I missed this movie when it was in theaters, it just seemed to pass me by, but now Easter is just about here and people love chocolate, this movie is available on streaming so now seems like the best time if ever to finally cover this film. This movie was a massive success but was also in the camp of movies that were musicals that did not advertise as such, which makes me concerned if the music was something they wanted to hide, not just to try and sell something that it is not. So let's see if this movie is a golden ticket, or perhaps just a chocolate bar with nothing else inside.
The movie follows Willy Wonka in a prequel story as he tries to find a world where he can express his creative thoughts, but also get him and his friends out of a massive and overwhelming debt while dealing with the chocolate cartel. Now going into this origin story, we have two versions of the same story, the Gene Wylder classic, and the Tim Burton remake, as well as a Broadway version that differs from those two, giving us four different Wonkas to work with, and how did this one do? I will not comment much on the Broadway version as I have not seen it or listened to it.
Timothee Chalmaine did a really good job, he though does not feel like he would become the one we know from the classic film, but he is super charming and did great. Having a likable lead goes a long way, most of the acting is enjoyable works for this world. Not as good as Gene's but definitely a step in the right direction and better than Depp's, and even has room to change and grow. The presentation is mostly good, looks like a warm and welcoming world most of the time. So the lead and the supporting help carry this film but what about the music
The music is like an assorted bag of chocolates of differing in quality leaving some favorites and some to be desired, of course, the remixes of the classics worked, but some of the new music is great. The two large group numbers were amazing and worked well, fitting in this charming world the movie created. Even though not all of the songs work, a good number do and can be enjoyed. The songs were not on par with the classic film but worked in their own way. The background score was filled with homages and so were a couple jokes which were nice as well, helping bring whimsy to the whimsical story and world.
This film is charming, I enjoyed it mostly. I enjoyed and intend to listen to a good number of songs, chuckled at some of the jokes, and enjoyed this. I would say it reminded me in some ways even with some side stories of the Netflix Matilda but in a good way. Some charming music, good presentation, and good action. Very much feels like a Rhold Dahl work, and fitting in the worlds and style he created. I enjoyed many things from the acting to the songs, and even some of the score, the fact that I enjoyed some of the new music was a surprise and treat I did not expect going in, but glad I found a couple new songs to listen to with the original as some good takes on classic songs we love.
The movie is great for people who are creative, whether in art, writing or in this case baking. The movie blooms with inspiration and encourages creativity, showing that big and bland businesses can not stop the dreamers of the world. The whimsical messages about dreaming and having an imagination not only fit for the world and characters but also the audience, the messages are well played and given well. Anyone who is of creative inclination should give this movie a watch, much like something like La La Land, it was made for dreamers.
Though I enjoyed this movie there were a few shortcomings that held the movie back for me, the CGI is not very good when used, the story lost itself a little bit in the last act before settling back in, and some of the writing was nothing special. The one major grip I have seen is people saying that this Wonka would not become the one in the classic Gene Wylder version, which I agree with because this one lacks the jaded cynicism and negative view that Charley would teach him. They just might make a sequel due to the nature of Hollywood and the success of this movie and if they do, they need to connect the dots better that leads to the classic film, which could even lead to a strong emotional impact to see such a hopeful young man lose that spark. This one is a wide eye dreamer wistful type from start to finish, but if I found myself viewing this as a different version it definitely softened the blow a little. There is a Broadway adaptation, and now three different film versions of this character, and I am sure there will be more, this is just one of them. It is just held back by using nostalgic music and not being truly original. But with these small grips aside, there as you see was plenty I did like.
This movie like a chocolate bar was short and sweet, maybe not my favorite flavor but one I would not mind having again a couple times. Maybe I will even like the movie more than I already do on a repeated viewing, I can see myself watching this from time to time and enjoying it. There is plenty to enjoy and I did enjoy it, this movie didn't have a lasting effect like the classic, but was sweeter than the Tim Burton version. A fun time for the whole family that is sweet and works in some ways, though it has some crunch in others, an overall enjoyable time and worth a viewing, with some good messages about dreaming and encouraging creativity. It reminded me of why I liked the Matilda movie musical that Netflix did not too long ago and this goes along with and is on par with that, a fun, musical family film.
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