Wonka: Movie Review 

Cast: Timothée Chalamet, Calah Lane, Keegan-Michael Key, Paterson Joseph, Matt Lucas, Mathew Baynton, Sally Hawkins, Rowan Atkinson, Jim Carter, Tom Davis, Olivia Colman and Hugh Grant.
Director: Paul King

There's plenty of touches of Roald Dahl throughout director Paul King's "origin" tale of Willy Wonka.

From the elements of Fantastic Mr Fox (a trio of baddies take on the central good guy who tries to outwit them) to the obvious Chocolate Factory visual cues, the pawprints of the past are all over this candy-covered slice of nostalgia-led modern day origin story.

A thoroughly charming Chalamet plays Willy Wonka, who's been onboard a boat for seven years dreaming of launching a chocolate business in London, buoyed on by the inspirations of his mother (Hawkins, in an all too brief cameo). 

When the almost naive Wonka falls foul of Olivia Colman's Scrubbit, he's forced into a world of servitude - and despite the influence of a "chocolate cartel", he still plans against the odds to bring his magical sweet emporium to life.

There's an innocence to Wonka that gives it the sweetness rather than a cloying feeling as this nearly two hour musical unspools. From fabulous production values that soar and capture the technicolour of the film's Gene Wilder outing via tunes from The Divine Comedy's Neil Hannon to the innocence that has replaced the original bitterness, this perfect cinematic family confection plots an easy course to the viewing public's heart.

While the fat shaming of Keegan-Michael Key's corrupt police captain is perhaps one of the film's rare sour notes and with the energy dipping somewhat in the film's back third, there's little here to stop the heart from soaring with enjoyment.

Whereas initial trailers hinted at Grant's Oompa-Loompa playing a large part in proceedings, Grant's character doesn't appear until an hour in, leaving Chalamet and newcomer Lane to form a perfect bond as two orphans chasing their dreams. Chalamet brings the easy charm to proceedings, but this is largely an ensemble piece that benefits greatly from seeing a nice guy overcome the odds. Stripped back to its basics, it's a tale of immigrants overcoming the echelons of years of entrenched British attitudes - certainly with the world's contemporary problems, there's much to inspire here.

It may creak in its back third, and the threadbare plot is laid bare by an occasionally over-stuffed runtime, but Wonka has a certain something that helps it overcome its flaws, thanks to a film that's largely about hope in the face of all adversity.

There's also a generosity of spirit, a heart that beats within that's hard to deny = even the most cynical will be overcome by the family-led antics. It's a perfect antidote for a bummer of a cinematic year - and a sign that whimsy and well-meaning movies still have a winning place in moviegoers' hearts.