The classic children's book "Hexen hexen" by Roald Dahl is now starring on the big screen.
A great pleasure for the whole family.
Not just on Halloween.
In 1990, Nicolas Roeg filmed Roald Dahl's book
"Forrest Gump" director Robert Zemeckis directed
The remake is a great pleasure
When someone tries to film one of Roald Dahl's black-humored children's books, it usually goes in some pants: Either the little movie viewers get a shock for life because of Dahl's nasty, dark fantasies, or the adults grumble because the biting malice has been ironed too smoothly were.
Nicholas Roeg's completely insane "witch witch" adaptation from 1990 with the grandiose Anjelica Huston as head witch is rightly considered a milestone and cult classic, although on the one hand it traumatizes a whole generation of very young cinema-goers and on the other hand the ambivalent end of the novel with a soft-washed Happy End has replaced.
The film is based closely on the book
Now, 30 years later, director Robert Zemeckis (“Back to the Future”) has managed to walk an astonishing tightrope with his remake.
He kept Dahl's ending, based himself closely on the original book, sanded only a few edges and moved the story from England to the US southern states.
We experience how an African-American orphan boy in a hotel in the 1960s by chance ends up in a secret meeting of witches from all over the world - and how he and his good-natured grandmother try to thwart a perfidious plan: The witches want everyone with a diabolical drink Turn children into mice and exterminate them.
Zemeckis can count on a fabulous ensemble, led by Oscar winner Octavia Spencer (“The Help”): As a resolute grandma with a huge heart, she is simply a stunner;
she exudes cozy warmth on the screen and grounds the terrifying events with her comedic talent.
When she's dancing to groovy Motown hits in the living room, it's almost worth the entrance fee, as is Stanley Tucci's gorgeous performance in the role of the snobbish, fussy hotel director.
This is only topped by Anne Hathaway: The ex-Disney princess, once branded as doe-eyed cuteness, embodies the head witch somewhere between shrill chiceria snipe, bizarre Bond villain and crazy dictator diva - with powerful gestures and an adventurous accent.
She obviously enjoys letting the pig out and it's really fun to watch her do it.
Kids in particular will love the scary fun
It's pretty scary how she suddenly bares her claws and her bald head, which she usually hides under gloves and a wig, or how her nostrils puff out into gigantic nostrils as soon as she, shaken with disgust, sniffs out one of the hated children.
But otherwise the computer-generated special effects are rock solid, by no means groundbreaking, and although the witches are busy baring their gruesome teeth, the film remains pretty toothless.
Real magic does not want to set in at all - apparently Zemeckis were missing a few ingredients for the magic potion.
Adult viewers may also complain that the whole spectacle is gaudy and screeching.
But the kids will love it, provided, of course, they're not overly sensitive.
For them it is an attractive introduction to the world of well-groomed horror.
A pleasant refreshment in the fast food family cinema.
And heartwarming horror fun - perfect for Halloween.
"Hexen hexen"
with Anne Hathaway, Octavia Spencer, Stanley Tucci
Director: Robert Zemeckis
Running time: 105 minutes
Worth seeing ****
You and your children might like this film if you are not familiar with the 1990 film or found it too disturbing.
