Rio Hayward All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

Billie Morin This movie feels like it was made purely to piss off people who want good shows

Portia Hilton Blistering performances.

Kirandeep Yoder The joyful confection is coated in a sparkly gloss, bright enough to gleam from the darkest, most cynical corners.

deverbeve I really tried to give this movie a chance after reading other people's reviews. I haven't seen it as a kid, so I have no fond memories clouding my judgement so to speak. I coudn't even sit through it, though I generally love 80's and 90's family fantasy films. This one is an unwatchable mess, especially if compared to the quality of acting and directing seen in other films of the same genre in that era. Better acting could aid the film maybe somewhat; the actress who portrays Grandma is so awful, it breaks the disbelief dramatically. The narrative is very uneven and contradicting: some parts are overly dragged out or simply nonsensical (the runaway stroller scene does not advance the plot none), other parts which are supposed to be mysterious and magical (Grandma telling Luke the story about the little girl spirited away or the famous witch convention scene) are not scary in a good fun spooky sort of way, but more in a high fever delirium way, which is needless to say not appropriate for children and quite honestly unsettling for an adult. It seems as if the writers couldn't not decide on the genre of the film. It watches like a horror mystery at times akin to The Shining or Omen, for example when Grandma says to the parents of the "fat" kid turned into a mouse: "I got your son in my purse here, he was altered a bit", or when witches catch Luke and feed him "the formula", the mood of the scene is just unnecessarily surreal and creepy in the general framework of the story. At other times you are sitting there just annoyed at non funny repetitive jokes about the "fat" kid eating all the time because that is the only character definition he gets, people being constantly driven to the heights of panic over pet mice or the hotel manager rolling out of the towel closet with the maid (really?). Anjelica Houston is great for the role, but unfortunately the part does not give her acting ability justice. Overall it seems to be a very weak effort overall, do not waste your time on this one, watch The Addams Family (with aforementioned glorious Anjelica Houston) or Hocus Pocus (with really cool witches and great children actors) instead.

EBJ Overall: I known 4/10 seems quite low but in Gods honest truth, I didn't enjoy this movie half as much as some other Dahl movies. Entertaining? yes; worth a watch? Yes; 100% Rotten Tomatoes? I think this is a stretch. I would recommend a one time watch with this movie but just don't think about it at all.Good: The effects would have been good for it's time but do feel quite dated today. The music and cinematography is excellent and miles better than expected. It entertains you from start to finish and I was never bored purse. The pacing is decently done. They definitely made the witches look revolting even by today's standards.Bad: As stated above, the effects are sub par today but that can't be helped. The characters aren't interesting nor is the sub par acting that lifts them of the page. An absurd number of plot holes and inconsistencies that I actually lost count while watching. The ending was clearly done last minute and was just done to make it all nice and happy. It doesn't feel like it knows what it's doing; the concept of magic and evil witches could be good for children but the content is more suitable for older audiences who wouldn't be interested.Best Part: The grand and disturbing unveiling of the witches beneath their masks.4/10

SnoopyStyle While on vacation in Norway visiting grandmother Helga, she tells young Luke Eveshim about the existence of real witches who hate children. As a child, she lost a friend to a witch who put her into a painting. His parents are killed and Helga takes him to England where she owns a house. They vacation at seaside Hotel Excelsior. There is also a convention for the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children with Chairwoman Eva Ernst (Anjelica Huston). Hotel manager Mr. Stringer (Rowan Atkinson) has it in for Luke and his pet mice. While hiding in the ballroom, Luke spies that the convention is actually for witches and she intends to transform every child into a mouse. Luke and another boy get caught and changed into mice.The first 30 minutes have a bit too much to cover. There's no real need to start in Norway. The parents dying would be a great place to go darker but the movie doesn't spend much time on it. The movie finally sets up in the hotel. Huston is delicious as the Grand High Witch. It has the dark ugliness and some edgy fun. There is a tacked on happy ending to the story which doesn't make much sense.

mike48128 Rated "8" because the special effects are outstanding. Otherwise a solid "7" because it is a disturbingly scary film that should be rated PG-13. Also, the pacing is a bit off, as the last 30 minutes seems rushed. As an adult, I can appreciate the fantastic make-up on Angelica Huston as the Grand High Witch, but it is really too scary for little children. Jim Henson's Creature Shop's work is superb and Rowan Atkinson ("Mr. Bean") ineptly manages the hotel where the witches hold their convention. Luke and Bruno are turned into mice as a test for a magical formula meant to eradicate children around the entire world. The talking mice are amazing; animatronic puppets like the Doozers of Fraggle Rock. Please note that in Dahl's book, Luke does not become a real boy again. Luke remains a mouse and intends to do battle with the witches in America. In my Warner Bros. DVD release, the boy is returned to human form by the "good witch" at the very last moment which changes the film, making it more "kid-friendly". (I don't think that this is the original ending on the initial release of this film, after reading the critical reviews.) The make-up and special effects are outstanding for a movie made long before CGI. More fun to watch the second time around, as when the witches turn into mice it is truly startling but less disturbing! Angelica Huston's make-up and prosthetics are just deliciously scary!Especially recommended for all adult Jim Henson fans and children old enough to view "Harry Potter" movies. It was Henson's last film project before his untimely death. Great Halloween fun.