Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical
★ ★★★★
Matilda the Musical is not only a great musical but one of the best family films that I have seen in some time. I was not prepared for the wit and daring nature that was presented in front of me. I loved that Matthew Warchus is willing to dive into the darkness of Roald Dahl's sensibility and dark humor. A lot of family films today play it really safe although parents of today have fond memories of watching 80s PG films over and over as children. 80s PG is certainly not the PG of today and I totally welcomed the ferocity and scariness of Ms. Trunchbull (an absolutely wonderful Emma Thompson).
Children have outlandish imaginations and somehow films have tried to reign that in. Matilda the Musical remembers what it's like to be young and celebrates this sentiment with wonderful colors, camerawork and outstanding choreography. The songs are extremely catchy and clever, but more than anything, celebrate the power of education and storytelling. All kids really need in this world to survive is hope, and Alisha Weir's young Matilda is a wonderful character to champion that cause.
