WONKA – Is Chocolate Magic

Most of us have seen many versions of Willy Wonka, the fictional eccentric character created in author Roald Dahl’s 1964 children’s novel Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. My favorite is Gene Wilder starring as Willy Wonka in the 1971 film Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory.

In WONKA the recently released film we meet Willy Wonka the young man and we get to understand a little why he is so obsessed with chocolate and his personality.

Summary in the blink of an EYE:

Willy (Timothée Chalamet) and his mother lived on a boat going from place to place. She made the best chocolate ever tasted. She promised to give Willy the secret when he was older.  She passes and Willy has been trying to make the chocolate his mom made to bring back the feeling he had.  His chocolate is the best anyone has ever eaten, and Willy’s dream is to open a chocolate shop to make his mother proud. It isn’t as easy as he thought, and he finds himself in a tight situation. He meets a new friend in a girl named Noodle (Calah Lane) who teaches him many lessons about living in the “real” world.  Of course, with a dream, great chocolate, friendship, and magic anything is possible.

I enjoyed the wild insaneness of this film.  I thought Timothee Chalamet made a great naïve, hopefully younger Willy.  His singing and dancing were good but I liked that even though there were musical numbers they didn’t override the story or characters of the film. Calah Lane as Noodle is the perfect friend for Willy.  She’s smart and loyal to her new friend.

The idea that people are addicted to chocolate hit home with me.  I love good chocolate with almonds or sea salt.  Keegan-Michael Key is hilarious as the chocolate-addicted chief of police.

The set and costumes are award-worthy.

Of course, some instances do not make sense, but that is Willy Wonka’s magic. 

I give Willy Wonka 4 blinks of the EYE.  A great film for the family

Until next time, keep your EYE to the sky!