I’ve been a fan of Nicolas Cage for years. Whether it’s films like Con Air, The Rock, Adaptation, or Mandy, a Cage performance is always something to behold. I still lament the fact we never got to see the absolute insanity of his take on the Green Hornet role that later went to Christophe Waltz, though it was probably for the best that it didn’t happen. When I found out Cage was both producing and starring in the new film Willy’s Wonderland, I was really curious to see what the Oscar Winner had brought us this time.
Whether it’s films like Sonny or television shows like the Syfy adaptation of The Dresden Files, Cage’s Saturn Films banner has always given us an eclectic variety of entertainment if nothing else. To me, Willy’s Wonderland sounded like the right next step for Cage as he’s become a master of the midnight movie, especially in recent years. So, is Willy’s Wonderland the next Mandy? Let’s find out.
Plot
Willy’s Wonderland centers on Nicolas Cage’s Janitor, who, after his car breaks down in a small town, agrees to clean up a local family restaurant, Willy’s Wonderland, in exchange for repairs. He soon discovers the establishment is haunted by several cursed animatronics who require offerings in exchange for leaving the rest of the townspeople alone. As The Janitor fights for survival in between soda and pinball breaks, he’ll have to help a group of teens who want to destroy the restaurant and end the vicious cycle of death before the titular character and his cohorts kill another person.
Thoughts on Wonderland
Let me say at the outset that your mileage may vary on this one. B movies like this either work for someone or they don’t. Normally, I have great affection for these types of midnight movies. Sure, they aren’t great but they allow you to turn off your brain and just go for a ride for roughly 90 minutes. In recent years, Cage has become the king of these types of films. Unfortunately, Willy’s Wonderland is not among the best of these celebrated films. On the surface, this should be an easy decision, yet all too often comes off as one of those Syfy original films (not named Sharknado) cheap, forgettable, and without an ounce of whimsy or joy. Throughout this film, I kept thinking back to other Cage films like Season of the Witch or Drive Angry.
Were those films great pieces of cinema? No, but there was a sense of joy that permeates those films, something that is noticeably absent from this latest Cage offering. Willy’s Wonderland cycles through all the tropes of the horror film in a perfunctory manner, with little thought for any originality. In addition, the majority of the cast is given little to do, often only serving as another victim rather than a well-rounded character, though I will admit there are a few glimmers of hope in the third act. Despite all the film’s problems, there is one thing here that saves the film from being a total waste: the Janitor.
Cage’s Role
Cage constantly steals the show in whatever film he appears in. In Willy’s Wonderland, Cage embodies the loner archetype he’s played so well in films like Ghost Rider Spirit of Vengeance and arguably – however brief – The Sorcerer’s Apprentice (his eccentric performance in the Disney adaptation was incredibly fun to watch) however there are a few things that set his performance in Willy’s Wonderland. For one, Save for the occasional grunt, Cage doesn’t say a word throughout the film. Any other actor and I might have been a bit worried, but I knew Cage would be fine.
Discerning Character
The mark of a great character is when you constantly want to see more of the Janitor. Who was he? Where did he come from? With just a look, the legendary actor can convey a myriad of emotions and allows the audience to see sides of him that no other character in the film sees. Were it not for this fantastic and nuanced performance, I would have been tempted to write this film off. A lot of that has to do with writer G.O. Parsons and perhaps more egregiously, director Kevin Lewis.
On the surface, I understand why this film was greenlit. which had originated as a Blood List script. On paper, it seems as though the film has enough strange attractors to make for a pretty interesting b movie, yet what works on the page doesn’t necessarily work on stage. Yes, the budget was small, but necessity should be the mother of innovative and inventive filmmaking rather than devolve into perfunctory storytelling. This isn’t Lewis’s first rodeo with the b movie genre, (i.e. an assassin story called Downward Angel) so I expected a lot more from this film. That being said, given the performance he brought out of the National Treasure star, I almost wouldn’t mind seeing Lewis and Cage collaborate on another film down the road. Here’s hoping that their next film is more than just a bad riff on Five Nights At Freddy’s.
Overall Thoughts
Overall, Willy’s Wonderland is a missed opportunity. Despite a brilliant performance from Cage, the film offers nothing new to the genre and lacks the soul and whimsy of its many progenitors. Hopefully, the next time-and there should definitely be a next time- Cage attempts something like this, it’ll have something to add to a genre Cage in which has excelled for years.
An early Screener was provided for review purposes ahead of the movie launch.
