Wonka

[Techwright]

Okay, I may be stretching it a little to include this under the Comics, Heroes, and Villains thread, but I'm posting it anyway.

 

Here's the new trailer for the origin story Wonka.  I was a little undecided, but then I saw Rowan Atkinson, and thought it might be good after all.  Then I saw Hugh Grant as an Oompa Loompa, and my fate has been sealed.

 

 

[ThaOGDreamWeaver]

In theory, I should be all "oh no, not another remake/prequel/sequel/reboot/reimagining/deconstruction, nobody has original ideas".

 

And yet the word I'm looking for here is... joyous. 

 

Especially Chalamet. It's going to stand or fall on his ability to project charisma, and I think the kid's got it.

Plus there's a whole bunch of good people in it. Hugh, obviously, but also Jim, Paterson, Tom...

...and scuse me for being a regular stan, but Liv Colman looks like the kind of Dahl character who can face-heel / heel-face turn on a dime. Fine casting.

 

But if there's a not particularly secret ingredient here, it's got Paul King and Si Farnaby of Paddington and Paddington 2 on script and direction.

This should be a good time, repeatedly stomp on your emotions, and then bring you back for a happy ending.

 

Long story short: if a trailer can put the biggest damn stupid grin on my face inside of two minutes, damnit, I'm in. 

Edited July 12, 2023 by ThaOGDreamWeaver

[TheOtherTed]

Much as I'd like to see Hugh Grant as an Oompa-Loompa, I'm gonna pass.  Not sure why (yet), but that teaser turned my stomach in a way that Gene Wilder at his wildest could never do.

[Techwright]

15 hours ago, ThaOGDreamWeaver said:

Plus there's a whole bunch of good people in it. Hugh, obviously, but also Jim, Paterson, Tom...

...and scuse me for being a regular stan, but Liv Colman looks like the kind of Dahl character who can face-heel / heel-face turn on a dime. Fine casting.

 

It's also got Matt Lucas as one of the Chocolate Cartel.  "Prodnose" if the name on the window is any indication.  Frankly, I'd guessed he'd be an Oompa-Loompa, but perhaps that is typecasting.

 

I'm wondering who is in charge of creating the musical numbers?  IMDB lists Joby Talbot as "composer", though that may just mean the title and background music, not the song-and-dance stuff.  I consider this a major point.  I've seen some productions where the set, acting, and direction are great, but tepid musical numbers bring the whole production down.

 

Of the full trailer I'm most puzzled by the young girl who seems to have become Willy's sidekick/rescue project.  I don't remember the original book (though I remember the sequel book.  Gave me nightmares).  Was a woman in it that was on Wonka's staff?  I only recall the man on the staff who pretended to be a competitor.  I ask because why have a best friend for Wonka if she doesn't stay with him and the factory?  Unless something ends their dynamic by the end of the movie?  It leaves a void in the storytelling continuity.

Edited July 13, 2023 by Techwright

[ThaOGDreamWeaver]

7 hours ago, Techwright said:

It leaves a void in the storytelling continuity.

 

If I were writing this...

Spoiler

She joins Wills when he's a man with a mission who is out to fulfil his dream.

 

What's hers? It's not necessarily the same dream.

 

I would bet that Wills, repaying his friend for every ounce of faith in him that he needed, will help her pursue whatever she realises her dream is, and send her on her way with all the love and support she needs.

 

...which will leave him just that little bit heartbroken.

 

[Techwright]

6 hours ago, ThaOGDreamWeaver said:

 

If I were writing this...

  Hide contents

She joins Wills when he's a man with a mission who is out to fulfil his dream.

 

What's hers? It's not necessarily the same dream.

 

I would bet that Wills, repaying his friend for every ounce of faith in him that he needed, will help her pursue whatever she realises her dream is, and send her on her way with all the love and support she needs.

 

...which will leave him just that little bit heartbroken.

 

That's a pretty interesting prediction. I can support that outcome.

[TheOtherTed]

On 7/12/2023 at 7:26 AM, TheOtherTed said:

Much as I'd like to see Hugh Grant as an Oompa-Loompa, I'm gonna pass.  Not sure why (yet), but that teaser turned my stomach in a way that Gene Wilder at his wildest could never do.

So I finally figured out the most bothersome things in the trailer.  All IMO, of course.

1. The saccharine (pun not completely intented) quality of it - everything's all Disney-Mary-Poppins wonderful, without a trace of anything remotely frightening.  Even the trailers for the sanitized Wilder film had scenes that could make one question Wonka's intentions and/or sanity.  I suspect this film has sanitized things even further.
2. This Wonka gives off a strong "Marty Stu" vibe.  Everyone in the trailer (outisde the obvious bad guys) seems to like him, including apparently some whose job it would be to keep his brand of chaos in check.  Plus, I don't know how old Chamelet (sp?) is, but he strikes me as way too young to have spent the past seven years travelling the world to perfect his craft.
3. A big "Enterprise" moment - people literally floating around years, maybe decades, before Wonka supposedly developed his Fizzy Lifting Drink.
4. The CGI of Hugh Grant's Oompa-Loompa is a bit off.  After the initial reveal, it slowly but surely sinks into Uncanny Valley territory.  Not looking forward to more Oompa-Loompas.

On the plus side, it does give me an incentive to read Dahl's original book...

[Techwright]

4 hours ago, TheOtherTed said:

So I finally figured out the most bothersome things in the trailer.  All IMO, of course.

1. The saccharine (pun not completely intented) quality of it - everything's all Disney-Mary-Poppins wonderful, without a trace of anything remotely frightening.  Even the trailers for the sanitized Wilder film had scenes that could make one question Wonka's intentions and/or sanity.  I suspect this film has sanitized things even further.  So being trapped and left to die by the Chocolate Cartel in a gradually-filling room of liquid chocolate isn't "remotely frightening"?  I'll admit it pales next to film footage of chopping chickens' heads off, but it's a threat. If anything, the problem is that we know Wonka survives.  The sidekick, however, is an unknown.
2. This Wonka gives off a strong "Marty Stu" vibe.  Everyone in the trailer (outisde the obvious bad guys) seems to like him, including apparently some whose job it would be to keep his brand of chaos in check.  Plus, I don't know how old Chamelet (sp?) is, but he strikes me as way too young to have spent the past seven years travelling the world to perfect his craft.  Chalamet (yeah, I had to look up the spelling.  Most challenging actor's name since Benedict Cumberbatch) is 27.  Presuming he was 26 when this was filmed, his Wonka could have left to see the world at 19.  I've heard of guys hiring on to ships to do just that, and at younger ages.  As to people liking him, that's probably the trailer's scene selections causing that.  We do see the policeman pointing out that day dreaming is not allow.  In fact, that little posting as well as other comments in the trailer has me thinking that the people of this city are restricted in their freedoms somehow, and the Chocolate Cartel is just one of those restrictive measures.  Wonka's likeability possibly comes because he offers an alternative to the "drab" life they live. 
3. A big "Enterprise" moment - people literally floating around years, maybe decades, before Wonka supposedly developed his Fizzy Lifting Drink.  I'll admit, this one has me puzzled as well.  I'm adopting a wait-and-see attitude.  I'd like to think they'll offer an explanation for why it's a chocolate ball and not a fizzy drink.  Perhaps the idea will come to convert the technology into a fizzy drink.
4. The CGI of Hugh Grant's Oompa-Loompa is a bit off.  After the initial reveal, it slowly but surely sinks into Uncanny Valley territory.  Not looking forward to more Oompa-Loompas.  I found nothing wrong with it, myself, and they've still got 5 months to improve it, if it is an issue.  But as I've mentioned before, I still clearly remember when we had no CGI, only stop motion, and I tend to be less critical of CGI, unless it's in a low-budge SyFy B-flick show.  Scratch that: there were some bits of very flat, not-fitting CGI in Avenger: Infinity War and Endgame that I took issue with.  I later learned those bits were done by a second or third CG unit that were either rushed or didn't have the skill of the primary unit.

On the plus side, it does give me an incentive to read Dahl's original book...  Agreed.  I don't think I ever read the original book, and that's probably something I should fix.  I did read the sequel as a young kid, and it gave me nightmares.  Space aliens eating people and such.

 

[ThaOGDreamWeaver]

1 hour ago, Techwright said:

I'd like to think they'll offer an explanation for why it's a chocolate ball and not a fizzy drink.  Perhaps the idea will come to convert the technology into a fizzy drink.

I have a feeling that it might go wrong somehow as well. Either some actual side effects, or - the Evil Chocolate Cartel being what they are - feigned ones to get him and his sidekick nicked and off the streets. Or they'll just invent a law against Unauthorised Floating In A Built Up Area. It does seem rather disorderly.

 

I don't get the Marty Stu vibe so much as someone projecting absolute confidence... as a potentially very fragile mask. That'd explain the need for a sidekick and a friend - as a mirror. It's not necessarily the nicest way of using someone: but having been that mirror role a few times in life, there are a hell of a lot worse people to be around. It's fun. But much as with chocolate, necessarily healthy fun or something you should do every day.

 

1 hour ago, Techwright said:

without a trace of anything remotely frightening.

Keep an eye on Liv Colman at 1'30". Who has she got shut in where and what exactly is she up to?

[TheOtherTed]

2 hours ago, Techwright said:

So being trapped and left to die by the Chocolate Cartel in a gradually-filling room of liquid chocolate isn't "remotely frightening"?

Not really - too obvious an "evil villain" trope, with plenty of escape time built in to their dastardly plan.

 

2 hours ago, Techwright said:

I've heard of guys hiring on to ships to do just that, and at younger ages.

I have as well, but only in the context of fishing boats, Merchant Marines, or the Navy.  "Perfecting one's art" suggests a lot of freedom and a big pile of money - very different kettle of fish.  So to speak.  That said, I'll readily admit my age likely influences me here - anyone under 30 has an uphill climb to win this old dog's respect (as do many over 30).

 

As for the Oompa-Loompas, I'd rather see several extras of short stature (or whatever the proper term is these days) than an army of mo-capped heads CGI'ed to one or two mo-capped bodies.  IMO one major problem with CGI is that you can too often tell it's CGI; thus, it challenges your suspension of disbelief just by existing.

 

2 hours ago, Techwright said:

Space aliens eating people and such.

Cool - will have to check that out too.  The more I read about the guy, the more intrigued I get...

[Techwright]

Second trailer is out.  Hugh is going to steal every scene he's in.  That said, I'm hoping he isn't playing all the Oompa-Loompas. (I get the impression from the one distant shot of multiple Oompa-Loompas that he might just be doing so.)  I'd like to see others have a part at doing clever bits, especially if there are cameos of famous folk playing the roles.

 

 

[Mr. Vee]

assumes everyone's seen this by now, but just in case