When Warner Bros. announced a Willy Wonka prequel starring Timothée Chalamet, the response was an overwhelmingly confused “Why?” When it was revealed that Paddington 2 director Paul King would be helming this musical prequel, the response turned from skepticism to intrigue — though the confusion remained. But as soon as the first twinkling notes of Wonka start playing and Chalamet launches into a giddy song about having a dream in his heart and a slowly dwindling supply of coins in his pocket, it’s clear there was no confusion on King’s part about what kind of movie he was making. Wonka is unabashedly, unapologetically a sweet, sentimental musical that embodies the goofiest — and potentially most alienating — parts of the genre.
