The secret to making a great prequel is to tap into the nostalgia of the original film, it’s not an easy task. Star Wars: Episode 1 didn’t even really accomplish that feat if you want to get right down to it. However, Wonka is one of the few exceptions that captured the magic of the original film and when I say the original, I’m of course talking about the beloved Gene Wilder version and not the weird Tim Burton film. Timothy Chalamet captures the heart and the essence of Gene Wilder’s performance, and I must say that this is one of his best performances. I will admit that I didn’t have much faith going into the screening, but it didn’t take long to be won over by the delightful imagination and that is Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. We’ve always wondered about his origin story and this movie gives that’s a fantastic look into how Willy Wonka got his start. I liked the film very much and I’ll tell you why it’s one of the must-see movies of 2023.

A good movie is always built through a great cast. While Timothy Chalamet steals the movie with his wonderful performance as a young Willy Wonka, it’s hard not to acknowledge the fantastic performances of Rowan Atkinson, Olivia Coleman, Jim Carter, and Hugh Grant as the Oompa Loompa… I know that may sound like strange casting, but trust me, it works. The original film had a mixture of magic and innocence that made us easily fall in love with the original film, the prequel does the same. You get to know the true villains which are the three men who control the chocolate industry. You come to love Willy Wonka’s companions who help him build his chocolate empire and all of this is done through great humor and wonderful song and dance.

It’s just a fun movie, pure and simple and unlike the Tim Burton version that relied too much on CGI, this feels like it has much more practical effects that set the stage for Wonka’s surroundings. I know it’s mostly done with CGI, but it doesn’t feel that way. It’s definitely a feel-good movie but you can’t help but walk away feeling joyful. There’s a lot of great humor in the movie, especially with Hugh Grant as the Oompa Loompa and the comedy doesn’t feel forced. I honestly feel like my favorite performance outside of Timothy Chalamet was Rowan Atkinson as the priest!

If I’m being honest, I couldn’t find much fault in the film. It knows what it is and doesn’t try to be more than the original film. This is a story where we are introduced to Willy Wonka, and we are made to fall in love with his magical delights in his chocolate creations. But we also get to know the people who helped him start out: his friends and family! The movie flows very well, but we could certainly use more flashbacks. All the wonderful worlds that he visits where he discovers ingredients that will make his wonderful chocolate, I wish we had gotten more of that because it seems very short-lived. I don’t often say that movies have perfect casting, but I feel like Wonka does. Everybody seems perfect for the role they’re playing, even the villains. The music works on every level. Sure, it’s not a perfect film because there’s always more you can add and sometimes some of the performances seem a little over the top, but all of my complaints regarding this film are minor. It truly is a fantastic film that will make you feel the same nostalgia you had for the original. And I do feel like Timothy Chalamet feels like a younger version of Gene Wilder! While I do understand that when you’re making a 2-hour movie there are a lot of backstories that you can’t always put in a film and I am disappointed that we don’t get to know more about all of the characters, but that’s what sequels are for. Overall, the film looks great, the pacing is good and it’s hard not to sing along. It’s a fun and magical film that you will enjoy with your family. It is one of those rare films where the prequel stands up to the original and exceeds it in some ways. Yes, Wonka is a hit …definitely worth watching in the theater! But more importantly, you can watch multiple times and never get tired of the movie. I certainly enjoyed this film and I think you will too.