
James' happy life at the English seaside is rudely ended when his parents are killed by a rhinoceros and he goes to live with his two horrid aunts. Daringly saving the life of a spider he comes into possession of magic boiled crocodile tongues, after which an enormous peach starts to grow in the garden. Venturing inside, he meets not only the spider but a number of new friends including a ladybug and a centipede who help him with his plan to try to get to New York.... (Full plot summary below)
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James' happy life at the English seaside is rudely ended when his parents are killed by a rhinoceros and he goes to live with his two horrid aunts. Daringly saving the life of a spider he comes into possession of magic boiled crocodile tongues, after which an enormous peach starts to grow in the garden. Venturing inside, he meets not only the spider but a number of new friends including a ladybug and a centipede who help him with his plan to try to get to New York.
Leave your thoughts about James and the Giant Peach.
| Boston GlobeMatthew GilbertImaginative, slightly creepy, but tremendously appealing to all ages. It's ripe to bursting with visual effects a heady combination of stop-motion and computer-generated imagery. And it has a delightful cast of personable bugs and larvae, all bound for New York City via floating fruit. |
| San Francisco ChroniclePeter StackIt's a stunning, delightful image adventure like nothing done before on the big screen. |
| VarietyJeremy GerardAll in all, James and the Giant Peach is an extraordinary achievement. |
| Washington PostHal HinsonThe latest in an impressive string of first-rate movies for kids. |
| Nitrate OnlineDan LybargerHandsomely animated adaptation of the Roald Dahl classic. |
| The Hollywood ReporterDuane ByrgeI hope we don't have to wait another quarter-century for the next great Dahl adaptation, but for a film as good as this one, I'll wait. |
| Chicago TribuneGene SiskelAnother superb stop-action animated film from the same team responsible for Tim Burton's "The Nightmare Before Christmas." |
| Chicago TribuneMichael WilmingtonIt's a candy-flavored blast of a movie. But though children may love it, they shouldn't monopolize it. Adults will want to eat this peach, or ride it to Manhattan, just as much. |
| Seattle TimesDoug ThomasThe best surprise is Selick's handling of the live-action sequences, notably the opening scenes. Young James (a perfect Paul Terry) works around the surreal sets of Harley Jessup (conceived by illustrator Lane Smith). |
| Entertainment WeeklyOwen GleibermanIf only they’d trusted it more, they might have made a marvelous kids’ film instead of a merely charming one. |