This is me bordering into "unpopular opinion" territory again.

I don't know what it is with movies this year. Most of those I really looked forward to ended up being a disappointed. I enjoyed the book and I grew up loving the 90's adaptation and I really wanted to love this one, the trailer looked great and I generally love musicals, so I don't know exactly what it is here, that did not sit well with me. Maybe it was the bizarre singing babies opening scene already (creepy af).

I never really got around to listen to the musical soundtrack or even watch it, so I went into this adaptation without much knowledge (only song I knew beforehand was 'Revolting Children') and while the music was mostly fine, I found the songs painfully forgettable.

The actors were okay, I guess. Matilda's parents were funny, but didn't get enough screentime. Lashana Lynch was lovely as Miss Honey (what a voice!) though I found her a bit too meek for most of the film's run. I usually love Emma Thompson, but she didn't really do it for me as the Trunchbull. Pam Farris was fierce and scary, yet oddly funny and entertaining while Thompson nailed the mean-spirited nature, but failed to evolve above that. Her portrayal felt oddly safe. Young Alisha Weir certainly has screen presence and will go her way (and I don't want to be too critical of child actors, it's more the direction and writing I'm blaming here) but Matilda often felt too serious or even too bratty compared to her book counterpart or the relatable portrayal by Mara Wilson, who made her extraordinarily endearing.

I know I shouldn't compare adaptations too much, but I just can't help it. This one was clearly a high value production spectacle but it lacked the heart and soul of the 90s film. The tone was all over the place, it was too long and oddly boring at times.

It had it's moments but overall it lacked the certain something.

And really, wtf was that added subplot about Matilda's story that turned out to be about Miss Honey's parents? That was just bizarre and unnecessary.