Your skepticism is understandable. Even warranted.
Because when you get right down to it, there are more good reasons “Wonka” shouldn’t work than reasons it should.
Chief among them is the inescapable fact that the whole musical exercise — did I mention it’s a break-out-in-song musical? — feels on some level akin to sacrilege.
That’s the danger when a Hollywood studio (in this case Warner Bros.) deigns to invent a backstory for one of the most beloved character creations (in this case Willy Wonka) of one of the world’s most revered children’s authors (in this case Roald Dahl).
So, yes, you’re right: They can call it a tribute all they want, but it still feels like a naked cash grab.
But.
Just because something shouldn’t work doesn’t mean it won’t. And against all logic, against the most skeptical of expectations, “Wonka” works.
Funny and colorful
Admittedly, it won’t likely supplant 1971’s “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory” in many people’s hearts as the definitive cinematic adaptation of Dahl’s “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.” Still, it is a delight in its own right, a sweet, funny, colorful and suitably wondrous burst of family-friendliness.
As well produced as it otherwise is, “Wonka” could have used a little help with its script, which — built around a staggeringly pat “secret” to delicious chocolate — lacks anything resembling genuine emotional resonance.
Still, there’s something to be said for empty-calorie fun.
The story is simple: A young, pre-fame-and-fortune Willy Wonka arrives in London with little more than a dream to make the world’s best chocolate — and in so doing to make people happy.
Alas, various corrupt but amusing forces conspire to keep him from that dream, including a predatory innkeeper (Olivia Colman), a chocoholic constable (Keegan-Michael Key), a revenge-minded Oompa Loompa (Hugh Grant) and a ruthless chocolate cartel.
Third-act triumph
Not everybody is out to get him, though. Along the way, his generous spirit wins him friends who will help him sing and dance his way to the inevitably happy third-act triumph.
Going in, I was as skeptical as you. But within the first two minutes of séeing Timothée Chalamet as a young and hungry Wonka, I found myself muttering out loud, “Oh, this is going to be fun.”
Chalamet is a big part of that, of course. Hollywood’s current It boy, he has already proven he’s a fine dramatic actor. In “Wonka,” he shows he can also be both funny and effortlessly charming, in addition to being a passable song-and-dance man.
The real reason “Wonka” works as well as it does, though, is its writer-director, Paul King.
If you know King’s name, it’s probably from his work on 2014’s “Paddington,” another adaptation of a beloved British literary work — and another film that surprised critics and audiences with just how much fun it ended up being.
With “Wonka,” he delivers again, as his aesthetic and storytelling sensibilities mesh perfectly with Dahl’s.
A baked-in danger?
Therein lies the baked-in danger in adapting the work of an author with such a distinct vision: You want your film to feel like a Dahl-inspired movie, of course — but you can’t look like you’re trying too hard to do it. The second it feels contrived or false, the spell is broken.
Fortunately, King’s natural storytelling voice proves a perfect fit for the work of Dahl.
Is his “Wonka” a world of pure imagination? Of course not. It’s a prequel to one of two adaptations of a book. It is by definition derivative.
Similarly, the Broadway-ready musical numbers, while often fun, don’t quite boast the same earworm quality of those from the 1971 original.
In fact, King’s decision to steer largely clear of those original numbers — with a couple of notable exceptions — is among the film’s biggest disappointments, like seeing a rock band that insists on playing only its new stuff.
Also left unaddressed is how Willy Wonka transformed from such a sweet and loving kid to the creepy, slightly scary Gene Wilder version from the 1971 film.
I guess Warner Bros. and King could be holding back that particular story for a “Wonka” sequel.
Which totally shouldn’t work.
But, then again …
Mike Scott can be reached at moviegoermike@gmail.com.
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"WONKA"
3 stars, out of 4
CAST: Timothée Chalamet, Calah Lane, Olivia Colman, Hugh Grant, Keegan-Michael Key, Peterson Joseph, Matt Lucas, Matthew Baynton, Sally Hawkins, Rowan Atkinson.
DIRECTOR: Paul King.
RATED: PG
TIME: 1 hour 56 minutes.
WHEN AND WHERE: Opens Friday (Dec. 15) in wide release.