The Corner Penthouse

Warner Brothers recently released the Wonka (2023) 4K UHD. Read on to find out more about it...

[ SYNOPSIS ]

Based on the extraordinary, iconic character at the center of Roald Dahl's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, one of the best-selling children's books of all time, Wonka tells the wondrous story of how young chocolate-maker Willy Wonka (Timothee Chalamet), armed with nothing but a hatful of dreams, manages to change the world, one delectable bite at a time.

[ SPECIFICATIONS ]

The movie is presented in a 2.39:1 aspect ratio with a runtime of 1:56:16. The movie has been rated PG for some violence, mild language and thematic elements. Audio languages include English, English Descriptive, French, and Spanish. Subtitle languages include English SDH, French, and Spanish.

[ SPECIAL FEATURES ]

All of the content listed below can be found the UHD disc.

• Unwrapping Wonka: Paul King's Vision (12:28) - Revered director Paul King takes you on a deep dive into his experience adapting the beloved story of Wonka.
• The Whimsical Music of Wonka (6:01) - Composer Joby Talbot and songwriter Neil Hannon take you into the studio to illuminate the craft behind the wondrous songs of the film.
• Welcome to Wonka Land (10:51) - Production designer Nathan Crowley and the rest of the Wonka crew discuss creating the magical sets that transport audiences to the worlds of the film.
• Hats Off to Wonka (6:47) - Costume designer Lindy Hemming breaks down the inspiration and intention behind each of the character's wonderful costumes.
• Wonka's Chocolatier (8:51) - Chocolatier Gabriella Cugno provides an in-depth look at the creatin of the beautiful chocolates seen in Wonka.
• Musical Moments (30:40) - The 13 musical scenes from the movie.

[ ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ]

A digital copy code voucher is included inside the standard one-disc black UHD case. The first print run includes a slipcover.

[ NOTES ]

Wonka (2023) is available on 4K UHD, Blu-ray, and DVD. Each disc is sold separately, there are no Combo Pack releases for this title, unfortunately. I really wish Warners would go back to producing the 4K+Blu-ray Combo Packs.

When I first saw the trailer for Wonka late last year, I thought it was horrible. My first thought was, "Who asked for a prequel to the 1971 Gene Wilder classic?" So, imagine my surprise when I actually watched the film and DIDN'T hate it! Sure, it's not as good as it could be, but I found myself rather charmed with it. The production design is top-notch, and the wonderfully bizarre supporting characters make up for the miscast leads.

While the songs are rather forgettable, they weren't bad "in the moment", even if they don't stick in your head afterward. The one I liked the most was "Scrub Scrub", which is the equivalent of "Hard Knock Life" from Annie. Several times while watching the film I got the feeling that it took some inspiration from the Annie stage and 1982 film musical. Mrs. Scrubitt (Olivia Colman) is clearly the Miss Hannigan (Carol Burnett) substitute. Little orphan Noodle (Calah Lane) has a moment where she envisions what her family must be like, much like Annie (Aileen Quinn) did.

I want to also take a moment to point out that Wonka has some connections to the UK Ghosts (2019-2023) series. Simon Farnaby, who played pants-less prime minister Julian Fawcett, appears as Basic the zoo security guard. He also co-wrote the film. Mathew Baynton, who played poet Thomas Thorne, appears as chocolatier Felix Fickelgruber. Finally, Charlotte Ritchie, who played Allison (the woman who sees the ghosts), appears as a woman named Barbara who gets proposed to. Simon and Mathew wrote some of the UK Ghosts episodes and are both executive producers on the US version.

Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971) is available on 4K UHD/Blu-ray Combo Pack (reviewed here), 40th Anniversary Ultimate Collector's Edition Blu-ray gift set (for extra special features and some cool pack-in items), and DVD. Tim Burton remade the film in 2005 as Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - the title of the original Roald Dahl novel - and that is available on Blu-ray and DVD. In 2017, Warner Brothers decided to remake the film again, this time as an animated feature with a famous cat & mouse pair: Tom & Jerry: Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory is available on DVD.

This item has been provided by Warner Brothers for review on this site.