We all know and love Willy Wonka, the expert chocolatier, a character originating from a series of books written by Roald Dahl called Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.  Wonka first appeared on screen in 1971 with the release of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, where he was played by Gene Wilder. Then in 2005, we saw Johnny Depp’s version of the character in the movie Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. On December 15, 2023, a new movie, Wonka, was released in theaters in the United States starring Timothée Chalamet as Willy Wonka.

Wonka is a wonderful addition to the classic story of Willy Wonka, but it distinguishes itself from the other movies by telling the story of Wonka in his early days.  This dive into the backstory of the beloved character begins when Wonka arrives in Europe with dreams of opening a chocolate store at the Gourmet Galeries. However, three corrupt chocolatiers quickly become intimidated by Wonka’s skills and do everything in their power to stop him from getting a shop. 

Wonka gets stuck in a tough contract and is forced to work in a launderette, where he meets a girl named Noodle. He and Noodle develop a plan to escape and get Wonka his chocolate shop. With the help of the other laundrette workers, Wonka works against the efforts of the chocolatier cartel to earn his spot at the Gourmet Galeries.

The new insights shown by the characters and stories introduced in this movie were fascinating. I loved learning how Wonka hired the famous Oompa Loompas featured in the previous movies and seeing how Wonka’s relationship with his mom influenced his life.

If you’re looking for a serious movie this probably isn’t the one for you, with all the songs and dance routines.  However, this was a great, silly movie full of nostalgia.