Distributed by

Columbia TriStar

Cat.no: CDR 94512

Cert: PG

Running time: 94 minutes

Year: 1996

Pressing: 1998

Region(s): 2, PAL

Chapters: 20 plus extras

Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1, MPEG Multichannel 5.1

Languages: English

Subtitles: 8 languages available

Widescreen: 2.35:1 (Super 35)

16:9-Enhanced: Yes

Macrovision: Yes

Disc Format: DVD 5

Price: £19.99

Extras : Scene index, DVD promotional trailer

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Director:

Danny DeVito (Jack the Bear, The War of the Roses)

Producers:

Danny DeVito, Michael Shamberg, Stacey Sher and Liccy Dahl

Screenplay:

Nicholas Kazan and Robin Swicord (based on the book by Roald Dahl)

Music:

David Newman

Cast:

Harry Wordwood: Danny DeVito (Batman Returns, Get Shorty, The Jewel of the Nile, John Grisham's The Rainmaker, Junior, L.A. Confidential, Mars Attacks!, Other People's Money, Renaissance Man, Romancing The Stone, Space Jam, Twins, The War of the Roses)
Zinnia Wormwood: Rhea Perlman (Canadian Bacon, Class Act, Coach, TV: Cheers)
Matilda Wormwood: Mara Wilson (Father of the Bride 1 & 2, Home Alone 1 & 2, The Mighty, Only The Lonely)
Agatha Trunchbull: Pam Ferris (TV: Darling Buds of May, Middlemarch, Our Mutual Friend, The Rector's Wife, The Tenant of Wildfell Hall)
Miss Jennifer Honey: Embeth Davidtz (Army of Darkness: The Medieval Dead, Fallen, The Gingerbread Man, Murder in the First, Schindler's List, Till Death Do Us Part)

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If she thinks she's having a tough life there, it's nothing compared to the challenge presented by the school principal, Agatha Turnbull, who thinks nothing of throwing the children around or locking them up for most of the day when she thinks they've been naughty. Miss Honey, a woman who seems like the only other teacher in the entire school, takes a shine to Matilda when she realises her need for learning and helps her to fulfill it. Real-life couple Danny DeVito and Rhea Perlman play the warring couple who dictate over Matilda's future for as long as they can. DeVito also directs the film and acts as narrator.

The picture quality is glorious and just what's required since the film uses a combination of stark, contrasting colours in just about every scene outside the dull, grey school where the sharpness of the picture brings out the full horror of every children's nightmare. The film is presented in its original widescreen ratio of 2.35:1, unlike the American region 1 release who get a fullscreen DVD, it is enhanced for 16:9 widescreen televisions - thus allowing for 33% higher resolution - and the average bitrate is a good 4.89 Mb/s, occasionally peaking over 7Mb/s.

The sound is also worthy of your attention. Apart from the occasional tune, special effects become a priority around the soundstage. DeVito uses every available opportunity to let what's onscreen literally shout out at you as much as the images do and this is heightened moreso when Matilda uses her special powers to play the poltergeist.

Matilda had her own agenda
when it came to playing '52-card pick up'.

Extras :

Chapters :

Languages/Subtitles :

Menu :

Upon selecting the "Start Movie" option, you'll first see the Columbia TriStar logo, the copyright info and then the film itself. No DD helicopter demo this time.

It's one thing to make a film that can be enjoyed by children, with a few laughs being added for the adults' benefit, but few can contain enough intelligence to provide a good script with engaging performances that will keep both parties entertained for ninety minutes. Add to this DeVito's clever visual style and the stark locations and you have a film that can legitimately claim to be fun for the whole family.

If I had one complaint with this it would be that there's zip in the way of extras, but looking on the bright side, we get an anamorphic 2.35:1 widescreen transfer, while the Americans get a fullscreen one.