Random Old and New Movie Review - The Witches (1990 and 2020)

Before we begin, I'd like to pay tribute to a man who was for the last few decades, the Duke of Edinburgh. It's always such a big thing when a member of the Royal Family passes away and certainly with Prince Philip, there is a lot that can be said about him. He is an inspiration to a lot of people including those working in the Navy and other military forces and was a man who would always consider the interests of others to take priority over his own (something of which I'm sure many of us do in our lives). Reaching 99 is quite an achievement and for all he has done in what he does, he will be missed dearly and leave a lasting impression on the Royal Family for years to come. Rest in Peace.

A lot of us read books and many of those books end up being turned into films, TV shows and even video games. Some of those have gone on to become huge franchises and others have left a lasting impression on how people create these adaptations. For Roald Dahl, I have read many of his books growing up and found some of the films based on his books to be of a mixed bag. While Matilda was Americanized, it was still the same story, and it was very clear to me that Danny DeVito really wanted to bring the story to the big screen and did a good job of it. I'm one of the few that enjoyed Charlie and the Chocolate Factory more than Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory I guess because the Tim Burton film felt like a completed journey and was more faithful to the book than the film that came before it (interestingly, that film adapted elements of the sequel book too). And as for The BFG, neither film I felt was great. They were both adapted well, but while one looks more dated, the other felt like it was a bit rushed towards the end. So yeah some of the adaptations are good, but not all of them. Today we are looking at two more films that are both adaptations of The Witches. A story that I have read, but didn't enjoy quite as much from a number of books that I have read of his. So naturally I was thinking pretty lowly of both these films, but let's take a look at them anyway:

 

1990

So the overall story for both films and the book is a group of witches disguised as normal human women, go about killing children while a boy and his grandmother must find a way to stop them. This was one of a few films to take advantage of the Jim Henson Workshop and whenever I see something that uses Jim Henson stuff, I feel that's a win in my book as it gives the film something very real and not cheap nasty CGI. Quite enjoyed this film. Performed well by Anjelica Huston and very faithful to the book. It's still not one of the best stories Roald Dahl has done, but it's clear for this film that the filmmakers wanted to make it as faithful as possible and take advantage of the Jim Henson Workshop to bring in some weird but wacky creatures. 8/10

 

2020

Man this film was hated by a lot of people and I think I know why. I mean Robert Zemeckis is a very good director who has done a lot of great films, but after watching this, this is not one of those films. So the year is 1968 and a young boy (played by Jahzir Kadeem Bruno) goes to live with his grandmother (played by Octavia Spencer) when his parents are killed in a car accident in Chicago. He is given a mouse who he calls Daisy and when attempting to make her a home, the boy encounters a witch who uses a caramel and a snake to lure him into a trap. He informs the grandmother who realizing the danger the witch poses, decides to go with the boy to stay somewhere safe away from the witch. But how long can they stay away and do nothing is anyone's guess. So ultimately it's the same story as before, but we have a year set this time around and some pretty good performances from the actors (personally I can never unsee Anne Hathaway in quite the same way again after watching this). It's not a film I would feel comfortable showing a kid to even though it is based on a Roald Dahl story that is otherwise for children anyway. It also lacks some edginess and I too also agree that it misrepresents people with limb differences which is definitely not something to be afraid of. And given the unexpected popularity of the "Karen" thing, this film could be seen as that more than a film based on a beloved children's book. Lots to be said about this film, but it's not one I would dream of seeing ever again. 5/10

So unsurprisingly, I actually enjoyed the original film more than the new one. Sure both have their flaws (the 2020 film especially), but you at least can enjoy the original and remember it well. The new one though, just had too many problems despite some good acting.