Willy's Wonderland-- My take on the movie with spoilers!

Plot Summary: A drifter is the town's only hope against a group of demonically possessed animatronics. 

Writing pitches are supposed to be really challenging. A couple of words is what can guarantee a sale of your work.

So while watching Willy's Wonderland, I wondered what the pitch must have been: A movie where the animatronics are possessed by serial killers and attack everyone in town. And...wait for it...the hero will not utter a single word throughout the movie.

Now one would think that this pitch, okay not those exact words, must have been rejected immediately. I mean, funny-looking animal robots, possessed by serial killers...really? And with this kind of theme, you would expect a weird, comical movie.

Guess what?

It works. You know what makes it work? Nicolas Cage, who else?

Willy's Wonderland manages to make a ridiculous theme look not so ridiculous.

WILLY'S WONDERLAND Movie Plot 

The movie begins with creepy music playing and animatronics singing birthday songs before the whole atmosphere turns ominous. The couple tries to make a run from the darkroom only to be slaughtered off-screen. A girl watches them from another room.

Years later, Cage is driving his car along the highway when his car suffers a flat tire. He gets out and finds zigzag spikes on the road. He's going to be known as Cage here because in the movie he doesn't really have a name. I mean he doesn't speak so who is he going to give his name to?

Along comes a truck for help who gives him a ride to the closest town which is also home to Willy's Wonderland.

He is duly told his car would be repaired by the next day and that he could stay at Willy's Wonderland.

On the way, a girl called Liv is wasting too much time posing as an action hero and fails to burn down Willy's Wonderland in time. Sirens are played and she is caught by Sheriff Lund who is somewhat her guardian. The trucker stops and tells the Sheriff her zigzag spikes were found after the kids stole it and she eyes Cage grimacing.

Liv is horrified to see him but doesn't get to say much as she is dragged by the Sheriff. She takes Liv to a trailer and handcuffs her, telling her to eat chips for dinner and pee in a bucket.

Meanwhile, Cage is introduced to Tex Macadoo who currently owns Willy's Wonderland. He shows Cage around the place stating that it in need of intense repairs and that he wishes he could get it up and running again.

Cage barely blinks at the story. Apparently, he already seems to be prepared for what is about to happen. Hands are shaken, Cage is welcomed as a staff member and hence known as the janitor.

He almost immediately becomes dedicated to the job and earnestly cleans the whole place up with a towel and some powerful cleaning spray that removes years of dirt instantly. With one swipe. And even spray paint. No more scrubbing even for a little bit.

Meanwhile, Liv's friends come to save her. While they look all around the house to get the handcuffs off her, spoilt brat, bubble gum blowing, Kathy frees Liv with a hairpin.

The friends regroup and talk about what they are going to do and it's for the greater good of the town but Liv reminds them they are on a mission and not a field trip. Everyone immediately becomes serious and head to Willy's Wonderland to douse the walls with gasoline and prepare to burn it down.

Meanwhile, Cage has already been attacked by one of the animatronic and has successfully ripped it off. There's black grease flying off everywhere. Cage's uniform t-shirt is smeared with stuff. He cracks open a Punch soda, gulps it down, plays a bit of pinball and then defeats at least two evil animal robots by the time Liv and her friends come along.

Liv spots him through the window and decides to go save him by climbing into the vents. She makes her friends promise that they will stay outside and help her with a way out.

Of course, her friends disobey and once they get on the roof, tussle about high school crushes and fall through the roof.

Liv, in the meantime, is taunted by the siren robot who doesn't attack her properly yet because Liv is one of the main character's and quite possibly the final girl. She finds Cage and tells him to leave but he doesn't listen.

Her friends on the other hand have all luckily landed into a ball pit. While the others go to search for Liv, the couple, Kathy and Bob, go into the Family Fun Room to have some fun of their own and perhaps start a family. They've forgotten the place's dark history or why they are here. For them, this is the perfect time to get frisky.

Liv comes to the main hall to see all the animatronics lined up and singing the happy birthday song with Willy the Weasel at the centre. She removes a knife from her pocket and is about to stab one of them when Cage simply picks her up and takes her away.

One by one, Liv's friends are taken out by the animatronics. Cage doesn't care about them. He keeps waiting for the alarm beep that signals his time to drink soda and play pinball.

If he gets hurt there's plenty of duct tape around to use as a bandage.

At the police station, Sheriff Lund is waiting with another officer who is wondering why she needs backup. She tells him that although the town is small and quiet, they should pray the phone doesn't ring tonight.

Of course, the phone does ring. It is Liv's friend Chris who wants her to help. The Sheriff puts down the phone but Chris calls again and when it goes to the answering machine, reveals that Liv is with him.

WILLY'S WONDERLAND Ending Explained with Spoilers!

That's enough for the Sheriff to go to Willy's Wonderland while revealing the true story about how the serial killers had possessed the animatronics and began killing everyone in town. Tex did try to bulldoze the place down but that ended up with all the workers being brutally murdered. This explains why the sheriff didn't want Liv to be involved in all this as she was the girl from the first scene and survived the attack. 

The sheriff then says that the serial killers began attacking kids even if they weren't at Willy's Wonderland. This prompted the Sheriff, Tex, and the Recovery Trucker to strike a deal with the animatronics. The deal was that an unsuspecting person would be brought to the serial killers to slaughter, regularly. All they had to do was stay inside.

The deal was struck and the mindless killings stopped.

When they reach Willy's Wonderland, they are shocked to discover trash bags filled with robot parts and dead teenagers all around the place.

The Sheriff instructs the officer to take Liv away while she explains to Cage that he must die for the town's benefit. While she is blabbering, one of the possessed robots comes over to slice her in half.

Liv too is tracked in the car while the officer is murdered. She fights back a bit and returns to Willy's Wonderland.

By that time Cage has defeated more enemies making sure to gulp down a soda before every kill.

Last but not least is Willy the Weasel. He does put up a fight but this is Cage we are talking about and he's just had his last soda.

Does he have low blood sugar? Does he need the caffeine kick? Is he a supernatural creature himself and the soda is some kind of fuel that "packs a punch"? Who knows...

You won't find yourself asking too many questions because the movie is that enjoyable.

In the end, the Recovery Trucker and Tex return in the morning, expecting to see their new recruit's blood and guts everywhere. Instead, they see trash bags filled with robot parts and are filled with glee, thinking the town is rid of evil.

Cage gets into his car and gives Liv one look. She gets in because she has no friends and family anymore. Yeah, he's a stranger who silently killed all supernatural robots but now isn't the time to use logic or be choosy. She gets in and even drinks the soda he offers.

While Tex and his pal are celebrating, one of the robots who wasn't killed properly gets on their car and tries to attack them only to be blown into pieces.

Whether or not the supernatural robots can piece themselves together and are truly defeated or not is the least of Cage's concern. He's already off on the road with a sidekick, hoping the audience liked this movie enough for him to star in a sequel.

The sequel will probably be something like... The Return of the Janitor, or something.

Perhaps they may even include a backstory about this mysterious character.

A pretty good movie that actually deserves a sequel.

Scare scale: 4.5/5