Wonka (2023)

Wonka

• This was such a nice prequel, and not one of those disappointing, unnecessary prequels. I mean, if this movie wasn’t made, the other Wonka movies would still be just as good. However, this adds some nice little backstory and history to the 1971 version of Willy Wonka. There were so many little tiny things I noticed that were a nice little tribute to 1971. Not necessarily an easter egg, just little mannerisms or phrases. The whole movie was a nice little tribute. The story was exceptionally written, and has a fantastic amount of imagination and joy. It has a very similar feel to 1971. The whole thing has a nice fantasy feel, but also realistic in many ways. A perfect blend. I don’t wanna say too much, because I don’t wanna take away the magical mood. Just experience it for yourself. The cast all does a great job of attributing to that feel. The side characters were brilliant, and I liked them all. It was cool to see Keegan Michael-Key, Rowan Atkinson, and Hugh Grant. They were all extremely comedic, even when being serious. But TImothee Chalamet absolutely stole the spotlight in every single frame. Did he leave up to Gene Wilder? No, but he still did a ridiculously good job. He makes you feel so happy and optimistic. Also, I had no idea he could sing the way he could. He has such a smooth voice, and him singing “Pure Imagination” towards the end definitely made me tear up a little bit. The whole soundtrack was really, really good. Lastly, the special effects were fantastic, with some very convincing scenes. All the scenes with animals or floating were very well done. Overall, this movie was extremely good, and I loved it very much (although there were a couple scenes that felt a bit tedious to sit through). I’d definitely recommend this to all musical fans. This film is officially Berry Approved, so go see it now!