Ryan Walker

Highly enjoyable: Seldom did the acting felt forced or lacking. The musical bits were well composed. The ensemble of actors and characters were cast well, if not slightly typecast. The dynamic worked very well regardless. For the sandwich part of the review: Hugh Grant as an Oompa... someone turned in a favor. Considering the refined nature of casting here, I'd bet 5:1 no one thought, "Hugh Grant. Perfect for that role." Passable cameo. I dont have as high a falimiarity with his roles and career as some others here, so take the preceding remarks as such. Keegan Michael Key is a good choice for almost any satire role requiring physical presence and fits well into this character. It's getting a bit boring watching him typecast into it as well. If he's genuinely happy with it, I am too. Blue skies and a talented guy. Matt Lucas, Olivia Colman, Paterson Joseph were similarly casted. They played to their strengths. I've enjoyed watching series they worked on previously, ("Polar" [Matt] and "Peep Show" [Olivia and Paterson]). Nothing exciting here in terms of discovery, but it was performed well by the three of them. Who else... Tim C. This film was a platform for him. I have no complaints on his acting ability. He manages to turn from Stoic to optimistic here. And it works. Emperor of the planet Arakkis, Wonka, and a young lover-muse. Amongst other roles. All performed well. A comedic aspect could be interesting going forward. Conclusions: It functions well as a prequel to the 1971 film; likely a standalone, and I'm comfortable with that. The writting is well crafted. Subtle references thruought which make it engaging to adults and younger folks. It didn't push any agenda boundry TOO hard, and when it does, there's a bounce to other spectacles and narrative. All in all, it deserves the high RT rating. Thanks for reading!