Magical Storytelling: Wonka
Charming and delightful, "Wonka" gives us what we didn't know we needed.
My husband and I went to see the new Wonka movie this past weekend. We both went in with serious reservations. We were thinking, “Do we really need yet another Willy Wonka movie?”
The short answer is. YES.
Why aren’t the old versions good enough?
Before I go into the details of why, we need to take a closer look at the two older versions of this movie.
Like many people, I grew up on the classic 1971 “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.” The story follows Charlie Bucket and sticks pretty well to his narrative with some really great scenes with his family. The music is fun, the chocolate factory is amazing, though they were limited by technology of the day to stick exactly to Roald Dahl’s book Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Instead of squirrels cracking walnuts, we get geese laying golden eggs.
However fun this movie was, Wonka slightly terrified me as a kid because he seemed so unhinged. Kind, but intense. I didn’t trust his unpredictability.
Fast forward to 2005 for Tim Burton’s “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.” This version corrects some of the plot differences of the first movie because – technology – but it skews way out there in terms of plot. While Charlie Bucket is as sweet as ever, and his family’s story fleshed out even more, Johnny Depp takes Wonka’s character beyond weird. It’s a little endearing, and I’ll admit I laughed to tears at the burning puppets before the kids go into the factory. I love off-the-wall humor like that.
But there are some serious issues in suspending disbelief with Wonka’s backstory with his dentist father and his maturity as an adult in running such a big operation. Then there’s his questionability of being entrusted with children. Some people felt his character went too far off the deep end. I’m inclined to agree.
The problem is the more off-kilter Wonka’s character, the less we can relate to him. He is pretty wacky in Dahl’s book, so it’s understandable why the movies took his character so far. (If you haven’t read Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator, things make even less sense. lol) Besides this, I was never very satisfied as to why Wonka was giving away his factory to a kid to begin with.
The New World of Wonka
Enter “Wonka” of 2023. Why do we need this movie?
First of all, this isn’t another retelling of the original book. This is Wonka’s backstory, so it’s completely original. What makes this movie overwhelmingly successful is the instant connection we have to Willy Wonka. He’s out to fulfill a childhood dream tied to his mother with his amazing, magical talent for making chocolates. (heartstrings and tears anyone??)
Timothée Chalamet is having a moment right now. (I loved him in “Dune”, not so much in “Little Women”, but then I’m biased to Christian Bale.) I was curious how he would portray such a well-loved character and how the character would be written in the first place. Oh boy. Hold onto my chocolate bar…
I can’t tell you how much I was blown away.
Timothée’s version of Wonka is beautifully kind-hearted. He’s got a 0 on the creep-meter while still wonderfully capable of spinning magic. (Finally!) This magic isn’t really explained and the “how” of his creations isn’t revealed, but since this is Wonka we’re talking about, I don’t think an explanation is needed. His friendships with the down-trodden characters in the movie, especially Noodle (played by the beautiful, talented Calah Lane), are such a treasure. And he can sing?! His voice is lovely to listen to, all the music is gorgeous and clever with heart-warming messages without being too achingly sweet.
Of course, there’s a darker side to all of these hearts and rainbows. There are five villains in this movie. Sound like a lot to juggle? The writers intertwine their nefarious plots with Wonka’s goals expertly adding much-needed tension to the story. What I love most about them is that the villains are almost Dickensian: sinister while being slightly ridiculous at the same time. They were such fun!
A World of Pure Imagination
I literally smiled the entire time watching this. (I’m not exaggerating.) It’s been so long since I’ve seen such a charming, delightful movie! What struck me the most was that I finally, finally felt the magic of candy and chocolate in Willy Wonka’s world. And I really think it has a lot to do with how Wonka’s character was written. He is kooky, but in a fun, approachable (non-distracting) way. There’s substance and purpose behind what he does with chocolate as the vehicle to make those things happen. Things that matter, and people who matter to him.
I know not everyone will agree with me, but this is how I want to remember Wonka and the magic of making and sharing candy with the world, which is the wonder behind his factory to begin with. I can relate with that, because it’s how I feel when I make food and share it with my family, friends, or even the world online. I think it’s a universal truth that creation and sharing those creations is part of human nature. It’s something we need for creating connections with each other, which is what “Wonka” is all about.
This movie is full of powerful storytelling and magic, and it’s going to stay with me for some time. I do hope you go see it. You’ll be enchanted!
I was on the fence about seeing it, but after hearing your reaction, I've got to!! How delightful!!