James and the Giant Peach (April 12, 1996)

This movie is the second feature film from Skellington Productions, a studio founded by Tim Burton and Henry Selick, the creative minds behind the wonderfully creepy Nightmare Before Christmas. It was a similar style to its predecessor and was another stop motion film though it is mixed with live action scenes in the beginning and end. I am a big fan of Stop motion animation, so this film was right up my ally. It was wonderfully macabre with a heartwarming tale of adventure and family and following your dreams. James lives his horrible aunts in England who mistreat and berate him. One day, James is given a packet of glowing worms who enlarge a peach. James crawls inside and is transported into a stop motion world where he meets a crazy cast of insects who join him on his journey to New York City. The movie is filled with superb songs and wonderfully varied characters in a fantastical world. Unfortunately, the movie failed miserably at the box-office and ended the partnership between Skellington Productions and Disney, effectively shutting down the production studio. It is a shame that James and the Giant Peach did not do better as it is worth watching (though not as good as The Nightmare Before Christmas) and remembering and it helped pave the way for Laika Studios, a truly fantastic studio with top tier films that rival Disney’s.

Final Rating: 7.5/10