Simply A Masterpiece

a film so unique, intoxicating and bizarre that it not only demands another viewing, but is also forgivable as a satirical comedy where the jokes eventually take the back seat.

It's funny, it's tense, it features two great performances from two actors and the director expertly creates a web of odd tension where you actually don't know what is happening for the majority of the run time.

True to its essence, the characters remain on the same line and manage to entertain the viewer, each highlighting their own distinctive qualities or touches.

A young boy stumbles onto a witch convention and must stop them, even after he has been turned into a mouse.This is a legitimately creepy and sometimes scary film... intended for kids. Allegedly Roald Dahl was not happy with the scary aspects and that is understandable. His work does have dark elements, but they are usually more subtle. (Willy Wonka is quite the devilish fiend!) Anjelica Huston is perfect as both the witch and her alter ego. The "vamp" look suits her and one might suppose this role is what lead to her being cast in "The Addams Family", as the similarities are striking.

Maybe it's the fact I have gotten a little bit older and mature for this movie's intended audience, but I felt like this was a half-witted attempt to turn another Roald Dahl classic into a film. I'm not saying this movie is terrible, but it just doesn't appeal to me. I will say that this movie would have scared the jeepers out of me maybe ten years ago. The special effects are a bit outdated, but oddly enough, I did like the human-to-mouse transformations. A notice to parents: this movie will probably scare your kid, so beware if you choose to watch this on family night. Nicholas Roeg's film is about a recently-orphaned boy who moves to England with his grandmother. Staying at a hotel, he comes across a witch convention where he learns that they want to turn every English child into a mouse. Now he must try and save the day before its too late. Nothing is wrong with the acting I suppose. Anjelica Huston has a knack of playing in these kind of Gothic material, so this film is in her wheelhouse and I think she was appropriately scary. The rest of the actors, outside of Rowan Atkinson, are relatively unknown. I thought they did an okay job though. Overall, The Witches comes across as a mediocre children film and a shabby Dahl adaptation (when compared to the likes of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory). There were plenty of amusing moments, and I liked the overall scary tone. This is essentially a scary movie for kids, so it's not my cup of tea. I guess kids will like this film more than I do, and that is perfectly alright. My Grade: C+

When Luke gets a bit too suspicious of a group of women (following his grandmother telling him tell-tale signs of witches pretending to be ordinary), he gets turned into a mouse. He and his grandmother try to foil the witches' plans.Roald Dahl's The Witches is a book for kids which is funny, exciting, fast moving, and scary. Nicolas Roeg's film adaptation captures these elements very well. It is NOT a film for timid children - there are some elements in it which are amusingly grotesque if you are adult, but which might give some children nightmares.But, most of all, this is very entertaining, with a powerhouse performance by Anjelica Huston. Great stuff.

I really like THE WITCHES. It was a childhood favourite of mine back at the time - I was born in 1981, so was roughly the same age as the kid in it. In addition, I think it's the film that most authentically captures the spirit of Roald Dahl's book, more so than either of the CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY adaptations. The combination of Nic Roeg's outstanding direction (who thought of using an art-house director for a kid's film? It was a gamble that really paid off) and Jim Henson's great puppet work makes for a truly superlative movie.The storyline is deliciously dark and, although it's kept simple throughout, the film achieves a remarkable level of world-building in a short space of time. Then there's the cast: Anjelica Huston, completely sinister in THAT role (forget THE ADDAMS FAMILY, that's nothing compared to this), a deliciously deadpan Bill Paterson, a hilariously pompous Rowan Atkinson, and a sweet Mai Zetterling holding it all together as the kindly granny.I still love the mouse puppets they use in this film, and the effects really hold up even today. I consider the big reveal with Huston to be one of the best, and most shocking, ever put on film. Yes, the sugar-sweet ending may be off-putting to some - and a departure from the original - but it doesn't spoil what is, in many ways, a perfect little movie.