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Reviews
Roald Dahl's Esio Trot (2015)
Disappointing
One of the most disappointing experiences of the festive season. The writers have forgotten what it's like to read a Roald Dahl story to children - the comfortable, innocent experience that is an oasis of childhood.
This movie, a pimped-up atrocity with formulaic love triangle had nothing to do with the cleverness, innocence, and brilliantly-judged length of Roald Dahl's original story. He knew there is only so much you can do with a great idea - push it too far and it becomes ordinary (at best).
Quips that the writers obviously thought were clever, including both literal and backwards 'choice language', just took the experience further and further away from Dahl's genius for innocence. Additions such as a love rival, alienating narration scenes trying to lean on a father's relationship with their daughter to somehow infuse the film with warmth; even a neighbour's child asking "Are you going to offer me sweets and kidnap me?"... All have a hand in bursting the perfect bubble that Dahl originally created.
Edit - sorry, forgot to mention that the three stars are for Dustin Hoffman. A class act, even in this.