Matilda: The Musical

Fittingly this is a British cast and filmed in the UK. Roald Dahl would have been proud. The exception to the rule being Tim Minchin. But his music transposes from stage to film excellently, allowing for an even greater visual feast playing with his clever lyrics.

My biggest issue with the 1996 version being Danny DeVito playing Mr Wormwood as well as being the narrator. But this film avoids the obvious pitholes and is a huge step away from the original, music aside.

The casting is well thought. Emma Thompson playing Miss Trunchbull with little effort it seems as she is obviously enjoying every evil second of it. I don't mean to be mean to Ms. Thompson, but it really didn't look like she was wearing much in the way of prosthetics, but I mean this in a good way. Nanny McPhee simply looked like Emma Thompson wearing loads of plastic.

You know Stephen Graham always delivers but my only criticism is that he was on screen too little. Andrea Riseborough was new to me, but again, too little screen time. I guess being a musical, they had to devote more time to the musical numbers. The two main hitters being "When I grow up" and "Revolting Children" These were well presented and brilliantly re-worked for the big screen.

When I first saw Alisha Weir (Matilda) I was a bit worried that she wouldn't deliver, the role of Matilda being a lot more complex than it first appears. But I was very quickly blown away by her ability to bring pathos and the next minute show that she was no pushover no matter the consequences. I was also glad that she was not your typical stage kid. Her performance being understated and effective in the process.

The standout performance was for me Lashana Lynch as Miss Honey. She deserves awards galore for this role. If she doesn't make you cry then you are made of stone.

This will undoubtedly be a classic and there is the appetite for strong female protagonists right now - Wednesday Addams put that meal on the table! A great family favourite made even better than the original.

I took my 8 year old girl and she was mesmerised. She loves the Matilda older movie though and I don't so I was a bit sceptical.

It was really enjoyable, the whole cast were fab especially the kids and Emma Thompson.

The girl playing Matilda was really good in the role, super cute. I must admit I had a few tears at the end of it.

The cinema was full of mums and daughters, with the odd boy and dad. But the whole reactions seemed to be good and especially the Emma Thompson parts, she nailed it. Even scared me lol.

If I had to say a negative thing it was a tad on the long side for me almost bang on 2 hours.

I have mixed emotions about this. Firstly, I am a BIG fan of the west end musical so I was comparing throughout the whole film. There are many good points of the film. The musical numbers have been greatly throughout , and you can tell it's been greatly considered in how to transfer a stage production into a movie and to present the same emotive experience for the audience. I think the choreography was executed perfectly and the casting was phenomenal. HOWEVER (a big however) The film personally didn't grab me in the way the stage production has. It felt rushed in parts (which is understandable as they are trying to fit a 2. 5 hour production in 2) so the intimate moments between the musical numbers were lost, leaving you feeling slightly detached from the characters. I also couldn't help but reminisce about the 1996 adaption and it's authenticity. This movie was clearly a 'Netflix movie'. A bit uneedingly cgi/green screen happy which irritates me and contributes to the detachment I was feeling throughout. Overall, it was a good try, however the wow factor was lost. I want to think that perhaps I am an adult not understanding the current trends and seeking nostalgia rather than a film that is suited to what the kids want these days. After all this is a kids film and perhaps this was perfect for what they needed.

Having seen the stage show several times I was intrigued to see how this would. What this film will suffer from is being compared to the theater version on which it is based.

It is inevitable that to make the transition things would need to be cut, but sadly a lot of what is missing affects the surroundings of Matilda (e.g. The Wormwood's obsession with TV, how odious they are.) Some of what remains speeds by quickly and so doesn't have the impact it really should (e.g. The 'green hair' setup is blink-and-miss-it.)

Sadly, Emma Thompson as Trunchbull didn't work for me; there is more to this nasty character than just shouting at the children and I didn't feel she was intimidating as it needed to be. During 'The Hammer' this is perhaps most noticeable; she sings well but it is much the same delivery throughout - 'shouty' and lacks the cold-hearted simple delivery you get on stage. The accent changes a few times and I couldn't get away from thinking 'That's Emma in a suit' rather than 'what a sinister and intimidating character.'

Minchin's songs though are at least as bright and bouncy as the stage show counterparts. Alisha Weir is a fantastic Matilda and Lashana Lynch as Miss Honey really gets the backstory of the character.

The screen version allows a lot of playful direction too that cannot be achieved in a theater so there is much visual delight to gain from seeing this. A particular highlight is how the Trunchbull is frightened off at the end, which enabled it to be much more 'frightening' than the stage version.

Overall, an enjoyable viewing but you can't help but go away comparing it to the stage show if you've seen it.

There is so much to enjoy about Matilda the Musical.

It captures that certain kind of magic that only a musical can. It is rammed full of top class performances (Emma Thompson shines, and Alisha Weir is terrific in the lead role). The plot is very well put together and is full of outrageous fun and effective comedy. It captures the quirkiness and wonder of Roald Dahl's story perfectly.

The only real drawback for me is the songs. I only found myself properly enjoying the final song and dance. The rest just weren't really my cup of tea. Had there been a couple of more powerful or catchy songs I definitely would have given this film another star or two. I also though some of the acting was hammed up just a little too much for my liking.

Undoubtedly though Matilda is a very entertaining and fun film that will be sure to put a smile on your face.