December Madness: Wonka

As the title implies, for the rest of the month, I am going to dedicate time to writing a review (or two) each day to allow myself to catch up on movies/shows that have come out this year. I will step out of my comfort zone and even watch stuff I've never watched. As part of the season, I will be trying to cover as many movies as I can and eventually rank all of them. Keep in mind, I'm ONLY human and might need to avoid some movies for sanity's sake, but feel free to sit back, relax, and enjoy the first movie of my (hopefully first and not last) December Madness: WONKA!

PLOT: What a gripping story!

To start off the month with a story and idea this strong really does give me hope. That being said, this movie was directed by Paul King and written by him and Simon Farnaby, the team behind the pure cinema known as the Paddington duology. While Paul King is not doing Paddington 3, he did decide to do this and his writing and ideas are all on full display. It's a silly story about a chocolateer trying to make it big and by God do you feel a connection with it. The plot is tight and well-focused on this youthful take on Willy Wonka with a sprig of optimism and naivety. The pacing is great and the action engaging. Nothing in this movie feels like it's unnecessary which is rare of me to say.

CHARACTERS: Ya know...

I would've said three months ago that Willy Wonka should have only Wonka as the focus with the antagonists being Slugworth and other chocolate makers. However, this movie is greatly enhanced by its focus on other realistic people to add to Wonka's insanity. Of course, Timothee Chalamet delivers a knockout performance as Wonka. The trio of villains are delightfully devilish in so many ways and really sell the tone of the movie. The side characters are all memorable and distinct to the point where you really do get a good grasp of what their ambitions and stories are even without much explanation. There's a twist that, while predictable, builds the backstory of the orphan Noodle to a satisfying level and gives her a great arc about learning to trust people. Only one character really feels out of place and it's Lofty the Oompa-Loompa. Most of his scenes could be cut and likely replaced with other characters, but it's also a cardinal sin to remove Hugh Grant from any movie, so I'll let it slide.

SHOTS: Paul King!

Just as a quick stand aside, watch Paddington before watching this if you want a full idea of how wonderfully creative Paul King is as a director. His style is unmatched in how well it neatly shows without telling and sometimes how it shows while telling. He makes wordful paragraphs interesting and manages to make unengaging shots into something truly spectacular. The movie is shot very well and gives this grand purpose to the story through its sweeping cinematography and colorful set design. Just wonderful!

SOUND: One problem...

I love the musical numbers and everything about the sound design in this movie. It's whimsical, charminng, and a little strange, but delivers on the feel of the original Willy Wonka movie while also making its own path. That being said, they REALLY did not need to reuse "Pure Imagination" as much as they did. That being said, the reuse works at the end of the movie. Their reuse of the Oompa Loompa song is neat, but doesn't add much either besides explaining Lofty's story. It's still pretty solid in the musical department and works on the whole.

WRITING: Solid as always!

This film delivers a punch to your emotions through its writing. For the first half, it seems odd how some of the writing isn't as funny as you'd think. Then, jokes begin piling up as the second half delivers punchlines to things you didn't realize were being built up. Additionally, the plot also begins delivering payoffs for emotional beats that were being set up way in advance. Seeing Timothee Chalamet eating a chocolate bar towards the end of the film after knowing the context nearly got me choked up as I realized what the film had built up. Powerful and emotional all at the same time.

CONS: The one thing I can complain about?

The only thing I want to complain about is the use of "Pure Imagination" and the Oompa Loompas, but that's it. It feels like nostalgia bait, but it is done tastefully and quick so that people can't complain about it. That being said, it is a problem.

LITTLE THINGS: Man, these songs...

While the returning songs are divisive, all the musical numbers that are fresh and original are charming, colorful, and honestly so energetic. It's my favorite musical since Rocketman and that is high praise considering how much I loved Rocketman as a whole. This movie has such great musical numbers and delivers a ton of fun sequences with high energy and frenetic camerawork. So good.

VERDICT: A great movie elevated by all its tiny pieces.

This movie is a great movie at service level. What elevates it past a 7 or 8 is the tiny pieces that add to the many layers it already has. The music is great, but its frenetic use of it and diagetic musical numbers are a great topping to an already great frosting on top of this pie. The shots are great, but the use of color and the way transitions are used add to the filling of it. Lastly, the writing is great, but the acting and deliverance of these lines add to the crust to make this one of the best films of this last year. A solid flick filled with nostalgia and respect overall!

SCORE: 9.5/10, pure cinema!