REVIEW #16: WONKA IS A TREAT!

Wonka
Director: Paul King
Warner Bros. 2023

WONKA IS A WONDERFUL MOVIE!

Having entered the grandparent age, I now have a wonderful excuse to attend movies like Wonka. I was astonished to be confronted by very sophisticated messages about consumerism and cut-throat competition, teamwork, loyalty, exploitation, and the role of parenting ─ just to name a few! Yes, people could fly after eating a chocolate, and a couple almost drowned in a vat of chocolate and other fantastical things. And, yes, people broke into song and dance at regular intervals. But, this only added to the charm of the movie and helped movie-goers to digest the very serious and important messages about relationships, identity and working together that were at the heart of the movie.

Ironically, this movie about establishing a chocolate-making business, conveyed the message that there was more to life than chocolate and making money. Willy Wonka teaches children to care and share. He teaches us to hold onto our dreams, but also that our dreams and our work should never consume us to the extent that we put them before our relationships. He teaches us that many people from all ages and walks of life can work together to achieve a dream. Looking back on that movie, I realise that thousands of children have imbibed messages that can build their character and understanding of true community. I think Roald Dahl would be pleased with what they have made of his protagonist and his effect on children’s understanding of their world. These chocolates were fun, fantastic and full of goodness.