Henry Selick’s Movies Are One of Disney’s Most Underrated Movies of the 1990s James and the big peaches. The combination of live-action and stop-motion animation animates Roald Dahl’s wondrous story of an abused orphan and some big bugs who escape for a better life. by riding a giant peach to New York City.
The film excels at surrealist ideas and family-friendly adventures, filled with memorable characters. While some characters are downright scary, others are likable, funny, and charming. Take a look back at this nostalgic adventure and its fantastic characters.
rhino
When viewers are introduced to young James, he is living a happy life. Then tragedy struck when a running rhino suddenly appeared and ate the boy’s parents. Since then, the rhino has become James’ worst nightmare.
Throughout the film, the rhinoceros appears as a dark beast that springs up from a storm cloud. This makes the monster a pretty scary villain in the movie, and his threat hangs over James even in his wild adventures.
Aunt Spike and Aunt Sponge
Besides killing rhinos, the real villain in the film is James’s evil aunt, who is forced to live with his parents after their death. Aunt Spike and Aunt Sponge felt like a big, mean guy.
These vile women forced young James to do all the hard work in the house, while they lazily devoured all the food, leaving nothing for the orphaned grandchild. When they find a giant peach on their land, they use it to make money and fool curious visitors. There seems to be a bit of kindness in both of these women.
brotherhoods
When James meets the old man, he has a chance to escape his terrible and cruel life. He is a mysterious stranger who seems to know everything about James and offers a way to help him. He gives James a bag of magical bugs, which help turn Peaches into a giant.
The old man acts as the narrator, but other than a few brief moments, he doesn’t appear much in the film. However, in that short time, he has proven himself to be a good person willing to help this struggling boy.
centipede
As James climbs into the giant peach (the movie becomes stop-motion animation), he encounters the giant talking beetle that lives inside the fruit. The most notable of these is Centipede, a big-city wise bug.
While Centipede is a comic book character, his aggressive demeanor can be a bit annoying. He also claims that he was able to navigate, almost derailing the entire trip, sending them off course instead. But he managed to redeem himself and prove himself to be a good guy.
firefly
While most of the bugs are interesting characters, Firefly isn’t as engaging. She’s an older bug and won’t be in most of the action, so she’s pushed into the background.
When she has something to do, she behaves like a friendly and welcoming crew member. While there’s nothing that makes her particularly unlikable, she’s not a big enough character to really stand out.
worm
Another member of the big crew is Earthworm, the nervous and timid member of the team. However, the earthworm has some neurological reason, as others use it as bait to catch certain birds to help the peaches fly.
His shy nature is understandable, but that makes him seem less likeable than other bugs. He found some courage, but he spent a lot of time whining and worrying about their survival.
Grasshopper
Grasshopper is an experienced senior member of the Bugs team. He’s a perfect fit for the group, he’s really the leader of the group. However, the grasshopper is also very greedy, trying to keep the only food it has, rather than sharing it.
Despite his frequent mistakes and feud with Centipede, Grasshopper proved himself to be a helpful, likable mogul who played music to James to make him feel better.
ladybug
Another key member of the Bugs team is Ladybug. She is one of the more advanced bugs, often the voice of reason when others get carried away. While she doesn’t have the personality like some of the other bugs, she’s an integral part of the team.
Ladybug is also a very exemplary person, always concerned about James’ safety. It was clear that she cared very much about the orphan.
Spider
The first bug James encountered was a spider, and she visited him as a normal sized insect. After Spider-Man protected her from her aunt, Spider-Man developed a special bond with James and became the most prominent bug.
The spider is a somewhat lonely character and she knows other bugs are afraid of her, but she has developed a close relationship with James. She takes care of him and acts as his protector throughout the adventure.
james
Despite losing his parents and having to live with an evil aunt, James’s life is difficult, but somehow, James still manages to be a kind and caring protagonist. He does the unfair work assigned without complaint and still tries to show kindness to the insects he encounters.
During the journey, he realized the advantages of the bugs themselves. James also mustered the strength to face his worst nightmares and overcome them.