I'm one of those rare people who actually really enjoyed the modern, Johnny Depp version of Willy Wonka, but even I didn't really need this to be added to the list of films that Disney has decided to produce live-action prequels for. That said, much like Cruella before it, whoever wrote this film clearly didn't get the memo that it could have just been a cynical cash grab, akin to the Disney direct-to-DVD model of the '00s, and instead put together a heart-warming origin story of a young man trying to overcome the grief of losing his mother whilst making his mark on the world.

Of course, it certainly doesn't hurt that they cast Timotheé Chalamet as the titular character ‒ has there been an actor quite so well suited to play a young Wonka ever? Sure enough, he delivers a wonderful performance, with heaps of empathy and just the right balance between brilliance and naivety to sell the childlike wonder of the character. Give him a supporting cast of excellent British character actors ‒ Olivia Coleman, Paterson Joseph, Matt Lucas, Tom Davis ‒ and some solidly quirky fellow protagonists, and it's a tale ripe for small, character-driven moments and huge, fantastical set pieces alike.

I will say that none of the songs were really that catchy or particularly stood out, though none of them detracted from the experience either.

Overall, a really solid effort and a quite lovely little film.