Usually, in the case of movies, these stories are about taking rough production circumstances and making something great in spite of that. Films like Star Wars or Stalker are great not just because they are well made films but because they were well made in spite everything going against the film during the process of making it.
In the case of today's topic, we see a slightly different underdog narrative. Instead of a harrowing production, we see a case where a film premise is so bad that it should have been an absolute disaster. I was expecting to see one of the worst movies of the year only to find the movie Wonka to be...pretty ok.
But first, I should establish my mindset before I started this film.
So I am no stranger to Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. It's without much opposition to be one of the greatest family films of all time. It's held sacred for a lot of people, and it's hard not to be taken by its absolute charm and whimsy. So like a lot things that are held in high regard, it's not long before executives try to exploit that for box office gains. There was Charlie and the Chocolate Factory which was met with polarizing reviews. And shortly after the death of Gene Wilder, they would announce a prequel because "hey remember Wonka!?!?" So yeah, there was a lot of resentment leading up to this movie.
Then, the first trailer came out, and things started to look pretty grim. While you have Paul King, director of the delightful Paddington movies, everything looked like just another misguided idea turned into a plane that crashes and burn.
What ended up happening is similar to when Sully landed the plane in the Hudson. It's miraculously what was achieved, but the plane still fucking crashed.
The point of contention is that Willy Wonka has a lot of grit and almost cynicism under the hood. In the movie specifically, you have a Willy Wonka disillusioned by the harsh realities of capitalism and adulthood. Almost all the side characters are immoral in some way with the bratty Golden Ticket winners, Slugworth seemingly being a malicious businessman, and the annoying parents. The character of Willy Wonka is more an exploration of these themes rather than an actual character. To make a prequel that explores Wonka as a person is about as ill-conceived as making a prequel series of the Three Little Pigs going to trade school.
It's also misguided to try to make a happy go lucky film about a character who we know turns into a resigned and idealistic candy man.
So a production company takes a story with social commentary in its subtext, tries to make a watered down version of that story, and tries to make a buck off of it. Welcome to post-2010 Hollywood.
It really shows how a bad premise can really kneecap a story. If this was an original story, aside from people calling it a bootleg Willy Wonka, I don't think this film would have much resentment. In terms of the actual bad in the film, there are only a few things worth noting.
First, it should go without saying that the casting director responsible for casting Timothée Chalamet as Willy Wonka should never work in entertainment ever again. I understand the pressure to have a celebrity prop up the movie, but ol Timmy wasn't the one. He is a charisma vacuum in this film. You know it's bad when I had to look up whether Chalamet was part of some Christian cult. Wonka had those evangelical eyes where there's no life behind them. You know what I am saying?
The music also felt meh? Objectively, they seem well written and the sequences are well made. I don't know if it is the mixing or the talent of the singers, but I didn't feel enchanted by the music. It felt like every song had the draw of Cheer Up Charlie.
It's all so watered down which is why it fascinates me that I still mildly enjoyed the film despite having a lot of core problems. Maybe seeing this on an airplane lowered my standards. It's hard to be mad at a movie when you are too busy being mad at the spotty WI-FI.
I think it's all ode to Paul King. You can see his infectious direction shine through the mud of corporate notes.
It seems Paul King took a premise he had a little control over, found the pieces he could control, and try to make those snippets as creative and memorable as possible. The stuff with the laundry mat and authorities being bribed by chocolate come to mind. Paul King fought tooth and nail to get this film working.
You also got a few stand outs. Olivia Colman and Keegan Michael Key seem to bear the weight Chalamet couldn't carry. They seem to understand the direction Paul King is trying to go for. An ode to not just Willy Wonka but Roald Dahl's entire legacy. The film gives off major Matilda vibes where the atmosphere has a fantastical yet upholding this salt-of-the-earth feel. As my mom called it, a folksy fantasy which exemplifies Roald Dahl as a story teller.
So kudos to Paul King. He landed a failing plane without killing anyone, and I was able to tune out two hours of my airplane ride full of crying babies and boomers. My only frustration left is the same with all these cash grab reboots and remakes. Here we have one of the most talented filmmakers, with an equally talented production crew, and they were used to make a film that seems already forgotten about. Instead of spending their creative energy making the next Matilda or Willy Wonka, they spent it making a passable shrine of those classics.
The song ends with a rendition of Pure Imagination. A choice with irony so delicious they could make chocolate out of it.
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