Parents' Guide to The Personal History of David Copperfield

From start to finish, this retelling of Charles Dickens' classic novel is a delight. "Colorful" and "laugh-out-loud funny" aren't terms immediately associated with Dickens' original story. But with Veep creator Armando Iannucci at the helm, it's perhaps not surprising that The Personal History of David Copperfield serves up all of this and more. From the waistcoats to the dresses, from the English countryside to the cast -- Iannucci used a color-blind process in hiring his actors -- there's a vibrancy to the movie that intensifies with each passing moment. Scenes whimsically merge into one another: The movie starts with Copperfield on stage before he steps though a painted backdrop into the very moment he's born. In less capable hands, this creative license could prove, at best, distracting. But under Iannucci's direction, it only adds to the magic.

The aforementioned cast members are all superb. Patel has never been better, while Ben Whishaw's creepy Uriah Heep is tonal perfection. But it's Tilda Swinton and Hugh Laurie as Betsey Trotwood and Mr. Dick, respectively, who get the biggest laughs. (Though former Doctor Who star Peter Capaldi runs them a close second as the lovable, down-on-his luck Mr. Micawber, who bears more than a passing resemblance to Alice in Wonderland's Mad Hatter.) Purists may wince at the lighter mood the movie takes; it also has a more frenetic pace than the book. But this is a retelling of a story that's moved with the times. And one that even the great Dickens himself would surely admire.