Sacrées sorcières

The Grand High Witch is killing it. but seriously, she's terrible. From the start on, with the weird Chris Rock voice-over, this remake goes wrong wherever it can wrong. The acting is stiff, the focus is hardly on all the other witches, the CGI is not good. Even the housekeeping cart seems to come from the CGI box. Positive thing: Octavia Spencer is doing her best to be a genuine grandmother, and she succeeds, but that's about it. OK, yes, I am a fan of the 1990 movie. Even though it wasn't as close to the original story, I really can't believe Roald Dahl would recognize his book in this mess. The first movie was gorgeous in it's authenticity. It has folklore, it has an edge, it has a heart. This is Hollywood factory work and seems to want to be much more than it can deliver. It made me miss much more than the purple glow in the witches eyes. It made me want to just throw up like a witch who smells children. I'm not saying you shouldn't watch it. I am sure that an entire generation who never grew up with the original will disagree, but to me, this is like cursing in a church. It's horrible.

If I hadn't seen the original film, then I may have scored this higher. There's nothing overtly wrong with it but to me it feels just a little flat vs the original, and only improves once the cgi kicks-in. People new to the book may even prefer this version but for me the original is far better.

The only reason to see this movie is for the performance of Octavia Spencer who balances humor and warmth in a way only she can. Anne Hathaway tries her best, but it's not her fault that they cover her performance with a lot of awful CGI that has none of the charm and creepiness of the original film's practical effects. This is a movie with great ideas, but too much CGI spoils it and makes it feel way too cartoony.

I was surprised to the reaction to this film... It's completely inoffensive and does everything it needs to with the charm of grandma, the malice of the Grand High Witch, etc. I'm getting the feeling that these are reactionary responses to yet another 'bland and unoriginal Hollywood' trend even though this is an adaptation of Roald Dahl's book, just like the 1990 version is.

It's alright if people don't like this movie I suppose but acting like it's the worst thing to come to screens is an exaggeration to say the least. Kids are most definitely going to enjoy it, it is for them after all, not the adults comparing it to the 1990 adaptation, so I'd say this film was a success in what if wanted to do.

Oh Dear,

This should have been good, it needed to be good, sadly it just isn't. It's one of those films where a remake didn't seem to be necessary, but as someone that loved Roald Dahl as a child my interest was peaked.

It's inconsistent throughout, did they perhaps rush it because of Covid? The special effects look decent in parts, and woeful in others, Anne Hathaway displays personality it's fair to say, but her accent..... If anyone remembers Rentaghost, think Miss Popov, she spans countries from Ireland to Russia, it had me chuckling.

Once again, please, please try and give us something new and original, stop taking things that have already been made, and making them ten times worse. An extra point for casting the wonderful Josette Simon.

It made me want to watch Anjelica Huston.

I paid to download it, that money could have gone on something less awful, like a Donny Osmond cd.

Naff, 3/10.