Wonka 4K UHD Review
“Wonka” is charming enough.
Based on characters by author Roald Dahl, “Wonka” serves as a prequel to “Charlie And The Chocolate Factory.” After spending 7 years at sea, a poor inventor named Willy Wonka decides to go all in on pursuing his dream of opening a chocolate shop in the legendary Gallery Gourmet. Alas, things don’t exactly go as planned. He ends up in debt to a boarding house owner (Mrs. Scrubitt) where he’s forced to work in a bath house to pay off his debts and he discovers that 3 corrupt rival chocolate companies are out to stop him from achieving his goals by any means necessary. Can Wonka get his inventive chocolates to the people with the help of allies like his fellow bath house workers (including Noodle)?
Written by Paul King and Simon Farnaby and directed by Paul King, “Wonka” is a film many were certainly skeptical about. The concept of yet another Wonka movie existing seemed pointless especially since we all know no one can ever top Gene Wilder. With “Paddington” and “Paddington 2” mastermind Paul King at the helm, however, there was hope that maybe he could whip up something special. As it turns out, he created a feel-good movie that wound up being a crowd pleasing box office hit.
What sets “Wonka” apart from the unwatchable 2005 “Charlie And The Chocolate Factory” is that this is not a remake. It’s an original prequel story that very much feels like an ode to the work of Roald Dahl (there’s even a bit of a “Matilda” vibe in here). Sure, some of the whimsical moments may not land (what is with the giraffe and monks?), but the musical fantasy offers up plenty of wonder, catchy Neil Hannon tunes, and heartfelt themes about sharing and kindness. It’s a very visual film and thankfully it’s not all CGI (which is something that was of concern for many). The production values are first rate here with the towering sets, plethora of costumes, and unique production design of everything from the chocolate shops to the grungy bath house.
“Wonka” benefits from a star-studded cast containing the likes of Timothée Chalamet, Olivia Colman, Matt Lucas, Keegan-Michael Key, Sally Hawkins, Rowan Atkinson, Paterson Joseph, Hugh Grant and Calah Lane. As mentioned above, no one can ever replace Gene Wilder, but Chalamet shows real range here with a charming performance. Who knew he could be a song and dance man too? Is there anything he can’t do? Olivia Colman steals scenes as the villainous Mrs. Scrubitt. Calah Lane is in many ways the heart of the movie and has a lot of chemistry with Wonka. There was a lot of controversy about Hugh Grant being cast as an Oompa Loompa, but the actor pulls it off.
Video/Audio:
Presentation: 2.39:1 2160p. How does it look? Happy to report that the colors really pop in 4K.
Audio Track: Dolby Atmos. How does it sound? Nothing short of dynamic (especially during the musical sequences).
Extras:
* Digital copy
* “Unwrapping Wonka: Paul King’s Vision”- A featurette on the director’s take on the world.
* “The Whimsical Music Of Wonka” is all about the songs and music.
* “Welcome To Wonka Land” covers the sets and production design.
* “Hats Off To Wonka” revolves around the costumes.
* “Wonka’s Chocolatier”- A look at how the chocolates were made for the movie.
* “Musical Moments”- A jump to a song extra.
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