Matilda the Musical (2022)

Matilda the Musical (2022)

 7/10

 Starring

Alisha Weir

Lashana Lynch

Stephen Graham

Andrea Riseborough

Emma Thompson

 

Directed by Matthew Warchus

 

This new Matilda version is amazing. I’m not a fan of musicals, but this one ticks all the boxes when it comes to fun, dancing, singing, and catchy songs that are a joy to listen to.

If you’ve been on TikTok in the months leading up to this December 2022 release, you’ve probably seen glimpses of the red beret girl dancing to the song “Revolting Children.” Since then, many of us have been hooked, eager to see what other musical numbers this movie has to offer—and it does deliver. The acting of Alisha Weir, who plays Matilda, is a standout. She goes beyond what you’d expect from a child actor, captivating viewers with her performance and making every scene she’s in shine. One thing though, sadly I have to let you know the red beret girl is not part of the lead cast.

The musical is the brilliant work of Tim Minchin, the British-Australian musical comedian, so I knew the songs would be catchy and worth every minute. Since this movie is an adaptation of the Matilda: The Musical stage production by Minchin, nothing was changed. The songs remain true to their stage roots, with tweaks that make the movie polished enough to warrant a rewatch.

Based on Roald Dahl’s 1988 book Matilda, this adaptation alters a few things from the book, such as how Matilda gets even with her parents and discovers her powers. Having read the book and seen the first Matilda movie with Danny DeVito (1996), it’s clear that Miss Trunchbull becomes even more cruel with each iteration.

The movie starts with Matilda’s birth, where she’s immediately seen as an unwanted inconvenience by the Wormwoods. Her parents are so uninvolved in her life that they don’t even notice when she starts reading or how she always has access to books. Matilda befriends a local traveling librarian, and they develop a close bond. When the government fines the Wormwoods for not sending Matilda to school, they are forced to enroll her in a school run by the wicked and cruel Miss Trunchbull.

Fed up with being bullied at home, Matilda refuses to tolerate more bullying at school and stands up to Miss Trunchbull at every opportunity. When she discovers her powers, she uses them to help her fellow schoolchildren. Her newfound love for her teacher, Miss Honey, becomes the one bright spot she can salvage from her otherwise harsh experiences at school.

Wonderful adaptation, great songs, wonderful acting, memorable characters and worth every minute.