When I first heard about Wonka, I was very interested. I have had a long relationship with the franchise; I read the original Roald Dahl Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and the sequel Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator, which I highly recommend, along with seeing the 1971 Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory and the much despised 2005 version. I have dressed up as the titular chocolatier multiple times. Despite this, I was not overly enthusiastic about Wonka.

Walking into the theatre, I thought: “This will be an alright film.” Boy was that statement blown out of the water. I was laughing within the first 20 minutes. There was never a joke that didn’t land. Timothée Chalamet was absolutely perfect for portraying the young Wonka, as he was childlike but not annoyingly so. I was absolutely not expecting several members of the BBC Series Ghosts to appear with Simon Farnaby, Mathew Baynton, and Charlotte Ritchie; it was an absolute delight to see them cast in the film. Rowan Atkinson, better known for playing Mr. Bean, plays a chocoholic priest, a comedic part that is absolute gold. Hugh Grant playing an Oompa Loompa was unexpected but wonderful. There are several other famous comedy actors that you will have to see for yourself. I appreciate the fact that Willy Wonka has to call on the help of his friends rather than solving all the problems himself; the writer’s knew what they were doing. The commentary on corruption, corporations, and conglomerates is a nice touch without being so obnoxiously obvious. In conclusion, Wonka is an absolute must watch and a refreshing taste after all of the serious edgy R-rated or abhorrent kids movies that seem to have taken over the movie industry these days.

I was absolutely delighted, as a ship fanatic, to learn that the steamship used in the film is an actual steam drifter—a type of fishing boat—named Lydia Eva. The inclusion of a streetcar, or a tram as they would call it in England, was also delightful.