0
0
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory will be a memorable movie in my life. When I was in Kansas City with my grandparents, my mom and aunt took my brother and me to a chocolate shop. Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory were on the television. At the time, I had never seen the movie, so my mom went out and rented it for us. Watching the Oompa Loompas and listening to the music was fun. It also made eating chocolate very fun. In 5th grade, one of the books we read was Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. The book was fun to read and different from the movie. Now, the book and movie live on in my life. My inner circle is called the Chocolate Factory. I am Willy of the group, while my friends are named after different characters. They are my best friends, and I enjoy calling each other the Chocolate Factory. It makes us a fun group to be part of.
When a prequel/origin story to the Willy Wonka film was announced, and it starred Timothée Chalamet in the title role, I was very skeptical. I didn’t know what to expect. When I saw Hugh Grant as an Oompa Loompa, I rolled my eyes and thought, why bother seeing this movie. I will be the first to admit I was wrong and highly enjoyed this film. The film serves as an origin story. Willy Wonka (Chalamet) arrives in Europe to establish his chocolate shop at the Galeries Gourmet. Wonka couldn’t make it through the day until all his savings were spent. He is coerced to stay at Mrs. Scrubitt’s (Colman) boardinghouse by her henchman Bleacher (Davis). An orphan named Noodle (Lane) tries to warn him, but Wonka signs the contract because he is illiterate. Wonka says he will pay his wages by becoming a great chocolatier. The next day, he goes where he wants to open his shop and explains he has a new chocolate that can make people fly. The three big shots, known as the Chocolate Cartel, mock him until they start flying. Wonka is quickly punished and has his funds confiscated by the Chief of police. We soon learn that Wonka must deal with the Chocolate Cartel and Mrs. Scrubitt.
The film is delightful because we get a background look at Willy’s life before he becomes DONE with the world in the future movie. In this film, Willy’s biggest inspiration was his mother, played by the beautiful and talented Sally Hawkins. Willy’s mother gave him a coco bean every day until his birthday and made the best chocolate he had ever had. Throughout the film, we see Willy’s love of chocolate, but he is a master inventor of making chocolate from traveling the world. If you listen closely to him and look at his case, he has many different ingredients that he can use to make mind-blowing chocolate.
The story gets going when Willy recruits everyone that he is locked up with to help him sell chocolate and open his own shop. Willy’s chocolate is a hit around town as everyone has particular chocolate, from dancing to hair growth to all other things. Chasing Willy is the Chief of Police, played by Keegan-Michael Key, who has a MAJOR chocolate addiction and is in cahoots with the Chocolate Cartel. The running joke in the film is the weight gain that the Chief is going through. Homeboy eats boxes of candy like drinking water. He would’ve drunk the whole thing if there was a chocolate river.
The film also introduces Lofty, a high-maintenance Oompa Loompa. Lofty was banished from his home because Willy came and took three cocoa beans while he was on guard. Willy claims that a little orange man with green hair is stealing from him, but no one believes him. Really? Some of the stuff you see Willy do, and y’all don’t believe this. I have mixed feelings about Grant’s performance. He was good, funny, and one of the highlights, but he seemed angry. Also, you couldn’t find anyone else and keep the tradition going by using little people?
With this being a musical, it has a ton of songs. There wasn’t one song I could put my finger on that made it strong and memorable. You know what? That is okay. The film still had Pure Imagination. I started to tear up when Willy sang that song as Noodle went to her mother. It reminded me of my own mom. You can never go wrong with using Pure Imagination. Besides that, the other songs were funny, but meh. The song between the Chocolate Cartel and the ChiefChief was fun but showed the ChiefChief could be bought for candy. The song sung by the people in Mrs. Scrubitt’s debt was also good and felt like a prison song.
I must give credit where credit is due. Timothée Chalamet as Willy Wonka was fantastic. Chalamet seemed to have had a lot of fun doing this role. He seemed like a little kid in a candy shop, no pun intended. Whenever he was on the scene, you could feel the delight in his voice or see the joy in his face. It made you want to go after your own dreams. It is hard following in the footsteps of Gene Wilder, who had a dark version of Willy Wonka. The Johnny Depp version was bizarre but entertaining. Chalamet pulled off his performance with pure happiness. Bravo to you Mr. Chalamet.
Wonka is an excellent film that everyone should go and see. Stop by the concession stand and get your favorite candy. Even though the music isn’t memorable, it still has pure imagination. The plot is interesting with the Chocolate Cartel and shows the beginnings of Willy Wonka. The cast is phenomenal, with each person bringing their own magic to the film. Watch this film and go out and make your own dreams come true.
BONUS CLIP!!!!!
