This cheery musical/prequel/origin story was the hit of Christmas 2023 and is a perfect fit for the holiday season. Written and directed by Paul King, Wonka mines a similar sense of delight, whimsy and, um, pure imagination as his two Paddington films, as the titular character tries to start out his chocolates business in competition with a trio of established nefarious chocolatiers. All aspects of design are detailed, lavish and lush, making the film look gorgeous. The narrative has a consistently engaging momentum, and right from the engagingly sweet opening number Neil Hannon's songs work well, with Divine Comedy signature-style echoes from which the film benefits enormously. As Wonka, Timothee Chalamet is surprisingly sincere and charming, even if the character here is notably more mainstream than in the previous movie incarnations, ably supported by a wealth of Brit talent, including, notably, Olivia Colman, Paterson Joseph and Jim Carter. Wonka is not just the prequel we did not know we needed, it is simply a respectful, family-friendly and unexpectedly delightful treat.
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