The reviews have arrived for the anticipated Charlie and the Chocolate Factory prequel, Wonka, and critics have praised it as “infinitely charming”.
READ MORE: What is ‘Wonka’ about?
Set to arrive in cinemas next month, the highly-awaited film is the prequel to the Charlie And The Chocolate Factory story – originally written by Roald Dahl, and later given film adaptations in 1971 and 2005.
Created by Paul King, the filmmaker behind Paddington and Paddington 2, the new movie sees Timothée Chalamet cast as a younger version of the world-famous chocolatier and follows him as he tries to open his first shop.
Alongside Chalamet, Hugh Grant also stars in the film as an Oompa Loompa. Other cast members include Rowan Atkinson, Olivia Colman, Matt Lucas, Sally Hawkins, Mathew Baynton and more.
The first wave of reviews for Wonka have now been shared, and the film has so far received a largely positive response. Film writer Perri Nemiroff described the film as “a super charming delight powered by an exceptional & pitch-perfect performance from Timothée Chalamet,” adding that although “It can get quite silly and there’s a few plot points that are a tad on the thin side”, it was still “an impossibly sweet film with a hefty & very effective dose of sincerity”.
#Wonka is a super charming delight powered by an exceptional & pitch-perfect performance from Timothée Chalamet. It can get quite silly and there’s a few plot points that are a tad on the thin side, but that couldn’t stop such an impossibly sweet film with a hefty & very… pic.twitter.com/1SLMmRPSGY
— Perri Nemiroff (@PNemiroff) November 28, 2023
Film critic Courtney Howard agreed, describing Wonka as “a winning confection, filled with perfect amounts of charm, whimsy & poignancy, powered by pure imagination” and the leading man’s performance as “intoxicating”.
Elsewhere, Critics Choice member Grace Randolph took to X/Twitter to recall the movie being “SHOCKINGLY good”, while Zoë Rose Bryant labelled it as “an instant holiday classic”.
#Wonka/ #WonkaMovie is a winning confection, filled with perfect amounts of charm, whimsy & poignancy, powered by pure imagination & bright, nimble musical numbers. Timothée Chalamet is a charisma factory. His full committal is intoxicating. Hugh Grant in exceptional IDGAF mode. pic.twitter.com/vjKJqqY6ll
— Courtney Howard (@Lulamaybelle) November 28, 2023
#Wonka is SHOCKINGLY good
Paul King delivers a movie along the lines of#Paddington for adults
turning Wonka into a male #MaryPoppins!
The movie manages to be its own thing
and is as fun as seeing a live Broadway show!
Definitely this year’s big holiday movie! pic.twitter.com/ezj0MaLKgo
— Grace Randolph (@GraceRandolph) November 28, 2023
#wonka is an instant holiday classic & a truly magical time at the movies paul king’s whimsical style works as well here as it did in paddington, every musical number enchants, & the entire ensemble takes turns stealing the show, led by an endlessly charming timothée chalamet. pic.twitter.com/O887KYp4CY
— Zoë Rose Bryant (@ZoeRoseBryant) November 28, 2023
Producer and journalist Simon Thompson said that although Wonka “doesn’t quite reach the charming and beguiling heights of the Paddington movies” the finished result “is still a delightfully sweet treat”, and entertainment anchor for Good Day Chicago, Jake Hamilton, compared the new film to the 1971 adaptation with Gene Wilder, saying it is “a loving tribute to everything we love about the ‘71 original”. Find more critics’ responses below.
While Paul King’s #Wonka doesn’t quite reach the charming and beguiling heights of the Paddington movies, it is still a delightfully sweet treat. Timothée Chalamet’s titular dandy is endearing and fun while Hugh Grant’s Oompa-Loompa steals every scene he is in. #WonkaMovie pic.twitter.com/SRMSFcJ0Gy
— Simon Thompson (@ShowbizSimon) November 28, 2023
If I’m being honest: I wasn’t expecting much when I walked into #Wonka.
But I fell in love with a charming, heartfelt and pretty spectacular musical that is a loving tribute to everything we love about the ‘71 original.
Chalamet is unbelievably fun and charismatic as Wonka. pic.twitter.com/Ywuej5Wg5Y
— Jake Hamilton (@JakesTakes) November 29, 2023
#Wonka cements Timothee Chalamet as one of the greatest up and coming actors. He’s magnetic, delightful & beautifully walks the line between naivete & cleverness. The film is filled with charm, joy & hope. It’s a perfect holiday film. It definitely has the rewatchability factor pic.twitter.com/lldKjVOphm
— Rosa Parra (@rosasreviews) November 28, 2023
Timothée Chalamet is reason alone to see #WonkaMovie. He’s infinitely charming & a blast to watch.
The movie around him isn’t as good but it’s enjoyable. The story & tone fight against each other leaving it a bit muddled. And yet it’s filled with joy & the songs are delightful. pic.twitter.com/s1zlqtzIgv
— Germain Lussier (@GermainLussier) November 28, 2023
I surprisingly, mostly, enjoyed WONKA. Timothée Chalamet is a really gifted comedic actor, smartly leveraging his star persona for laughs. The staging is good and there’s lots of heart and whimsy. I did not however like the barrage of fat jokes. Poor form in a delightful film. pic.twitter.com/rtqrATudfc
— Robert Daniels (@812filmreviews) November 28, 2023
Earlier this year, it was reported that King praised Chalamet’s music chops, and pinpointed the actor’s viral high school theatre shows as the moment he began “stanning” Chalamet.
In a later interview, the filmmaker praised him once again as having a “beautiful” singing voice and reminding him of 1930s icon Bing Crosby.
The first trailer for Wonka arrived in July, however following its release, Grant’s casting drew criticism from actor George Coppen, who said that “a lot of actors [with dwarfism] feel like we are being pushed out of the industry we love.”
Wonka opens in theatres across the UK on December 8, followed by a US release on December 15.
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