James and the Giant Peach
When the young orphan boy James spills a magic bag of crocodile tongues, he finds himself in possession of a giant peach that flies him away to strange lands.
Critics Sentiment
The peach navigates through a frozen ship graveyard with skeletal pirates
James suffers abuse from his horrible aunts Spiker and Sponge
The film jumps dramatically from the miserable live-action segments with the abusive aunts to the magical animated world inside the peach, representing a shift from despair to wonder.
Critics found James and the Giant Peach a visually stunning adaptation that successfully captured Dahl's dark whimsy, with particular praise for the stop-motion animation and voice performances. While the songs were widely criticized as forgettable and some story elements felt rushed, the film's imaginative set pieces like the mechanical shark and arctic pirate sequences earned consistent acclaim. The overall reception was positive but not rapturous, with most agreeing it was a faithful, charming family film that worked for both children and adults.
Full cast
Showing 20 of 21
Paul Terry
James Henry Trotter
Miriam Margolyes
Aunt Sponge / Glowworm (voice)
Joanna Lumley
Aunt Spiker
Pete Postlethwaite
The Magic Man
Simon Callow
Grasshopper (voice)
Richard Dreyfuss
Centipede (voice)
Jane Leeves
Ladybug (voice)
Susan Sarandon
Miss Spider (voice)
David Thewlis
Earthworm (voice)
Steven Culp
James' Father
Susan Turner-Cray
James' Mother
Cirocco Dunlap
Girl with Telescope
Kathryn Howell
Woman in Bathrobe
Mike Starr
Cop
Michael Girardin
Reporter #1
J. Stephen Coyle
Reporter #2
Tony Haney
Reporter #3
Mario Yedidia
Street Kid
Jeff Mosley
Hard Hat Man
Jeff Bennett
Centipede (singing voice) (uncredited)
Crew
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