Never underestimate Paul King. After the no-budget ingenuity of debut feature Bunny and the Bull (2009), the former Mighty Boosh collaborator disarmed advance doubters – they did exist – with his Paddingtons, classics both. Wonka isn’t as perfect but it’s close, largely due to one reason: even operating in the Roald Dahl-iverse with a big budget and a starry lead, this flawed but fulsomely crowd-pleasing musical fantasy is every inch a 'Paul King confection'.
It’s tempting to suggest the film is about just that: a singular creator holding his identity close. Timothée Chalamet’s Wonka is a young man with a crazy dream (and a magic hat), hungry to share his bespoke chocolate creations with the world’s candy capital. On arrival by ship, this guileless fantasist clashes with chocolate cartel boss Slugworth (Paterson Joseph) and winds up reduced to forced labour. Yet as Wonka befriends fellow outcasts, including orphan Noodle (Calah Lane), he clings to his vision.
