ok, seriously! not apropriate for 6 yr olds??? Seriously!!!! so there is some yelling! kids will see yelling. there is no violence, no swearing, no sex talk! it is a giant PEACH for lords sake'!
James and the Giant Peach
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Is it age appropriate?
About our ratings -
Is it any good?
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Common Sense says
Fabulous adaptation of Roald Dahl's classic book.
Themes in this movie include: family relationships, friendship, loss
updated 11.30.09
Why We Rated This 
for Ages 7 and Up
The good stuff
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Role models:
What to watch out for
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Violence & scariness:
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Sexy stuff:
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Language:
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Consumerism:
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Drinking, drugs, & smoking:
What Parents Need to Know
This review of James and the Giant Peach was written by Heather Boerner
Parents need to know that young James both loses his parents and is forced to live as a servant to abusive relatives. James risks his life in a trip across the ocean. The video may inspire kids to build little hot air balloons with candles, as James does, and it may encourage bug-phobic kids to become even more enamored of their insect friends.
Families Can Talk About
Talk to your kids about the media in their life. We have more tools and tips that can help
- Families can talk about parents or family members who have left a child's life through death or divorce, and how the film makes them feel.
- How do we remember the ones we've lost? How does James find a family of friends that provide for him the love he doesn't get from his aunts?
- What role does imagination play in James's story?
- How did imagination make him feel better?
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More on James and the Giant Peach
What’s the Story?
James (Paul Terry) has an idyllic life with parents who imagine taking him to New York City -- until they're killed by a charging rhino coming out of a cloud. James suddenly finds himself bunking in the attic of his aunts' home. He's a servant in their home, and the two women threaten that the rhino that killed his parents will return for him if he disobeys them. They also threaten to beat him regularly. James obtains some magical crocodile tongues spiced with "the fingers of a young monkey, the gizzard of a pig, the beak of a parrot and three spoonfuls of sugar" spills them on the roots of a petrified peach tree. Soon, the tree grows a giant peach, and James discovers inside it six insects that become his family.
Is It Any Good?
The characters in JAMES AND THE GIANT PEACH, unfortunately, come from central casting: the baffoonish Brooklyn centipede (Richard Dreyfuss), the elderly, hard-of-hearing lightning bug, the femme fatale spider (Susan Sarandon), the gentlemanly grasshopper, the twittering, lady-like lady bug, and the scaredy-cat earthworm. The Spider and centipede flirt with each other, but kids will take it as simple entertainment. The heart of this story, however, is in James, with whom kids who are struggling to find independence and security within their families will identify. The insect characters are mostly loveable, and also learn lessons along the way.
The only drawbacks are musical numbers that seem to only pad the short film's running time (the first is the worst, though later songs will have kids wiggling right along with the dancing characters), and animation that's unlikely to impress kids raised on Toy Story. When even Spider-Man has more realistic computer-generated graphics, kids may roll their eyes at clumsy animation scenes. One scene, in which young James has a nightmare about his aunts coming after him, resembles nothing so much as Monty Python animation on acid. James's head on a cardboard cutout of an insect? Uh, okay. But was it really necessary to throw in yet another form of animation?
Movie Details
Studio: Disney, Director: Henry Selick
Run time: 79 minutes
Theatrical release: 1/1/1996, DVD release: 8/28/2001
MPAA Rating: PG for thematic intensity
Run time: 79 minutes
Theatrical release: 1/1/1996, DVD release: 8/28/2001
MPAA Rating: PG for thematic intensity
Our Members Say
See all 15 member reviews
Most Recent Reviews
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I rate this title on for age 3 and give it
- My highlights are:
- Good role models
ANY AGE
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I rate this title on for age 9 and give it
I watched this when i was about 7 years old and those aunts were really creepy for me! I watched it again and I really wanted to like it, but I just couldn't
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I rate this title on for age 7 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Excessive violence
- My highlights are:
Close to the book, in spirit.
While the movie doesn't hew closely to Roald Dahl's book, it does keep the sense of wonder, both sinister and spectacular, alive.
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I rate this title iffy for age 8 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Excessive violence
Bad Movie
I first saw this movie when I was 6 and it scared me! I had nightmares for a long time. I recently saw it again and It isn't a must see for the family at all. The guardians of James are mean, the story line is uninteresting, there are creepy stuff in it, and it didn't teach me anything!
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I rate this title on for age 8 and give it
Okey, but not Great.
This movie is okay, but nothing to write home about.
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I rate this title on for age 0 and give it
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I rate this title on for age 0 and give it
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I rate this title on for age 0 and give it
Clever and cute
Great for younger children but might lose interest of children over 10.
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I rate this title on for age 0 and give it
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I rate this title on for age 0 and give it
cracked up!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
i think this is a crazy book...
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I rate this title on for age 0 and give it
I laughed!
Really good movie!!!! A must-see for all ages.
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I rate this title off for age 0 and give it
I left the room...
This movie is crazy. My mother bought it for my kids, and the oldest left the room and my youngest had nightmares that night. The violent tendencies of the two Aunts is disturbing. The animation was clearly last century. I don't recommend this movie to anyone.
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I rate this title on for age 0 and give it
Excellent Family Movie
Though the basis is a child in a horrible parenting situation, the message that one can overcome adversity is priceless. Our children cannot have this reinforced enough.
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I rate this title off for age 0 and give it
disappointing
My kids and I loved the book, but the movie is a disappointment. The filmed sequences are ok, but the animation is crude. But the worst part is that they changed the story so much and took all the fun out of it. We watched it once and I'll donate it to the library. My kids have no interest in ever seeing it again.
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I rate this title on for age 0 and give it
sweet movie
MUST SEE FOR ALL!!!
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Ratings at a Glance
| 100% | of parents say it gives kids positive messages |
| 100% | of parents say it's too violent |
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