This always looked terrible. And the trailer was so bad it became a literal meme. However, this evening I was looking for an easy watch and saw that the reviews are surpassingly high. So I thought I’d give it a go.
Firstly, this is largely a musical. And despite a catchy chorus here and there it’s not especially special. The film is also not really about chocolate and sweets, which I found a bit disappointing. I wanted to see towers of sugar as far as the eye can see. But Wonka as chocolatier could have been removed and it wouldn’t have changed much.
This is directed by Paul King, who did the Paddington’s, and you can tell. They both have a visual charm that I really like. The comedic style is similar too. And it shares a lot of the same actors
However, Wonka ain’t Paddington. Paddington is fun for the whole family. Whereas I’d argue Wonka will be highly enjoyable for the kids, but there’s not enough here for the adults.
The film is rather sweet and watchable. But it just feels weirdly lifeless. I won’t be running back to rewatch it.
48%
