Wonka (2023)
December 25, 2023 11:56 AM - Subscribe
Willy Wonka’s musical origin story, directed by Paul King of Paddington and staring Timothée Chalamet as the eponymous Wonka, Hugh Grant as an Oompa Loompa, plus appearances by just about everybody else in showbiz.
As of the copy of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory I read in the early 70s, the relationship between Wonka and the Oompa Loompa was always one of business to their mutual advantage - is there an earlier slavery-based version?
posted by Grangousier at 12:41 PM on December 25, 2023
posted by Grangousier at 12:41 PM on December 25, 2023
The Depressing Truth About Willy Wonka's Oompa Loompa:
In the first edition of Dahl's novel, Oompa Loompas were Black pygmies Willy Wonka imported from "the deepest and darkest part of the African jungle," according to Jeremy Treglown's Roald Dahl: A Biography. In 1970, the NAACP issued a statement expressing concerns about the racist portrayal of the Oompa Loompas in light of the then-upcoming film. Dahl himself showed sympathy for their stance, and re-imagined them in the 1973 edition as having "golden-brown hair" and "rosy-white" skin.posted by autopilot at 1:02 PM on December 25, 2023 [6 favorites]
Fans of the UK Ghosts will note that the movie was co-written by Simon Farnaby (who plays the trouserless MP on the sitcom) and also has a small role in the movie. Also with a small role is Charlotte Ritchie, who plays Alison the homeowner on the sitcom. Matthew Baynton is also in the movie as one of the villainous chocolatiers and plays the long deceased poet with a crush on Alison on Ghosts.
posted by 41swans at 9:24 AM on December 26, 2023 [3 favorites]
posted by 41swans at 9:24 AM on December 26, 2023 [3 favorites]
Except for Hugh Grant's scenes, this film didn't work at all. It might be nice for fans of Harry Potter who have not seen the 1971 film, but not for me.
Those Oompa Loompa scenes though. When the Oompa Loompa first appears, his head is reflected in the lid of a glass jar, so it resembles those of the vintage Oompa Loompas. Nice touch there, but it's not enough to redeem the rest of the film and its monosyllabic songwriting.
Most of the time it felt like a failed attempt to rip off Sweeney Todd.
posted by abraxasaxarba at 3:59 PM on December 26, 2023
Those Oompa Loompa scenes though. When the Oompa Loompa first appears, his head is reflected in the lid of a glass jar, so it resembles those of the vintage Oompa Loompas. Nice touch there, but it's not enough to redeem the rest of the film and its monosyllabic songwriting.
Most of the time it felt like a failed attempt to rip off Sweeney Todd.
posted by abraxasaxarba at 3:59 PM on December 26, 2023
Took my ten year old son to see this and he quite enjoyed it. The laundry debt bondage plotline was pretty good. In contrast to the original this had a few subtle anticapitalist touches: the cops working for the chocolate cartel, the small print in the contract used to enslave people who can't understand it. Seemed like a decent movie on the whole but nothing really outstanding.
posted by TheophileEscargot at 8:32 AM on December 27, 2023
posted by TheophileEscargot at 8:32 AM on December 27, 2023
This review from the SFGate is a hoot:
'Wonka' has no reason to exist
Some bits: In its never-ending quest to milk the IP teat until it’s red and raw, Warner Bros. decided to make an origin story movie about Willy Wonka... They also made this origin story a musical, which I didn’t realize until I was already in my seat and couldn’t escape... The good news is that, taken on its own, “Wonka” is a perfectly acceptable family comedy... The songs here are lousy, but I consider that an enormous benefit because they didn’t get stuck in my head...
posted by DirtyOldTown at 2:34 AM on December 28, 2023
'Wonka' has no reason to exist
Some bits: In its never-ending quest to milk the IP teat until it’s red and raw, Warner Bros. decided to make an origin story movie about Willy Wonka... They also made this origin story a musical, which I didn’t realize until I was already in my seat and couldn’t escape... The good news is that, taken on its own, “Wonka” is a perfectly acceptable family comedy... The songs here are lousy, but I consider that an enormous benefit because they didn’t get stuck in my head...
posted by DirtyOldTown at 2:34 AM on December 28, 2023
Seeing Wonka on the big screen was the right choice.
Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971) is a perfect film, and it did not need to be remade once, let alone twice, but I'm willing to let that pass for getting us this film. The audience of adults and children I saw this with clearly loved it, laughing, cheering, and gasping at all the right points. I'll buy this in physical media and may well see it again in the theater.
The complaints about the music... I don't know. Let's see what people say in ten years. The 1971 film's music is iconic, but rarely have I met people who can sing more than a bar or two of any of the songs. Wonka has some nice bits, and Timothée Chalamet sang well, as did Calah Lane.
It should also be said, of course, that Timothée Chalamet isn't Gene Wilder. This doesn't feel like 1971. And that's great. This isn't an attempt to remake the classic, but is instead something else, and it is delightful.
posted by cupcakeninja at 12:31 PM on December 29, 2023 [3 favorites]
Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971) is a perfect film, and it did not need to be remade once, let alone twice, but I'm willing to let that pass for getting us this film. The audience of adults and children I saw this with clearly loved it, laughing, cheering, and gasping at all the right points. I'll buy this in physical media and may well see it again in the theater.
The complaints about the music... I don't know. Let's see what people say in ten years. The 1971 film's music is iconic, but rarely have I met people who can sing more than a bar or two of any of the songs. Wonka has some nice bits, and Timothée Chalamet sang well, as did Calah Lane.
It should also be said, of course, that Timothée Chalamet isn't Gene Wilder. This doesn't feel like 1971. And that's great. This isn't an attempt to remake the classic, but is instead something else, and it is delightful.
posted by cupcakeninja at 12:31 PM on December 29, 2023 [3 favorites]
Baffling reviews here. Why compare a film that is not trying to be the 1971 film with it? This was lots of fun and a truly great kids film. And I thought the songs were good.
posted by Cannon Fodder at 10:17 AM on December 30, 2023 [5 favorites]
posted by Cannon Fodder at 10:17 AM on December 30, 2023 [5 favorites]
Cannon Fodder, I agree with your assessment of the film. That said, I think this one is (unfortunately) ripe for fault-finding because the 1971 film is iconic, Dahl has been in the news due to the recent publication of some newly edited editions, and the 2005 remake is controversial for various reasons. The FanFare post for the 2005 film covers similar territory.
posted by cupcakeninja at 6:17 AM on December 31, 2023
posted by cupcakeninja at 6:17 AM on December 31, 2023
I took my grandson (5) to see this yesterday, and
1/ In a first for him he stayed awake the whole two-and-a-half hours
2/ Contrary to expectations coming from both the trailer and the first two minutes of the film, it was delightful. Yes, delightful, exactly as cupcakeninja has said, that's the first word that occurred to me to describe it. Lovely sparkly witty script, I laughed out loud all the way through. I mean, not that all the 2 year olds and 3 year got those particular word play little jokes, but I (and in a different way the boy) were totally won over. And I will see it again before it leaves the cinemas. And it's not a remake, it's a prequel, a new story. Though it does nothing to explain what went wrong with Wonka's soul afterwards.
There was one thing I didn't like, the way Hugh Grant's head didn't match up to his body language. Very uncanny valley, I wish they had chosen another technique to make the little man. There have been comments Hugh Grant is the best thing in the film, but much as I enjoy Unpleasant Hugh Grant I don't agree. I did love seeing the main villain relish being so unctuously evil/evilly unctuous, and the rest of their Cabal.
posted by glasseyes at 2:02 AM on January 3 [2 favorites]
1/ In a first for him he stayed awake the whole two-and-a-half hours
2/ Contrary to expectations coming from both the trailer and the first two minutes of the film, it was delightful. Yes, delightful, exactly as cupcakeninja has said, that's the first word that occurred to me to describe it. Lovely sparkly witty script, I laughed out loud all the way through. I mean, not that all the 2 year olds and 3 year got those particular word play little jokes, but I (and in a different way the boy) were totally won over. And I will see it again before it leaves the cinemas. And it's not a remake, it's a prequel, a new story. Though it does nothing to explain what went wrong with Wonka's soul afterwards.
There was one thing I didn't like, the way Hugh Grant's head didn't match up to his body language. Very uncanny valley, I wish they had chosen another technique to make the little man. There have been comments Hugh Grant is the best thing in the film, but much as I enjoy Unpleasant Hugh Grant I don't agree. I did love seeing the main villain relish being so unctuously evil/evilly unctuous, and the rest of their Cabal.
posted by glasseyes at 2:02 AM on January 3 [2 favorites]
This is a musical remake of Breaking Bad. I mean, you have a guy who can make "chocolate" better than anybody, the "chocolate" literally gets people high, he has a youthful protoge, he recruits a gang of desperately poor "chocolate" users to help him sell his product on the streets. There is a violent confrontation with rival chocolate cartels, innocents get poisoned, things explode, and Wonka triumphs thanks to his superior product and the help of a violently competent not quite ally.
Maybe Breaking Bad is a stretch, but omg it is about drug crime.
posted by surlyben at 1:05 PM on January 31 [3 favorites]
Maybe Breaking Bad is a stretch, but omg it is about drug crime.
posted by surlyben at 1:05 PM on January 31 [3 favorites]
This was clearly written for someone to play in a brassy, zany way, like vintage Jim Carrey.
Timothy Chalamet is... not that.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 6:39 PM on February 7
Timothy Chalamet is... not that.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 6:39 PM on February 7
I enjoyed it but the sooner we ban fat suits everywhere the better.
posted by ellieBOA at 1:13 PM on February 24 [1 favorite]
posted by ellieBOA at 1:13 PM on February 24 [1 favorite]
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As Hugh Grant says, his Oompa Loompa song will haunt your dreams. This also rewrites their history as no longer enslaved by Wonka but instead sort of business partners.
Overall the musical numbers didn’t connect with me and, after his part in Schmigadon, I was hoping that maybe Key would have some songs. Many of the cameos seemed under used; how do you cast Mr Bean and not have some serious comedy?
posted by autopilot at 12:31 PM on December 25, 2023