James and the Giant Peach

Roald Dahl's modern classic for children becomes a delightful combination of live action and stop-motion animation by the team that made The Nightmare Before Christmas: director Henry Selick and producers Tim Burton (Batman) and Denise Di Novi. The story concerns young James (played for real and through voice-overs by Paul Terry), who is orphaned and left in the charge of two cruel aunts (Miriam Margolyes, Joanna Lumley). Rescued by a mysterious fellow (Pete Postlethwaite), James ends up inside a giant peach, drifting over the Atlantic Ocean in the company of a gentleman grasshopper (voiced by Simon Callow), a fast-talking centipede (Richard Dreyfuss), an anxious earthworm (David Thewlis), a matronly ladybug (Jane Leeves), and a sexy spider (Susan Sarandon). The collection of actors and their creepy-crawly alter egos are a delight, especially when some of the song-and-dance numbers (tunes are written by Randy Newman) get everyone going. --Tom Keogh

Theatrical International release dates:
Europe: Aug 2, 96
Japan: Dec 14, 96
Australia: Apr 3, 97

Movie Details

Cast: Joanna Lumley, Pete Postlethwaite, Paul Terry (II)
MPAA Rating: PG
Running time: 90 min
DVD Aspect Ratios: 1.66:1

DVD International release dates:
North America: Mar 2, 04