- Starring
- Timothée Chalamet, Olivia Colman, Hugh Grant
- Director
- Paul King
- Rating
- Not Yet Rated
- Genre
- Adventure, Comedy, Family
- Release Date
- December 15, 2023
Overall Score
Rating Overview
Rating Summary
Roald Dahl (1916-1990) was a renowned British author and storyteller best known for his imaginative and whimsical children’s books. His many works have captivated readers of all ages with their inventive plots and memorable characters. Among his most notable creations is the iconic “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” a masterpiece that introduced readers to the enchanting world of Willy Wonka. Dahl’s unique storytelling style often blended humor with dark elements, creating a distinctive and timeless appeal that has made his books beloved worldwide.
Wonka
With only twelve silver crowns in his pocket, a young and eccentric Willy Wonka, played by Timothée Chalamet (Dune), in search of his fortune, brings his crave-worthy confectionary creations to the world-renowned Galeries Gourmet, home to Slugworth Chocolate’s Inc. Unfortunately, when his profiteering competitors get a taste of Wonka’s brilliance, the twisted trio tactfully tightens their treacherous tryst and quickly collude to callously condemn him to a life of servitude, sinister subjugation, and sorrow.
In what stands as bittersweet, Wonka is a prequel film set in the universe of the 1971 “Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory.” This seminal work casts a colossal milk chocolate shadow from which all other iterations must attempt to escape, almost entirely thanks to the Everlasting Gobstopper of easy charisma that was Gene Wilder.
Johnny Depp and Tim Burton’s copious talent notwithstanding, Burton’s indelible and darkly whimsical 2005 take on the property was overlong and felt more like a Tim Burton videogame skin being slapped on top of the 70s classic.
However, taking place in the brighter and more traditionally generic Western European-esque world of the original makes 2023’s Wonka more accessible to audiences and provides a much-needed contrast to Willy’s eccentricities.
That said, with Wilder’s melt-in-your-mouth performance as a comparison, few would be capable of filling his rock candy-lined shoes. Unfortunately, Timothée Chalamet’s sugary-sweet singing voice isn’t enough to make up for his fruit roll-up flat performance.
Were he trying and failing to impersonate the late great Wilder, one could have forgiven him for making the attempt. Regrettably, Chalamet seems as though he never understands the character, and his performance never exceeds that of a gifted amateur trying his hand at charisma based on someone’s secondhand description of the characteristic.
His flavorless portrayal is made all the more disappointing and obvious when contrasted by the many velvety-rich performances given by much of the film’s supporting cast. Olivia Colman and Tom Davis give delightfully decadent turns as the wicked boarder Mrs. Scrubbit and her devoted henchman Bleacher.
However, as good as most of the supporting cast is, neither they nor the film’s pleasant (if over-the-counter) musical numbers can entirely make up for what would be an otherwise solid story being bogged down by far too many uninteresting subplots, and the film’s subsequent uneven pacing.
Ultimately, Wonka is a retail chocolate bar posing as something special. It might satisfy your craving but its mix of high fructose corn syrup, preservatives, and builder-grade chocolate can’t compare to the buttery Godiva that was the original.
INAPPROPRIATE ELEMENTS FOR CHILDREN IN WONKA
- There’s a moment when a male character appears wearing a short silky woman’s robe to clearly indicate that he and his lady friend just finished some chunky monkey.
- A line tells a dog to get his “balls” off a woman’s porch.
- There’s a single use of the word “damn.”
- The lyric, “if you want to make her sigh, show her some thigh.”
- ***SPOILER*** A prominent child is detailed to have been conceived out of wedlock. ***END SPOILER***
WOKE ELEMENTS
DEI
- Some forced diversity briefly takes the audience out of the moment.
- The film’s costar is one of the weaker actresses and she is black.
- Just to be clear, the problem isn’t that she’s black. The problem is that based on the quality of her performance, it is likely that she was hired based on her skin color rather than her talent.
- The film’s costar is one of the weaker actresses and she is black.
- There’s a female guard (remember this is set in a more or less early 1900s England).
Class Warfare
- The line “The greedy beat the needy” is repeated a couple of times throughout the film, and the entire movie is about the underdog fighting against the rich establishment. ***SPOILER*** This line would be fine if they acknowledged that it was clearly wrong by the film’s end and that perseverance, hard work, and a superior product wins in the end. ***END SPOILER***
Just throw us in the lion’s den and get it over with.
- Although, thematically, it plays no relevance and could have been literally any institution or business… or could have just been a secret entrance somewhere, there is a corrupt Catholic priest, and, in one scene, both he and his fellow clergymen show disdain for someone for being, “the pious type.”
James Carrick
James Carrick is a passionate film enthusiast with a degree in theater and philosophy. James approaches dramatic criticism from a philosophic foundation grounded in aesthetics and ethics, offering insight and analysis that reveals layers of cinematic narrative with a touch of irreverence and a dash of snark.
86 comments
Emerson
December 11, 2023 at 9:56 pm
SMH … could have been epic with Timothée as the lead … oh well. This one going in the woke pile.
Carson
December 11, 2023 at 9:56 pm
You are confusing 🤨
Lance
December 17, 2023 at 2:57 pm
He’s written in plain, easy to understand English. What is confusingz?
Cuke
March 17, 2024 at 6:58 pm
The fact that plenty of mediocre white actors are successful, and their skin is rarely described as the reason they are able to get a job in acting. This is even more magnified with child actors. Plenty of young actors are not that great, but the fact that she’s black is enough to say that her being black is what got her the job, despite plenty of young actors not being that good.
Fact is, she isn’t very good, but she’s not awful. She’s serviceable, and serviceable actors are not so uncommon in blockbuster films that a black person being serviceable – or worse, bad – in a major motion picture means that being black is why they got the role. It’s a standard unevenly applied, and worse, lacking evidence. No one argues that, say, Hollywood’s concern with whether black actors will make a movie sell worse in China means that bad white actors only got the job because they’re white.
crackahater
December 11, 2023 at 9:56 pm
damn right buddy, all thsese woke ass crackas
Brenda
December 11, 2023 at 9:56 pm
WOAH PAL! That is a RACIAL SLUR you just said there. Calm yourself next time before you spout that racist rhetoric.
Cari L.
December 11, 2023 at 9:56 pm
I’m gonna wait till the movie comes out and we get a full review. It seems good so far. If the little black girl doesn’t overshadow Wonka, I’m fine with her inclusion. If she does, it’s feminist girlboss power all over again.
MBrez
March 1, 2024 at 1:41 pm
She doesn’t overshadow him, but there is a line in which the enemies observing Wonka and his friends say that the girl seems to be “the brains of the operation” when that is very clearly not the case. Besides teaching Wonka to read (a skill he had, up until that point, gotten by perfectly well in life without and which he doesn’t really use in the movie) and helping him sneak out of the laundry house where he is indentured (which he could easily have done on his own), she does literally nothing to forward the plot. I actually got a really heavy “white savior” vibe because she was enslaved all her life and, despite supposedly being intelligent, only managed to get out of her situation thanks to the endlessly capable, brilliant, resilient Wonka.
Ph
December 11, 2023 at 9:56 pm
The trailer alone shows it’s a woke movie.
Hi guys
December 11, 2023 at 9:56 pm
How so
Chaz Atl
December 11, 2023 at 9:56 pm
Trailer looks woke.
Slugworth is black. All showing allot of diversity and inclusion.
I will wait for the reviews
Bob R
December 11, 2023 at 9:56 pm
Are there no new ideas in Hollywood????re hashing this again?? I like Jonny Depp, but Gene Wilder OWNED the role. Done. Speaking of woke, he is a white male, same as before. Not going down the little mermaid road? PLEASE come up with some new ideas! You all been off for a long time.Nobody did anything cool during the strike? True Grit remake? Again?Maybe a Vacation movie without Chevy Chase? Ace Ventura ? Please avoid Graphic violence, remakes, Super heros, Star Wars, Fast and Furious. Maybe time for a new Rocky movie.lol. I’ll stick to my reruns of Gilligan’s Island. dont look for me in the theatres until 1) something worth seeing, 2) a reasonbable price.
Maverick
December 11, 2023 at 9:56 pm
It’s a very woke movie. The Director is a British comedian/screenwriter who was recognized not to long ago as on of the top 100 most influential gay and lesbian. So that plus today’s twisted, woke, in need of a mental institution b.s. going on, I can almost give you a truthful, factual assumption, and say Dillon Mulvani might be swinging from a candy cane in drag and a g-string while reading an inappropriate book to a bunch on 5 yr olds.
not gay
December 11, 2023 at 9:56 pm
Paul King is married to a woman. He is not gay. I don’t have the time or inclination to refute the rest of that garbage comment.
Cuke
March 17, 2024 at 7:07 pm
The fact that your only reason for it being woke is because a gay person made it tells me everything I need to know about you.
Rebecca
December 11, 2023 at 9:56 pm
Refreshing unwoke (though not anti-woke by any means)
No trans stuff. The only romantic relationships featured are heterosexual. Diverse cast racially (though majority white) but black actors are in both heroic and villainous roles.
Corrupt businessmen and a corrupt Catholic priest but no lectures on the evils of capitalism or religion with it.
Visual and spoken fat jokes with regard to someone gaining a lot of weight from eating too much chocolate.
It’s suggested that a young girl is ‘the brains behind the operation’ at one point but it’s clear the operation is a team effort. The girl is saved at one point rather than girlbossing her way out of the situation.
Felt more like something from the 00s than 20s.
Samuel Barthelemy
December 11, 2023 at 9:56 pm
Thanks! I’ll be checking it out.
Sweet Deals
December 12, 2023 at 9:26 pm
With a film like this, woke is not my paramount concern (but I still want to be warned in advance just in case). In a world where the vast majority of blockbuster films are either sequels, prequels, spin-offs or reboots to existing properties, my main question is “is this installment really necessary”?
When people love something a whole lot, it’s natural that they would want more of it. I get that. Adding another installment to an existing story is relatively safe, because the audience is already familiar, they already like it, and there’s a good chance they’ll come out and see it simply out of habit. But we’ve all seen movies where the franchise doesn’t really need that prequel, that fourth sequel, or that extra money-grabbing spin-off because the book series ended, and audiences get tired of it. They especially get upset when something they love gets wrecked. We all know Willy Wonka is an amazing inventor with a giant, mysterious factory who probably has a wild and sketchy past. We could explore it, but if we did, would it really add anything new or interesting?
Judging by the review, I don’t think this film is going to wreck anything, but it’s also not going to make much of a difference, either. The original book and the Gene Wilder film are both iconic enough that they can’t be displaced. After this film makes the rounds in theaters, I’m guessing people will eventually forget about it and go back to watching reruns of the Gene Wilder version on TV. There’s probably more than a dozen novels and films “inspired” by Peter Pan and none of them have displaced the original book. I have yet to see anyone make a film adaption of Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator, however. Who wants to see Willy Wonka and the Bucket family board a space hotel, mess with the President of the United States, and battle Vermicious Knids?
James Carrick
December 12, 2023 at 9:47 pm
The sad part is that this film had the bones of a much better movie. Willy’s motivation to succeed and the first act conflict were interesting and heartfelt enough to sustain the entire film, had they been fleshed out. Instead, they quickly take a backseat and the far less interesting A plot, B plot, C plot, and C1 plot fill time between musical numbers.
Cari L.
December 19, 2023 at 9:01 pm
I would’ve loved to see The Great Glass Elevator make it to the big screen!
Slayer
January 23, 2024 at 8:45 am
It’s not the woke stuff that annoys me so much. It’s that wonka’s character is so different from gene wilder’s iconic performance. This film is an obvious prequel to that particular version of the character, so the character arc needs to lead into what wonka is when he sends out the golden tickets.
This movie misses the mark in that regard. Wonka in the original film is more cynical, guarded, and downright ornery at times, whereas he’s all bright eyed and bushy tailed in this one, and even when the film gives him cause to develop some of those more wary character traits, we see no change whatsoever. Hugh grant looked absolutely miserable as well.
Lawrence Newman
December 12, 2023 at 10:27 pm
Can’t believe anyone could say this isn’t more far left propaganda. There were no blacks in the UK pre WW2. This is yet more of “the message ” designed to erase our history and weaken our identity.
James Carrick
December 12, 2023 at 10:33 pm
Three things: 1. We marked it down for the forced DEI hires and noted it as such. 2. This is a fantasy world variant of the UK. It’s overtly not historically accurate. 3. UK’s pre WWII population was between 8k and 10k. We took all of this into account when rating the level of wokeness.
Lawrence Newman
December 12, 2023 at 10:44 pm
There were no blacks pre ww2 who weren’t pets for royalty/aristocrats. Don’t believe the lies. Do you also believe the tales from leftist academics that black women were most affected by the plague based on finding skeletons despite zero DNA evidence?
It doesn’t matter if it’s fantasy, it’s still designed to imprint in indigenous Europeans minds the idea that “blacks have always been here”. You must realise that ESG, the WEF and UN and globalist agenda is to deracinate indigenous Europeans via non white replacement immigration and rewriting of not just factual history but European folklore and fiction.
Justifying this based on “muh it’s just fiction” is copium or naivete at best and bending the knee at worst.
James Carrick
December 12, 2023 at 10:53 pm
It does matter if it’s fantasy, insofar as it effects how much we mark down the score. We appreciate that you don’t like that.
Lawrence Newman
December 12, 2023 at 10:48 pm
By your logic, it’s okay if James Bond is African because muh it’s fantasy bro. Come on, if that’s your position, then you’re just a leftist. You’re not achieving anything because essentially you’re going along with the leftist revolutionary psy op. They’re going to call you far right now anyway so you may as well stop walking on eggshells out of fear of being called waycist. All humans are racist but only whites are bullied into pretending not to be. Stop pretending. Be a man.
James Carrick
December 12, 2023 at 11:00 pm
This is disanalogous. James Bond is not fantasy, nor is all fiction. We do not “walk on egg shells” and fear offending no one (not those on the Right, Left, or in the Center). Nor do we capitulate to bullies from any idealogical viewpoint. We are comfortable with our scale, acknowledge that it isn’t for everyone, celebrate the only diversity that truly matters (that of thought), and will continue to denote all instances of wokeness in films, etc. so that individuals can determine for themselves what passes their threshold of tolerance.
Lawrence Newman
December 12, 2023 at 11:24 pm
James Bond is fiction. And it’s perfectly analogous due to being fantasy/fiction. To say James Bond isn’t fiction because secret service agents exist is like saying wonka isn’t fiction because confectioners exist. Stop being disingenuous. You’re doing mental gymnastics and shape-shifting in order to try to reconcile contradictory positions. Be logically consistent or just join the left wholeheartedly.
James Carrick
December 12, 2023 at 11:40 pm
False Analogy: Your argument equates James Bond with Willy Wonka, suggesting that if one is considered fantasy, the other should be too. However, the analogy is flawed because James Bond is a character that exists in a world that closely resembles reality, while Willy Wonka exists in a fantastical and whimsical world. The existence of real secret service agents does not automatically make James Bond non-fiction, as the character and the world he inhabits are fictionalized.
Furthermore, Fantasy, like Science Fiction, Horror, etc., is a well-established subgenre of fiction with it’s own particular elements and mores. While there have been stories that blend these genres (e.g. Star Wars takes elements from fantasy and blends it into science fiction), that does not make the blended genres the same genre. Which brings us to the next logical fallacy.
False Equivalence Fallacy: This fallacy occurs when two things are asserted to be equivalent or equal when, in fact, they are not. It often involves ignoring significant differences between the two subjects and drawing a conclusion based on their perceived equivalence.
For example: It would be an irrational claim to say that Dances With Wolves falls within the Fantasy genre simply because it is a work of fiction.
Strawman Fallacy: Your argument sets up a strawman by suggesting that anyone who disagrees with the claim that James Bond is fiction and therefor fantasy must be “doing mental gymnastics” or trying to reconcile contradictory positions. This misrepresents the opposing view, assuming that it is based on illogical or inconsistent reasoning.
Ad Hominem: Your argument ends with a somewhat unrelated ad hominem attack, suggesting that the person with the opposing view should “join the left wholeheartedly.” This is a diversion from addressing the actual points of contention and does not contribute to a logical discussion of whether James Bond is fiction or fantasy.
Sterra
March 17, 2024 at 9:43 pm
My brother in Christ they owned slaves in the UK, what in the corncobbed hell are you talking about “there weren’t black people in the UK before WWII.” It’s not even a controversial statement, the existence of black people pre-WWII is *extremely* well-documented. That they existed in the UK is verifiable by photos and DNA testing of remains, with the earliest corpse belonging to a black person dating back more than 1000 years! The population of black people in the 1700s UK was more than 10,000-fold!
What you’re doing here is either you got manipulated into believing nonsense and didn’t bother verifying what you were told, or you are hoping people will believe a lie for your “identitarian” movement. (it’s just white nationalism, that’s all it is)
Lawrence Newman
December 13, 2023 at 12:01 am
It doesn’t matter how many times you cry FALLACY like a typical faux intellectual youtuber, it doesn’t change the fact everyone can see you’re logically inconsistent. That is a fact. Wonka is fiction. Bond is fiction. I haven’t strawmanned you since I’m saying you said bond is fiction which you said clearly again. You need to read up on these fallacies you talk about. Maybe try something more in depth than the first sentence of Wikipedia or the ladybird guide to faux intellectual buzzwords.
By your logic, wonka being black would be okay because muh “whimsical” but James bond being black would be woke because muh reasons. You’re all over the place. You’re as logically inconsistent as the wokest of woke. There is literally zero point to this site’s existence because you’re just intellectually dishonest and logically inconsistent. The Little Mermaid is “fantasy” (a synonym for fiction). By your logic it’s okay if she’s black. But it’s not okay because it’s raceswapping to push an anti White political agenda. Ariel was written as white because it was written in a time when western Europe was 100% indigenous, ie white.
You’ve basically said the entire cast of wonka could be black and that would be okay because muh whimsy and fantasy, completely ignoring all of Roald dahls characters were white because BRITONS ARE WHITE and roal Dahl wasn’t a self hating anti white leftist terrified of being called racist.
Now I’m sure your instinct is to post a wall of text repeating the word fallacy over and over because you think it makes you sound intelligent. Don’t. Nobody is buying that nonsense. It just makes you guilty of the fallacy fallacy which is accusing interlocutors of fallacies they aren’t guilty of.
James Carrick
December 13, 2023 at 12:15 am
It doesn’t matter how many times you claim that I’m being logically inconsistent. Your arguments remain full of strawmen, unwarranted leaps in logic, and personal attacks.
We dinged The Little Mermaid harder because it race-swapped existing characters. Wonka created original characters but still hired some people based solely on their race. We believe those to be two different infractions and weigh them differently in our scoring, while listing both so that the intellectually honest may benefit from both.
It is clear that you will only accept responses that confirm your particular biases and you have no wish for honest debate. We accept that nuance seems to escape your grasp and wish you well.
Lawrence Newman
December 13, 2023 at 12:25 am
You’ve been proven to be logically inconsistent. Everyone can see it. I have made no leaps in logic, I’ve only pointed out your own logic that you contradict when it suits you. No strawman from me either.
“We BELIEVE those to be 2 different infractions, ”
Yes, you believe, as in ARTICLE OF FAITH. It’s pure mental gymnastics. You’re trying so desperately to “appear reasonable and moderate” , ie appease the normies/centrist types, that You’re willing to do such mental somersaults.
Now begone with you. Don’t dirty my inbox again with your disingenuous and myopia.
James Carrick
December 13, 2023 at 12:32 am
We appreciate your past viewership and wish you well as you seek out only those who agree with you in total.
P.S. The email address that you are using for these comments does not appear in our database. If you subscribed to our newsletter using another email address, you will have to unsubscribe via the link in one of our past email notifications. If you have deleted all past emails, you will have to wait until the next Review Notification goes out later this week.
Sterra
March 17, 2024 at 10:11 pm
I find the argument that anyone was hired based on their race to be extremely lacking. The notion that people were hired for their race is an extraordinary claim, and as such, requires extraordinary evidence. Even circumstantial evidence, like if the casting director has verifiably cast actors for their race. But in this case, it seems as though the only thing you have shown is that, arguably, she was among the weakest of the cast. I don’t know if you consider her performance bad, just going off what you’ve presented. This is extremely insufficient evidence of this, and by presenting it unambiguously as a diversity hire makes similar claims seem weak, by virtue of the knowledge that your standard for declaring someone a diversity hire is extremely low.
Here is the standard that you should aspire for: proper verification. For example, when M. Night Shyamalan intentionally only hired white people for the three main characters of The Last Airbender (all of whom are non-white in the show) is roughly the level of what you should aspire to demonstrate. The problem with “she’s not good at acting” as evidence is because a lot of actors have a bigger career than their skill should allow.
Now, I think Chris Pratt is a fine actor, but he’s not a great actor. His biggest role was a supporting character in a cult TV show, of which he got minimal award nominations (to be clear I think he’s pretty funny in this role). Despite being a relatively obscure hit, he’s a major character in the MCU, he’s in The LEGO Movie, he’s Super Dang Mario! Once again, no shade, but this is a level of success that, to me, reflects a person who succeeded because he was well-liked by the people who hired him. There are so many variables that go into hiring that determining that a black person who cannot act must have been hired for diversity reasons seems like it’s a manufactured argument.
Titus B.
December 13, 2023 at 10:15 am
Very interesting conversation. You kept a professional attitude (with a small dash of snark) and clearly and logically showed your points. I also found it funny when you listed out the logical fallacies (I’ve learned about all of them in school.) Lawrence clearly has a very specific view, and isn’t willing to hear outside points. Best of luck to him. Finally, would you recommend this movie?
James Carrick
December 13, 2023 at 10:21 am
Thanks Titus. Believe me, it took some prayer to maintain civility.
Our official “recommendations” are labeled as “Worth it.” I personally wouldn’t spend money on seeing it, but if it were streaming on a service that I already paid for and I needed a family movie, or the rental price was low enough, I’d consider watching it.
Titus B.
December 13, 2023 at 10:40 am
Thanks!
Lawrence Newman
December 13, 2023 at 12:25 pm
He’s logically inconsistent which I proved. No amount of fake politeness changes that. “I learned them in school” lol oh lord, yes, but you need to be able to identify them accurately. Did you learn there’s 100 genders and transwomen are women? Must be true if teacher said it.
James Carrick
December 13, 2023 at 12:38 pm
Correction. You made numerous assertions filled with faulty reasoning and then declared victory.
Premature Victory Fallacy: This occurs when someone claims to have won an argument or achieved a particular outcome before providing sufficient evidence or valid reasoning to support their assertion. It is a form of hasty conclusion or premature judgment.
Lawrence Newman
December 13, 2023 at 12:50 pm
If I say 2 plus 2 equals 4 and a leftist says no, that’s wrong, maths is racist, I will declare victory because I’m 100% correct. I have shown your logical inconsistencies and all you can do is type fallacy over and over in the same way a leftist shouts racist, sexist, etc. Over and over. You refuse to admit you’re wrong but you’re still wrong. No amount of fan boys simping for you will change that proven fact.
James Carrick
December 13, 2023 at 12:58 pm
Fallacy Dismissal Fallacy: This is a situation in which someone refuses to acknowledge the presence of logical fallacies in their argument and, instead, dismisses criticism without addressing the substance of the critique.
Titus B.
December 13, 2023 at 1:04 pm
Lol “fan boys” you are getting desperate. Also, we have disagreed, and shown why we do, you have simply said, “NO I’M STILL RIGHT!”
Derek
December 14, 2023 at 9:53 am
You’ve clearly gone off the meds and are severely deranged. This in no way brings anyone to your side of the argument and you sound like a toddler kicking and screaming on the floor of a toy section at Walmart at this point.
Titus B.
December 13, 2023 at 12:40 pm
Lol, number one i was homeschooled in a Christian co-op, number two, you are unwilling to change your position. You act like you’re debating, when you’re simply repeating your views. You also didn’t prove anything. You just stated your beliefs (with no sources by the way) and kept whining when he showed your fallacies which are defined as “an error in logic.” Correct your own logic before you complain about someone else’s. Also, I thought you were done whining on this platform about people who don’t agree with you.
Lawrence Newman
December 13, 2023 at 1:01 pm
Modern Christians are soldiers of woke now. They use Christianity as a skinsuit but conform to the leftist agenda. The pope himself is woke.
James Carrick
December 13, 2023 at 1:05 pm
The Pope is woke, and many modern Christians are soldiers of woke now. But more non-sequiturs and ad hominem attacks won’t change the fact that you’ve made many claims but said nothing.
Titus B.
December 13, 2023 at 1:09 pm
Ok different angle, so the other angle wasn’t workin out for ya. Alright, first please define “modern Christians.” Also, I don’t think either of us look to the pope for religious advice. Correct me if I’m wrong James.
James Carrick
December 13, 2023 at 1:10 pm
Not Catholic. Though, I was a big fan of JPII.
Titus B.
December 13, 2023 at 12:41 pm
Also, I was talking to him not you.
Shane Brummer
December 13, 2023 at 3:39 pm
My honest opinion is that the biggest mistake this site is making is to have a Woke-ish category. You are saying this is ok-ish, you are de-stigmatising an evil. movies should either be woke or not. They should either be a watchable piece or something we treat with disdain, otherwise, you promote a slow psychological shift and death by a thousand cuts.
Woke is identity politics, it’s the promotion of all the tools that advance the end of private property and a family-centric society. Either you fight against those tools, or you slowly accept some of them. Movies should be literally “worth it or woke”, and nothing else. Otherwise, you muddy the waters and will engineer your demise as a website.
James Carrick
December 13, 2023 at 4:00 pm
Thank you for your comment. However, we respectfully disagree. The Woke-sh category exists only as a quantifier as to the level of Wokeness in a film, it is not an endorsement.
We further disagree that a film is entirely woke if it has, for instance, a singular instance of wokeness in it.
MattS
January 22, 2024 at 12:30 am
Hi Shane,
I quite agree with you (to a degree) because the woke politicking of mainstream media has been a cancer to our society, families, views on social issues and more. Having said that, I do struggle to think of how it could be such a clear-cut decision for most media.
(Very weird example for a Christian here, but…) I love The Walking Dead. I love the focus on characters and the fantasy concept of how society could continue after an apocalyptic event. I love (many of) the stories and the ways that struggles are often overcome. Having said that, there is quite a lot of DEI over the 11 seasons. There are far more prominent gay characters than Christian characters as a basic example. The Christian characters almost exclusively have to deal with faith struggles (because ‘how could God let this happen’ thoughts), while the gay characters all get to partner off with a fellow same-sex attracted individuals (at least until someone dies- you know, because it’s a zombie series)…
I can totally understand that people would argue that it is a very woke series. I see many more positives in it and gain a lot of insight from it instead. (I’m not plugging the series- because it’s very violent and has some truly awful moments too, but I do get a lot of good from it as well.)
I like your thinking, I’m just not sure how it could be implemented effectively…
Veteran Momma
December 15, 2023 at 1:40 pm
I just discovered this site and am grateful for the review. Between this site and Common Sense Media I feel I can get a grasp on whether or not to see certain movies with my children. I appreciate the honesty and the comments are also a bonus! Keep up the good work.
James Carrick
December 15, 2023 at 2:40 pm
That’s such a blessing to “hear.” We’re thrilled to be of service. Now, tell everyone that you know about us 😉
Gail Finke
December 15, 2023 at 4:26 pm
This review doesn’t say what the film is actually about. Who is the girl? What does she have to do with Willy Wonka? How can it be wrong to have a chocolate business empire (Slugworths) AND be about the person who later has the biggest chocolate business empire in the world?
James Carrick
December 15, 2023 at 4:42 pm
“With only twelve silver crowns in his pocket, a young and eccentric Willy Wonka, played by Timothée Chalamet (Dune), in search of his fortune, brings his crave-worthy confectionary creations to the world-renowned Galeries Gourmet, home to Slugworth Chocolate’s Inc. Unfortunately, when his profiteering competitors get a taste of Wonka’s brilliance, the twisted trio tactfully tightens their treacherous tryst and quickly collude to callously condemn him to a life of servitude, sinister subjugation, and sorrow.”
We try to keep our plot summaries to a minimum as to minimize spoilers. Telling you anything other than she quickly becomes Willy’s companion would spoil much.
Colleen
December 15, 2023 at 11:55 pm
I loved this movie and young Willy looks so much like the Original Willy!
Sergio
December 17, 2023 at 10:54 am
Paul King made Paddington and Paddington 2, I think I will take a chance with this movie based just on that! 🙂
Richard
December 17, 2023 at 11:40 am
When James Bond eats some magic chocolate and flies around, THEN I might consider it fantasy. Until then, no it ain’t!
Fantastical, sure, fantasy, no.
Seth
December 30, 2023 at 9:41 pm
It’s amazing to me that this entire website is built around whether or not your feelings are going to be hurt by seeing someone who doesn’t look like you in a movie. Highly normal. Anyway, wait till you hear about black panther!
James Carrick
December 30, 2023 at 9:49 pm
Your analytical and deductive skills are astounding.
Lawrence Newman
December 30, 2023 at 9:52 pm
And you completely missed the point, NPC.
James Carrick
December 30, 2023 at 10:03 pm
They will never understand that we could care less about the color of someones skin but disapprove of racist hiring practices that prioritize melanin over talent. It does a disservice to every performer of every race and to the audience.
Lawrence Newman
December 30, 2023 at 10:29 pm
All humans are racist but only white people are bullied into pretending not to be.
Human person
December 31, 2023 at 1:35 pm
Dang, we got Robin DiAngelo in the chat
Lawrence Newman
December 31, 2023 at 1:52 pm
Robin Diangelo supports antiwhiteism, so your comment makes no sense. She believes only whites can be racist. Critical race theory is abject nonsense.
Human person
December 31, 2023 at 2:48 pm
Ok, so instead of only white dudes are racist, everyone is racist? When was the last time you personally experienced racism?
Lawrence Newman
December 31, 2023 at 4:01 pm
Every institution in the west is now systemically anti white. Critical race theory is taught in schools. On both sides of the Atlantic, the establishment is very openly anti white. The only group that’s openly discriminated against are whites. Women, lgbt and brown people are given quota systems and get jobs based on their racial/gender identity. This is simply a statement of fact.
I’m saying the human animal is racist/tribal. Has been since the dawn of Man. In group preference is normal and natural. The anti racist ideology isn’t genuinely against all racism, it’s simply code for anti White. You seem very ignorant.
Human person
January 1, 2024 at 7:53 am
While I do agree that many are anti white, I would say humans are more than an animal. Also you didn’t answer my previous question. Finally the last comment was an ad hominum attack, an error in logic. Chigity check yourself before you rigity wreck yourself.
Human person
January 1, 2024 at 8:07 am
I would also say that you confuse ignorant with being unobsessed with these ideas you seem to brood over, and spout on the comments section of a review for a children’s musical. Personally, I have more in my life to do than meditate whether we are all racist, or whether James Bond and Willa Wonka are both fantasy movies. If you have such amounts of time to waste on such things, you my friend need a hobby. I see neither of our minds will change with this chat thread on a child’s movie review. Until next time, Human Person
MattS
January 22, 2024 at 12:38 am
I think Lawrence was more trying to say that the prevailing thoughts about racism are that ‘only whites can be racist because of structural and systemic racism’… Also, if we are really honest with ourselves, everyone has racism in them. Can anyone ever claim that they understand and immediately, openly accept everyone, from every race and have never had negative thoughts about anyone of a different race? We all have biases, stereotypes we use to get on with life.
I hope that helps. (I also hope I haven’t assumed too much Lawrence.)
Jamaal Leroy
January 3, 2024 at 2:36 pm
Could have been really good but the forced diversity ruined it. Very similar to Spirited, another musical set in England many years ago but looking more cosmopilitan than it does even by todays standards. Boxes ticked I suppose.
Karen White
January 3, 2024 at 2:57 pm
I agree, a very good movie but the forced diversity reduced my ratings on it. Very good watch though and funny, will definitely be going with my kids again.
Jamaal Leroy
January 3, 2024 at 3:02 pm
Thanks Karen, good to know I’m not the only who thought that. I’m sure the kids loved it as the forced diversity and the constant pandering to woke ideology will go over their heads. Peace. Love Jamaal. xx
Mo_Mygrant_85
January 3, 2024 at 4:33 pm
I have to say, I agree with Jamaal and big Karen.This really was entertaining to watch but was somewhat soured with pandering to the woke softies. I suppose i should be grateful that Willy did not become Wilma Wonka.
Karen White
January 3, 2024 at 4:39 pm
Thank you for your reply Mo xx
I’m glad you also found the movie entertaining.
And who knows, Willy might be Wilma in 2030 😂😂 xx
Kirky
January 16, 2024 at 3:47 pm
You forgot the biggest retcon of the lot. Wonka’s mum is now the inspiration and his dad doesn’t even exist.
Dan
January 28, 2024 at 8:04 am
Well, that was one depressing, woke, forced DEI, mess of 20 minutes I’ll never get back. Yes, I said 20 minutes, because I walked out about 20 minutes in. This is NOT Willy Wonka. It is race swapping: Slugworth was white, not black. Forcing race: black people in police and guard roles? In 19th century England? Um… ok? And I am not opposed to black people in movies, but I AM opposed to black people FORCED into roles that never existed during time periods such as 1800’s England. Also, race swapping like Anne Boleyn all of a sudden being made black in the BBC series, Anne Boleyn.
SPOILERS BELOW!!! So if you haven’t seen the movie (hopefully you stay awake from this woke mess) then please don’t read on.
Plus, this movie was depressing! Wonka signs a contract and now he owes 10,000 silver sovereigns which he doesn’t have and now has the be a slace to pay it all back. It just didn’t sit well with me if this is the story they came up with. And of course placing black people in positions of power and influence and white people in positions of slave ownership and corporate greed, well, except for Slugworth, but we all know he turns good because he ends up working for Wonka as we find out from the original (and STILL the reigning champion and BEST Wonka film ever).
This movie, if this is the direction it was leading, I just didn’t want to sit through it any longer. People back home loved it and said I should see it, and I was rather weary going in. And these friends of mine are not into woke garbage either. I am just surprised they didn’t see it.
Tired of Hollywood ruining movies. Especially classics like Willy Wonka. First Tim Burton made gay Wonka with Johnny Depp, and now whoever wrote and directed this one ruined this version. Thankfully this was not based on a Dahl book, but “reimagined” for the woke and progressives ruining everything we know and love when it comes to entertainment. I even read an article where they censored and rewrote Dahl’s books because the language was “dated” and “not nice” and would “offend” people. Thankfully the publisher got so much flak from their decision to censor his books for the snowflakes that they sell the original classics alongside the woke rewrites and promised to keep selling the untouched classics.
This world is getting worse and worse…
Roon
February 22, 2024 at 1:37 pm
“I am just surprised they didn’t see it.” Or maybe just maybe, you might be a silly human being bothered by absolutely nothing. This ######e is fictional. Anyone can do whatever they want with fictional stories. There is no obligation to stay true to the original story that was written on a leaf
Logan
February 18, 2024 at 3:41 pm
I actually really liked the movie. Thought the songs were wonderful and Timothee Chalamet definitely understood the assignment (though he’s very much a strong difference to Gene Wilder’s Willy Wonka).
James Carrick
February 18, 2024 at 3:49 pm
Diversity of thought is the only meaningful diversity.
Roon
February 22, 2024 at 1:25 pm
While I agree Diversity of thought is important and as you say meaningful. It’s not the only meaningful diversity. That’s a stupid thing to say, my dude. Do you think everybody was happy when movies were less diverse or had one black or brown person?
don’t you dare bring up some dumb ###### like but we had Sydney Poitier or Denzel and Morgan Freeman and nobody complained.
Dave Doyle
February 22, 2024 at 9:47 am
Too many blacks in the movie, forced racial inclusion takes away from the story. Black lead girl, smart black girl instructs dumb and white people. Black sergeant arrests evil bad guys at the end. Black librarian mom reunites with black girl. Blah , blah , black. The storyline is the same in all these movies. Black smart and good, white evil and dumb. Black this and black that.
Roon
February 22, 2024 at 1:26 pm
Jesus christ dude. Who hurt your sorry ass? Did a black person ###### slap you to become a basement dweller that simply hates the site of them?
BeckFamily
July 16, 2024 at 4:05 pm
12 percent woke this movie was woke as heck. For one they made the other entrepreneurs corrupt and evil. For two Wonka was mad at Noodle for trying to take some milk of of there neighbors porch and said to her that’s steeling and the milk he uses are from a giraffe so they poisoned ( in other words they tricked him into taking drugged up chocolate ) the guard at the zoo then broke in and milked a giraffe!!! how’s that any better then what she tried to do and on top of it they stole a lot of balloons and freed all the flamingos and later drugged up the guard again and then STOLE the giraffe!!! For three they made the preacher corrupt and stupid. For four they made the cops corrupt and stupid. For five they made all the white people evil or stupid even Wonka he didn’t know how to read and then the all mighty black 14 year old girl with a far better education taught Wonka how to read, all adult males are stupid or silly or both. And most of the black people were not shined in a good light other then three or four all the other black people were stopping Wonka’s dream. This movie was the most woke movie I have watched in a long time and I trusted your guys review and you said it was based and was more like 12 percent based and 88 percent woke. You guys need to fix your review cause it is super inaccurate and this movie was super woke!!!