Went to this kind of grudgingly, not being a fan of Timothee Chalamet and after seeing some so-so reviews. It was delightful! Still don't entirely get Chalamet, but he's game, sings at least as well as Gene Wilder, and dances a bit, quite capably. I didn't realize it was a brand-new story from Paul King, and it's quite a dexterous one, giving Wonka a credible origin story and allowing for plenty of sight gags, warmth, and satire. Calah Lane is adorable, and there are fun turns from Keegan-Michael Key, Olivia Colman, Rowan Atkinson, and, especially, Hugh Grant. It's visually sumptuous, especially in IMAX. The new songs, by somebody I never heard of, are just fine-OK, they have some lazy rhymes, but they tell the story, inform us about the characters, and generally do the heavy lifting musical scores used to do. It made me laugh out loud, and the "secret message" revealed at the end (but not here) is a charming, touching finishing touch. What a surprise this one was!
