What Is Wonka Rated & Is The Movie Appropriate For Kids To Watch?
This year's holiday movie season will see Timothée Chalamet step into the scrumdiddlyumptious realm of the world's most famous candymaker in "Wonka." Since this is another cinematic version of the Willy Wonka character who originated in the classic 1964 Roald Dahl children's novel "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory," families are likely curious about what awaits them in this adventure. Thankfully, the film's MPA rating shouldn't give kids a stomach ache.
"Wonka" is a prequel story chronicling Willy Wonka's rise to fame from a small-time candy store owner to the celebrated candyman who changes the world with his legendary chocolate factory. The musical fantasy has been stamped with a PG rating which, according to the Motion Picture Association, is due to "some violence, mild language and thematic elements."
From the description and the "Wonka" trailer, the film doesn't appear to present anything obscene, and any cautionary elements are likely nothing to be overly concerned about for families. Nevertheless, as a Willy Wonka story, there are bound to be a few elements sprinkled in to give the movie some bite. But how will it compare to previous — and more straightforward — adaptations of the Dahl book?
Will Wonka be as creepy as past versions?
The PG rating given to "Wonka" is nothing out of the ordinary for family films nowadays. However, it will be interesting to compare and contrast the upcoming release to the two prior "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" movie adaptations. "Wonka" serves a different narrative purpose than these past renditions, so does that mean the property's creepier elements will be altered in the process?
"Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory," starring Gene Wilder, got away with a G rating upon its release in 1971 despite containing some pretty unsettling moments — perhaps most infamously with the manic tunnel ride scene. When Tim Burton and Johnny Depp put their spin on the classic tale in 2005's "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory," it received a PG rating. The overall experience of Burton's adaptation can be best described as a 115-minute CGI fever dream, with its $150 million budget delivering some truly demented visuals, especially any scene where the kids are being taught their lesson.
As a prequel that doesn't directly adapt any Roald Dahl material, audiences going into "Wonka" are not going to see any beheaded chickens or girls turning into blueberries. But if its PG rating indicates anything, the film may still have some elements that come off a bit creepy, especially if it explores Wonka's motivations for making these off-kilter decisions in the chocolate factory's creation. Time will tell if this sweet story has any hint of scariness when it releases on December 15.