Wonka is a charming, upbeat musical, and THE holiday movie of 2023.

Score: 4/5

Color me surprised; Wonka was a fun time at the movies! Going into the movie, I had a couple reservations about the prequel to the iconic Willy Wonka and the Cholocate Factory. The biggest one was that the trailers just didn’t land for me. I am a huge Timothée Chalamet fan, but the scenes strung together in the trailer felt off. Shame on me for doubting Chalamet because he knocked it out of the park again. The other monkey on my shoulder asked the question why make a prequel at all? What kind of story could you tell? Well, director Paul King of Paddington fame answered that question with a musical brimming with more joy than any other movie I have seen this year.

That is an important point to make for those who are unaware. Wonka is a musical, not a movie featuring some Oompa-Loompa songs, but a full-on musical. Now me? I’m typically not a huge musical fan, but have grown to enjoy the genre more and more. Wonka is one of the good ones. There are catchy tunes, and the choreography of these scenes is a major highlight, but what really makes this movie shine is the witty script between those musical numbers.

This is a funny movie with an excellent cast that elevates these moments. My favorite is the Chief of Police, played by Keegan-Micheal Key. The running gags and the song surrounding his character were hilarious. Along with that, humor is a movie with a lot of heart. 2023 was a challenging year at points, and this movie shines with positivity from Chalamet and his crew of helpers. This is especially true of his chemistry with Calah Lane’s Noodle. It’s infectious throughout this whole movie, with characters playing off each other. Even Hugh Grant’s Oompa-Loompa was more fun than the trailers led me to believe.

Wonka is the perfect movie to watch this holiday season, and as far as I’m concerned earns its place next to the 1971 classic. If you have a chance, give this one a shot!