Wonka

It's very easy to be dissuaded by the advance publicity for Wonka. In poster and trailers there's mention made of the director of Paddington, but "producers of Harry Potter" means nothing to most and nothing good to others. The line readings in the trailer seem weirdly off-kilter and Timothée Chalamet has had central roles but in nothing one would call family friendly. Add to that the inherent cynicism that's attracted to prequels like wasps to picnics and it seems like bitterness is in order.

It isn't. Wonka's a treat. The moment I emerged from a preview screening I texted my sibling so that my eldest nibling could see it as soon as possible. I'll proceed to gush about it like a burst liqueur but know that it is sweet, light, funny and perhaps most merrily, musical.

The script is by Simon Farnaby, who wrote for the generally superior Paddington 2 and the layered false nostalgias of Mindhorn. Many of his colleagues from Horrible Histories are in the cast, and a slew of other comic actors and comedians join them. He and director Paul King have worked together several times before to good effect, and this continues a fruitful (if not fruit and nut-full) partnership.

Chalamet is very funny as Wonka, a statement I must admit I'm somewhat surprised to be making. He's filling a role occupied by Gene Wilder just over 50 years ago and Johnny Depp just over 15 years ago and as with sugar he puts his own spin on it. He's helped by the songs, special effects, supporting cast, but it's his smile that seals it.

The songs are by Neil Hannon, and I'm astonished that this isn't being pushed. One of the selling points for Matilda: The Musical was the involvement of Tim Minchin and while Hannon might not be a stand-up he's no slouch at providing (divine) comedy. There's easily a dozen and when one you'll already know appears it's touching. The new songs are also very entertaining, meeting the musical rule of making it possible to guess the title easily. Scrub Scrub and its escape reprise are very funny and Sweet Tooth obeys the convention of villains being truthful only in verse.

What villains they are! The "chocolate cartel" seems daft but they're clearly of the mould of Boggis, Bunce & Bean from Fantastic Mr Fox. The trio of Slugworth (Paterson Joseph), Prodnose (Matt Lucas) and Fickelgruber (Mathew Baynton) put the mint with a hole into oligopoly. In their pocket they've the chief of police (Keegan Michael-Key) and the local clergy (Rowan Atkinson). While it's never entirely certain where our big city is, their villainy knows no bounds. With bits of Edinburgh, London, Vienna, Amsterdam, everyone knows crossing them gets you in a jam.

Wonka's determination will be tempered against the chocolate cartel and the city they run with a velvet-ribboned fist. That starts with his lodgings, in the care of Mrs Scrubbit (Olivia Colman) and the adaptable Bleacher (Tom Davis). Their various other guests include even more familiar faces, but it's a new one that shines brightest. Calah Lane plays Noodle, and her performance is one of the highlights of the film. She's an excellent part of a cast who, in conjunction with everything else, make this feel like a BBC2 pantomime-inflected Christmas special. That might seem faint praise, I do not mean it to be so. I laughed again and again at this, and was charmed by everyone but especially young Lane. She and Chalamet manage an earnest chemistry of friendship that wraps everything in a sweet blanket that never feels cloying.

Some of that is prevented by variety. We've flashbacks through flickbooks, chalkboard childhoods, archive footage from those whose memories are more of the film era. There are bits whose use of something akin to stop motion recall Wallace & Gromit or Miss Marvel's contributions to The Marvels. The cast help too, a selection box of characters whose arcs aren't much longer than foil to fancy but satisfy nonetheless. Nostalgia of certain kinds too, I can't have known in advance how much I'd enjoy hearing Rich Fulcher say "Hello, Zoo!" again but I did. Hugh Grant as an Oompa Loompa might be funny enough for some, but the particular combination of yacht-clubbability and Bond-level gadgetry was consistently entertaining. There's so much else to revel in, set after set, costume after costume, song after song and everywhere craft and for the most part kindness.

"For the most part" because one of the elements of Roald Dahl's work has often been a measure of cruelty, of vindictiveness. Salt for the caramel, you might argue, but tears flow nonetheless. There's more than one fat suit, some of the villains are somewhat grotesque even before magical potions are thrown around. It might seem owlish to complain when twits to woo are compelled, but I don't think I'm without a leg to stand on here, never mind beating the subject to death. It's a disappointment, it mars what would otherwise be unparalled bounty. Even if it's notionally an accuracy to its inspiration it sticks a bit in the throat. I don't mind too much taking liberties with the backstory of character like Napoleon or Solo but separating the man from uncle, both of us are unhappy with what messages are sent in the process.

There isn't a scene after the credits, but there is one during them. There's a bit of comic business about what happens next that I'll leave a mystery. In much the same way that Doctor Sleep was a sequel to two works of the same name, Wonka is prelude to two very different directions but manages to catch something delicious on that fork in the road. There's a tradition that the folds in a chef's toque are meant to represent techniques he has mastered, and the multidimensional chaos that implies for Wonka's titfer is ably conveyed. I use rhyming slang there because I can near enough guarantee that if you watch Wonka you'll be having a giraffe.