My kids were keen to see this, and I had high hopes.
Sadly my hopes weren't met. Perhaps my views of this film are coloured by an over familiarity with the 90s film and the book.
Firstly, the films production values can't be faulted, good sets and cinematography. The acting isn't great, Miss Honey just feels a bit too meek, and then a sudden jump right at the end, and the nasty bits were a bit too real.
But the let down is the story, they've messed with it, and it really didn't flow like the original.
For a film running over 2 hours they had plenty of time to form the characters, but instead it was more about the big production numbers. Meaning I didn't really either adore Matilda or Miss Honey, or really despise the Trunchbowl.
Matilda's reading was already in place and THEN we went back a bit. There was none of the discovery of the joy and preciousness of books.
The story of Miss Honey being turned into a story Matilda created was just nonsense and didn't work at all. Suddenly it was, "oh it's wasn't a story it was real".
A huge disappointment and a massive lost opportunity, with a strong cast that could've been shorter and punchier but ended up dragging. I couldn't wait for the ending, and even that was dragged out.
Stick with Mara and the Devitos.
Sadly my hopes weren't met. Perhaps my views of this film are coloured by an over familiarity with the 90s film and the book.
Firstly, the films production values can't be faulted, good sets and cinematography. The acting isn't great, Miss Honey just feels a bit too meek, and then a sudden jump right at the end, and the nasty bits were a bit too real.
But the let down is the story, they've messed with it, and it really didn't flow like the original.
For a film running over 2 hours they had plenty of time to form the characters, but instead it was more about the big production numbers. Meaning I didn't really either adore Matilda or Miss Honey, or really despise the Trunchbowl.
Matilda's reading was already in place and THEN we went back a bit. There was none of the discovery of the joy and preciousness of books.
The story of Miss Honey being turned into a story Matilda created was just nonsense and didn't work at all. Suddenly it was, "oh it's wasn't a story it was real".
A huge disappointment and a massive lost opportunity, with a strong cast that could've been shorter and punchier but ended up dragging. I couldn't wait for the ending, and even that was dragged out.
Stick with Mara and the Devitos.