Wonka (2023) Review: Is Being "Cute" Enough?

The question in the title says it all.

Wonka (2023) is a cute film, but in true Willy Wonka form, it is nonsensical and spastic. I enjoyed the film but didn't go to my nearest movie theater thinking I'd leave a changed man. I had skepticism, and rightfully so; there are so many reboots and modernized origin stories of classics at this point, and often, they stay within the realm of "safe" writing. They seem to try to tip-toe around the idea of innovating old stories but ultimately remain in their comfort zones. I didn't want the film to be experimental in any way, shape, or form, but the story itself was bland and uninspired. So, I think if the stakes were higher, or if the filmmakers decided to attempt a more daring story arc, then there could have been a lot of good things to say about Wonka.

One of the most important tools I use to judge a film nowadays is what I deem as "the chances of me seeing this film again." Rewatchability is an important factor for any art medium, and there are two main factors to this idea: firstly, will the movie age well, or does it

have too many modern nuances that place it within a strict setting? Secondly, does the film hook its viewers and create a desire to rewatch it? I do not think Wonka succeeded at the latter. I could see a child rewatching this film, especially if they are at or below the age of 12. This is just a long, drawn-out way to say that this film is forgettable, and in fact, I'm struggling to remember much of the finer details of Wonka even as I write this. Again, I enjoyed it; it was cute and entertaining but failed to do anything gripping enough to warrant more than a single watch (if that).

I generally don't like being negative, especially over a light-hearted kids' film that doesn't do anything inherently abrasive, so I do want to discuss something I was pleasantly surprised by. Way too often, when I decide to give a musical a chance, I find that there is often a lack of musical numbers (or enjoyable music numbers). But I can say that this is where Wonka thrived for me; the music was well distributed throughout and didn't make me roll my eyes when Timothée Chalamet broke into song. The numbers were also smooth and worked in well by not taking away any immersion. The music is also where the writing showed off its best features; they were emotional, heartfelt, and creative. They also used some classic Wonka songs at opportune times, adding a nice touch. One last thing I will say about the music in Wonka is that the singing itself isn't the best. Not that the actors and actresses are bad at singing, because I am in no place to judge, but it was like there was something off in the mixing or audio editing. It sounded slightly off, but it's not a big deal; just something I noticed.

There is something that I am still torn on about Wonka, that being the Oompa Loompa played by Hugh Grant. I am having a hard time wrapping my head around why he was only in four scenes (unless I counted wrong). While I don't think that Hugh's character would have

made the film better if he were more involved; it seemed strange that this heavily advertised "sidekick" was glazed over completely. But on the other end of the spectrum, I can safely say it may be a silver lining. Personally, I find the funny/funny looking/weird sounding nonhuman sidekick archetype old, but they are still prominent within kids' films. These characters have always seemed like low-brow comedy props that don't need to be clever to try to gain the audience's respect. So it's hard to say if more Oompa Loompa is better than none, but no matter what, the writers failed to create an interesting side character to wring out the film's personality.

In conclusion, Wonka (2023) is a cute film that leaves much to be desired by an older audience. The writing is average, the story is bland, and the characters fail to pull you into their world. It's not a serious film, but it is forgettable. It's worth a watch once, but I wouldn't waste your time after that.

Score: 5.75/10

How my movie score calculator works: The calculator is formed by what I deem to be a movie's five most important aspects. Each category can earn full marks of up to two points or as low as 0. The sum of the categories creates the film's final score on a ten point scale.

Score:

Enjoyment: 0-2

Cinematography: 0-2

Writing & Plot: 0-2

Acting: 0-2

Style & Consistency: 0-2

Wonka (2023)

1.25

1

1.25

1.25

1

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5.75/10