Roald Dahl's Matilda the Musical

Roald Dahl's Matilda the Musical

The inspirational musical tale of an extraordinary girl who discovers her superpower and summons the remarkable courage, against all odds, to help others change their stories, whilst also taking charge of her own destiny. Standing up for what's right, she's met with miraculous results.

  • Released:
  • Runtime: 120 minutes
  • Genre: Comedy, Family, Fantasy
  • Stars: Emma Thompson, Alisha Weir, Lashana Lynch, Stephen Graham, Andrea Riseborough, Sindhu Vee, Charlie Hodson-Prior, Meesha Garbett, Rei Yamauchi Fulker, Winter Jarrett Glasspool, Andrei Shen, Ashton Robertson, Ray Strachan, Ray Strachan, Ray Strachan
  • Director: Matthew Warchus
 Comments
  • fijaso-19242 - 26 February 2024
    Remarkable!
    Being a devoted enthusiast of the stage production, I've had the pleasure of watching Matilda the musical in London on several occasions. Learning about its adaptation into a film filled me with anticipation, especially considering recent disappointments like Dear Evan Hansen and Cats. Fortunately, this film stands out positively. The casting is exceptional, with each actor seamlessly fitting into their respective roles. Emma Thompson, as always, delivers a stellar performance, especially in her portrayal of Miss Trunchbull.

    Regrettably, two songs from the stage version didn't make it into the film, likely due to runtime constraints. However, given the two-hour duration, it's understandable that including them might have made the film excessively long. One can only hope that these omitted songs will be made available online or as a special feature on a DVD/Blu-ray release in the future.

    Matilda the musical, with its blend of fun, heart, and remarkable music and lyrics by Tim Minchin, is truly captivating. Fans of the original 1996 Matilda movie should definitely give this adaptation a chance. For those experiencing it for the first time, I sincerely hope you find as much enjoyment in it as I did.
  • vgjtry - 28 September 2023
    Unncesary
    Awful from minute 1. While watching the intro you can see that it will be hard to swallow. Willy Wonka style, over acted, with moments that make you cringe.

    To all that, add music.

    My kids asked me to stop it after 20 minutes. Maybe not what they were expecting but believe me when I say that they will watch literally anything. Still, this movie managed to under deliver.

    Not sure what is the target for this movie. Definitely not kids.

    I have to say that the actress that plays Matilda is really good and may be the only reason to watch it.

    I saw the good ratings and thought it would be great. May be a over promise.
  • jar-06630 - 8 July 2023
    Take the Roald Dahl part out
    Matilda the Musical. Where do I begin? I don't like musicals so my expectations were next to none. "Why don't you like musicals?" Well it's simple. Every 3 minutes there has to be a song alongside a corny dance. Yes I know that's the whole point but there isn't much story to indulge in musicals due to the songs ripping it apart.

    So what was Matilda the Musical really like?

    Terrible.

    I found Matilda incredibly unlikeable in this film. Compare it to the original. We wanted Matilda to defeat Miss Trunchbull. But in this movie, I wanted her to experience the worst due to her being down right annoying and the amount of singing she did. The title: Roald Dahl's Matilda the Musical is blasphemous, simply because this film has about 20% of the original book in it and the rest is made up! I wanted to at least finish this movie and say it was watchable but it wasn't. Don't get me wrong the acting is good and I know everyone put a lot of time and effort into this movie, but it wasn't for me.

    1/10.
  • lee-933 - 7 January 2023
    Curious mix
    Fantastic sets, Emma Thompson does a brilliant job and the acting generally very good. In fact, Thompson is really chewing up the scenery and dominates every scene she's in.

    Music is rather tuneless and lets it down; not helped by the fact that most of the children (including the lead) could not hit the high notes reliably.

    The story is rather changed around but still works just fine.

    So much of this is so good, and yet a musical does hinge on the music, both the writing and the performance. The writing particularly poor in this instance, without a single hummable tune; the performances some excellent, some of them simply should never have been in a musical.

    In all, a disappointment.
  • Forever_21 - 3 January 2023
    Perfect!
    First off, many reviews assume that this film is a 'remake' or 'reboot' of the 1996 film by Danny DeVito. It isn't. Matilda is a children's book book written by the beloved British author Roald Dahl, and although the DeVito adaptation had its merits it Americanised and sanitised the original source material.

    Like much of Dahl's work, Matilda the novel has dark themes, child abuse through a childhood lens, and messages on how to navigate a world full of injustice and abhorrence.

    In 2010 the book was brought to the stage through the writing of British playwright Dennis Kelly, British / Australian multi-talent Tim Minchin, and the British director Matthew Warchus, winning 7 Oliviers including Best New Musical and Best Director (Warchus). It's still going strong 12 years later.

    This film is the screen adaptation of the stage musical by the same trio (Kelly, Minchin, and Warchus).

    So if you've seen the stage musical you know pretty much what to expect. The music is the same (although a couple of numbers have been dropped) as is the interpretation of the Roald Dahl story. You'll never recreate the experience of seeing these performances live and in person, but the energy has been retained and there are some notable moments (like 'Quite' for example) where the emotional impact is elevated by on-screen visuals. This is the best and most faithful stage to screen adaptation I have ever seen.

    If you haven't seen the stage musical or ever read any of Dahl's work then know that this adaptation does not sugar-coat or sanitise the child cruelty depicted in his work. At school Dahl was subjected to child abuse and ritual punishment (from 'Boy: Tales of Childhood': "All through my school life I was appalled by the fact that masters and senior boys were allowed literally to wound other boys, and sometimes quite severely... I couldn't get over it. I never have got over it.") and much of his work contains such themes. The reason Dahl's work endures is because children know there is injustice and darkness in the world, they see it around them all the time, they experience it all the time, but the worlds they see portrayed on screens and in other children's books rarely reflect that. How age appropriate is this film? Well that will largely depend on the social and emotional maturity of your child but I'd say the sweet spot is around 8-11, however anyone of any age could watch.

    As both a screen adaptation of the musical and as a work of art in its own right this film scores top marks. The music, choreography, cinematography, and direction are all excellently executed. The talent on show is something any fan of performing arts will applaud but the stand out performances of Alisha Weir (as a sweet yet disagreeable Matilda) and Emma Thompson (as a terrifying Agatha Trunchbull) steal the show. Lashana Lynch (Miss Honey) for the most part is incredible (her rendition of 'My House' managed to shed a tear from my ageing face), and Stephen Graham (Mr. Wormwood) once again proves that he is one of the most versatile and talented actors alive today.

    For me, a father of a 10 year old girl who has endured some adversity at primary school this year, this film is an emotional tour de force. From the opening number to the closing credits I was mesmerised. I laughed. I cried. I came out of the cinema with emotional knots and haven't stopped thinking about it since. As a family we have already been to see it a second time and are due for a third viewing on New Years Eve. My wife loved it, my 13 year old son enjoyed it and has even expressed an interest in joining us on our next trip. And as for my daughter, well we do our best to furnish her with the tools needed to navigate an unjust world but this film, more than any other, has helped her to embrace some true life lessons: "Sometimes you have to be a little bit naughty...".
  • senseandsense - 1 January 2023
    Garbage a big misfire
    This is really bad. Over produced over acted and questionable casting to say the least. I think it was too many cooks in kitchen so in the end it was just noise. The Emma Thompson character was to central to the story and not something that would resonate with children of any ages. Maybe this was more in tune with what the author what have wanted super dark and for adults but the project is marketed to children and that is a big shame to introduce this level of darkness when you are targeting children. In the end it was just a lot of noise and there wasn't only one good performance, that of the lead who plays the girl Matilda. What a waste of good material and a big budget.
  • Seersha1 - 31 December 2022
    Wonderful musical, with incredible songs and choreography
    Not having seen the stage version, and having fond memories of watching the 1996 film as a child myself -- I wasn't sure what to expect. I sat down with my young children to watch this... and we all loved it. Actually, my kids have already had this on repeat.

    Tim Minchin is a very underrated lyrical/music talent. I've been a fan of his for years and knew he'd written the songs for the theatre productions, but for whatever reason, I had just never had the chance or time to see Matilda on stage myself.

    This movie is filled with incredibly clever, catchy songs and amazing choreography to compliment. I've had 'School Song' and 'Revolting Children' stuck in my head for days -- Tim Minchin is a genius. The film truly FEELS like a musical and the songs contribute to and enhance the narrative, as all good musicals should.

    The casting is absolutely perfect. Alisha Weir is a revelation as Matilda. Emma Thompson is appropriately creepy and menacing as Ms Trunball. Lashana Lynch is pure heart and vulnerability as Ms Honey. I would have liked to see more of the Wormwoods, as Stephen Graham and Andrea Riseborough did a lot with a little. The supporting cast of children are pure talent - there is not one weak link in the entire movie.

    The cinematography and direction was wonderful. I was struck by the thoughtful design, costumes, and colour palate chosen from the very first opening number 'Miracle', through to the end 'Still Holding My Hand'.

    I'd highly recommend this musical and it's the most fun I've had watching a musical in YEARS. I hope this will go down as a classic in years to come.
  • luxinfinity - 29 December 2022
    Get ready to fly
    As I 54 year old kid, I must admit that I love this movie. We have all gone through the ups and downs of life and sometimes it doesn't seem fair. Matilda is a reminder to every single one of us that blindly obeying rules doesn't save us from a life of misery. The great actor who incarnates the authority is so outrageous and the clever camera shoots so cleverly edited that you will be magically absorbed into the story just like water on a sponge. This film is destined to become a cult because everything is over the top. I hate comparisons but the feel of the movie is just like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Empowering for everyone, I will definitely watch it again!
  • d_penn - 28 December 2022
    Can I give it a 0 rating
    People felt the need that this musical, even though it's based on a film which is based on a book, required its own movie. So, to summarize: a book become a movie which became a musical which then became another movie. That's showbiz!. Also no good songs. The school's motto is, "Children are maggots."

    Agatha is wickedly cruel to children, stating, "If the small ones don't pee just a little when I walk into the room, then I'm failing as an educator." Matilda's mother calls Matilda "a good case for population control."

    Not all of the ideas our protagonists express should be followed. For instance, in one song, Matilda claims, "Sometimes, you have to be a little bit naughty." She also wants to seek revenge on a couple of occasions. In another song, students exclaim, "If enough of us are wrong, wrong is right." Parents should explain to their children why neither of these views are correct.
  • CompleteMeYT - 27 December 2022
    It made me smile
    Lovely movie. I could see the unique personal style of Tim Minchin in many of the songs.

    I would've given it a 9/10 if it wasn't for one detail I disliked: the defeat of the headmistress felt a bit too easy and quick. I wanted to see her doing a second come-back before running away. I wanted to see the children revolting with her there watching that revolting song. We couldn't see her reaction during that song because she was no longer there, and I wanted her to be there watching with horror in her face. Then, I wanted to see the children combining powers to throw her out instead of relying on Matilda's telekinesis because the union of them all was the strongest power that school had. It would show that children could indeed accomplish great things even without magical abilities. That was the only thing that felt like missing in the movie.

    Other than that, great movie.