Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

The Witches Blu-ray Movie Review

A fun and exciting fantasy gem from Robert Zemeckis (Back to the Future).

The Witches is a fantasy-horror fable for all of us. Based on the beloved book by Roald Dahl, The Witches is an entertaining showcase for director Robert Zemeckis (Back to the Future, Forrest Gump). Starring Anne Hathaway, Octavia Spencer, Stanley Tucci, and Jahzir Bruno, The Witches is a fun family film for audiences to watch during the Halloween season.  

A boy (Jahzir Bruno) and his beloved Grandma (Octavia Spencer) live together in Alabama. The close family members are tossed in to unexpected terror while visiting a hotel with the Grand High Witch (Anne Hathaway) commanding a horde of witches with diabolical plans for children at the hotel: to bewitch them in to becoming mice. If Grandma and her relative can survive the dastardly plans of the evil witches, will it be enough to save every child at the hotel?

The performances are at the forefront of the film. Anne Hathaway is excellent as the diabolical witch and she has a lot of fun with her role. It is clear from the first scene she appears in that she has the confidence and ability to handle the role and make it worthwhile. Octavia Spencer also provides a worthwhile performance as the determined Grandma with a big heart. Spencer is a talent and is perfectly cast. For a young performer, Jahzir Bruno did an excellent job with his part too.

The production design by Gary Freeman (Everest, Maleficent) is one of the most impressive elements of the film. The hotel is lavish and the design elements showcase the creative imagination of Freeman. A effective component of the filmmaking, Freeman contributed a wonderful production design for The Witches.

"No streaming?! Get me the Blu-ray, pronto!"

The costumes by Joanna Johnston (Allied, About a Boy) are worthwhile and provide the film with some interesting visuals. The costumes fit the character roles and the designs for the witches are especially interesting and effective while blending in well with the CGI animation.

Don Burgess (Forrest Gump, Cast Away) is a gifted cinematographer with a keen cinematic style. The Witches is another excellent collaboration between Burgess and Zemeckis. The visuals are larger than life and seem to provide a fairytale like aesthetic that fits the tone of the tale well. The cinematography certainly enhances and helps to tell the story.

The score composed by Alan Silvestri (Back to the Future, Who Framed Roger Rabbit) manages to imbue The Witches with a sense of fun. Silvestri adds whimsy and excitement to the filmmaking. Silvestri is an incredible composer with a full understanding of composition. The score is energetic and makes every moment feel even more immersive.

Director Robert Zemeckis (Back to the Future, Forrest Gump) penned the script alongside Kenya Barris (Black- ish, Girls Trip) and Guillermo del Toro (Pan’s Labyrinth, The Shape of Water). Zemeckis has long been one of the best filmmakers working in the realm of fantasy and imagination. The Witches once again demonstrates Zemeckis’ commitment to creativity and to building a wonderful cinematic landscape.

The Witches Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Arriving on Blu-ray from Warner Bros., The Witches is presented in the original aspect ratio of 2.39:1 widescreen. The release has an excellent high-definition presentation with crisp clarity throughout. Encoded with a healthy bit-rate, the release looks exceptional with great detail. The colors and cinematography shine on the Blu-ray format and look significantly better than a compressed HBO Max stream – even more so now that Warner Bros has removed the film from its online streaming library. Showcasing the beautiful cinematography of Don Burgess, The Witches encode handles the CGI and production aesthetic in a wonderful way.

The Witches Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release is presented in DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround sound. The lossless, high-resolution surround sound audio is clear and engaging. Dialogue is crisp and easy to understand. The score is beautifully reproduced and well implemented in to the sound mix. The sound effects are also quite engaging and well utilized with the surround sound mixing.

The Witches Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The Making of The Witches (HD, 6:26)

Roald Dahl: The Story Behind The Witches (HD, 5:07)

The Witches: Magic Mouse-Maker Potion (HD, 00:55)

Gag Reel (HD, 1:28)

Deleted Scenes (HD, 6:03)

The Witches Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The Witches is an enormously fun and entertaining gem from Robert Zemeckis (Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Back to the Future). The filmmaking is excellent and Zemeckis demonstrates his creative energy throughout the production. Anne Hathaway is terrific in the leading role and does a great job as the evil witch. The Blu-ray features an exceptional video and audio presentation. Now that Warner Bros has removed The Witches from the HBO Max streaming service, it's another great reminder of the importance of home media and the ability to access films without a "subscription service" that is simply a modern equivalent to cable television. The Blu- ray has significantly better picture and audio quality and a surprisingly nice selection of extras. A spooktacular watch for the Halloween season. Highly recommended.