
When we have such a wonderful, passionate story before us that appears in various periods of history, it becomes essential to take a look at the style of the actors playing Willy Wonka. It is possible to say that the path of Gene Wilder, the mystical candy producer in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, shot in 1971, was poetic and hysterical at the same time. Wilder’s Wonka, who was looking for the taste at the end of the tunnel, was really sweet as candy, but he also had a psychopathic side! A cheater who is watching to destroy you by giving you everything you want!
Let’s come to that spirit, which Tim Burton brought back in a magnificent adaptation in 2005! Johnny Depp, who was a true star at the time, managed to leave his mark on his magnificent factory, for which he was looking for an heir, with his appearance and sick perspective, which everyone at that time compared to Michael Jackson.
Willy Wonka is a bit like this, but in the latest adaptation, Timothee Chalamet gives life to the main character as a bright soul who never lets his guard down and is an example of goodness. He has the air of an inventor who dreams of sharing his chocolate with the world! The passion for chocolate is definitely there, but it seems like some of the quirks and traces of the dark side have been erased. However, what we have before us is a movie that is absolutely exciting, satisfying and exhilarating with its old-fashioned musical. And the traditional approach seems to better align with the spirit of Dahl’s original story.
The story of the film begins with a delicious preliminary musical, and tells the story of Willy, a young man around the age of 25, who returns to London after a seven-year journey to add flavor to his candies and track down rare and different delicacies, and how he determinedly tries to hold on there.
If we get more into the weird part, Wonka, as a passionate chocolate maker, is weirder than the chocolate moguls who turn their business around by bribing the police and clergy with chocolate, and Mrs. Scrubbit, the hotel/laundromat owner who makes her tenants sign contracts with small print and forces them to work for her for years. not, in fact he seems more sane. In fact, most of the movie is spent with Willy Wonka making friends with people who are subject to the wrath of Bleacher and his partner, and looking for ways to escape slavery!
From Willy’s point of view, chocolate appears at a point of belief; It sanctifies it like a religion, and the fact that those who eat chocolate rise into the air with the power of the winged insect inside is a small part that reveals the pleasure of this belief. The fact that the police officer who came to confess confessed that he ate too much chocolate and gave chocolate to the priest as a bribe are ironic data showing that this belief is not empty.
It is no coincidence that this belief comes to life in the crazy performance of Chalamet, who brings Wonka to life. Wonka, who appears with a childlike sweetness, also contains traces of his past, as the longing for his mother, who instilled in him the love of making chocolate, emerges in the depths of his soul. In a sense, Wonka remains so committed to his passion to reach his mother.
There is a character in the production, which will be remembered as one of the successful musicals of recent years, that I am sure everyone will love. Entering the weird part of the movie is an Ooompa-Loompa named Lofty. This entertaining character, brought to life by Hugh Grant with all his cuteness, turns into a thief in search of Wonka’s delicious chocolates and makes the audience smile with his 44 cm height whenever he appears on the screen. Hugh Grant’s dancing for Paddington 2 also worked well.
The film has a bit of an old-fashioned magic to it, similar to Paul King’s Paddington films, and I don’t mean that in a negative way. There are also several movie components; Mary Poppins, maybe a little Matilda. If we look at the movie from a perspective other than adaptation, it is more possible to get those great tastes.
Wonka (2023)
Directed by: Paul King
Starring: Timothée Chalamet, Calah Lane, Keegan-Michael Key, Paterson Joseph, Matt Lucas, Mathew Baynton, Sally Hawkins, Rowan Atkinson, Jim Carter, Tom Davis, Olivia Colman, Hugh Grant
Screenplay by: Simon Farnaby, Paul King
Production Design by: Nathan Crowley
Cinematography by: Chung-hoon Chung
Film Editing by: Mark Everson
Costume Design by: Lindy Hemming
Art Direction by: Roxana Alexandru, Andrea Borland, Gavin Fitch
Music by: Neil Hannon (songs), Joby Talbot (score)
MPAA Rating: PG for some violence, mild language and thematic elements.
Distributed by: Warner Bros. Pictures
Release Date: December 15, 2023
Visits: 484
