Commentary: Timothée Chalamet’s Wonka Adds An Interesting Complexity To The Character

Making a prequel featuring any beloved character is difficult. These characters become so firm in the public consciousness that, sometimes, any depiction that differentiates from the original can be met with harsh criticism. Willy Wonka is no different. Despite Johnny Depp‘s attempt to reinvent the character, Gene Wilder remains the definitive Wonka. So a Timothée Chalmet-led prequel was met with understandable skepticism. But stories are all about perspective and approach. How people think about these characters when experiencing them matters. So with the right mindset, Chalmet’s performance can be viewed as a worthy addition to Wonka’s legacy.

The film, Wonka, starts as Chalamet’s Wonka returns from a year-long journey at sea to hone his chocolate-making skills. His chocolate is marvelous, but he quickly runs into debt after being taken advantage of for having no money. To make matters worse, rival candy makers scheme to keep Wonka’s superior chocolate from customers. With the help of some friends, he exposes the corrupt businessmen and begins plans to construct his legendary chocolate factory.

It’s reasonable to believe that this film is connected to 1971’s Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, most notably because of the similarities in music. But it’s clear that Chalmet is a very different Wonka than Wilder, which may turn off long-time fans of the character. But this may not be because of a different performance by the actors. It’s important to remember that this is a prequel. Although both actors are playing the same character, he is at two very different periods of his life. Wilder’s Wonka was iconic because of his sarcasm and indifference to the children’s suffering. This is a huge contrast from Chalmet’s hopeful and optimistic demeanor. But the zany personality is still there. It’s just channeled in a much more positive way. This means that between the 1971 film and the prequel, something happens to turn Wonka into the jaded old man he would become. It’s an interesting character development that adds complexity to the character.

Wonka is now streaming on Max.