'James and the Giant Peach' review

Title: James and the Giant Peach
Director: Henry Selick
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Studio: Walt Disney Pictures
Genre(s): Family
Rated:

(For some frightening images)

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Considering the talent that is behind Disney’s “James and the Giant Peach” I’m sort of surprised it’s been largely forgotten over the years. Released in 1996 the movie was produced by Tim Burton, directed by “The Nightmare Before Christmas” director Henry Selick, featured songs and score from Oscar-winning composer Randy Newman, and it was based off a famous Ronald Dahl book. So why does this movie sit in Disney’s vault largely forgotten when many other stop motion films still captures peoples imaginations? Well, it’s not because this is a poor looking film, for this is easily one of the better looking children’s movie you're going to see.

The story itself also isn’t bad. The story revolves around our main hero James who lives with his cruel aunts after his parents are killed by a clouded rhino. No, I’m not even making that up, that’s really what happens. Not only that, but it happens quickly and briefly, like his parents were being killed with a flyswatter by the director so that the protagonist can quickly go on his adventure. One day though he gets a bunch of green things that makes a peach grow, turns insects into stop motion figures, and James into a small child with a big head. Once inside the peach it’s time to go on an adventure, with the destination being New York City.

This is a movie filled with lots of fun characters, a premise that has worked before, and animation that is still jaw-dropping to this day. So why is this film largely forgotten by the world? Well, I think it’s because the film itself isn’t as good as you would hope it to be. It’s not a bad film. In fact, there is an extended sequence with underwater ghost pirates and mechanical sharks that are inventive and fun at the same time. No, I think it’s because the film is short and not very involving. The main protagonist is sort of a bore and not very compelling. The supporting animated characters fare better but are given little screen time.

At barely over an hour the film is short and not much happens as a result. The journey feels very empty as opposed to rewarding. I also must confess that while I get that evil aunts are typical in childrens films, the aunts here strike me as particularly offensive because they are not only mean to James, but downright hostile. And for no bloody good reason that I can see. Oh, and the stop motion doesn’t take into effect until almost thirty minutes into the film, meaning that the animated sequences (the truly entertaining portions of the film) amount to less then an hour of the film. Ironically it’s still more then half the film, which makes me wonder why this wasn’t a television special instead.

Was there really nothing else they could do to make the movie twenty minutes longer? Though listed as producer Disney hasn’t really pushed his name very much since the movie was released. I’m now starting to wonder what Burton had to do with the project at all. I guess the question is whether or not the movie is any good. Well...yes, I guess it is good. I enjoyed more of it then I didn’t, but I have to admit the film also isn’t exactly all that riveting either. It starts, it ends, and you sort of move on in life without thinking too much about it later on. I’m ultimately not going to recommend it though because it doesn’t pass the “discussion beyond the parking lot” measuring stick of mine, and there is better animation out there in general.