150 Word Review: ‘Willy’s Wonderland’ (2021)
It’s Nic Cage vs. Satanic Chuck E. Cheese
The souls of serial killers possess the bodies of colorful animatronic characters at a cursed Chuck E. Cheese-like restaurant in the horror-comedy Willy’s Wonderland. But that’s not the good part: Drifters are sacrificed to Satanic Willy Weasel and his murderous pals until one of those drifters turns out to be Academy-Award winner Nic Cage, a tight-lipped hot-rodder tricked into cleaning Willy’s Wonderland to pay off a debt.
If you’ve ever wanted to watch Cage at full-gonzo stomp a cartoon robot gorilla’s head into a gory pulp, then this inspired shlock is for you. Be forewarned: Cage is a silent actor in Willy’s Wonderland, he chugs soft drinks, plays pinball, and kicks ass. Willy’s Wonderland is cheaply made, but the filmmakers wisely spent what little money they had on Cage, splatter, and Lynyrd Skynyrd’s good-ol’-boy rock anthem “Free Bird.” I am thoroughly enjoying Cage’s midnight movie career phase.
