JAMES AND THE GIANT PEACH
A film review by Michael John Legeros
Copyright 1996 Michael John Legeros
(Beuna Vista)
Directed by Henry Selick
Written by Karey Kirkpatrick, Jonathan Roberts, and Steve Bloom
based on the book by Roald Dahl
Cast Paul Terry, Joanna Lumley, Miriam Margoyles, Pete
Postlethwaite; and the voices of Richard Dreyfuss, Susan
Sarandon, Simon Callow, David Thewlis, and Jane Leeves
MPAA Rating "G"
Running Time 80 minutes
Reviewed at General Cinemas at Pleasant Valley, Raleigh, NC (12APR96)
==
Flying rhinos, enchanted crocodile tongues, and one very large piece of fruit. It's all business as usual for Roald Dahl, whose 1961 children's book has been brought to partially-animated life by director Henry Selick (THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS) and producer Tim Burton (same). Book-ended by extended live-action segments, the pit of this PEACH is a plum of a stop-motion story about a boy's adventure with several human-sized insects. (They are enlarged along with the peach.) The animation is dazzling, the voices are well-cast, and the humor is very droll. (Says one bug of another, "he's committing pesticide!") Too bad the story drags. The ending is also a wash, and the songs, by Randy Newman, sound like, well, songs by Randy Newman. Of course, it's not every day that we get to hear Richard Dreyfuss and Simon Callow performing showtunes together! (The former's musical range has marginally improved since MR. HOLLAND'S ANUS.) Speaking of Freud, adults should wholly enjoy the many darker aspects-- and psychological possibilities-- of this story, even as they fidget, even as their kids don't.
Grade: B
--
Mike Legeros - Raleigh, NC
legeros@nando.net (h) - legeros@unx.sas.com (w)
Visit me in MOVIE HELL
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