‘Wonka’ review: Cutesy prequel is ho-hum-diddlyumptious

nypost.com:

Hugh Grant) has been reworked into a crafty, chatty, upper-crust Brit, obviously to erase those pesky imperialism critiques about previous portrayals of the captured Loompaland natives.And, while there are plenty of shady adults, there are no frightening Dahlian lessons for kids about the perils of bad behavior, a la “The Witches,” “Matilda” and “Charlie.”“Wonka” is its own, totally unchallenging confection.

A Nestle Crunch bar of a movie. In King’s telling, Wittle Willy isn’t a troubled recluse yet, but a bright-eyed dreamer who arrives in an all-purpose European city with the goal off opening up the world’s best chocolate shop.

But he faces stiff competition from a trio of ne’er-do-well candymakers who are threatened by the newcomer: Slugworth (Paterson Joseph), Wonka’s nemesis who tried to steal his creations in the original, Prodnose (Matt Lucas, unfunny as it gets) and Fickelgruber (Mathew Baynton), who gags whenever he hears the word “poor.” A poor gag, indeed.They bribe the corrupt chocoholic police chief (Keegan-Michael Key) to stop him.Willy is also tormented by the villainous Mrs.

Scrubbit (Olivia Colman) and Bleacher (Tom Davis), his landlords who trick him and others into indentured servitude. With cockney accents and sleazy upcharges, they’re pretty much the masters of the house from “Les Misérables.” The baddies have five others trapped in their house washing clothes, including Abacus (Jim Carter), Piper (Natasha Rothwell) and Noodle (Calah Lane), a young orphan.