Willy's Wonderland is a horror/comedy about an abandoned Chuck E. Cheese style family entertainment center populated by murderous animatronics possessed by evil spirits that the town feeds with unsuspecting travelers until they target one bad hombre billed only as The Janitor(Nicolas Cage). Tasked with cleaning up Willy's Wonderland by morning in exchange for fixing his car he does just that.
Cage is wordless here, an interesting departure and challenge for him, he makes up for it with ferocious destruction of his foes, soda guzzling, and a pin-ball obsession. Not one of Cage's best turns but far from one of his worst, he's clearly invested, is having fun, and his presence as ever is undeniable. The supporting cast, aside from the wonderful Beth Grant, are all mostly unknowns and do their best but seem to try a bit too hard and are burdened with some clunky exposition. But justly Cage is the star and he doesn't disappoint.
An effective alchemy of groundhouse gore and bizarre camp make for a fun low budget surprise. Simple visual effects and thrifty production bring immediacy and relish to this haunted house yarn and a score of original and public domain kid songs bring laughs and dread in equal measure.
Not ecstatic but solid grimy fun.
Currently available to rent on most VOD platforms.
Rent It.
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