FeistyUpper If you don't like this, we can't be friends.

Taraparain Tells a fascinating and unsettling true story, and does so well, without pretending to have all the answers.

Plustown A lot of perfectly good film show their cards early, establish a unique premise and let the audience explore a topic at a leisurely pace, without much in terms of surprise. this film is not one of those films.

Josephina Great story, amazing characters, superb action, enthralling cinematography. Yes, this is something I am glad I spent money on.

zachary_a_erickson-26701 When I first heard of this movie, I was expecting something exactly like the book. But this wasn't a replica, this was an adaption. This was a very well made adaption, even though it didn't get really good reviews. I would consider this to be a highly underrated motion picture. Of course, it could have been made much better, but considering the cast picked, and the way they adapted the characters; that's why I say that it could have been better. Besides all of that, this is a really good film.

deverbeve I really tried to give this movie a chance after reading other people's reviews. I haven't seen it as a kid, so I have no fond memories clouding my judgement so to speak. I coudn't even sit through it, though I generally love 80's and 90's family fantasy films. This one is an unwatchable mess, especially if compared to the quality of acting and directing seen in other films of the same genre in that era. Better acting could aid the film maybe somewhat; the actress who portrays Grandma is so awful, it breaks the disbelief dramatically. The narrative is very uneven and contradicting: some parts are overly dragged out or simply nonsensical (the runaway stroller scene does not advance the plot none), other parts which are supposed to be mysterious and magical (Grandma telling Luke the story about the little girl spirited away or the famous witch convention scene) are not scary in a good fun spooky sort of way, but more in a high fever delirium way, which is needless to say not appropriate for children and quite honestly unsettling for an adult. It seems as if the writers couldn't not decide on the genre of the film. It watches like a horror mystery at times akin to The Shining or Omen, for example when Grandma says to the parents of the "fat" kid turned into a mouse: "I got your son in my purse here, he was altered a bit", or when witches catch Luke and feed him "the formula", the mood of the scene is just unnecessarily surreal and creepy in the general framework of the story. At other times you are sitting there just annoyed at non funny repetitive jokes about the "fat" kid eating all the time because that is the only character definition he gets, people being constantly driven to the heights of panic over pet mice or the hotel manager rolling out of the towel closet with the maid (really?). Anjelica Houston is great for the role, but unfortunately the part does not give her acting ability justice. Overall it seems to be a very weak effort overall, do not waste your time on this one, watch The Addams Family (with aforementioned glorious Anjelica Houston) or Hocus Pocus (with really cool witches and great children actors) instead.

capone666 The Witches The most utilized potion in a witch's repertoire must be the starchy brew used to get their hats so pointy.However, the hags in this fantasy are more interested in a new concoction that turns children into mice.On his birthday, recently orphaned Luke (Jasen Fisher) heads to the shore with his ailing grandmother (Mai Zetterling).Checked-in at the same seaside resort as a convention of witches, Luke's exposed to a new serum that transforms him into a mouse.While the Grand High Witch (Anjelica Houston) and the rest of the coven try to exterminate him, Luke hatches a plan to give them a taste of their own medicine.Based on Roald Dahl's book, The Witches contains his trademark dark wit and an imaginative narrative, all of which are accentuated by Jim Henson's witch designs.Furthermore, with their surplus of brooms, the witches can clean hotel rooms for free board.Green Light vidiotreviews.blogspot.com

Leofwine_draca 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.