Danny the Champion of the World (1989)

Good movie but grossly overrated

Great movie! If you want to be entertained and have a few good laughs, see this movie. The music is also very good,

There's no way I can possibly love it entirely but I just think its ridiculously bad, but enjoyable at the same time.

Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

I revisited this film, having caught some of it on television not long after it's release. I was seeking a bit of charming nostalgia and wasn't disappointed.The storyline, quite faithfully enacting one of Dahls less fanciful but nonetheless entertaining novels means it has class in spades, and I feel the positive reviews this goes alongside give a good account of the film's merits.What I would add though is the feeling that this fim stands above many other Dahl adaptations because of the low-key way it was produced, acted and directed. We don't see any of the usual fantastical sequences found in more modern or big budget Dahls, instead we find a sweet little drama played out without fanfare, but with great sympathy toward both the characters and the original book. The headmaster is... masterful in his understatement, as are some of the other minor players, the Policeman too. It's not a gag fest and it's not syrupy or overly sentimental (I think the word 'charming' is the more appropriate adjective here). The pairing of real life father and son works too, and I was surprised to see the young Samuel Irons hasn't gone on to act further, as he showed promise here.Anyway, a thoroughly enjoyable and entertaining bit of understated British nostalgia. What's not to like?

This movie is listed as TV, yet in Austrlia it was shown in cinemas where I saw it with my family, The movie was true to the Roald Dahl book and was as enjoyable and whimsical, the acting and direction was what was needed for such a classic and I never felt let down or became conscious of the fact that I was watching a movie, but rather was taken away with the story , which is something I long for in movies. I would so enjoy seeing this again, it is in my psyche with such movies as "The railway children" and "The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe" of which all were British. If your a lover of children's literature and wish to be taken away by a wonderful and endearing movie with values not often contained in entertainment today, this movie is for you.

This is sterling stuff. A charming film that all the family can watch. Jeremy Irons is really believable as the single father of Danny Smith. Together they hatch a plot to do down wealthy landowner Hazell, played excellently by Robbie Coltrane. It is Jeremy Iron's heartwarming performance that I enjoyed most however, and he works incredibly well with his son Samuel. Their relationship is a joy to watch. I've rarely seen a father and son relationship portrayed so touchingly on screen. Good supporting performances too, from Cyril Cusack and Jimmy Nail among others. I can't think of better actors who could have played the characters in the film. Also lovely music and views of the English countryside. The film is quite evocative of the time it was set in (1955). Great that it's coming out on Region 2 DVD, I think this film deserves more recognition as it definitely captured the spirit of the book.

A charming movie set in rural England after the war. Widowed Father Jeremy Irons is bringing up his son in a caravan on a small piece of land where he also runs his own garage. Unfortunately this small piece of land is crucial to the plans of the local, much disliked, Nouveau Riche squire played by Robbie Coltrane. A real smarmy cove. He wants their land and will call in all favours to get rid of them. He is also currying up to the local gentry with a pheasant shoot, but what if there were no pheasants for anyone to shoot?. What they need is a champion pheasant catcher..This is another winner from Roald Dahl the peerless childrens writer. Real-life father and son Jeremy and Samuel Irons play the leads in this with Grandad Cusack as the local doctor. Just a bit of a whimsical romp for the two elder actors whereas young Samuel had to put a noticable effort into it. All the same it is a thoroughly heartwarming story. There are quite a few well known faces in it, Jean Marsh doing a caricature of a spinsterish do gooder, Michael Hordern as a slightly dotty Lord, Jimmy Nail as a disgruntled gamekeeper, and Lionel Jeffries as the tippling but exceedingly fair Headmaster. It's almost as if they thought "What shall we do this summer? I know lets do a movie together." They are all perfectly natural and comfortable. A joy to watch.Watch it with your children you wont regret it.