Wonka: Mark Kermode’s sweet take on this fantasy film prequel (video format).

Hold onto your candy canes, folks, says our man-of-many-movies, Mark Kermode, because the fantasy film prequel Wonka is now here to sprinkle a little sugar, spice, and everything nice into your life. Directed by Paul King and written with Simon Farnaby, this 2023 musical fantasy film is like a love letter to Roald Dahl’s beloved world of eccentric chocolate-making, but with a twist. It’s the origin story of the one and only Willy Wonka, and who better to fill those quirky shoes than Timothée Chalamet?

Picture this: A young Willy Wonka, about 25, sails into London after a globetrotting adventure in search of rare ingredients to make his chocolate creations. He’s got the recipes, the look (because who doesn’t love a good rumpled top hat?), and a heart full of dreams. Chalamet brings to life a Wonka that’s all sweetness and light, minus the dark undertones we’ve seen in previous iterations. He’s a chocolate-making Peter Pan, minus the flying and the whole never-growing-up part. The cast? A smorgasbord of talent. We’ve got Keegan-Michael Key as a chocoholic chief of police, Paterson Joseph, Matt Lucas, and Mathew Baynton as a trio of villainous chocolatiers, and Sally Hawkins in a flashback as Wonka’s chocolate-loving mum. Not to mention, Hugh Grant as a digitally shrunken Oompa-Loompa. Yes, you read that right.

Wonka is so wholesomely old-school that it makes Mary Poppins Returns look like a rebel. It’s a throwback to the late-studio-system era of musicals, and in an age where we’ve seen the likes of La La Land and The Greatest Showman, this film stands out like a sore thumb. But, like a beautifully wrapped candy, it’s a treat.

Chalamet’s Wonka is a delight – an elfin, unworldly chocolate disruptor, with a singing voice as sweet as his confections. He’s out to conquer the chocolate world, but not by eating his creations. That would be like getting high on your own supply, right? This young chocolatier is on a mission to make the world a better place, one cocoa bean at a time.

Then there’s the ensemble of baddies, including Olivia Colman and Tom Davis as a Dickensian pair straight out of a suburban Sweeney Todd. Rowan Atkinson adds his own unique flavor as a cryptic priest, and Calah Lane shines as Wonka’s pal Noodle.

But don’t go looking for any dark, twisted turns in this Wonka’s story. It’s pure, unadulterated niceness from start to finish. This film sidesteps the darker edges of Dahl’s imagination, focusing instead on the innocence and wonder of chocolate-making.

Wonka premiered in all its glory at London’s Royal Festival Hall, and with its general release, it’s bound to be a holiday hit. Critics are already nodding their heads in approval. It’s a cinematic candy bar that’s a bit different from the rest – not quite as rich and complex as some, but sometimes, you just need a good, old-fashioned sugar rush.

So, if you’re in the mood for a trip down memory lane, sprinkled with a dash of fantasy and a whole lot of Timothée Chalamet charm, Wonka is your golden ticket. Just remember, it’s a musical journey that’s as square as a chocolate bar, but sometimes, that’s just what the candy doctor ordered.