Roald Dahl’s children’s stories are frequently sinister, and even cynical, as illustrated by the two earlier big-screen versions of his 1964 fantasy Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

Both the 1971 adaptation (renamed to focus on Gene Wilder’s portrayal of Willy Wonka) and Tim Burton’s borderline fan-fiction-esque 2005 reboot arguably contain stronger elements of peril and jeopardy than are usual in most youngsters’ film fare.

Wonka, however, an origin story co-written by director Paul King and comic actor Simon Farnaby, is a markedly sweeter affair; not quite the dark chocolate served to cinemagoers previously.

It’s perhaps expected, given the pair’s warm-hearted work on 2014’s Paddington and its sequel (plus Farnaby’s writer/performer involvement in TV’s Horrible Histories and family-friendly sitcom Ghosts), and the softer approach has both strengths and weaknesses.

Timothée Chalamet stars as the bright-eyed, brimming-with-positivity Willy, hoping to take the early 20th century confectionary industry by storm with the inventive, attention-grabbing recipes passed down to him my his mother (Sally Hawkins).

There’s a touch of Dickensian hero about him, while his outlandish creations and kitchen contraptions also suggest a steampunk Heston Blumenthal.

So far, so delicious, but the young pretender’s ambitions leave a nasty taste in the mouths of a consortium of more established chocolatiers (led by Paterson Joseph), who set out to thwart the Johnny-come-lately flavour of the month.

Not that it’s a case of Wonka versus the rest of the world, as Willy finds sympathetic allies in the guise of crusty accountant Abacus Crunch (Jim Carter) and put-upon orphan girl Noodle (Calah Lane).

Mention must be made, of course, of Willy’s pal, who attracted a good deal of publicity in the months running up to the film’s release; camera trickery and a generous trowel of orange face paint transform Hugh Grant into a foot-high, wisecracking Oompa Loompa called Lofty.

It’s a scene-stealing performance, perhaps largely because it’s by an actor as well-known as Grant looking like we’ve never seen him before.

There is a danger, though, that the parade of very familiar faces (Olivia Colman, Matt Lucas, Rowan Atkinson as a stereotypically awkward clergyman) gives proceedings the air of a star-studded Children in Need sketch, a level of “stunt” casting that’s more distracting than pertinent.

Thankfully, Chalamet is effortlessly assured and charismatic enough to ground the movie, a likeable protagonist it’s easy to root for, bereft of the shadier character traits of the elder Wonka in Dahl’s original book and previous films.

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King and Farnaby offer no clues as to how or why Willy went sour to become the cruel figure Dahl first created (maybe they’re saving that for a future instalment), and at no time does the cartoonish villainy that peppers the film seem like a genuine threat.

This is a cosy chronicle of a young eccentric intent on little more than bringing calorific joy to the world, his infectious enthusiasm enabling us to forgive the narrative its lack of bite.