I love this movie so much

Good concept, poorly executed.

It's a movie as timely as it is provocative and amazingly, for much of its running time, it is weirdly funny.

It is interesting even when nothing much happens, which is for most of its 3-hour running time. Read full review

This adaptation of the much-loved book, is surprisingly good entertainment, that is a little short. The book was one of my favourites when I was little, and I loved the fact they added a couple of touches.The only other criticism I have is the rather annoying title song. It was beautifully sung by a young Bonnie Langford but the tune got on my sister's nerves, when she herself watched it.The acting is very good, if a little pantomime. Likewise with the songs, written by the acclaimed Don Black. Fairuza Balk is really cute as Mildred, bringing back memories from return to Oz. Diana Rigg is a suitably frosty Miss Hardbroom, and she is what I would imagine the character. Charlotte Rae and Anna Kipling are also amusing in their turns as Miss Cackle/Agatha and Ethel Hallow. My favourite was Tim Curry as the Grand wizard, he was just amazing, and the Halloween song was actually the main reason why this movie should be watched, because they matched the lyrics exactly.I have it on VHS. It is a little grainy, but it's because it's second hand. Watch it, and let your children watch it! They'll thank you! 8/10 Bethany Cox

This links with my other comments, etc, re the four ITV works inspired by Jill Murphy's Worst Witch novels. This feature is the first, followed by the three television series, a 20 year production span. I note that most IMDb comments for this at May 2008 are from the USA. They tend to be very positive, rating it a lot. Several have read the novels as part of their schoolwork, moving onto the feature from that. Several saw it as kids or saw it because their kids watched it. * Me not being from the USA, I saw this because of the 1998 series, I had the first few episodes on DVD and that made me read the novels and watch this. I found that it was possible to get to like this, but that my initial reaction was to want to run away. Get past that there is a lot of okay here. I had expected an English Millie in an English school be it a rather special school. It is made by an English broadcaster and includes the highly rated English Diana Rigg. Approach this from that direction then for me there are hurdles to overcome. Millie portrayed with a strong Irish accent unlike any that I actually came across in England when at school many decades ago. It reminds me of the accent that the City of La girl Brittney Bomann had to use in The Little Unicorn. Balk did some good acting but there was a hurdle that I had to overcome in order to appreciate that. Agatha and Donna, Miss Cackle's sister and niece, having strong North American accents. The cheap mention of Alabama. I assumed that the GB broadcasters were looking to the USA for backing and paying a price that the USA comments seem to say as okay but the dirth of GB comments to say other. They lost their home audience, who it would have been created for? The 1998 series starting visually close to the novels, this could partly be due to this 1986 feature? It starts with a power that I do not find in this 1986, but North Americans might disagree. Maud not being named Moonshine? I did not notice that gem as she is usually called Maud. * I now have two different DVDs of this and I mostly prefer the Region 2 disk on the ITV label to my Region 4 version. There again, the Region 4 was an extra included as an extra disk in my set of The New Worst Witch, a very budget price DVD collection. New W W is real nice.

I read part of the book in Grade 2. Then I saw the series only recently. Naturally, I couldn't resist seeing the movie. After a somewhat slow start, I found the movie to be somewhat enjoyable.Now i have finally read the books and I must say this movie is the most faithful adaptation yet.What happens (for those who haven't bothered to click the "plot summary" link for the entry) is this: Mildred Hubble has always been an underachiever at Cackles Academy. And when she gets a tabby cat instead of the standard black cat, she finds herself on the receiving end of teasing from Ethel Hallow (the highest-ranking first year). So she turns Ethel into a pig. After being reverted to human form, Ethel vows revenge. And Mildred gets selected for her class's Hallowe'en presentation...in front of none other than the Grand Wizard (aka non other than the great Tim Curry). SO Mildred is disgraced, Cackles is disgraced and it's about to be taken over anyhow.And I have just given away the entire plot of the movie, without actually giving away any spoilers.The plot also appears in episodes 3, 4 and 5 of the Worst Witch TV series (however it is altered--now Ethel's adventures as a pig include a trip to the farm and that part plays out as a separate story).It's an excellent kids show, based on a still-enjoyable book series. However, one wonders why they didn't make movies of "Worst Witch Strikes Again" and "A Bad Spell For The Worst Witch"

Fairuza Balk (The Craft-Nancy), play's Mildred Hubble 'the worst witch in the school', who can never seem to get anything right. Her teacher's (especially Miss Hardbroom-played by Diana Rigg), have no time for her either and make a point of embarassing her infront of her classmates. Ethel is the 'perfect' witch who, with her friends make poor Mildred's life a misery. Maud is her best friend who helps Milly to fly. And, just like all good movies there is a happy ending. (For Mildred anyway). She saves the school from being taken over from the evil witch's (the leader who happens to be the principal's-Miss Cackle twin sister). A perfect cast and great acting. Fairuza Balk is the best 'worst' witch eva!