The latest animated take on Roald Dahl’s classic children’s story fails to capture the dark humor and sharp-edged spirit of the original work. This reimagining transforms the tale of a grotesque married couple into a sentimental and overstretched narrative that loses the book’s distinctive charm.
In this version, the Twits operate a ramshackle amusement park constructed from discarded toilets and old mattresses, powered by the magical tears of captive monkeys. When local authorities shut down their hazardous attraction, the couple launches a campaign against the city, eventually deciding to run for political office. Their platform to restore the city’s former glory attracts surprising public support.
The film introduces a new character—a courageous orphan who rallies opposition against the Twits. While seemingly well-intentioned, this addition fundamentally alters the story’s tone, replacing Dahl’s characteristic dark comedy with heavy-handed moralizing about empathy and community.
The adaptation struggles with pacing and narrative cohesion, stretching a simple story into an overcomplicated plot. Despite the creative team’s previous success with acclaimed family films, this production feels labored and loses the original’s biting wit and economical storytelling.
Rather than embracing the source material’s gleeful nastiness and sophisticated simplicity, this interpretation delivers a muddled message wrapped in unnecessary sentimentality. The result is a disappointing adaptation that misunderstands what made Dahl’s work so enduringly popular.
