James and the Giant Peach (1996)

So much average

Pretty good movie overall. First half was nothing special but it got better as it went along.

It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

James and the Giant Peach (1996): Dir: Henry Selick / Voices: Joanna Lumley, Mariam Margolyes, Pete Postlethwaite, Steven Culp, Paul Terry: Ridiculous yet creative family film that should fancy young viewers. The giant peach symbolizes challenge and responsibility. James lost his parents to the cloud rhino and is left to slave for two nasty aunts. One day he is given a glowing substance from a stranger, which he spills. A plant grows producing a single peach, which grows to an unbelievable size. Used for publicity by the aunts, James crawls inside and is befriended by insects. The peach rolls off and the adventure begins. They encounter a shark via water, then spider webs are attached to seagulls for air flight. They are heading to New York where his parents claimed to be going. Unnecessary skeleton pirates subplot and an ending that goes into overkill. Directed with imagination by Henry Selick who previously made A Nightmare Before Christmas. Joanna Lumley and Mariam Margolyes ham it up as the aunts out for profit and greed but their defeat is somewhat embarrassing. Pete Postlethwaite is not seen long enough outside of selling the glowing substance. Steven Culp has the idiotic chance to be a cloud rhino victim. Paul Terry plays James who evidently goes on this overwhelming trip that even marijuana couldn't conjure up. Exquisite visual effects full of spirit and imagination. Score: 6 ½ / 10

I registered this account just want to say something about this film.I know it's stupid to concentrate on logic in a fantasy movie, especially when it's a kid's movie, but it just seem to be odd for me. Does the RHINO actually mean anything? Rhinos definitely do not eat meat in reality, then how could a rhino be able to eat this child's parents? If the rhino is just a symbol of devil or nightmare, then the animal must be supposed to be dangerous and aggressive. Imagine elephants as villains in the movie (no, not Dumbo!)... Maybe a dragon or a snake will make more sense. I'm going to consider it's just a bad excuse to "dump your Disney parent", XD. The peach is kind of confusing too. I mean, in a fantasy movie, it's not quite impossible to make a peach big enough and strong enough to travel around world, like UP. However, in the part when they try to eat the peach, I just find it very gross. That color looks like only the rotten fruit has. Does that mean the peach is a metaphor of APPLE OF SODOM?The man who sell green magic powder seems not very positive... Something that can realize all your dream... Just my opinion.All the things in arctic are just misleading. If all of that take place in Amazon, it can be so much funnier and reasonable! The way that two bad aunts end is scary... Maybe young kids won't realize how much pain there is to suffocate. Since the boy just like Cinderella, why can't the story ends like forgiving? The original versions of this fairytale are cruel too, but in a kid's movie it should ends more warm and spiring.The songs didn't have much to show. Therefore maybe a few songs would be better?In a word, this film has it's own adventures and... It has great idea, amazing creation and good animation. Ignoring these logical problems, this film is very funny. It may not be an amazing kid's movie, but it's a regular movie. The details just need to get better!

James had a happy life in the English seaside about to travel to NYC. His parents are killed by an imagined rhinoceros and he has to live with his evil Aunt Spiker and Aunt Sponge. He saves a spider from Spiker. A mysterious man (Pete Postlethwaite) gives him a bag of magic which holds the possibility of going to NYC. James trips and drops the magic in the garden. A peach starts to grow on a barren tree. Spiker and Sponge sell tickets to see the giant peach. That night, James takes a bit of the peach and climbs into it. As he climbs inside, it turns into stop motion animation.I really dislike the live action start or ending of the movie. It's not only ugly but it's also tiresome. It's meant to be magical but it reminds me of the badly made Popeye. There is no arguing that the stop motion animation is something amazing. It is imaginative and filled with fun characters. It's also great to see Jack again. The movie could probably use some good catchy pop songs. The reliance on Randy Newman is something done back then and there is no breakout song from this movie. It's an obvious deficiency to do all those talky Broadway songs. It would be better to push more towards action adventures with a consistent villain chasing them. It should have kept up with the rhinoceros as a constant threat. James should have done several hand-to-hand combat with the rino more than that one magical confrontation.

This is a very carefree and sweet (like peaches) live action/computer animated movie based on Roald Dahl children's novel, James and the Giant Beach.In the movie, James has to go live with his two horrible aunts, Aunt Spiker and Aunt Sponge, after the death of his parents. After saving a spider, he obtains crocodile tongues in his garden and an enormous peach grows from it. In the peach, he meets animated versions of the spider he saved earlier and a host of other multi-legged animals including the Centipede, Ladybug and Grasshopper. They help James escape his unhappy home and journey to the City of New York.In this movie, you get some nice memorable characters, interesting stop-motion animation, clever imagination and a catchy song to sing-along with called "We're Family." The rest of the songs and music score were sub-par. The song Paul Terry (James) sings called "My Name is James" is too melancholy and dreary for me, no harmony or melodies, and the actor himself didn't seem fit for the role - lack of emotion and interest.The overall movie did not have the captivating adventures, magic and fun I enjoy from many other animated films; therefore, I've only found the film to be average as far as entertainment is concerned. However, since this film does have the elements of a child's innocence and imagination, this would be a fine film to show to little kids, but not one to sit together to watch with the entire family.Grade C-