Origin stories can be hit ("Wicked" the musical) or miss (who even remembers "Oz the Great and Powerful"?). On that scale "Wonka" is closer to hit than miss, although it's far from a masterpiece. The film is funny, and has a number of witty ideas (many of which make it in the trailer, like the fine against daydreaming). It also has delicious characters, starting with Hugh Grant's Oompa Loompa, the real memorable character of the piece. It all rings true to the spirit of Roald Dahl, although the double missing mommy storyline felt somewhat forced. What prevents this movie from being great, however, is that it often stays in safe, blockbuster-friendly territory, and resists the Call of the Absurd that could have transcended it. The film is often more amusing than really funny and rather more cute than touching, while its dose of whimsy always feels extremely calibrated, like its CGI visuals. Yet it was easy to see how putting Mr Bean and a runaway giraffe together in a church could have led to wilder results than what we are ultimately given. Or how Keegan-Michael Key as the chief of police could have brought more as a supporting character. Maybe it's remembering Tim Burton's brand of humor, which was already in decline when he made "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" and yet felt more satirical than this very tame "Wonka". Or maybe seeing sweet, cloying Chalamet in a fantasy version of Paris reminded me of "The French Dispatch" and Wes Anderson's inimitable take on whimsy. In fact, if you really want a memorable take on Dahl, you should check out Anderson's short movies - I find them more personal and authentic than this very corporate friendly, very safe "Wonka".
Review of Wonka
