Here is Jim Henson at his best. If you are a fan of his, this movie is a must. This dark comedy tells the story of the bloodthirsty witches and their plan to destroy all children in the world. It is a very different kind of movie than most out today (a bit lower key) but it's still entertaining.

The story line might sound familiar to you for it was a children's book by Roald Dahl. But the movie is a bit darker than the book with beautiful special effects by Jim Henson and direction by Nicholas Roeg. This lineup works tremendously well despite some flaws in the story (which I don't think was written with a movie in mind).

If you are not familiar with the story line, it goes something like this: A convention of witches takes place to destroy all the dreaded children in the world with a potion that when consumed will turn the victim into a mouse. Their plan is to open candy stores nationwide planting the potion in the candy for the unsuspecting children to eat. Only two know of this dreaded plan and their fight to save England's children begins.

Although the movie itself is not a top-notch kind of movie, the special effects and uniqueness makes fine entertainment. I recommend this movie to any Jim Henson (or Roald Dahl) fans, old or young. n