Wonka Review: Charming, Family Fun.

Willa Wonka is an iconic character who has appeared in a few films over the decades, some beloved, some less so.
With a lot of prequels coming out these days to unnecessarily explain things we did not need answers to, it is understandable to hear about Wonka and get a feeling of dread.
This feeling lessened for me, though, when I learned Paul King was directing.
He directed the two Paddington films and those were both charming films.
In fact, that is the perfect word to describe Wonka: Charming. 

The film follows the younger Willy Wonka (Timothee Chalamet) as he sets out to begin his chocolate making career, only to meet adversity at every turn.
He quickly finds himself in debt to a pair of swindlers, his attempts to sell chocolate are sabotaged by the Chocolate Cartel, and his chocolate is consistently be stolen by an Oompa Loompa (Hugh Grant) out to be repaid. 
With help from a young girl named Noodle (Calah Lane), Wonka sets out to use his chocolate making skills to create a life for himself and his newfound friends.
What follows is, as said, a charming film with solid musical numbers and a lot of good laughs.
In particular, I found the physical humor of the corrupt chief of police (Keegan-Michael Key) to get the best laughs. 

As for the rest of the cast, Chalamet does a great job as this younger version of Willy Wonka, showing off the character’s optimism and chocolate-making genius.
Lane also brings a lot of charm as Noodle, as do the actors playing the trio in the Chocolate Cartel.
They are catoonishly evil but I do not mean that as a criticism.
Their over-the-top performances perfectly suit the wacky world they live in, and contrasts Wonka’s own wacky goodness nicely. 

All of this results in a fun film for the family, which can be enjoyed by adults just as much as kids.
The performances are good, the musical numbers are entertaining, and there are a lot of good laughs to be had.
I honestly would not mind seeing another film following this take on Willy Wonka.