James and the Giant Peach
1996  PG  FANTASY  1h 19min
CAST— Paul Terry, Miriam Margolyes, Joanna Lumley, Pete Postlethwaite, Mike Starr
MUSIC— Randy Newman  DIRECTOR— Henry Selick  BASED ON— James and the Giant Peach (novel), by Roald Dahl

     The interesting (and a bit creepy) imagination of Roald Dahl is again explored in Disney’s adaptation of a giant of a tale. Young orphan James leads a horrific life. His two aunts torture him day in and day out, abusing him mentally, physically and verbally and work his fingers to the bone. His only escape comes with the growing of a peach. But not just any peach; this sucker is huge. Crawling inside it James suddenly becomes an animated boy who meets huge, adult-sized bugs and insects living inside the peach. After the peach rolls into the ocean they all brace themselves for a voyage to the colonies, NYC to be precise. But the way ahead will be fraught with danger; can this ragtag assortment of travelling companions brave the elements and whatever else the way has to throw at them in naught but a peach? A dreary mood and banal musical numbers bring down the mood; the real attraction is the eye-catching animation. Peachy keen.
OUR RATING— ** ½