Movie Review - The Witches

The Witches (1990)

Starring Angelica Huston

Directed by Nicolas Roeg

Roald Dahl was probably my favorite author when I was a kid.  There was a sense of whimsy in his books, but he wasn't afraid to depict the scarier side of life.  Things weren't always sunshine and lollipops in his novels and, as the title of this flick suggests, The Witches certainly isn't a fairytale fantasy.

The film starts out with young Luke (Jasen Fisher) being told a tale by his grandmother about witches.  While Luke initially thinks his grandmother is talking rubbish, he soon begins to spot witch-like characteristics in some women around his town.  When he and his grandmother take a holiday (and it is a "holiday" and not a vacation since this takes place in England) to a nice hotel by the sea, Luke inadvertently sneaks into a witch convention headed by the Grand High Witch (played wonderfully by Angelica Huston) and finds himself in a little bit of trouble when the coven of witches turns the young boy into a mouse.

First things first, this is Angelica Huston's movie and no one else's.  She chews up the scenery and does so to such great effect that it's a real joy to watch her.  Deliciously over-the-top in her evilness, Huston knew that this role required a tongue-in-cheek mindset and she truly shines.  She's certainly helped by some amazing make-up effects from the folks at the Jim Henson Creature Shop, but she really made this character one that stayed with me ever since I first saw this movie some two decades ago.  As a kid, I remember being truly scared of her.  As an adult, I appreciated everything she brings to the screen as an actress.

There's an acting innocence to young Jasen Fisher (who starred in three fairly big movies -- this, Parenthood, and Hook -- and then disappeared from the entertainment scene) that isn't often seen in films.  It's as if you're watching a "real" kid onscreen and not an actor and it's quite refreshing.  It had been a long time since I'd seen The Witches and in my cynical older years, I'm surprised that Fisher's acting held up as well as it did.

What didn't work quite so well for me this time around was the film's final act.  Once Luke turns into a mouse, the charm of the flick vanishes.  Don't get me wrong, the creature effects are strong, but when the film focuses on these robotic mice, I couldn't help but wish it went back to focusing on the witches.

Nicolas Roeg who directed the absolutely awful Don't Look Now which I reviewed just a few weeks ago certainly redeems himself with this flick.  And it's nice to see that it holds up so well so many years later.

The RyMickey Rating:  B