Timothée Chalamet’s highly-anticipated “Charlie and the Charlie Factory” prequel musical “Wonka” has finally been unveiled to critics and entertainment journalists, and the first reactions are calling it a “winning confection” and “an instant holiday classic.”
Directed by “Paddington” and “Paddington 2” filmmaker Paul King, “Wonka” stars Chalamet as a younger version of the famous chocolatier. The film is set years before Wonka opens his world-renowned chocolate factory and follows the young man as he fights to open his first shop. The supporting cast includes Calah Lane, Keegan-Michael Key, Matt Lucas, Sally Hawkins, Rowan Atkinson, Olivia Colman, and Hugh Grant.
Film critic Courtney Howard wrote “Wonka” is “a winning confection, filled with perfect amounts of charm, whimsy & poignancy, powered by pure imagination & bright, nimble musical numbers. Timothée Chalamet is a charisma factory. His full committal is intoxicating. Hugh Grant in exceptional IDGAF mode.”
Gizmodo senior reporter Germain Lussier heaped praise on Chalamet, calling him the reason alone to see the film. “He’s infinitely charming & a blast to watch,” Lussier wrote, although he added: “The movie around him isn’t as good but it’s enjoyable. The story & tone fight against each other leaving it a bit muddled. And yet it’s filled with joy & the songs are delightful.”
“‘Wonka’ is a super charming delight powered by an exceptional & pitch-perfect performance from Timothée Chalamet,” wrote film writer Perri Nemiroff. “It can get quite silly and there’s a few plot points that are a tad on the thin side, but that couldn’t stop such an impossibly sweet film with a hefty & very effective dose of sincerity from warming my heart.”
Gracing a “Wonka” red carpet in London, Chalamet chuckled about director King calling himself a Chalamet “stan” and emphasized the other work he had done as well. “Wonka” opens in U.K. theaters on Dec. 8, followed by its U.S. release on Dec. 15. Critics have hailed the film as “an instant holiday classic” and “an impossibly sweet film with a hefty & very effective dose of sincerity.” With Timothée Chalamet at the helm, the film has been applauded for its charm and whimsy.
