Product description

James And The Giant Peach [1996]

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Average customer rating: 4.0

Binding : DVD
EAN : 5060002830017
Label : Pathe Distribution
Manufacturer : Pathe Distribution
Publisher : Pathe Distribution
Release date : 1999-10-25
Title : James And The Giant Peach [1996]
Actor : Array
Audience rating : Universal, suitable for all
Format : Array
Languages : Array
Number of items : 1
Original release date : 1996-08-02
Region code : 2
Running time : 76
Studio : Pathe Distribution
Theatrical releaseDate : 1996-04-12
Number of discs : 1

Editorial reviews

Amazon.co.uk Review
Roald Dahl's modern classic for children becomes a delightful combination of live action and stop-motion animation by the team that made The Nightmare Before Christmas: director Henry Selick and producers Tim Burton (Batman) and Denise Di Novi. The story concerns young James (played for real and through voice-overs by Paul Terry), who is orphaned and left in the charge of two cruel aunts (Miriam Margolyes, Joanna Lumley). Rescued by a mysterious fellow (Pete Postlethwaite), James ends up inside a giant peach, drifting over the Atlantic Ocean in the company of a gentleman grasshopper (voiced by Simon Callow), a fast-talking centipede (Richard Dreyfuss), an anxious earthworm (David Thewlis), a matronly ladybug (Jane Leeves), and a sexy spider (Susan Sarandon). The collection of actors and their creepy-crawly alter egos are a delight, especially when some of the song-and-dance numbers (tunes are written by Randy Newman) get everyone going. --Tom Keogh

Special Features
1.85 Wide Screen
16:9 Wide Screen
DVD 5
English
English
Region 2
Dolby Digital 5.1 English
Dolby Digital 5.1
Original Theatrical Trailer
Music Video
Production Featurette

Synopsis
After James's parents are killed by a rogue rhinoceros, he is forced to live with his nasty aunts far from any kind of fun. But when a gigantic peach begins growing in the yard and James befriends the large insects who live inside, he sees a way to escape from his wicked aunts to New York City. JAMES AND THE GIANT PEACH is a magical musical adventure based on the classic children's book by Roald Dahl, featuring an all-star cast as the voices of the assorted insects.

Customer reviews

review by: date: 2008-08-04 rating:

Has aged well
Watched this a few years back but couldn't get on with the animation style. It was bought as a present for my 4yo who loves it. On re-watching I didn't have the same animation prejudice simply because Tim Burton has made it more 'acceptable'. Shallow of me I know but there you go.
The Aunts are fantastic in the 'real-life' section although I couldn't get on with the boy. Pete Postlethwaite still gives me the creeps (although that's from the Sharpe TV series rather than this film).
In the animated section the bugs are all pretty good and the boy gets better.
The songs are OK but I didn't find them particularly catchy.

review by: hfb101 date: 2005-07-25 rating:

Captivating and fun...
...are just two words I would use to describe this. I saw it yesterday for the first time, and was amazed how much fun it was. Great characterisation and animation, and the little boy is just scrummy!

My favourite (apart from James) was the Centipede, as I LOVE Richard Dreyfuss in anything. He was such a wise guy....

"That'll teach you to mess with me, you overgrown sardine - I'm from Brooklyn!"

How much I enjoyed this film just goes to show that I'm a big kid - 37 going on 7!

review by: date: 2004-05-25 rating:

A Great Film To Get Into The Imagination Of Children!
No one can really say that any of Roald Dahl's books or adaptations of books are 'normal', on the contrary, they are as far from normal as you can get without straying too far into the realms of sci-fi. Don't get me wrong though, this is definately a good thing as he manages to capture the minds and the imaginations of all the children who read and watch them.

When Jame's parents are killed by a huge rhinosorus, he is sent to live with two evil women, (presumably his aunts) who treat him like a slave and make him work like a dog all day and give him very little to eat. One day James is visited by a mysterious man who gives him one hundred green crocodile tounges and tells him to use them to make his dreams come true. Minutes later he has falled and all of the crocodile tounges have jumped away into the ground. Then, when a huge peach starts to grow from a supposedly dead tree, James realises that it was the crocodile tounges that are responsible and ventures into the huge fruit. There he meets six insects that have grown to be as big as him, and together they fly around the world on the peach, in search of New York City.

In this film there is a clever use of part real people, part animation which works really well, and is for most of the film seems it actually feels like a cartoon.

Overall this is a great adaptation of a very successful Roald Dahl novel and is sure to entertain children of all ages, and adults alike. If you have very hyperactive kids, then this is a great film to buy as it will keep them quiet for the whole time its on. A good choice if you or your children want some fun.

review by: date: 2000-09-25 rating:
*****WONDERFUL- a banquet for the Imagination*****
Superb animation , combined with the vocal skills of Joanna Lumley and Miriam Margoyles. My 5 year old with the "attention span of a gnat" was enthralled and absolutely quiet for the entire movie. A wonderful adaptation of Roald Dahl's classic. From the begining where James is under the thumb of his cruel aunts, through the magical journey with his fellow insect friends and his arrival in New York we were all captivated. A film that crosses both age and gender barriers. What more can I say.

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