Am I Detecting Notes Of Cynicism?

I sat down to watch Wonka a few nights ago. And while I do have criticism, overall it was a passable addition to the 'Roald Dahl Universe' (yes, that is happening). Sure, the movie leant a bit too heavily on CGI, Timothé Chalamet is not as charismatic as Gene Wilder (though far less creepy than Johnny Depp, so we'll take it) and the plot was predictable — modern cinema seems content to ignore subtext and clever scripting to focus more on visuals, so that’s nothing new — but it was around the third song mark that I started to wonder if the musical genre perhaps needs to take a little masterclass…because we were only 15 minutes in.

To be fair, Wonka contained a few welcome surprises and a sense of oddball creativity that harkened back to the loose-boundaried fantasy films of the 1980s. It also contained a few toe-tappers that are both genuinely chuckleworthy and catchy. The songs, written by a Joby Talbot ('Sing'/'Sing 2') and Neil Hannon (an Irish singer-songwriter with comedic inclinations) cover some well-trodden terrain. The ‘Oompa Loompa’ song and ‘Pure Imagination’ are examples of this. But it includes a couple of nice new additions, too. ‘Scrub Scrub’ has managed to lodge itself in my brain and slips out in mumbles as I’m doing housework, while ‘You’ve Never Had Chocolate Like This’ is a worthy cheerleader for the film.

The problem is that, like so many films nowadays, the inclusion of musical numbers was at times clunky and at other times unnecessary. In the worst instances, the songs actually took me out of the film. And don’t get me wrong. I’m a huge fan of the musical. But it seems that increasingly, musical filmwriters and their songwriting compatriots are forgetting a golden rule when it comes to characters flexing their voiceboxes.

That rule is simple, and it was explained perfectly by musical theatre addict, Mo Murray:

…characters should speak when the emotion is too great for silence; sing when the emotion is too great for speech; and dance when the emotion is too great for song.

I believe story theorist and screenwriting guru Robert McKee would agree wholeheartedly, and I have long felt the same way. In musicals, songs are not just add-ons. They carry significant narrative weight and often reveal a character's inner thoughts or advance the plot. It's a unique feature of this wonderful genre, allowing a deeper emotional connection with the audience. So if and when a song happens, it must matter.

Even before Disney’s Frozen, when princess Anna blurted out, “…don’t know if I’m elated or gassy, but I’m somewhere in that zone!” and needlessly tossed aside the immense power of song for a cheap poopie-joke (thank you, K. A. and R. Lopez…), I’ve been cautious about new musicals. I was burned badly again by The Greatest Showman, perhaps the biggest misstep in musical history with its overproduced, unjustified, and poorly written songs (wasting the talents of a truly wonderful cast), but that hasn’t been the only film during which I groaned when a character opened their mouth to sing.

Wonka, more tactful than the aforementioned examples, floats just above the tideline where songs are thrown in just to meet the demands of a genre. At times, musically-fitted words tumbled out of characters’ mouths without much cause, yes, and the numbers don't begin smoothly (recall Rodgers & Hammerstein musicals where the audience almost doesn’t notice a song beginning). But I didn’t find myself wincing with trepidation or an air of vicarious embarassment, wondering if I was going to be able to relax or pray for deliverance as the actors tried their best to perform the unperformable.

This is all to say that overall, while I worry about the musical as a genre, I’d recommend Wonka. It was creative enough, fun enough, and will certainly be a hit with kids. I just didn't feel it was anywhere near daring enough. It didn't make me uncomfortable or tickle my nerves as many of Roald Dahl's stories routinely do and as the original Gene Wilder 'sequel' ('prequel?', 'sidequel?') did. And the songs, clearly designed to cater to the masses (no ‘Wonderous Boat Ride’ in this film!), were not always memorable. In general, though, the film manages to hit a sweet note.

Jim :)