{"id":41129,"date":"2023-12-05T17:54:25","date_gmt":"2023-12-05T16:54:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.radiotimes.com\/?p=1939404"},"modified":"2023-12-05T18:04:36","modified_gmt":"2023-12-05T17:04:36","slug":"wonka-review-a-cosy-chronicle-of-a-young-eccentric","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/rss_feed\/wonka-review-a-cosy-chronicle-of-a-young-eccentric\/","title":{"rendered":"Wonka review: A cosy chronicle of a young eccentric"},"content":{"rendered":"

The prequel is a magical thrill ride from start to finish \u2013\u00a0even if it lacks the bite of previous Roald Dahl adaptations. <\/p>

By Terry Staunton\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Tuesday, 05 December 2023 at 16:54 PM<\/p>

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<\/div> 4.0 out of 5 star rating<\/span> <\/span> <\/div> <\/div>

Roald Dahl\u2019s children\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

Both the 1971 adaptation (renamed to focus on Gene Wilder\u2019s portrayal of Willy Wonka) and Tim Burton\u2019s borderline fan-fiction-esque 2005 reboot arguably contain stronger elements of peril and jeopardy than are usual in most youngsters\u2019 film fare.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s perhaps expected, given the pair\u2019s warm-hearted work on 2014\u2019s Paddington and its sequel (plus Farnaby\u2019s writer\/performer involvement in TV\u2019s Horrible Histories and family-friendly sitcom Ghosts<\/a>), and the softer approach has both strengths and weaknesses.<\/p>\n

Timoth\u00e9e 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).<\/p>\n

There\u2019s a touch of Dickensian hero about him, while his outlandish creations and kitchen contraptions also suggest a steampunk Heston Blumenthal.<\/p>

So far, so delicious, but the young pretender\u2019s ambitions leave a nasty taste in the mouths of a consortium of more established chocolatiers (led by Paterson Joseph<\/a>), who set out to thwart the Johnny-come-lately flavour of the month.<\/p>\n

Not that it\u2019s 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).<\/p>\n

Mention must be made, of course, of Willy\u2019s pal, who attracted a good deal of publicity in the months running up to the film\u2019s release; camera trickery and a generous trowel of orange face paint transform Hugh Grant<\/a> into a foot-high, wisecracking Oompa Loompa called Lofty.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a scene-stealing performance, perhaps largely because it\u2019s by an actor as well-known as Grant looking like we\u2019ve never seen him before.<\/p>\n

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 \u201cstunt\u201d casting that\u2019s more distracting than pertinent.<\/p>\n

Thankfully, Chalamet is effortlessly assured and charismatic enough to ground the movie, a likeable protagonist it\u2019s easy to root for, bereft of the shadier character traits of the elder Wonka in Dahl\u2019s original book and previous films.<\/p>\n

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