In a world of “Pure Imagination”, “Wonka” fans get a new and different glimpse of the chocolate man following his quest to make a name for himself. The movie focuses on Willy Wonka’s life and adventures before owning the iconic chocolate factory.
Directed by Paul King and released on December 15, 2023, “Wonka” features Timothée Chalamet as a more innocent, unconventional, yet still unique character. The new Wonka is a refreshing twist, which is very different from the original, humorous portrayals by Gene Wilder and Johnny Depp in the earlier films. Chalamet has been in films such as “Dune”, “Call Me by Your Name”, “Bones and All”, and more.
Zoe Galicki, senior, claims that Chalamet’s portrayal of Wonka is worth watching. She says, “I was excited to see it because I heard Timothee Chalamet was in it, and I have always been a fan of him.”
Gabriella Caputo, junior, enjoyed seeing Chalamet in the film. She says, “Everyone deserves to get their eyes blessed by Timmy!”
Wonka surprised a lot of viewers with the fact that it was a musical. Galicki was excited after seeing that it was a musical. She says, “I didn’t completely realize it was a musical before I saw it, and I enjoyed the songs so much and I feel like they added a lot more to the movie. The emotional song, “For a Moment”, really added [a] heartfelt feeling, and the funnier songs like “Scrub Scrub” and “Sweet Tooth”, added to the humor and entertainment of the movie.”
Ryan Sobecks, sophomore, enjoyed all the songs in the movie, but one particular song stood out. He says, “My favorite song was “A Hatful of Dreams” because it sets the scene for the rest of the movie. I didn’t have a least favorite song, but some were better than others.”
The movie brings back iconic characters from “Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory” such as Slugworth and an Oompa Loompa, but also introduces some new ones.
Some new characters are Mr. & Mrs. Scrubbit, who own a hotel, but are conniving and mischievous; they are called “Scrubbits”. There is also Noodle, an orphan who works at Scrubbit’s, and is later known as Slugworth’s daughter.
Galicki states that her favorite character was the iconic Oompa Loompa. She says, “He is very funny and relatable and he does end up saving Willy and Noodle in the end. [In addition], he forms an alliance with Willy.”
Sobecks explains that his favorite character was Mr. Scrubbit. He says, “ I thought he added a lot to the plot of the movie and provided comic relief.”
In conclusion, the movie tells an engaging story of Wonka before owning the factory. On average, interviewees give Wonka an 8.6/10. “It wasn’t perfect, but I think it told Wonka’s story pretty well and in a funny and entertaining way!” says Galicki.
