“Wonka,” the new musical origin story of everyone’s favorite mischievous chocolatier, is a lot like the creative confections our protagonist conjures — we don’t need chocolate, but how can we resist such a tantalizing treat? It’s the same quandary with this movie: we never needed a musical origin story of Willy Wonka, but how can we resist this whimsical and wonderful tale crafted by “Paddington” and “Paddington 2” auteur Paul King and starring Timothée Chalamet? Don’t even try to resist, just enjoy the indulgence.

Working with “Paddington 2” writer Simon Farnaby, King puts his own stamp on the lore of Willy Wonka, much in the same way that Tim Burton applied his sensibility to his own “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” in 2005, with Johnny Depp in the Wonka role. That performance was a departure from the representation of Willy Wonka with which we are most familiar — Gene Wilder in the 1971 movie “Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory,” directed by Mel Stuart, adapted from the beloved Roald Dahl novel. And Chalamet delivers his own version of Wonka here as well.

Chalamet’s Wonka is innocent and deeply earnest. He is mischievous, like Depp and Wilder’s depictions, but while Depp’s Wonka was quirky and fey, and Wilder’s was sly and somewhat sarcastic, Chalamet’s Wonka doesn’t have an ounce of guile. His guard isn’t up yet when he lands in an unnamed European city, which is seemingly equal parts London, Paris and Geneva, or maybe even Brussels.

Willy Wonka arrives singing, an announcement that this is, in fact, a straight-faced movie musical. The songs are by Neil Hannon, though none quite reach the heights of “Pure Imagination,” the song sung by Wilder in the 1971 film, which we wait and wait for Chalamet to sing (don’t worry, he does).

He dreams of making his fortune as a chocolatier in the Galeries Gourmet, delighting patrons with creative concoctions that have wild side effects. But a cartel of candymen have throttled the competition in the Galeries Gourmet, where they bribe law enforcement with treats to keep Wonka from operating, and control the flow of chocolate in the city. He’s also trapped in a disastrous contract at the local lodging house, run by a Mrs. Scrubbit (Olivia Colman), whose predatory terms and conditions on her loans result in her guests becoming indentured servants in the laundry, including Wonka, and an adorable poppet named Noodle (Calah Lane).

For all the colorful, silly and witty characters, and though Willy doesn’t seem to possess a mean bone in his body (yet), there is a streak of darkness that winds through this river of fun. We can giggle at the chocolate cartel, but fundamentally this is a story about the haves and the have-nots, the consequences of hoarding resources, and structural social inequalities. As Noodle likes to say, “the greedy beat the needy,” and thus, “Wonka” becomes a film about class consciousness and the redistribution of wealth. The unspoken tragedy of it all is that we know that sometime in the future, Wonka will become a reclusive hoarder himself.

There’s a distinctly British sensibility to the humor — it’s wordy, funny and arch, set against a visually dense Technicolor world. The costumes and sets are so beautifully made, it’s a bit of a shame when the film over relies on computer-generated effects and stunts, including Hugh Grant as the Oompa Loopma Lofty, even if his performance is winning.

Though there may have been skepticism about “Wonka,” there’s no need to worry about this origin tale in the hands of King and Chalamet, who gives himself over fully to the wonder and magic of this role, putting his own mark on the iconic Willy Wonka. Go ahead and enjoy this delightful delicacy for what it is: a playful and heart-string tugging take on a beloved character that’s smarter than it lets on.