On December 15, 2023, Wonka, the prequel to Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory starring Timothée Chalamet hit theaters. Media compares Wonka and Timothée’s performance to the previous movies about Willy Wonka, but Wonka takes an approach to telling the story that the other movies don’t.

Immediately, I was captivated by Wonka’s fun and joyful spirit. For most of the movie, I found myself ear to ear smiling over its goofiness. For those two hours, I felt like a kid again. I grew up a huge fan of the original and would watch it on repeat (not so much Burton’s because it scared me). I couldn’t believe the feeling I got while watching could be replicated, and that’s not to say Wonka fully succeeded, but I’m surprised at how close it came. I was surprised by how much singing there was (yes, I knew it was a musical), but the song numbers tend to work better than the conversations (some songs are bop, some FLOP). The delivery of the dialogue became painful at times, but Timothée Chalamet delivers a strong performance, as does the rest of this great ensemble.

Focusing on Chalamet, he provides a new, innocent, childlike perspective on the well-known character of Willy Wonka. There were parts when he felt like the perfect fit for the role, and it is obvious he is giving it his all, but he just is too cool. It is hard to describe, but he just doesn’t seem like the type of guy to sing the words “noodle noodle apple strudel” or pursue a career in chocolate making. Besides his performance, the heartwarming movie hopes to make the audience shed a sentimental tear or two, but is mainly to amuse, delight, and inspire cheers when the bad guys are finally defeated. The characters are fascinating and the storyline is brilliant.

Overall, the joyous film will leave you with the desire to cherish the little moments in life and will have you feeling childlike joy.

Final review: 4/5 stars