Willy’s Wonderland review by Bobby Blakey
Nic Cage has been on another upswing as of late with some great films including PIG, Renfield, the hit film The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, Butcher’s Crossing and Sympathy For The Devil. Before they were finally able to get the Five Nights At Freddy’s film off the ground, a similar film hit in 2021 with Cage leading Willy’s Wonderland. The film co-stars Emily Tosta, Beth Grant, Ric Reitz, and Chris Warner and finally getting the 4K treatment from Scream Factory, but does it bring the expected chaotic fun or will it be a dinner show not worth watching?
Willy’s Wonderland follows a quiet loner who finds himself stranded in a remote town when his car breaks down. Unable to pay for the repairs he needs, he agrees to spend the night cleaning Willy’s Wonderland, an abandoned family fun center. But this wonderland has a dark secret that the “The Janitor” is about to discover. He soon finds himself trapped inside Willy's and locked in an epic battle with the possessed animatronic mascots that roam the halls. To survive, he must fight his way through each of them.
The trailer for this film looked like a ton of fun and even without it the premise alone was a winner. After stepping into the wonderful violent world of Willy I can say I was glad I did. It is strange, quirky, ridiculous and awesome all at once. This movie is everything I wanted Five Nights At Freddy’s to be and wasn’t. Cage goes all in with a character that is just cool and badass that showcases zero emotion and never speaks a word. His presence and looks were more than enough to get the point across in between the chaos.
The story is simple and takes some hints from Child’s Play for its back story
that works just to explain how the animatronics have come to life, but beyond that keeps everything else a mystery including Cage. I so loved that he just exists, kicks ass, plays pinball, drinks and does his thing with no rhyme or reason behind it. This might annoy some people, but I love that it was just how it was.
The animatronics themselves are just creepy. You can see how they might have been those old school you see at Chuck E Cheese or Showbiz Pizza back in the day that while fun for the whole family still gave off an unnerving vibe. Add some dirt and grime and they become full on horror perfection that was a blast to watch.
This film isn’t doing anything that hasn’t been done in the horror genre, but it is letting Cage cut loose and bringing the violent fun that made the film a blast. I loved the over-the-top chaotic ridiculousness of it all and hope it finds the cult status it deserves. If you were let down by Freddy’s like me in the violence and terror department then head over to Willy’s where the show was so much better.
In addition to the film this release offers up bonus content including galleries, trailer and numerous featurettes on bringing these animatronic crazies to life. Take a swig of Punch and grab your copy of Willy’s Wonderland when it hits 4K Collector’s Edition and 4K limited edition Steelbook on February 13th from Scream Factory.
For more information or to order your copy, head over to www.shoutfactory.com
