The cartoon version of the beloved author's classic story The Twits proves to be only slightly less grueling than consuming wormy spaghetti or discovering a toad stuffed under your bed.
Dahl's narrative about perhaps the worst marriages in fiction was never burdened with storyline: the short book essentially consists of a sequence of cruel pranks, all badly distorted here and painfully expanded.
Americanization and Storyline Changes
Some audience members have expressed outrage over the Americanization of the tale, but that is the smallest of this movie's issues.
In the imaginary city of the story's setting, Mrs. Twit is portrayed as a Southern figure in cowboy-style boots, discontentedly married to Mr. Twit, who retains his Lancashire accent.
The pair have constructed a shaky amusement park called Twitlandia, with rides constructed from bathroom fixtures and old mattresses, all run by the magical tears of the captive monkeys.
When authorities shut down the amusement park on public safety grounds, the gruesome couple declare battle with the municipality.
Storyline Flaws and Creative Missteps
The plot is flabbier than Mr. Twit's tummy, which is unfortunate since it was made, directed and co-written by Phil Johnston, whose past work include clever and imaginative family animations such as Wreck-it Ralph and Zootopia.
In an appalling distortion of Dahl's story, the Twits inundate the city with spoiled hotdog meat before deciding to campaign for mayor.
And ordinary working people are fooled by the Twits' promise to make Triperot great again, in a honestly age-inappropriate mockery of the present state of politics.
Absence of Dahl's Spirit
All of the author's dark sense of fun is obliterated by a overpowering message of empathy and kindness, thanks to a plucky orphan Beesha and her friends pulling together an resistance to the Twits.
This is vile and revolting in all the wrong ways.
