Movie Info:
Writer: Karey Kirkpatrick, Jonathan Roberts, Steve Bloom
Director: Henry Selick
Cast: Paul Terry, Simon Callow, Richard Dreyfuss, Jane Leeves, Susan Sarandon, David Thewlis, Miriam Margolyes, Joanna Lumley, Pete Postlethwaite
Rating: PG
Studio: Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment
Release Info:
Theatrical Release: April 12, 1996
DVD Release Date: August 3, 2010
Online Availability: Amazon for $$24.99
Roald Dahl was a staple of my childhood. I loved Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Fantastic Mr. Fox, The Witches, The Bfg and Matilda. One book of Dahl’s that I never read was James and the Giant Peach. I am not exactly sure why I avoided this title, but it just wasn’t a Dahl book I was particularly interested in reading. Apparently, other children knew something I didn’t. It is one of Dahl’s most popular books, and it is also one of his most censored.
Since I never read the book, and my son was only a toddler when the film came out, I fully admit I never saw James and the Giant Peach when it hit theaters in 1996. I did not have any reason to see it. I had no attachment to the story. It was not a childhood favorite. The entire story seemed rather silly to me. I mean, I knew the gist of the story. It was about a boy who went on an adventure inside a giant peach. I guess that is why kids like it so much. Make believe is so much more entertaining to their whimsical minds. I guess I didn’t understand the appeal of James and his peach, until I saw my nephew watching the movie.
When you are six, everything is magical! James and the Giant Peach captivated the mind of Lil B. He didn’t move a muscle as he sat there, watching the orphaned James, travel by peach to New York City. He delighted in the relationship between James and the anthropomorphic bugs within it. He related to James on some level that I, as an adult could no longer relate. His imagination was swimming with ideas and possibilities that watching James and the Giant Peach can provide a child. It was then that I saw the true power of the story of James and the Giant Peach.
Roald Dahl stories are so successful at entertaining children. Part of this is because his protagonists are relatable. Kids understand the yearning of a Charlie Bucket. They feel James’ sadness and isolation, as he tries to find a place to belong and friends of his own. Every kid wants to fit in. Dahl’s gift is in his ability to make these characters appeal to kids while sparking their imagination and sense of adventure. That is what Dahl has been able to share with generations of children.
The James and the Giant Peach Plot
James Henry Trotter is an orphan. When his parents are killed, they have been eaten by an escaped rhinoceros, the boy is forced to live with his two, very mean aunts, Spiker and Sponge. James is abused by his aunts and lives a very hard, sad existence. He dreams of a better life and place. If only he could get to New York City from England. His parents spoke of the magnificence of the city and he sees it as the perfect place to go to make his life better.
When James is approached by a mysterious stranger, he is given crocodile tongues. These are said to improve James’ life if he uses them, though how to use them is not made clear. On his way home, James loses the crocodile tongues inside the root of a peach tree. The tree is home to a plethora of bugs who can talk, which James soon discovers, as the tongues change the peach tree in amazing ways.
When James returns to the tree he discovers a peach growing on it. The peach has grown to colossal proportions. When James enters the peach, he meets a group of bugs whom he befriends. The group set off on an adventure, in the peach, that will take them across the Atlantic, on a quest to find New York City and a better life for James.
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Audio/Visual:
James and the Giant Peach is presented in an AVC encoded, 1080p, anamorphic widescreen, high-def transfer at a 1.66 aspect ratio. The picture for this does not look brand new. The film is over 10 years old, so the quality is to be expected for the time period in which it was filmed. However, Disney did try to clean it up some, and the picture manages to look pretty good, despite its age. The biggest issue is a reoccurring instance of grain. The colors for James and the Giant Peach are fairly vibrant and black levels are solid with a decent level of depth. While the quality for James and the Giant Peach isn’t perfect, it is vastly improved from the quality of the standard DVD, so Disney did a nice job upgrading for Blu-Ray here.
The sound for James and the Giant Peach is a DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track in English. This is a great track, with dynamic sounds through all of the audio channels. It is easy to hear the dialogue. It is crisp and clear with no need to volume toggle, since it is spoken on a consistent level. James and the Giant Peach offers a beautiful score that bursts from the speakers with melodic perfection and fits the story well. The sound effects have the right amount of balance, and make good use of both the front and back speakers.
There are Dolby Digital 5.1 surround tracks in French and Spanish. Subtitles are included in English SDH, French and Spanish.
Visual: 
Audio:
Bonus Features:
Where James and the Giant Peach is lacking the most is in the bonuses. Most are ported over, with just one, new feature. The new feature is disappointing, as it is a DVD game. DVD games are notoriously bad, and this one is no different. The kids might like it for a short period, but a feature like this has no longevity. The game is called “Spike the Aunts” and ants are hit with a rhino horn, which gathers points. It is rather morbid, if you think about it, actually.
The previous release of James and the Giant Peach on DVD had features ported over that include a five minute production featurette, a trailer for James and the Giant Peach, a music video by Randy Newman for ‘Good News’, and some still galleries for the movie. This standard definition DVD is also included in this set. We use this when we go in the car, since we have a DVD player, and leave the Blu-Ray at home. This is no different than the previous DVD release of James and the Giant Peach, so if you already own it, you’re going to have a second copy.
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Bottom Line:
This was my first experience seeing James and the Giant Peach. I found it surprisingly good. Seeing how the kids reacted to the movie made it all the more enjoyable. If you have kids, especially in the 5-9 age range, James and the Giant Peach is going to entertain them. That’s not to say older kids and adults won’t enjoy this as much, but younger kids can appreciate the imaginative nature of the film much better. While James and the Giant Peach looks pretty good and sounds amazing, it would be nice if their were more bonuses. Otherwise, this is a decent release.
Overall Rating:
Technorati Tags: Blu-Ray Review, James and the Giant Peach, Special Edition, Blu-ray/DVD Combo, Blu-ray, Movie, Roald Dahl, Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment
Written by Ashtyn Evans – Visit Website
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Ashtyn is in her early 30s. She is a mother, writer, college student, and music lover. Ashtyn has had a successful career as a writer since 2003. She turned to blogging in 2005. Ashtyn attends Wright State where she is getting a degree in Psychology. She has extensive knowledge in SEO and Social Media Development.
