Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical – A Musical Twist

Revamps of classic stories have apparently been a thing as of late. It took two tries to get Pinocchio right and now cue Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical though in this case, it is a film adaptation of the stage musical of the same name. Bringing plenty of energy not to mention bright colors to the table, this latest adaptation just hits differently, resulting in an entertaining spectacle that albeit may be a touch too long. While that spectacle will be more than enough for some viewers and too much for others, it is rooted in a strong story that will more or less be familiar to those familiar with the original source material. Always the consummate underdog, this film is not different as newcomer Alisha Weir shines as the titular young girl, carrying the emotional weight on her shoulders and creating a dynamic protagonist that one can’t help but relate to and root for against all the obstacles that came her way. That being said, the story does get a little convoluted at times. However, most will probably not think too much of it as they will surely be too busy being entertained.

Matilda the Musical, as mentioned, is based on a stage musical of the same name that of course is based on the Roald Dahl’s Matilda and follows Matilda Wormwood (Weir), a little girl with an endless curiosity and a vivid imagination who was unfortunately saddled with a pair of deadbeat parents (Stephen Graham and Andrea Riseborough) who resented her for not being a boy. Luckily for her, she found refuge in her books where she loved to lose herself. To get back on them, she performed a series of small pranks. Ultimately, her fortunes changed for the better upon meeting an inspirational teacher named Miss Honey (Lynch) who encourages her curiosity and imagination. Finally getting to attend school at Crunchem Hall, little did she know that it was run by the oppressive and overall bully Miss Trunchbull (Thompson). With Miss Honey, rounding out her support system was her new school friends who have all lived under the oppression of Trunchbull for so long. She viewed children as less than and not special and believed that they should be broken down into submission.

Life at Crunchem Hall was hard but the arrival of Matilda marked a sea change as the principled young girl was going to stand up for her classmates and what was right and, in the process, learned much more about herself than what she bargained with. Despite some convoluted turns in the middle, the underdog story nevertheless shines through as the story finds a way to tie it all together by the end in what was a satisfying conclusion. The relationship between Matilda and Miss Honey and with her schoolmates were compelling to watch as the former held more significance as a replacement for the relationship she didn’t have with her mother. Honey and a story-loving librarian named Mrs. Phelps (Sindhu Vee) fueled her imagination and her love of books and it was easy to connect with that as Matilda looked to still write her own story and perhaps that of a few others.

Meanwhile, Matilda the Musical features some elaborate musical numbers boasting some great production design and the occasional costume change along with energetic choreography and camerawork with the near-herculean task of keeping up with it all but does. In the end, regardless of their technical prowess, they would not have worked if not for the music and thankfully, it delivers with a nice mix of catchy tunes and emotional ones. Performed a majority child actor cast, they are definitely all up to the task at handling all that was thrown their way. The most impressive of those was the aforementioned Weir as Matilda. She is an absolute powerhouse with an energy and presence that could not be denied. Her chemistry with Lynch who brought plenty of warmth as Miss Honey was another highlight. Thompson as Trunchbull was a formidable foil who made for a delightfully ridiculous villain who camped it up.

At the end of the day, Matilda the Musical is a nice surprise and a blast that puts a fresh spin on the classic story.

*still courtesy of Netflix*

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Keith Noakes

The EIC of the coincidentally-named keithlovesmovies.com. A Canadian who prefers to get out of the cold and into the warmth of a movie theatre.