‘Wonka’ a little bitter; ‘Dream Scenario’ lives up to title

A remake that comes up short and a creepy tale starring Nicolas Cage top this week’s new DVD and Blu-ray releases.

“Wonka” Grade B-: It is Timothée Chalamet who has taken on the iconic character at the center of Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, one of the best-selling children’s books of all time. There is no question that Chalamet is one of the most charming actors working today and nails that part of Wonka’s character. He just fails to play that wickedly weird side of the character leaving his performance one almond short of a complete candy bar.

“Wonka” tells the story of how a young chocolate-maker, armed with nothing but a hatful of dreams and some odd ingredients, looks to change the world one bite of chocolate at a time.  Armed with only his magical candy and an unbridled optimism, Wonka arrives at the heart of the candy district.

His plans to open the candy store there that he had always dreamed of running with his mother. Those plans are shattered by the three conniving candy dealers (Matt Lucas, Paterson Joseph, Mathew Baynton) who have a lock on the local chocolate market.

A very bright spot in the film is Calah Lane who plays the orphan that befriends Wonka. The character is smart, resourceful and full of energy. There are moments in the film where her energy gives the production a much-needed jolt.

Overall, “Wonka” is like a plain chocolate bar. There is nothing wrong with it but the addition of a few more ingredients would have compounded the flavor. Not giving Chalamet’s Wonka a slightly darker edge, taking the wrong direction with the Oompa Loompa and the weak musical numbers leave “Wonka” nothing more than that acceptable pain chocolate treat.

“Dream Scenario” Grade A: Give credit to writer/director Kristoffer Borgli (“Sick of Myself”) for his brilliant script for “Dream Scenario.” His skill at taking the lovable hero of this offbeat tale from fun celebrity to a global villain is done so cleverly that while there are no grandiose answers, the trek and transformation is spellbinding.

It helps that he cast Nicolas Cage who can play both befuddled and menacing with the same general ease. The Oscar-winning actor gets to do both in this film and makes the portrayal one of his best performances.

Cage plays Paul Matthews, a mild-mannered biology professor whose lectures are an instant cure for insomnia. He is flattered when an old girlfriend says she has been dreaming of him. That changes when he learns people around the world see him in their dreams and they are turning violent.

The story reflects a world where heroes and villains are created in the blink of the Internet. People can be vilified simply because of images – some real, some fake – that get transmitted into the ethos. There is no justification or justice connected to these changes as the subject is left to deny or live with the aftermath.

Also new on DVD and Blu-ray as of Feb. 27

“Migration”: Animated tale of a family of ducks who don’t end up flying south for the winter.

“Next Goal Wins”: Dutch coach faces the daunting task of turning the American Samoa soccer team into winners.

“The Moon”: A Korean mission to the moon leaves an astronaut stranded in space and quickly running out of oxygen.

“The Night They Came Home”:  Film chronicles the ruthless exploits of the Rufus Buck Gang, a group of outlaws who clashed with the Indian Territory of Middle America at the tail end of the 19th century.

“Dr. Cheon and the Lost Talisman”: Dr. Cheon is drawn into a series of strange and unexplainable events that challenge everything he has ever believed.

“Fear the Walking Dead: The Complete Eighth Season”: Madison (Kim Dickens) returns to join Morgan (Lennie James) and the others to rescue Morgan’s daughter.

Available through digital platforms

“Poor Things”: A woman who has had the brain of an infant transplanted into her head experiences all that life offers. Emma Stone stars. Will be released on DVD and Blu-ray on March 12.

“Frankenstein Legacy”: Horror tale about the consequences of Dr. Victor Frankenstein’s medical journals falling into the wrong hands. “Camp Pleasant Lake”: Couple breathes life into the eerie remnants of an old campsite, unaware of its dark past.

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