jgeorge4

I really had high hopes for this movie. Finally, I thought, Hollywood can take a step back from their incessant superhero schlock and do something genuinely creative and genuinely entertaining. And it seemed to be getting good reviews!

Within the first thirty minutes, however, it becomes apparent this is a very drab, tedious affair. Somehow they managed to turn Willy Wonka into a joyless tale. If anything, it seemed to be slipping into "Les Miz" territory, and I was kind of hoping Olivia Colman might just go ahead and belt out "Master of the House."

One of the few redeeming qualities is Hugh Grant as a sophisticated Oompa-Loompa. Aside from that, the supporting characters are horrible, the music instantly forgettable, and the plot is muddled and tedious, pulling at your emotions with tales of dead mothers and orphans rather than merry Wonkaesque mayhem.

For Pete's sake, they were handed the keys to create Willy Wonka's origin story and they couldn't even make it watchable.

Hollywood, just give up.

This was a very fun, very engaging premise. I don't know if I'd call it groundbreaking, since it's a little derivative of Toy Story and Extra Guy, but this definitely works. The scenery and cast are great, and the movie bristles with energy.

I just wish they kept this a little more light-hearted and a little less preachy. There are countless movies that lament victimhood and discrimination, and countless movies that showcase estranged parents and children magically reuniting through remarkable events. But how many great comedies are there these days? How about, for once, just keeping things light and entertaining? (The patriarchy? Seriously?)

Regardless, I think most of the audience loved it, and I think most of the women wanted to stand up and cheer during the Mom's big speech. It's a visual feast with just enough laughs and a lot of star power, and you will probably be glad you went.