Afouotos Although it has its amusing moments, in eneral the plot does not convince.

Invaderbank The film creates a perfect balance between action and depth of basic needs, in the midst of an infertile atmosphere.

Mehdi Hoffman There's a more than satisfactory amount of boom-boom in the movie's trim running time.

Ezmae Chang This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

mark.waltz While there have been many versions of this famous Charles Dickens tale of the long-suffering kid who grew up to be a dashing young hero in spite of his rough beginnings, this ranks as the most famous and definitely one of the most beloved of all the movie versions of Dickens tales. The film is at its best in the first half with Fredddie Bartholomew as the young boy, born after the death of his father, and watching his long-suffering mother (Elizabeth Allan, also of "A Tale of Two Cities") end up in a horrid marriage to the evil Basil Rathbone which kills her. His step-father has no love for him in spite of having initially been kind (you know it was all an act), and Bartholomew turns to a series of eccentric adults who each influence his character and teach him the integrity he will utilize as a young man in helping his now grown child friends.Among those eccentrics are his mother's companion, the sweet Pegarty (the huggable Jessie Ralph), Aunt Betsy Trotwood (Edna May Oliver), the pickle-pussed spinster aunt who can't stand little boys but falls under his spell, and the slightly shady Micawber (W.C. Fields) who instills him with all sorts of worldly philosophies, some not always appropriate for a little boy. The result is one of those films with great moments, a slice-of-life period piece where plot is secondary to characterization and it is obvious that much was excised from the book to make it of appropriate movie length. This is why T.V. versions have expanded on the story, making it a two-part tale, particularly the outstanding BBC version with future "Harry Potter" stars Daniel Ratcliffe and Maggie Smith.In spite of the dragging in the second half which makes the lack of a linear plot more obvious, this version is lavishly produced, every artistic aspect of it superb, and directed with a precise attention to detail by George Cukor. Sometimes with all of these eccentrics, the film takes on a cartoonish structure, and not every character is fleshed out as strongly as Dickens originally wrote them to be. The shady character played by future "Topper" Roland Young may make some children wince with his "Grinch" like presence, and the nasty characters played by Rathbone and "sister" Violent Kemble Cooper (one of the all time nasty women on film) could give them nightmares.It is ironic that the best moments of the film dramatically speaking are those when the young David truly suffers, especially when he shows up at Aunt Betsy's looking a bit like Oliver Twist. Once Frank Lawton takes over as David grows up, the pacing slows down, although an amusing sequence at the ballet is one of the more memorable moments of the film.

jotix100 George Cukor, one of the best American master directors, orchestrated one of the best screen adaptations of one of the most beloved novels in the English language. "David Copperfield", the 1935 MGM treatment of the classic, is still one of those pictures that will always be enjoyed by movie fans of all ages.The ingredients that went into the production of Charles Dickens' novel could only have been done by the studio with vast resources as it was the case with MGM. From the superb art direction of the legendary Cedric Gibbons to the Oliver Marsh cinematography and the musical score of Herbert Stothart, all the elements under director George Cukor fell in the right place.The superb casting adds to the glory of the end product. Freddie Bartholomew was one of the best child actors of that era and in his effortless appearance as the young David, set the right tone for the staging of the novel. Add to that the impressive Edna May Oliver who practically steals the first part of the film. W.C. Fields made a wonderful Micawber and the supporting roles were played by a fabulous array of actors not easily matched then, or now. Lionel Barrymore, Frank Lawton, Basil Rathbone, Roland Young, Lewis Stone, Madge Evans, Margaret O'Sullivan, Elsa Lanchester, and the rest, contributed to bring Dickens' immortal story to life.A film to cherish thanks to the vision of George Cukor.

bandw This movie is entertaining enough for many reasons, but unfortunately I had read the book before seeing the movie and came away feeling that the movie failed to capture the richness of the book. I suppose it is not possible to capture Dickens' masterfully detailed descriptions on screen in a two hour movie. The characters are vividly rendered, although somewhat caricatured. I am tempted to reread the book with the images from the movie in mind.With so much material to cover the story is rushed from scene to scene almost in a sequence of vignettes, often played as if this were a stage play. David goes quickly through the stages of his life. With so many characters, the character development is not deep. For example, Uriah Heep's treachery is not revealed gradually, but erupts in a crucial scene near the end. You have to give Dickens credit for his talent for names (Murdstone, Barkis, Gummidge, Peggotty, Clickett, Micawber, Steerforth, and so on) and the name Uriah Heep is a master stroke to the point where it has entered the language to refer to a person presenting a guise of humility as a cover for devious ambition. And the name lends itself to a wonderful double entendre when Micawber refers to him as "you Heep of infamy."As the young Copperfield I found Freddie Bartholomew to be too much of a child actor rather than a believable character. Some sequences cannot be taken seriously, like David's 72 mile trek to Dover--what was he living on during that arduous journey? The sappy score is a bit off-putting, but maybe can be forgiven for a 1935 movie.Overall the positives outweighed the negatives for me, the main positive being to see so many interesting actors assembled in one cast.

mlevans Having always heard of David Copperfield, but never having read the novel nor seen the movie, I finally decided to check out the DVD. I found it quite enjoyable with an all-star cast and good Dickensian backdrops.I have always loved W.C. Fields, but have to disagree with those who say he steals the show. Although he is perfect as Mcawber, to me it is Edna May Oliver who steals the picture. She is delightful as the dotty aunt – especially standing up to Mr. and Miss Murdstone with the loony backing of Mr. Dick (a charming Lennox Pawle).Of course Lionel Barrymore always makes the most of a part and does so as the gruff fisherman Dan Peggotty. Freddie Bartholomew is excellent as the young David. Elizabeth Allen is gorgeous and delightful as David's mother, while Basil Rathbone and Violet Kemble Cooper are cold and devious as the step-father and his housekeeper sister.The entire cast is excellent, including Jessie Ralph as Peggotty and Herbert Mundin as the 'willing' Barkis. My only complaint – and this is from one who hasn't read the book – is that the miscellaneous characters get a bit confusing. A guy who apparently had been nice to David in school runs off with and abandons the adopted daughter of Peggotty's brother. Then two men fight during a shipwreck and David sees his school friend dead. Perhaps things were better spelled out in the book.In any event, it is a quite charming film. Oliver and Field are delightful, along with the rest of the talented cast. I doubt that as better adaptation could be done today.