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In the new film, he鈥檚 just getting his start, determined to become one of the big chocolatiers. Others, though, are eager to take him down. They have a corner on the market and don鈥檛 want this man who can make people fly cutting in on their business.

They conspire and, soon, it鈥檚 a battle between good and evil.

Director Paul King doesn鈥檛 spare a sprinkle in telling the story. His sets are magical (more magical than the ones conjured in 鈥淲illy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory鈥�), his costumes are spot-on.

Only the songs (of which there are many) tend to pale when placed next to 鈥淧ure Imagination.鈥� Chalamet is pretty good at singing (and dancing) and can charm anyone with his personality 鈥� except Slugworth (Paterson Joseph), Prodnose (Matt Lucas) and Ficklegruber (Mathew Baynton). They鈥檙e the competitors who get their comeuppance in due time.

First, though, Wonka has to make it through a dark chocolate life at the inn where Mrs. Scrubbit (Olivia Colman) rules without a trace of remorse. In short, she鈥檚 Miss Hannigan from 鈥淎nnie鈥� who thinks nothing of forcing children into servitude.

To make sure there鈥檚 enough of a tie to the original film, one Oompa Loompa (played with appropriate disdain by Hugh Grant) serves as a guide through a world that has no imagination. He tells people off and becomes incensed when he鈥檚 trapped in a situation not of his making. The performance (and storyline) helps redeem characters who didn鈥檛 age well after the first film. Like his work in 鈥淧addington 2,鈥� another King venture, Grant's the much-needed comic relief that keeps this from getting too far afield. Thanks to his cynicism, 鈥淲onka鈥� is more in keeping with Roald Dahl鈥檚 original concept than the two films that followed. The three candy czars are like the bratty children who won golden passes to Wonka鈥檚 chocolate factory. Connect the dots and you鈥檒l see how well King has tied this up.

To add his own touch, the director tosses in animation, Busby Berkeley-like choreography (by Christopher Gattelli) and a young girl named Noodle (Calah Lane) who gives audiences a reason to care. Like Charlie, she just wants a bit of the goodness that exists in the world. Because she鈥檚 under the thumb of Scrubbit (who鈥檚 almost too cartoonish to bear), she needs someone like Wonka to pull her out.

While a chief of police might be a good character to help settle these scores, he鈥檚 little more than a stray character from 鈥淪chmigadoon!鈥� in Keegan-Michael Key鈥檚 hands. As he blows up from the spoils of candy, we become less enamored with his presence and his ability to sort this all out.

Instead, it takes Chalamet鈥檚 plucky approach to the material to make it work. When 鈥淲onka鈥� delves into religion and its relationship to chocolate, this becomes the sweet treat everyone wanted.