The Worst Witch is a popular children's book series written by Jill Murphy. It follows the misadventures of Mildred Hubble, a young witch attending Miss Cackle's Academy for Witches. The series has been adapted into several television adaptations over the years, including the recent webcast titled "The Worst Witch." "The Worst Witch" webcast is a modern take on the beloved series, featuring a diverse cast and updated storylines. The webcast received mixed reviews from fans and critics alike. While some praised the modernization and inclusivity of the show, others felt that it deviated too far from the original source material.
The first one was an awkward start of the franchise. It was mostly ok until the movie tries to convince you that the protagonist isn't a monster anymore because she doesn't kill anything that walks anymore with a boring exposition. It was interesting to talk about because it was pretty weird and misanthropic. It's bold enough to suggest that superpower is a product of nazi science and US could acquire the technology through Operation Paperclip.
I really respect Park Hoon-Jung making this movie despite many hardships such as having to quickly rewrite the script and having less budget than he was going to for the sequel because of pandemic and Warner Bros. The theme of the movie is that people who have more power than others are violent monsters so I think conveying queasiness of violence is important but CGI should have been more polished to make that work.
While some praised the modernization and inclusivity of the show, others felt that it deviated too far from the original source material. One of the main criticisms of the webcast was the changes made to the characters and their relationships. Familiar characters such as Mildred, Ethel, and Miss Hardbroom underwent significant changes, which disappointed some long-time fans of the series.
The Witch Part 2: The Other One is underwhelming.
I really respect Park Hoon-Jung making this movie despite many hardships such as having to quickly rewrite the script and having less budget than he was going to for the sequel because of pandemic and Warner Bros. Korea which produced the first one shutting down. I admire his passion for telling this slightly unconventional, dark, edgy, and violent superhero story with female protagonists. (I was pretty disappointed with the industry when I heard Park had a hard time getting the first one funded because it had a girl as the protagonist.) However, the movie is still disappointing.
The first one was an awkward start of the franchise. It was mostly ok until the movie tries to convince you that the protagonist isn't a monster anymore because she doesn't kill anything that walks anymore with a boring exposition. It was interesting to talk about because it was pretty weird and misanthropic. It's bold enough to suggest that superpower is a product of nazi science and US could acquire the technology through Operation Paperclip.
Screenwriting is bad. It has the worst tendencies of Marvel movies yet it's so lore brained that the structure is a mess. Comedic scenes and exposition scenes try to communicate the characters but it's done in such a clunky way and they tend to be too long. I despised cutesy humor that belong in movies like Edward Scissorhands. It was so predictable and didn't fit with the film language and the tone. I don't understand why you would try to make the protagonist 'likable' with cutesy bullshit when the protagonist behaves like Michael Myers or Jason Vorhees with superpower for the rest of the movie. Dialogue is painfully overwrought. You can see the writer desperately trying to make the dialogue sound interesting but it ends of being irritating.
They got way too ambitious with CGI. The theme of the movie is that people who have more power than others are violent monsters so I think conveying queasiness of violence is important but CGI should have been more polished to make that work. Violent scenes that have a lot of CGI don't really land.
Action editing is inexcusable. Action scenes are consisted of 3-4 very well framed shots, 5 bad insert shots, and 4 shots that aren't well framed that aren't inserts with a pace that is impossible to follow. Think of set pieces from Quantum of Solace. It's a shame because you can clearly see that the action scenes could work if they just used good shots. In other words, cinematography was genuinely good enough to make set pieces work but editing ruined them.
I liked the theme of the movie that is 'the more power you have, the more of a monster you are, and you will also be responsible for the horrific death of those with less power'. I love how it rejects power fantasy through pretty nauseous depiction of violence and making power fantasy sequences function as the reason of tragic conclusion.
The best part is when it becomes a mean spirited slasher movie with superpower with sadistic violence. There are two scenes that I really like. One is the protagonist testing out how to subdue an enemy with superpower. The protagonist stabs the enemy with telekinesis multiple times to test out which part to stab to subdue her and breaks her spine and toss her when stabbing doesn't work. I kind of wish she stabbed her until it worked though. The other is the scene where the protagonist keeps breaking a feet of a supervillain so that regeneration ability gets triggered until the side effect reaches the brain of him, which pops his brain and kills him painfully. I think the movie could have been better if there were more violence simply because I like the idea of a superhero movie full of sadistic violence. It still feels too restrained because there are moments where decapitation and head popping are obscured probably to avoid 'adults only' rating.
I will give the movie 3/8. Pretty underwhelming. It's definitely Park's worst movie. I really like where he's going for and love that his superhero franchise is consisted of weird, edgy, and dark entries. I just wish we could get movies like this but good.
Edit: There's also an American character and you can see how much the director wanted Aaron Taylor Johnson in this.
I really respect Park Hoon-Jung making this movie despite many hardships such as having to quickly rewrite the script and having less budget than he was going to for the sequel because of pandemic and Warner Bros. Korea which produced the first one shutting down. I admire his passion for telling this slightly unconventional, dark, edgy, and violent superhero story with female protagonists. (I was pretty disappointed with the industry when I heard Park had a hard time getting the first one funded because it had a girl as the protagonist.) However, the movie is still disappointing.
Additionally, some felt that the show focused too much on romance and teenage drama, straying from the original themes of friendship, magic, and adventure. Despite these criticisms, "The Worst Witch" webcast also had its share of positive aspects. The updated visuals and special effects were praised for their high-quality production values. The webcast also tackled relevant and timely issues such as bullying and acceptance, resonating with a younger generation of viewers. In conclusion, "The Worst Witch" webcast has both its strengths and weaknesses. While it may not have pleased all long-time fans of the series, it introduced a new generation to the magical world of Mildred Hubble. Ultimately, it is up to viewers to decide whether the webcast successfully captured the spirit of The Worst Witch..
Reviews for "Unlocking the Power of Imagination: The Worst Witch Webcast and its Influence"
1. John - 1 star
"The worst witch webcast was a total disappointment. The acting was subpar, and it felt like the actors were only going through the motions. The special effects were laughable and didn't add anything to the story. The plot was weak and lacked cohesiveness, leaving me bored and uninterested throughout. Overall, I would not recommend wasting your time on this webcast."
2. Sarah - 2 stars
"I had high expectations for the worst witch webcast, but unfortunately, it fell short. The dialogue was cheesy and forced, making it difficult to connect with any of the characters. The pacing was off, with some scenes dragging on for too long, while others were rushed. The production quality was also below par, with evident technical issues and poor camera work. It's a shame because the concept had potential, but the execution failed to deliver."
3. Emma - 2 stars
"The worst witch webcast was a letdown. The acting was wooden, and I couldn't feel any chemistry between the characters. The storyline was predictable and lacked originality. The visual effects were amateurish and took away from the overall experience. It felt like a rushed production that didn't receive the attention it deserved. I would advise skipping this webcast and exploring other options for entertainment."