Based on Roald Dahl’s 1983 classic book ‘The Witches’, the story tells the scary, funny and imaginative tale of a seven year old boy who has a run in with some real life witches!
Chuck says:
If there ever was a scene-stealing role, the Grand High Witch in Roald Dahl’s The Witches would certainly qualify. It’s the sort of role that requires a performer to rend the scenery, as an obligation is thrust upon the actor to make sure there’s nothing left standing where the sets are concerned, while worry over your co-stars’ egos is something you laugh at with delightful disdain. It’s a scorched Earth kinda thing.
Anne Hathaway certainly understands this as her performance in Robert Zemeckis’ remake of the 1990 feature based on Dahl’s book is one for the ages. Drawing the viewer’s attention from the moment she enters, you’re captivated by her sheer bravado. This is her movie; she knows it and runs with it.
That’s not to say there’s nothing else of note here, far from it. Minor tweaks are given to the story, the setting moved to the United States where a young eight year old boy (Jahzir Bruno) from Chicago, suddenly finds himself living with his kind grandmother (Octavia Spencer) after his parents have died in a car accident. Reeling from the experience, he’s having a hard time finding his footing in his new home of Demopolis, Alabama, but his grandma’s faith in him soon has him looking at life with hope once more. However, things go horribly awry when the pair take a holiday to stay at a grand oceanside hotel, which just happens to be hosting a witch’s convention. Masquerading under the ironic title, The International Society for the Prevention of Cruelty of Children, these hags have gotten together to formulate a plan to turn all children into mice so they may be crushed under their malevolent heels. Our young hero stumbles upon this meeting, is soon turned in to a mouse and chaos ensues.
Chris Rock provides the narration as the young boy now grown up, looking back at these “formative” times, while Stanley Tucci, though underused here, makes the most of his brief moments as the flummoxed hotel manager. Spencer, of course, is warm and assuring, providing a solid foundation for all of the hijinks to revolve around, while Zemeckis makes sure to keep things moving with the sort of top-notch special effects his work has become known for. (A dinner sequence involving a series of witches exploding like a 4th of July fireworks bombardment was not only a visual delight but one of the funniest things I’ve seen on screen this year.)
But it’s Hathaway who captivates, embracing her role as the worst of the worst with a sense of relish that simply drips with joy. Sporting an all-purpose Eastern European accent, draining each threatening syllable until they’re dry husks, utilizing grand physical flourishes the stage can barely contain and a stare that would wither a sequoia, the actress exhibits such joy in performing that it proves infectious. I found myself smiling throughout, reveling in her delight. Elevating shrillness to high art, you can’t help but laugh at her confidence and audacity. Tearing into her dialogue with an accent in which the listener can detect hints of Marlene Dietrich and Rocky and Bullwinkle’s Natasha Nogoodnik, you can hardly understand half of what she says. No matter, you’ll appreciate that arch venom she uses in her delivery, while her line “Did I stooter?” when Tucci asks to repeat herself is priceless.
The ending is pure Dahl – not completely happy, a bit perverse – and while some of the sequences may be a bit intense for younger viewers, Zemeckis never lets us forget we’re watching a fairy tale replete with dire circumstances and an ironic conclusion. Engaging from start to finish, The Witches is perfect for family Halloween viewing as well as those who appreciates seeing an actor damn the torpedoes and go full speed ahead.
Pam says:
Avoiding comparisons between the 1990 Angelica Huston version and the newly reimagined Robert Zemekis version of the Roald Dahl book “The Witches,” the film stands alone as a visually stunning transformation. However, the story lacks and drags in places, and while kids will easily overlook this aspect, adults will not.
Hathaway steals the show as the Grand Witch, relishing in every evil scene as she trills her orders in a strange and sometimes unintelligible accent giving us a couple chuckles. There’s not much more to her character and while she attempts to find her comedic chops in this, it falls flat. Spenser, ever the supporting actress, gracefully becomes the protective and loving grandmother and Jhazir Bruno has a small role in the beginning as a young boy struggling with his parents’ death as he captures your heart. He’s gawky and awkward– adorably so–but unfortunately, that evil witch quickly turns him into a mouse and he becomes just a voiceover.
The story, however much it stutters and stalls, always keeps the engine revving with its special effects. Hathaway’s mouth as she sneered her sinister smile is captivatingly eerie and her never-ending arms and joints will haunt a child’s dreams. The mice feel real and their antics challenge the talented animators, but the transformation of human to mouse doesn’t happen instantaneously; it’s a slow metamorphosis making it even more mesmerizing and entertaining.
“The Witches” is sure to entertain the kids, but be warned, it’s not for little ones as it’s a bit too creepy. And adults, you can be in charge of refilling your kids’ popcorn and drinks–you’ll easily catch up on what you missed.
2 1/2 Stars
