'Wonka' returns with more music, less menace

PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
..."This is an entertaining, upbeat, imaginative film, even if it doesn't feel much like Willy Wonka. King came up with this story himself, and there's none of the "you better be good for goodness' sake" message of the original story. Rather than focusing on the moral worthiness of children, it focuses on the need for connection and wonder that adults and kids share. At its core, Wonka is an adventure about a young man who needs his friends to help him overcome a series of obstacles and make his dreams come true, so that he can help them have theirs in return. A couple of the musical numbers do have the over-the-top fantasy elements you might associate with what will later be Willy's factory, and while most of the songs are new, Wonka borrows a couple of the 1971 film's best-remembered musical moments."...