Jack Clayton, 1983
What a muddled mess this was. It clearly bears the mark of massive studio meddling, not least of which are the scenes in which the two pre-pubescent protagonists suddenly appear to be a year older (hooray for reshoots). The tone is nostalgic and folksy nearly to the point of parody, and Bradbury's stylized dialogue doesn't really tend to work when it actually has to come out of someone's mouth. Also, those two kids I mentioned definitely don't pull their weight, acting wise. Jonathan Pryce is admittedly fantastic as Mr. Dark, though, and whenever he's onscreen the movie takes on an uncharacteristic spirit - but he's present for far too little of the running time. The confrontation between Pryce and Jason Robards in the library toward the end is excellent, but it's followed by a climactic battle (sort of) in the mirror maze that really sinks the whole production - not that it was in great shape before that point.
2/10
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