ADMR – Wonka is a delight and reminds us of what movies are supposed to be – 4.75/5

Wonka: timing is everything

Ahhh, Christmas! There’s nothing like it, from Hollywood’s perspective. The season of giving. All the studios keep a magic bullet in the pipe to fire at the free-flowing cash spenders who are in the holiday spirit. I try not to fall victim to the obvious seasonal pandering flicks (like, say ‘Wish’). But even I could not avoid the hopeful anticipation of ‘Wonka’.

Wonka is a prequel to the original Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971), which is an unquestioned timeless classic at the level of Wizard of Oz, The Sound of Music and The Godfather. Creating a companion piece to it was a monumental undertaking and getting us to sign on was a big ask. Even the most optimistic moviegoer (as I am) couldn’t help but go in with more than a spoonful of skepticism. But Average Dudes & Dudies, I am here to tell you that those fears are for naught. Wonka is amazing.

Credit where credit is due

I’ll admit, going into Wonka, I was neither hot nor cold on Timothée Chalamet (who magnificently plays title character). I have tried – twice – to watch Dune. That movie will require a distraction-free viewing. I’ll need to be intentional about it at some point. And some of his other movie choices are, shall we say, not my cup of tea? Let’s say that.

Some really heavy stuff in his IMDB credits. Seriously, I don’t need to see Bones and All. A movie about modern-day American cannibalism is a bridge too far for the Average Dude. Fan or not, I admit that it takes a special talent to pull off movies like Call Me By Your Name and Beautiful Boy. So, kudos to you, Timothée.

Wonka starts out with Willy’s arrival in America from his adventures abroad, where he has amassed all the greatest chocolatier science, skills and mystical secrets that the world’s imagination had to offer. Armed with this, a dozen silver florins and his indomitable optimism, Wonka sets about making his dreams come true. For a dude that a) is more than willing to look at the bright side of things, b) visits the world of imagination on the daily (probably more than I should, tbh), and c) has never let go of his own childhood dream (not tellin’), Wonka immediately stuck to me like Milk Duds on your teeth.

And just like my favorite movie confectionery, Wonka is a sweet reminder that lingers in my head.

Wonka has that ‘OOOMPF’ that you are looking for

There are callbacks aplenty to the original masterpiece staring Gene Wilder, and none of them are gratuitous. Examples: the first appearance of the Oompa Loompa (played by the always awesome Hugh Grant), the chocolate river, many of his Wonka-isms and personality quirks. Each one is a deeper dive into the magical elements of the original that we took for GRANTed (see what I did there?). Those memberberries are delightful and excellently entrance and enhance the experience. And make no mistake…Wonka is an experience.

There’s no call for that kind of language, Suh…

Wonka incorporates musical numbers into the story that, also like the original, add to the whimsical essence of the film. Mostly new additions, it does bring back a couple of the classic tunes and even adds some new lyrics. I won’t spoil any of those for you, but I imagine you can figure out what songs I’m referring to.

If there is one tiny hit I can make on this movie, it would be that the choreography was a bit too much like the limited dance sequences in the original. We have become accustomed to some spectacular numbers (I am jonesing to see ‘Good Afternoon’ from ‘Spirited’ right now…). Going a little bit further in that direction would have been wonderful.

My 2 shillings worth

So, Mrs Average Dude goes with me to nearly all my movies. She likes them (generally), but they don’t get into her like they do for me. Most of the time, when asked if she liked a show, the answer is ‘It was okay’ or ‘meh’ or ‘I liked it’. In Wonka, we were about halfway through and she leaned into me and said ‘I. Love. This. Movie.’. Unsolicited endorsement. Mid-show. I need say nothing more but I will.

Sitting next to me, two seats down, was a pudgy child of roughly 8 or 9. He was dressed in his pjs (which I just now realized were candy cane striped just like a certain chocolate slurping boy in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory). He spoke in pretty much normal voice throughout the movie and was not seriously shushed by his parents. It was a distraction, of course. But the parallel to all the children of excess in that movie not only didn’t detract from Wonka…it somehow (magically?) enhanced it. It’s hard to explain but I do my best.

In Defense of Depp

In the Average Dude’s opinion: Johnny Depp’s turn as WW was, while separate from the other two, fantastic in its own right. You know what you are getting into when you go to a Tim Burton/Johnny Depp movie. And they do not disappoint. Was it magical? No, not really. But bizarre and entertaining? Without question. They’re just two different kinds of chocolate. One is most definitely darker than the other, but still quite tasty.

The Average Dude is enthusiastically, fervently, dynamically, whole-heartedly giving Wonka a 4.75 out of 5 golden tickets. See it this Christmas season in a theater if you can. Bring your chocolate, too. You’ll be craving it by movie’s end if you don’t.

Oh, and you might enjoy knowing that Average Dude went as ol’ WW a few Halloweens ago. Won first prize, too. Trust your Average Dude.

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