Synopsis:
A quiet loner (Nic Cage) 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.
Sometimes you need to know what you’re getting yourself into in order to appreciate the experience for what it is. Or perhaps, you throw caution to the wind and hopefully end up completely stunned by your experience… or tremendously let down. But when the name Nicolas Cage is attached to anything, you know you’re in for something entertaining.
Have you ever wanted to bludgeon the animatronics at your local family fun center because they creep you out? Or maybe you noticed them moving when they weren’t supposed to. Well, now Nicolas Cage is living out that fantasy for you. The horror-comedy Willy’s Wonderland is a hilarious concoction of blood, oil, and silence. If you’re into an outrageous and fun time, this the film for you. And it’s exactly what you think it is. We get everything that is advertised with this one. With many of your classic horror cliches and tropes coupled with Cage’s sweet dance moves and a party tune that goes, “It’s your birthday, and we want you to have fun/ it’s your birthday, so let’s kill everyone” Willy’s Wonderland may not win best picture but it damn sure is entertaining.
The story may remind you of Five Nights at Freddy’s or that one time I overstayed my welcome at Chuck E. Cheese, but I assure you, having Ghostrider doing the ass-kicking makes it better. The film wastes no time getting to the action and never lets its foot off the gas once it does, except for the occasional pinball break. The score matches very well, there’s a perfect amount of cheesiness, and I can easily see this becoming a cult film in the future. Who knew a silent Nic Cage could be so amusing. If you love films like Zombeavers or Killer Klowns from Outer Space you’ll love Willy’s Wonderland. Its rewatchability is medium
Plot & Pace
When a stranger drives through a small town, he is greeted by peculiar spikes laying haphazardly in the road. Now having four flat tires, he must rely on the town’s only mechanic to get him back to burning rubber. Unfortunately, the mechanic only takes cash and the noiseless stranger is carrying a credit card. Eager to leave, the stranger agrees to work off his payment by becoming the janitor of the abandoned family fun center, Willy’s Wonderland for a night. What he doesn’t know is, he may not be the only one that has been offered this proposition. While sprucing up the place, realizes that he is not alone. Willy’s is inhabited by multiple possessed blood-thirsty animatronic characters. In order to survive the night, he must leave the establishment covered in the oil of the maniacal mascots.
Characters & Chemistry
A silent Nicolas Cage, how crazy, right? Even with his character, The Janitor being void of any dialogue, his charisma and ferocity reminded me of his character in Drive Angry. He kicks ass, slams energy drinks, and minds his own business. His best chemistry is with all the oil he spills and later cleans up. The other best performances are from Emily Tosta as Liv and Terayle Hill as Bob. Liv leads a group of friends to attempt to burn down Willy’s and ends up more involved than she ever thought possible. Bob is apart of the friend group, but as the horny black guy in a horror film, I’m sure you can guess his fate.
Willy’s Wonderland is currently available in theaters and on VOD. Stay safe and enjoy.
Director: Kevin Lewis
Writer: G.O. Parsons
Producer: Nicolas Cage, Grant Cramer, Jeremy Daniel Davis, Bryan Lord, David Ozer, Michael Nilon
Executive Producers: Tamara Birkemoe, Mark Damon, David Fannon, Scottland Olds Harbert, David Nagelberg, Seth Needle, Victor Perillo, Adam Rifkin, Tim Rouhana, Jake Seal
Rated: R
Runtime: 1h 28m
Rating: 3 out of 5
Senior Critic. Observing the human race since 1988.
