Amazon.com

Danny DeVito's adaptation of the Roald Dahl book for children is mostly just fine, helped along quite a bit by the charming performance of Mara Wilson (Mrs. Doubtfire) as young Matilda, a brilliant girl neglected by her stupid, self-involved parents (DeVito and Rhea Perlman). Ignored at home, Matilda escapes into a world of reading, exercising her mind so much she develops telekinetic powers. Good thing, too: sent off to a school headed by a cruel principal, Matilda needs all the help she can get. DeVito takes a highly stylized approach that is sometimes reminiscent of Barry Sonnenfeld (director of Get Shorty, a DeVito production), and his judgment is not the best in some matters, such as letting the comic-scary sequences involving the principal go on too long. But much of the film is delightful and funny. The DVD release has a pan-and-scan, full-screen presentation only, plus Dolby sound and optional French and Spanish soundtracks. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (71)

A Charming and Over-the-Top Movie
This has always been one of my favorite films. This fanciful tale of a young girl who escapes into the world of literature from her abusive parents and principal is a must-see for all families. Some of the material is a little frantic for very young children. Your children must be mature enough to understand that their school principal will not throw them over a fence by their hair.

The film has wonderful actors in it. Pam Ferris, as the child-hating principal of Crunchem Hall, put on an enthusiastically over-the-top performance. Danny De Vito and Rhea Perlman did a great job as the parents who can't understand their six-year-old daughter and her love of reading. Fresh out of "Schindler's List," came Embeth Davidtz playing the warm and loving teacher Miss Honey. And last, but not least, is Mara Wilson, who at a very young age put on a very convincing performance as a girl who loved to learn.

Even though the story has some absurdness, it has a wonderful lesson for children. They shouldn't spend all their time in front of the T.V. For the film buff's out there, the camera shots are very interesting for a family film. Composer David Newman ("Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure," "The War of the Roses") wrote a wonderful music score for the film. It had humor and sentiment, and it is one of his personal favorites.

So if your looking for a good family movie that is average as a film, but above the standards of a family film, this movie is for you.

A modern childrens' classic!
Based on the book written by Roald Dahl (who brought "Willy Wonka" to life), this story revolves around the 6-year-old title character and her incredibly dysfunctional "Typical American" family. Daddy is a used car salesman, Mommy is a throwback to the worst stereotype of the 1960's housewife, and her brother is equally without redeeming qualities, but she loves them anyway and tries to save them from themselves -- most of the time.

Matilda escapes her life as an unpaid and unloved receiving clerk for her father's business (which is under surveillance by inept FBI agents) by devouring every book she can lay her hands on.

The next step in her liberation is toward Crunchem Hall, the neighborhood school run by -- well, I won't spoil the plot, just suffice it to say that "Matilda" is a Must Buy for any home with kids and a DVD player!

This film is as rich and delicious as "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory," and is no more a "little girl movie" than "Wonka" was a "little boys' movie." For that matter, even adults will enjoy this one, especially when watching it with your (or anyone else's) kids. END

Great for kids and adults!
Matilda is a cute and wonderful story! It's funny and makes you wonder what will happen next! It is hard to turn the tv off before it is finished! Sometimes people aren't sure they want to buy it but I'm not lying. You have to get it! If you don't like it, you're crazy. Still if you are unsure, go to Blockbuster or another movie rental place and rent it.

How To Survive Private School
Every now and then I see a movie intended for younger viewers that impresses me. Matilda, based on the book by Roald Dahl (Witches, James and The Giant Peach, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory) is one such movie. This is the story of a young girl who is special. She is very intelligent, self-sufficient, and inquisitive.

When Matilda's parents (Danny DeVito and Rhea Perlman) realize that she is old enough for school (sort of late) they send her to a private school run by a horribly mean woman who hates children. This environment, coupled with her life at home with a family that barely knows she is there, causes Matilda to discover and develop telekinetic powers. These she uses to help a friendly teacher and the rest of the students.

Once again a Roald Dahl book has been made into a very good movie. DeVito is excellent as a crooked used car salesman and Perlman is great as his wife. Matilda is played by the same actress who was in the remake of Miracle on 34th Street. The imagery and story are of the type that can only be found in stories for younger audiences. Although the movie does differ from the book this is a movie that I highly recommend.

Funny Family Movie, highly rated
This is a great must see family comedy about an orphan who has magical powers and uses it for good stuff and at the same time brews up some slapstick comedy fun, a great cast including Danny Devito as actor and narrator for this great family movie and a tale of a smart and gifted young child you'll never forget, i'm sure you'll love it. 10/10. ... Read more

Reviews (71)

A Charming and Over-the-Top Movie
This has always been one of my favorite films. This fanciful tale of a young girl who escapes into the world of literature from her abusive parents and principal is a must-see for all families. Some of the material is a little frantic for very young children. Your children must be mature enough to understand that their school principal will not throw them over a fence by their hair.

The film has wonderful actors in it. Pam Ferris, as the child-hating principal of Crunchem Hall, put on an enthusiastically over-the-top performance. Danny De Vito and Rhea Perlman did a great job as the parents who can't understand their six-year-old daughter and her love of reading. Fresh out of "Schindler's List," came Embeth Davidtz playing the warm and loving teacher Miss Honey. And last, but not least, is Mara Wilson, who at a very young age put on a very convincing performance as a girl who loved to learn.

Even though the story has some absurdness, it has a wonderful lesson for children. They shouldn't spend all their time in front of the T.V. For the film buff's out there, the camera shots are very interesting for a family film. Composer David Newman ("Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure," "The War of the Roses") wrote a wonderful music score for the film. It had humor and sentiment, and it is one of his personal favorites.

So if your looking for a good family movie that is average as a film, but above the standards of a family film, this movie is for you.

A modern childrens' classic!
Based on the book written by Roald Dahl (who brought "Willy Wonka" to life), this story revolves around the 6-year-old title character and her incredibly dysfunctional "Typical American" family. Daddy is a used car salesman, Mommy is a throwback to the worst stereotype of the 1960's housewife, and her brother is equally without redeeming qualities, but she loves them anyway and tries to save them from themselves -- most of the time.

Matilda escapes her life as an unpaid and unloved receiving clerk for her father's business (which is under surveillance by inept FBI agents) by devouring every book she can lay her hands on.

The next step in her liberation is toward Crunchem Hall, the neighborhood school run by -- well, I won't spoil the plot, just suffice it to say that "Matilda" is a Must Buy for any home with kids and a DVD player!

This film is as rich and delicious as "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory," and is no more a "little girl movie" than "Wonka" was a "little boys' movie." For that matter, even adults will enjoy this one, especially when watching it with your (or anyone else's) kids. END

Great for kids and adults!
Matilda is a cute and wonderful story! It's funny and makes you wonder what will happen next! It is hard to turn the tv off before it is finished! Sometimes people aren't sure they want to buy it but I'm not lying. You have to get it! If you don't like it, you're crazy. Still if you are unsure, go to Blockbuster or another movie rental place and rent it.

How To Survive Private School
Every now and then I see a movie intended for younger viewers that impresses me. Matilda, based on the book by Roald Dahl (Witches, James and The Giant Peach, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory) is one such movie. This is the story of a young girl who is special. She is very intelligent, self-sufficient, and inquisitive.

When Matilda's parents (Danny DeVito and Rhea Perlman) realize that she is old enough for school (sort of late) they send her to a private school run by a horribly mean woman who hates children. This environment, coupled with her life at home with a family that barely knows she is there, causes Matilda to discover and develop telekinetic powers. These she uses to help a friendly teacher and the rest of the students.

Once again a Roald Dahl book has been made into a very good movie. DeVito is excellent as a crooked used car salesman and Perlman is great as his wife. Matilda is played by the same actress who was in the remake of Miracle on 34th Street. The imagery and story are of the type that can only be found in stories for younger audiences. Although the movie does differ from the book this is a movie that I highly recommend.

Funny Family Movie, highly rated
This is a great must see family comedy about an orphan who has magical powers and uses it for good stuff and at the same time brews up some slapstick comedy fun, a great cast including Danny Devito as actor and narrator for this great family movie and a tale of a smart and gifted young child you'll never forget, i'm sure you'll love it. 10/10. ... Read more

Reviews (71)

A Charming and Over-the-Top Movie
This has always been one of my favorite films. This fanciful tale of a young girl who escapes into the world of literature from her abusive parents and principal is a must-see for all families. Some of the material is a little frantic for very young children. Your children must be mature enough to understand that their school principal will not throw them over a fence by their hair.

The film has wonderful actors in it. Pam Ferris, as the child-hating principal of Crunchem Hall, put on an enthusiastically over-the-top performance. Danny De Vito and Rhea Perlman did a great job as the parents who can't understand their six-year-old daughter and her love of reading. Fresh out of "Schindler's List," came Embeth Davidtz playing the warm and loving teacher Miss Honey. And last, but not least, is Mara Wilson, who at a very young age put on a very convincing performance as a girl who loved to learn.

Even though the story has some absurdness, it has a wonderful lesson for children. They shouldn't spend all their time in front of the T.V. For the film buff's out there, the camera shots are very interesting for a family film. Composer David Newman ("Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure," "The War of the Roses") wrote a wonderful music score for the film. It had humor and sentiment, and it is one of his personal favorites.

So if your looking for a good family movie that is average as a film, but above the standards of a family film, this movie is for you.

A modern childrens' classic!
Based on the book written by Roald Dahl (who brought "Willy Wonka" to life), this story revolves around the 6-year-old title character and her incredibly dysfunctional "Typical American" family. Daddy is a used car salesman, Mommy is a throwback to the worst stereotype of the 1960's housewife, and her brother is equally without redeeming qualities, but she loves them anyway and tries to save them from themselves -- most of the time.

Matilda escapes her life as an unpaid and unloved receiving clerk for her father's business (which is under surveillance by inept FBI agents) by devouring every book she can lay her hands on.

The next step in her liberation is toward Crunchem Hall, the neighborhood school run by -- well, I won't spoil the plot, just suffice it to say that "Matilda" is a Must Buy for any home with kids and a DVD player!

This film is as rich and delicious as "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory," and is no more a "little girl movie" than "Wonka" was a "little boys' movie." For that matter, even adults will enjoy this one, especially when watching it with your (or anyone else's) kids. END

Great for kids and adults!
Matilda is a cute and wonderful story! It's funny and makes you wonder what will happen next! It is hard to turn the tv off before it is finished! Sometimes people aren't sure they want to buy it but I'm not lying. You have to get it! If you don't like it, you're crazy. Still if you are unsure, go to Blockbuster or another movie rental place and rent it.

How To Survive Private School
Every now and then I see a movie intended for younger viewers that impresses me. Matilda, based on the book by Roald Dahl (Witches, James and The Giant Peach, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory) is one such movie. This is the story of a young girl who is special. She is very intelligent, self-sufficient, and inquisitive.

When Matilda's parents (Danny DeVito and Rhea Perlman) realize that she is old enough for school (sort of late) they send her to a private school run by a horribly mean woman who hates children. This environment, coupled with her life at home with a family that barely knows she is there, causes Matilda to discover and develop telekinetic powers. These she uses to help a friendly teacher and the rest of the students.

Once again a Roald Dahl book has been made into a very good movie. DeVito is excellent as a crooked used car salesman and Perlman is great as his wife. Matilda is played by the same actress who was in the remake of Miracle on 34th Street. The imagery and story are of the type that can only be found in stories for younger audiences. Although the movie does differ from the book this is a movie that I highly recommend.

Funny Family Movie, highly rated
This is a great must see family comedy about an orphan who has magical powers and uses it for good stuff and at the same time brews up some slapstick comedy fun, a great cast including Danny Devito as actor and narrator for this great family movie and a tale of a smart and gifted young child you'll never forget, i'm sure you'll love it. 10/10. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Funnybone
I tryed twice to review the video, but i saw nothing! ... Read more

Amazon.com

Madeline The schoolgirl adventures of Madeline, a flame-haired orphan, are lovingly adapted from Ludwig Bemelmans's classic children's books. His sly and witty writing is transferred to this first-rate film, one that should not be thought of merely as childhood entertainment. Spunky Madeline is most adept at finding trouble. She is also a quick-witted and likable child who can solve almost any problem. Her latest scheme is to keep her school, which is also her home, from being sold by its owner, the recently widowed Lord Covington (Nigel Hawthorne). Unlike most youthful movie fare, this adventure boasts high production values that wisely include colorful Parisian locations. Hatty Jones is all spunky self-sufficiency and sweet innocence in the title role, and Frances McDormand is quite humorous as the stern school-mistress, Miss Clavel. --Rochelle O'Gorman

Matilda:

Danny DeVito's adaptation of the Roald Dahl book for children is mostly just fine, helped along quite a bit by the charming performance of Mara Wilson (Mrs. Doubtfire) as young Matilda, a brilliant girl neglected by her stupid, self-involved parents (DeVito and Rhea Perlman). Ignored at home, Matilda escapes into a world of reading, exercising her mind so much she develops telekinetic powers. Good thing, too: sent off to a school headed by a cruel principal, Matilda needs all the help she can get. DeVito takes a highly stylized approach that is sometimes reminiscent of Barry Sonnenfeld (director of Get Shorty, a DeVito production), and his judgment is not the best in some matters, such as letting the comic-scary sequences involving the principal go on too long. But much of the film is delightful and funny. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (71)

A Charming and Over-the-Top Movie
This has always been one of my favorite films. This fanciful tale of a young girl who escapes into the world of literature from her abusive parents and principal is a must-see for all families. Some of the material is a little frantic for very young children. Your children must be mature enough to understand that their school principal will not throw them over a fence by their hair.

The film has wonderful actors in it. Pam Ferris, as the child-hating principal of Crunchem Hall, put on an enthusiastically over-the-top performance. Danny De Vito and Rhea Perlman did a great job as the parents who can't understand their six-year-old daughter and her love of reading. Fresh out of "Schindler's List," came Embeth Davidtz playing the warm and loving teacher Miss Honey. And last, but not least, is Mara Wilson, who at a very young age put on a very convincing performance as a girl who loved to learn.

Even though the story has some absurdness, it has a wonderful lesson for children. They shouldn't spend all their time in front of the T.V. For the film buff's out there, the camera shots are very interesting for a family film. Composer David Newman ("Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure," "The War of the Roses") wrote a wonderful music score for the film. It had humor and sentiment, and it is one of his personal favorites.

So if your looking for a good family movie that is average as a film, but above the standards of a family film, this movie is for you.

A modern childrens' classic!
Based on the book written by Roald Dahl (who brought "Willy Wonka" to life), this story revolves around the 6-year-old title character and her incredibly dysfunctional "Typical American" family. Daddy is a used car salesman, Mommy is a throwback to the worst stereotype of the 1960's housewife, and her brother is equally without redeeming qualities, but she loves them anyway and tries to save them from themselves -- most of the time.

Matilda escapes her life as an unpaid and unloved receiving clerk for her father's business (which is under surveillance by inept FBI agents) by devouring every book she can lay her hands on.

The next step in her liberation is toward Crunchem Hall, the neighborhood school run by -- well, I won't spoil the plot, just suffice it to say that "Matilda" is a Must Buy for any home with kids and a DVD player!

This film is as rich and delicious as "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory," and is no more a "little girl movie" than "Wonka" was a "little boys' movie." For that matter, even adults will enjoy this one, especially when watching it with your (or anyone else's) kids. END

Great for kids and adults!
Matilda is a cute and wonderful story! It's funny and makes you wonder what will happen next! It is hard to turn the tv off before it is finished! Sometimes people aren't sure they want to buy it but I'm not lying. You have to get it! If you don't like it, you're crazy. Still if you are unsure, go to Blockbuster or another movie rental place and rent it.

How To Survive Private School
Every now and then I see a movie intended for younger viewers that impresses me. Matilda, based on the book by Roald Dahl (Witches, James and The Giant Peach, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory) is one such movie. This is the story of a young girl who is special. She is very intelligent, self-sufficient, and inquisitive.

When Matilda's parents (Danny DeVito and Rhea Perlman) realize that she is old enough for school (sort of late) they send her to a private school run by a horribly mean woman who hates children. This environment, coupled with her life at home with a family that barely knows she is there, causes Matilda to discover and develop telekinetic powers. These she uses to help a friendly teacher and the rest of the students.

Once again a Roald Dahl book has been made into a very good movie. DeVito is excellent as a crooked used car salesman and Perlman is great as his wife. Matilda is played by the same actress who was in the remake of Miracle on 34th Street. The imagery and story are of the type that can only be found in stories for younger audiences. Although the movie does differ from the book this is a movie that I highly recommend.

Funny Family Movie, highly rated
This is a great must see family comedy about an orphan who has magical powers and uses it for good stuff and at the same time brews up some slapstick comedy fun, a great cast including Danny Devito as actor and narrator for this great family movie and a tale of a smart and gifted young child you'll never forget, i'm sure you'll love it. 10/10. ... Read more