Ranking Roald Dahl Movie Adaptations
Yesterday, September 13th was Roald Dahl day, originally, I had planned to post this last week but when I thought I was done watching all the films I noticed I hadn't watched one so instead it's this week. So, to pay tribute here's a ranking of Roald Dahl movie adaptaions. Now you might have noticed I've left off a few movies. I was unable to access the 1989 animated version The BFG and Tom and Jerry: Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory and I decided not to put in the 2005 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. However a few years ago I made an original and remake of Willy Wonka and you can view that here. I have ranked six films and below is my ranking.
I'm biased as this is a childhood favorite and I love musicals, so this is my number one pick. The story is a contest is being held and if someone can find a golden ticket, wrapped in a Wonka bar, five are available worldwide, they get to come to the Wonka Factory for a day. Charlie Bucket (Peter Ostrum), who is incredibly poor, finds a golden ticket thus winning a spot to enter the factory. He invites his Grandpa Joe (Jack Albertson) whom after years of being bedridden is suddenly able to walk again. At the factory they meet Mr. Wonka (Gene Wilder) and the other kids and their parents. Inside the factory they see a chocolate river, geese that lay golden eggs and a room where you drink something called Fizzy Lifting Drink and it lifts you in the air. During this tour, each of the kids has something horrible happen to them. Augustus falls into the chocolate river contaminating it, Veruca stands on a scale and falls down a chute labeled 'Bad Egg', Violet chews a not ready yet piece of gum which balloons her int a giant blueberry and Mike makes himself so small he literally ends up in a TV. After each child goes where they are supposed to end up, the Oompa Loompas come out and sing a rhyming song that has to do with consequences, such as eating too many sweets or watching too much television. Speaking of songs, the Oscar nominated soundtrack composed by Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley features so many foot tapping, humming along earworms. From the delightful Pure Imagination to the brash I Want it Now! to the hopeful I've Got a Golden Ticket! The casting is fantastic, in my opinion Gene Wilder is Willy Wonka, he's clever and sarcastic but he also has heart. I enjoyed Jack Albertson as Grandpa Joe, he's likeable and fun. Peter Ostrum as Charlie is very believable, you find yourself rooting for this child. These three have incredible chemistry. The rest of the cast, especially the child actors were all cast well, they fit their counterparts to a tee. My favorite is actually Veruca Salt played by Juile Dawn Cole, yes, she's a spoiled brat but I love her. This film was remade in 2005 and even had an animated Tom and Jerry version. Willy Wonka is part of our pop culture, even if you've never seen this version, there are plenty of things you'd recognize. The viral Wonka meme on social media, Wonka candy aka Nerds, Laffy Taffy, etc., even the rock band Veruca Salt.
Stream Now: HBO Max
Matilda (1996)
Another one of my childhood favorites. I've always liked Matilda because I felt like I had something in common with her. Unfortunantely, I was not a child prodigy, nor have I ever possessed magical powers, but I have been a total bookworm. As a child I'd visit the library and devour book after book. Reading was my thing; I was not athletic, had no artistic talent and I have never been able to play an insturment. The only talent reading required was knowing how to read. I, like Matilda taught myself to read at an early age, at 4. I also know what it's like to be different and not fit in, especially in a family. This 1996 version stars Mara Wilson in the title role and she is so believable, you find yourself rooting for her as she is the underdog. Danny DeVito plays her greasy, crude car salesman father and Rhea Perlman plays her bingo obsessed mother and they are so good. Mara, Danny and Rhea have excellent chemistry. Matilda's teacher Miss Honey played by Embeth Davidtz, is the kind of teacher everyone wished they had, she's warm, kind and loving. The villian of the movie is Ms. Trunchbull played by Pam Ferris, who plays evil very well. She's big in a muscular way if you made her mad, she could actually injure you. She's a former Olympian athlete, Miss Honey's aunt and the principal of the school Matilda attends. She snarls cruel insults to the students and if they are really bad, they are sent to the chokey, a torture device resembling an iron maiden. They children are all cast pretty well too, Hortensia, Lavender and Bruce all fit their parts. I found them believable and seldom overacting. Without giving too much away the movie ends on a happy note and Matilda gets something she's always wanted. The soundtrack only features two songs, Send Me on My Way by Rusted Root and Little Bitty Pretty One by Thurston Harris and a score by David Newman. In 2010 Matilda was turned into a stage musical, starting in the U.K. and eventually making it's way to the U.S.
Stream Now: Amazon Prime
The Witches (1990)
I recently hs a rewatch of the 1990 cult classic, The Witches and I have to say I liked it way more than I thought I would. Before rewatching this I remember bits of it from childhood. As a child I'm pretty sure I was a little scared of the witches and as an adult I can say they are pretty revolting. That being said it's not all disgusting. The story is about a boy Luke (Jasen Fisher) who after his parents die will be living with his grandma (Mai Zetterling) in England. After a doctor recommends they take a trip by the sea to better his grandma's health, they head to a hotel near the beach. At the same time a witches convention is going on but to cover it's a children's cruelty convention. The witches can't stand children and if they are found are given a magic potion that turns them into mice. Anjelica Huston plays the grand witch and she's fantastic at playing evil. When she takes off her human costume, she's grotesque with a bald head, bony body, and purplish black skin. Jasen Fisher is believable as Luke, he's a kid discovering witches exist for the first time and Mai Zetterling has the grandmother role down, she is loving and always believes Luke even after he's been turned into a mouse. Speaking of mice, I'm not a fan of them but in puppet form they aren't half bad, they have huge ears, rounder bodies and can speak. This was the last film Roald Dahl (based on his material) and Jim Henson (as puppetry) worked on as the both died that year.
Stream Now: HBO Max
Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009)
This is a movie I had been wanting to see for a while but had never gotten around to watching it, until now. I can say I thoroughly enjoyed it. It's directed by Wes Anderson who has directed Rushmore, Moonrise Kingdom and The Royal Tenenbaums. The voice cast is made up of some Hollywood heavy hitters including George Clooney, Meryl Streep, Bill Murray and Owen Wilson. The movie begins with a fox couple (Foxy and Felicity) who are caught stealing chickens, Felicity asks Foxy to stop stealing and find a regular job as she's pregnant and he agrees. A few years later Foxy has a normal job, a son and they have a home. One day Foxy is introduced to an opossum, Kylie and is lured back into a life of stealing. Along with several other animals, including badgers, rabbits and a squirrel, Foxy plans a chicken heist. All is well until the human farmers find out their food is being stolen. They destroy the foxes' home by digging into the ground. The animals are likeable, and the farmers are evil. The three farmers, Boggis, Bunce and Bean who are destroying the foxes' home even resemble crooks with bags and dark circles under their eyes. Boggis is big and fat with a red face, Bunce is small, the size of a little person and has an angry temper and Bean is tall and thin and balding. The film is clever as since it's a children's film there is no foul language, instead the word 'cuss' is used in it's place. It's funny to hear something like, 'what the cuss?' The upbeat soundtrack features several rock hits from The Rolling Stones to The Beach Boys to the instrumental stylings of Alenandre Desplat.
Watch Now: Disney+
James and the Giant Peach (1996)
Both this film and Matilda another Roald Dahl book to movie adaptation were released in 1996. I remember having a VHS copy of this movie. This film version directed by Tim Burton features live action and stop motion animation. After James' (Paul Terry) parents die, he is sent to live with his two horrible aunts, Aunt Spiker (Joanna Lumley) and Aunt Sponge (Miriam Margolyes), they are cruel and make him their slave by constantly making him clean and work. One day James is given a bag of crocodile tears, he is told to be very careful with them. He accidently drops the bag causing the crocodile tears to crawl into the dirt, causing a giant peach to grow. While outside cleaning up one evening James decides to take a bite of the peach when he does an entryway appears. James begins to crawl inside the peach, teh further he gets he starts to become animated. Soon he reaches the center and is met with several insects living inside, Mr. Grasshopper, Mr. Centipede, Mrs. Ladybug, Miss Spider, Mr. Earthworm and Mrs. Glowworm. The voice cast features the likes of Richard Dreyfuss, Susan Sarandon and Jane Leeves. James has a dream to go to New York City and with the help of his new friends they find a way to roll the peach off a branch and into the ocean. I did find one part humorous, there's a scene where ghost pirates appear and one looks very similar to Jack Skellington from The Nightmare Before Christmas and another looks like Donald Duck. The soundtrack is by Randy Newman and while there is familarity with his works, there really wasn't anything catchy in this soundtrack. The film is visually stunning, although at times it was slow.
Watch Now: Disney+
The BFG (2016)
I'll be honest with you I wasn't looking forward to watching this movie because I had heard so many bad reviews on it. But because I'm doing research on a blog post, I had to watch it. This film version directed by Steven Spielberg features live action with animation. One night while up very late at the orphanage a young girl named Sophie spots a giant. He takes her from her bed and takes her back to his home. She's not allowed to leave as the giant believes she'll tell everyone back home giants exist. Contrary to the fact he's a giant, he's actually very friendly. Sophie names him The BFG, Big Friendly Giant. The BFG does have a problem, he is bullied by several other bigger giants, and he wants to rid them. One thing I found amusing was The BFG and Sophie go to the Queen of England, to get help, and she does help them. The giants are captured and taken by helicopter to an island you've never heard of, and you never will. Sophie is played by Ruby Barnhill and she's not bad, I don't feel she overacts or acts too silly. I feel like she really is talking to a giant at times. The voice cast features Mark Rylance in the title role, Bill Hader and Michael Adamthwaite as two of the giants. The score is by frequent Steven Spielberg collaborator, John Williams. While the story is a sweet tale about friendship, it was very slow at times and I often became bored.
Stream Now: Netflix
Until Next Time,
Ashley A.
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