"The Witches" was a childhood favourite of mine. I hadn't seen it since I was a kid. There were a couple of scenes from it I'd never forgotten. One was the scene with the girl trapped in the painting, which I found very effective back then. The other was the great make-up and effects in the scene where the great high witch unveils herself.
Aside from that, though, I think the movie is lacking in structure. As was the book. It has some of the most memorable moments of Roald Dahl's oeuvre, but I think the plot isn't up to scratch. It doesn't feel like a fully formed story, with a beginning, middle and end. I think maybe both Dahl and the screenwriters rushed over the middle.
I will say that when I was a kid, the main character's grandmother looked to me like an old woman. Now I watch it as an adult, and she looks and seems much younger.
It's weird how that works.
Aside from that, though, I think the movie is lacking in structure. As was the book. It has some of the most memorable moments of Roald Dahl's oeuvre, but I think the plot isn't up to scratch. It doesn't feel like a fully formed story, with a beginning, middle and end. I think maybe both Dahl and the screenwriters rushed over the middle.
I will say that when I was a kid, the main character's grandmother looked to me like an old woman. Now I watch it as an adult, and she looks and seems much younger.
It's weird how that works.