Oompa loompa doompety doo — I have a half-baked prequel for you. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Wonka<\/a><\/strong> is a fascinating little film. It’s not another adaptation of Roald Dahl<\/a>‘s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory novel. Rather, this is an origin story for the iconic eccentric chocolatier Willy Wonka. This film tells an original tale that takes place years before Wonka sends out five golden tickets in his chocolate bars and hosts a tour of his factory. It’s not a story anyone was asking for, but if a movie can tell a story well, that’s all that matters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Furthermore, Wonka is a Paul King<\/a> confection. King is the director of the phenomenal Paddington movies. We also have Timoth\u00e9e Chalamet<\/a>, one of the most popular young actors in the industry, in the titular role, with an all-star supporting cast that includes Olivia Colman, Keegan-Michael Key, Rowan Atkinson, and Hugh Grant. How could this movie possibly go wrong? <\/p>\n\n\n\n Well, it all starts when you try to capitalize on the success of an age-old story and approach it with the sensibilities of a modern event film while losing all the charm that made the 1971 movie the masterpiece that it is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is a prequel that borrows heavily from that movie. It features the same type of Oompa Loompas with the same song, only this time, we have the British charms of Hugh Grant chewing up the scenery in a role he hated playing<\/a>. However, it doesn’t compare to that film at all. It’s better than Tim Burton’s oddly dark 2005 adaptation, but Wonka exists in the shadow of the 1971 movie for many reasons. Although the original movie definitely has its dark moments, it’s surprising how mean-spirited this movie can feel. The original story from Dahl was fun because it featured spoiled children getting consequences for their own terrible behavior. However, Wonka features the forced slavery and attempted murder of many nice characters, which is significantly less enjoyable to watch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n