Wonka: The Best Movie Ever?

[pezgirlroy]

I have two kids. Here is how I judge a kids movie. Can I handle watching it a second or third time in the future (as one often does with kids movies). Trolls 3 no absolutely not. Wonka yes. So it passes for me.

 

[DodgerGirl]

I had the pleasure of listening to the Wonka soundtrack this morning and it is one of the worst soundtracks I've listened to in my life. For one think Timothee has ruined Pure Imagination by turning it into an R&B version and I don't know how they made Timothee sing Pure Imagination but he ruins it. The other song that is weak is the Oompa Loompas song and how Hugh Grant can sing I can't understand. It's easy to see why Wonka didn't do well in theaters and this soundtrack proves it

 

[tony67]

I don't know how they made Timothee sing Pure Imagination but he ruins it.

Probably because Gene Wilder sang it in the original.

Have not heard it and hopefully I wont have the pleasure - doubt Ill watch the movie - even for free on streaming.

 

[Sleepy425]

I LOVE Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. I watched it on repeat over and over as a child (my mom had to special order it when I was little way back before the internet so she could stop going to the library to check it out for me). I have a Wonka tattoo. My wedding invitations were Golden tickets. I gave my first son the initials G.O.B. so I could call him my little Gobstopper (props to my husband for having a B last name for me!).
I enjoyed this movie. All the subtle nods to the original made me smile, and I enjoyed the songs. Yes, some of the story did not add up with the original, but I was there to be entertained and the movie did a great job of that.

 

[Kathryn Merteuil]

I finally got a chance to see this. I liked it, but I far prefer the original.

 

[PollyannaMom]

I just watched this on streaming today and thoroughly enjoyed it.

/ 5

Was it a little weird at times?...sure (but then again, so was the original)!

I liked the actors' performances (and was pleasantly surprised to see"Carson" from Downton Abbey again).

I've also always loved animation drawn over live action (I don't mean CGI that's supposed to blend in, but the whimsical drawing type - like for imagination scenes) so it was fun to see that.

I wouldn't say I'm still singing the songs after watching it, but I thought they were OK.

I loved that there were so many subliminal nods to the original movie and can't wait to watch again to just focus on those.

Me too!! It was obvious the creators favored the original over the remake (as do I) and even though I caught a lot of the nods, I'm sure I missed some! I will likely watch this again.


P.S. - Somehow I lost the post where someone asked what else "Noodle" was in, but I think it was This Is Us (as younger Laurel in the flashbacks).

 

[cabanafrau]

That movie holds a special place in my heart. I remember watching it with my family, and it was like stepping into a magical world. The whimsical characters, the vibrant colors, and of course, the unforgettable chocolate factory!

That was one of my quibbles with Wonka. The seventies incarnation created its own aesthetic, a special place that existed in that story. Wonka simply gave me Fantastic Beasts' aesthetics, instead of taking me to the world of the story it was attempting to tell me.

We caught Wonka a couple weeks back on Max. I knew it wouldn't stand up to the original, but I assumed it had to outstrip the Johnny Depp nonsense. I found the story weak, songs weak, setting weak. I can't really fault the performances, because I believe they gave all they could to weak material.

I'd like it if Hollywood and Broadway could break out of the cycle of returning to the well so frequently with remakes, etc. and bring us some amazing new worlds to explore. I don't mind seeing really great source material reinterpreted in new ways or augmented with expanding the storylines, but you really need to have a great idea or a fresh and expansive perspective to make it work. Baum's Oz stories have delivered some truly magical moments and some real stinkers. Never got to see the Wiz on Broadway and do not enjoy the film. A new Broadway version is coming and that looks like it will have some incredible performances with some intriguing plot tweaks. I'm also hopeful that the film version of Wicked will deliver, but time will tell.