Why so much hype?

The biggest problem with this movie is it’s a little better than you think it might be, which somehow makes it worse. As in, it takes itself a bit too seriously, which makes most of the movie feel kind of dull.

True to its essence, the characters remain on the same line and manage to entertain the viewer, each highlighting their own distinctive qualities or touches.

I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

The film is about a very intelligent 6 year old girl who is under appreciated by her family and it's a very good adaptation of the book. The film keeps you interested as Matilda navigates School, her home life and her discovery of her very own telekinetic powers. The film is easy to just go with and the characters are memorable and each bring something special to the film. I definitely recommend!

I love this movie and look forward to seeing the Broadway production next year. Mara Wilson is such a precocious little star. I generally dislike kid actors but could watch her forever. Roald Dahl brings us a host of quirky characters who are often symbols of a society that isn't much fun for kids. Danny Devito and Rhea Perlman are Matilda's dysfunctional parents who treat her like dirt. She has two gifts: and indomitable spirit and telekinesis. She finally is allowed to go to school, but the school she attends is a nightmare where Miss Trunchbull, an ex-hammer throwing Olympian is in charge. She abuses the children physically and mentally. Eventually, it's going to come down to Matilda and this woman. Matilda enlists her teacher, Miss Honey, who finally gives her the things she needs, love and respect. Of course, Miss Honey is going to pay a price for her aid to the little girl.

Matilda (1996): Dir: Danny De Vito / Cast: Mara Wilson, Danny De Vito, Rhea Perlman, Pam Ferris, Embeth Davidtz: Creative yet misguided family film aimed at the wrong audience. Mara Wilson plays Matilda, a smart little girl with telekinetic powers. Danny De Vito plays her father who sells stolen auto parts, and Rhea Perlman plays her mother who blows all income at bingo. Matilda is interested in school but her parents insist that television is a faster source of information. When she is finally enrolled in school she becomes quickly aware of the principal's abusive tendencies towards students. She locks kids in a closet, and force feeds one boy until he cannot eat anymore. Fine setup becomes predictable with a mishandled conclusion. It plays like a juvenile version of Carrie but director De Vito has fun with the dazzling visual elements. Wilson is charming as Matilda whose willingness for education is admirable but her handling of the principal may warrant discernment. De Vito and Perlman are funny as her deranged parents but their decision regarding Matilda's future in the conclusion is too convenient. Pam Ferris as the ruthless principal is difficult to believe since what parent would send their children to her? She is about as psychotic as the standard slasher film villain. Embeth Davidtz plays the cardboard role of a teacher with whom Matilda connects. Themes support learning and address social isolation. Score: 6 ½ / 10

Childhood memories aside, this movie barley holds up.Its antagonist is ridiculous, being able to get away with torturing children in a society where their parents can enjoy TV shows. Any child in their right mind would have told their parents or the police and that lady would have been fired.Furthermore, Matilda's parents are some of the worst characters ever spawned out of film. Were they supposed to relate to children with abusive parents? Its as if the main demographic is mentally abused children and yet that number of children pales in comparison to the number of children who love their parents and attend a good and caring school. This movie will end up labeling school principals as incarnates of hell and would make parents look like the biggest douches in the world. And people LOVE this movie! Are you kidding me?This film is laughable at best. Its 'redeeming' aspects stress strength in solidarity, and a love for learning. But in the context these things are being shown, they are nothing. Lessons that fail because they are overshadowed by the utterly stupid parents and a demonic principal that will never exist in the real world.I suppose people will blame me for failing to address other aspects of the film, like the good teacher, or Matilda's friends. Of course the teacher is also laughably perfect, as if to say that such a person also exists in the real world. Giving children the expectation that maybe they will meet a person that nice, further inspiring mixed feelings toward their own parents and their school. But neither do I address Matilda's powers, which she uses to solve problems, making everything look laughably easy to do in an abusive situation. Which would make children fail to realize that a lot of their comforts in life come from the hard work their parents put in.This movie is fine and fun to watch. But it is most certainly not a good movie, regardless of how much you loved it when you were 6 years old.