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.

EBJ Overall: I known 4/10 seems quite low but in Gods honest truth, I didn't enjoy this movie half as much as some other Dahl movies. Entertaining? yes; worth a watch? Yes; 100% Rotten Tomatoes? I think this is a stretch. I would recommend a one time watch with this movie but just don't think about it at all.Good: The effects would have been good for it's time but do feel quite dated today. The music and cinematography is excellent and miles better than expected. It entertains you from start to finish and I was never bored purse. The pacing is decently done. They definitely made the witches look revolting even by today's standards.Bad: As stated above, the effects are sub par today but that can't be helped. The characters aren't interesting nor is the sub par acting that lifts them of the page. An absurd number of plot holes and inconsistencies that I actually lost count while watching. The ending was clearly done last minute and was just done to make it all nice and happy. It doesn't feel like it knows what it's doing; the concept of magic and evil witches could be good for children but the content is more suitable for older audiences who wouldn't be interested.Best Part: The grand and disturbing unveiling of the witches beneath their masks.4/10

SnoopyStyle While on vacation in Norway visiting grandmother Helga, she tells young Luke Eveshim about the existence of real witches who hate children. As a child, she lost a friend to a witch who put her into a painting. His parents are killed and Helga takes him to England where she owns a house. They vacation at seaside Hotel Excelsior. There is also a convention for the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children with Chairwoman Eva Ernst (Anjelica Huston). Hotel manager Mr. Stringer (Rowan Atkinson) has it in for Luke and his pet mice. While hiding in the ballroom, Luke spies that the convention is actually for witches and she intends to transform every child into a mouse. Luke and another boy get caught and changed into mice.The first 30 minutes have a bit too much to cover. There's no real need to start in Norway. The parents dying would be a great place to go darker but the movie doesn't spend much time on it. The movie finally sets up in the hotel. Huston is delicious as the Grand High Witch. It has the dark ugliness and some edgy fun. There is a tacked on happy ending to the story which doesn't make much sense.

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.