James and the Giant Peach, produced by Tim Burton and Denise Di Novi, continues in the vein of Toy Story and Babe in attracting a wide audience and while director Henry Selick (The Nightmare Before Christmas) says that the target audience is between four and 14 years old, he also has high hopes that accompanying adults will also enjoy the film.

With James and the Giant Peach, Selick and his crew have combined stop-motion techniques with elements of computer-generated imagery and digital composing techniques to remove some of the restrictions normally associated with dimensional animation.

Selick also had to worry about getting his stop-motion characters to interact convincingly with real actors in the film's finale.

Adding their voices to Selick's menagerie of characters are Academy Award winners Susan Sarandon and Richard Dreyfuss, who are more than ably supported by a strong British contingent: ff anyone is likely to capture the affection of the world's children, it will be Simon Callow's grasshopper and David Thewlis' myopic earthworm.

Christopher Pickard

Prod co: Skellington Productions

Prods: Denise di Novi, Tim Burton

Dir: Henry Selick

Scr: Karey Kirkpatrick, Jonathan Roberts, Steve Bloom, based on the book by Roald Dahl

Ph: Pete Kozackik, Hiro Narita

Ed: Stan Webb

Prod des: Harley Jessup Music: Randy Newman Cast: Simon Callow, Richard Dreyfuss, Joanna Lumley, Miriam Margolyes, Pete Postlethwaite, Susam Sarandon

Running time: 80 mins

Int sales: Buena Vista

Screening: 26 June, 9.30, Blanik; 29 June, 12.00, Lucerna

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