Wonka Review: Timothée Chalamet Struggles To Fully Embrace Willy Wonka In A Visually Vibrant Musical

Not every character needs an origin story, but Willy Wonka, the character from Roald Dahl’s 1964 novel Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, gets one in Wonka. Directed by Paul King, who co-wrote the screenplay with Simon Farnaby, Wonka attempts to bring the whimsical and light-hearted tone that melted our hearts in Paddington and its much-beloved sequel Paddington 2. But Wonka is not Paddington, and though it has its merits, an excellent supporting cast, and a few fun musical numbers, Wonka wobbles in its journey and storylines even while remaining heartfelt.

Willy Wonka (Timothée Chalamet) is a young and eccentric chocolate maker who’s excited to open up his chocolate shop in what he believes is a prime location. Upon his arrival, however, Wonka is quickly thwarted by a trio of chocolate sellers — played by Paterson Joseph, Matt Lucas, and Mathew Baynton — who see Willy as competition and have a monopoly on chocolate thanks to their deal with the police chief (Keegan-Michael Key). When Wonka stays the night at Mrs. Scrubbit’s (Olivia Colman), his inability to read the fine print puts him in her debt. Not wanting to work off his debt for the rest of his life, Wonka joins forces with the orphaned Noodle (Calah Lane), and the rest of Mrs. Scrubbit’s indentured servants (Jim Carter, Rakhee Thakrar, Natasha Rothwell, and Rich Fulcher) to win over the town and unearth the devious chocolate sellers’ schemes.

Wonka is not a terrible film, but it isn’t especially memorable, either. It’s got style, and the hair, makeup, costumes, and production design are excellent. They really pop from scene to scene and give Willy Wonka’s world a visual flair and sense of magic that is otherwise missing from the film’s script. The musical moments help bring the film to life, but the storylines are somewhat clunky and lacking in depth. This becomes more obvious as Wonka attempts to tie up loose ends by its finale. And while it’s a film that doesn’t ask too much of us as viewers, Wonka is caught between being zany and sentimental without fully embracing either. It made the viewing experience a strange one — I wanted to feel the sentiment and whimsy the film was clearly going for, but some of it felt forced and rather restrained. It’s a case of nostalgia being a stronger emotion than the film itself conveyed.

Timothée Chalamet feels miscast in the role, and though he is earnest and sweet (especially to Calah Lane’s Noodle), the actor wears the Wonka suit but rarely seems like he’s fully embodying the character. It’s almost as though he’s tip-toeing around Gene Wilder’s version of Willy Wonka, and isn’t sure how to make the role his own. To be sure, Chalamet has his moments, but his performance isn’t as bright or as memorable as it could have been. On the other hand, Lane is lovely as Noodle; she’s the right amount of precocious and sad, but not hopeless. She brings out the best in Chalamet’s Wonka, and the pair are quite good together.

The rest of the supporting cast is excellent, though many of them get less to do. Olivia Colman and Hugh Grant are scene-stealers. The former is living it up as Mrs. Scrubbit, and she takes delight in making everyone else’s lives miserable. Colman leans into the silliness and her shenanigans with Tom Davis’ Bleacher are chuckle-worthy. Paterson Joseph as Slugworth is delightfully villainous; he’s got panache and actually feels like a looming threat against Willy Wonka’s endeavors. And of course, who could forget Grant and, to a lesser, but no less funny extent, Rowan Atkinson as Father Julius? They give the funniest performances of the film. Meanwhile, Keegan-Michael Key is underused and his police chief’s love of chocolate is not only exploited, but his weight gain is played for laughs.

Overall, there’s something a bit disingenuous about Wonka. It’s entertaining, surely, and the kiddos will especially enjoy the story and the songs immensely. But it’s also sanitized sentimentality. Wonka looks great, and it’s occasionally heartfelt. It can be easy to get caught up in its eccentricities. At the same time, it’s definitely trying too hard to win us over with its charm, like a magic trick we’re wowed by, but only if we don’t think too much about it. Perhaps if Chalamet had been a better Willy Wonka, the movie may have had stronger legs to stand on. It’s worth seeing with younger audiences, though, who will delight in the spirit of the film, and the energy of the supporting cast.