Matthew Warchus’s recent offering, Matilda the Musical, is what a musical-to-movie adaptation should be! It’s fun, and sweet and keeps all the classic hits while adding some fantastic new staging and dance sequences.
Once more, be entranced by the magical adventures of Matilda as she escapes her hectic home life and starts a new one at school. A beginning that should have been life-affirming swiftly devolves into sheer insanity, testing our poor protagonist’s courage to its extreme. Seeking refuge in her beloved books, she hopes to find the peace and tranquillity her life so sorely lacks, while also working through her emotions in her storytelling. Will her mental refuge prove enough to get her through the school year? Or will her horror of a headmistress crush Matilda’s spirit, along with that of her classmates?
Bright and brilliant, Matilda the Musical is a genuine delight to watch. While not a fan of the Danny DeVito original film, this reviewer has long been obsessed with the musical and was thrilled to hear of the adaptation in the works. Like any theatre fan, however, there was a ripple of trepidation – understandable, given similar, less-than-stellar examples (*cough* Cats *cough*). Mercifully, Warchus’s production keeps the tyres on the track, ensuring a splendid result. It offers the same classic tale for lovers of the original movie while adding the colour, energy, hit songs and spectacular staging of the musical. In short, it’s exactly what this musical adaptation needed to be.
Without a doubt, the first half of the film is superior to the later half. Fast-paced, attention-grabbing, and beautifully scripted, it packs a punch without losing its audience in too much angst or character development. Moreover, it’s filled with catchy songs to get you dancing in your seat. While the later half of the film still entertains, it can’t compete with the drama, choreography or playlist that came before.
Have we mentioned the songs? Of course, but not enough. Never enough. With hits like “Naughty”, “School Song”, “When I Grow Up” and “Revolting Children”, there can never be enough said about how well they are written, sung and choreographed. That said, it’s the cast that proves to be the greatest part of the whole film. The entire ensemble hit it out of the park.
Alisha Weir is fantastic as Matilda, sympathetic, vulnerable yet undeniably strong and independent, presenting a character it’s impossible not to root for. Unsurprisingly, Lashana Lynch (Miss Honey), Andrea Riseborough (Mrs Wormwood) and Stephen Graham (Mr Wormwood) provide similarly impressive performances, especially in their comedic moments. Yet, our shining star can be no other than the formidable Emma Thompson, who gives the most convincing portrayal of Miss Trunchball ever to grace the screen. Hateful, humungous and utterly devoid of decency, she is one of the most compelling villains witnessed in a long time. Every one of her scenes shone, and no audience could prove themselves immune to her fearsome gaze.
While it’s tempting to put off seeing a film that you know will inevitably make its way to Netflix very soon, this is undoubtedly one worth making a trip to the cinema for. Matilda the Musical is bold, loud and brimming with colour; the beautiful shots and high-energy dance scenes can only ever be fully realised on a cinema screen, while the small screen is best for returning afterwards to rewatch your favourite moments. Don’t let your laptop screen be the way you enjoy your first time seeing this masterpiece.
Matilda the Musical is in cinemas now, and releases to Netflix on December 25th.