Wonka follows the story of a budding entrepreneur who wishes to give wings to his dreams by opting to make and sell the best chocolate in the world at an affordable price for everyone. Oblivious to him, a set of challenges await him. The story here is sugary and frothy filled with gallons of joy that accounts for a heartfelt watch particularly with the emotions in play. Yes, the theme is almost of a giant bubblegum filled with chocolate waiting to ooze out with a hint of politics of the mafia sprinkled in the narrative. The screenplay standing at a shade under 2 hours does make for a delightful watch in what is a charming little feel good drama to kick start the festive season. And this was once again a good use of the musical template with songs elevating the drama unlike The Archies wherein the writing was flawed. In contrast, there were situations dished out to tactfully integrate the songs, that was a gleeful addition to the drama.

The drama opens with the introduction of the protagonist who is shown to have big dreams of making the best chocolate in the world while entering an unknown territory. As luck would have it(coupled with his affable and helpful character trait), he runs out of money only to run into one trouble after another with regard to the politics of the land featuring the chocolate mafia and more. I liked how the writers did introduce a layered conflict of the competitive chocolate market that is prevalent in the area. The politics surrounding this aspect is what forms the base of the drama even as the protagonist finds a way to build on his dream along with a group of oddballs who are in captive with him.

The proceedings are engrossing and beautifully blending with the tone of the drama which is playful along with it being a musical. But despite the fun and games, there is an inherent emotional streak with regard to the protagonist and the bond that he once shared with his mother who was the first to introduce him to chocolates despite barely being able to afford it throughout the year. This emotion for me was the purest and it did tug the strings of my heart ever so softly. Also, to base the drama on the fulfilment of dreams stemming from the person you love the most but isn’t with you any longer, is in itself a bittersweet emotion that paints a picture of nostalgia.

There is a feel-good streak lacing every scene featuring the protagonist(apart from the casual burst of thrills) as you find yourself drowning in his magical world of chocolates. There are such heartwarming sequences that are staged to near perfect while painting the atmospherics with the right kind of a festive vibe that engulfs you throughout the narrative. This, while the undercurrent of politics in supposedly a children’s film is prevalent throughout, although a little simplistic at times(given the target audience). This leads to a decent resolution which seemed slightly underwhelming to begin with, but started hitting the right notes post the conclusion of the conflict with the right kind of emotions in picture. Those emotions were heartwarming and it allowed me time to shed a tear or two while putting a wide smile on my face. Overall, the screenplay is well intended and it hits home beautifully with its emotions wrapped in a magical bar of chocolate!