Matilda is a classic story that many people know and love. It originated as a novel that later was adapted into a film in 1996, then a musical in 2010, and now Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical. This new adaptation of Matilda was released on Netflix on December 9th, 2022. Though the story is overall the same in all of these versions, there are a few aspects that vary, some for better and some for worse. But overall, the most recent, newly released version is a great addition to the collection. If you aren’t familiar with the story, then here is a quick overview:
The story follows Matilda Wormwood, a gifted child. She loves to read and create her own stories. But she is also a neglected child, having two parents who never even wanted to have a child to begin with. This caused her to grow up fast. Matilda’s cruel parents send her to a prison-like school where she meets the tyrannical headmistress, Miss Agatha Trunchbull. When Matilda realizes she has the power of telekinesis, she stands up to the bully that is Trunchbull and fights against her parents to improve her life and make her school a better place.
Comparing the two films, the main difference is that the new movie is more colorful and less realistic regarding sets. Even the first scene in the new Matilda, showing the hospital where Matilda is born, is super colorful and almost looks like it belongs in a preschool or pediatrics office. I actually like this element of the new film because it makes it different from the original and also makes it more interesting to watch. The irony is shown in the fact that the hospital seems like a happy place while Matilda’s parents are unhappy being there. Additionally, all of the sets in this film are done with much detail and are very expressive of what is happening in the film. Another example of this is Matilda’s bedroom, which is located in the attic of her house and is dark and messy, showing her neglect from her parents.
Roald Dahl’s newest film is categorized as a movie musical, which means it’s formatted similarly to High School Musical or Hairspray, where people randomly break into songs to express emotions. But the movie soundtrack is definitely not the same as the stage musical soundtrack. All of the most famous Matilda songs are included in this new version, like Miracle, Naughty, When I Grow Up, and Revolting Children, but there are also some new additions like The Biggest Burp, Telekinesis and Magnus Returns. These songs were all very well done, even if there was some variation from the original, and amazing performances were produced during every one of them.
Another aspect of the new Matilda was the cinematics and editing. The camera angles and lighting are used perfectly to express the emotion that the viewers are supposed to feel when watching. For example, when the students, or “maggots” as Truchbull likes to call them, are sent to P.E., it is raining and bad lighting to show the misery they are going through. Also, as technology has improved over the years, the CGI and special effects in this film are much better than in the original. Examples of this are when a girl with pigtails is thrown like a hammer by Trunchbull and whenever Matilda uses her telekinetic abilities. All of the scenes with major editing techniques are basically flawless and seem very real to viewers.
To wrap everything up, Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical was a great addition to the Matilda collection because of its set design, songs, performances, and flawless editing. Some people may say that the new movie is unrealistic and too different from the past adaptation, but I argue that those features are what make the movie original and entertaining to watch even if you are already familiar with the story.