Danny the Champion of the World (1989)

I like the storyline of this show,it attract me so much

This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.

Like the great film, it's made with a great deal of visible affection both in front of and behind the camera.

This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

I revisited this film, having caught some of it on television not long after it's release. I was seeking a bit of charming nostalgia and wasn't disappointed.The storyline, quite faithfully enacting one of Dahls less fanciful but nonetheless entertaining novels means it has class in spades, and I feel the positive reviews this goes alongside give a good account of the film's merits.What I would add though is the feeling that this fim stands above many other Dahl adaptations because of the low-key way it was produced, acted and directed. We don't see any of the usual fantastical sequences found in more modern or big budget Dahls, instead we find a sweet little drama played out without fanfare, but with great sympathy toward both the characters and the original book. The headmaster is... masterful in his understatement, as are some of the other minor players, the Policeman too. It's not a gag fest and it's not syrupy or overly sentimental (I think the word 'charming' is the more appropriate adjective here). The pairing of real life father and son works too, and I was surprised to see the young Samuel Irons hasn't gone on to act further, as he showed promise here.Anyway, a thoroughly enjoyable and entertaining bit of understated British nostalgia. What's not to like?

I really liked this film, it is very charming, and one of the better Roald Dahl adaptations, Matilda being my favourite. I've read the book, and liked it very much as well, then again, I like anything by Roald Dahl. The film is slightly dated, though that can be forgiven very easily, as it's twenty or so years old. The scenes in the countryside were breathtaking though.The screenplay was very good too, and the music was lovely. As for the performances, easily the best element of the movie, with Jeremy Irons and his son Samuel lighting up the screen in very charming performances as the father and son, and Robbie Coltrane a sheer delight as Lord Hazell. Fine support also from Michael Horden and Lionel Jeffries, and both of these men are fine actors, and Jeffries is just as impressive as a director, The Railway Children and the Amazing Mr Blunden spring to mind.All in all, a great underrated film! 9/10 Bethany Cox

It is 1955 and Danny and his father William live in a caravan beside their garage in the middle of an estate being bought up by Victor Hazell so that he can turn the woods into housing estates. When William refuses to sell his property to Hazell, the latter starts to put other pressures on William to get off the land and let him have it to complete his dream development – a conflict not helped by the fact that William poaches off Hazell's land. Hazell's plan is to weasel up to the local gentry with a great pheasant shoot – an event that he obviously needs lots of pheasants for, a fact that Danny and his father are keen to exploit to get their own back on the unscrupulous fellow.Although I have read the book as a child, it hasn't stuck in my mind the way that other, more imaginative Roald Dahl stories have. Watching the film decades later it is clear to me why I enjoyed it but also why it failed to make a lasting impression on me because, although it is a solid family film, it is far too slight and unremarkable to make for a great tale. The film does struggle with this and as a result it rarely engaged or interested me in the way it could have done but it did still manage to be an entertaining little family film. The story is quite ordinary and the rather ordinary delivery doesn't help; I suspect it is this that modern audiences will have problems with – certainly it isn't as smart and flashy as children raised on Toy Story et al will be used to. However despite that it is still quite an enjoyable little tale.The cast match the natural and wholesome feel of the film. The father/son chemistry between the two Irons is unsurprisingly easy and I quite enjoyed both their performances. Irons senior is gentle and enjoyable and, although his son is not a great actor, he isn't stretched here and fits the role well. Coltrane is enjoyable despite having a fairly simple role to play with and Cusack completes the family set-up with his performance. Nail, Jeffries and a few others all help to add a sense of fun to the film by virtue of their presence in the films.Overall this is a wholesome and quite old-fashioned family film that will provide a cosy evening in front of the telly despite being a bit too simple to please demanding children. It is all a bit slight and unspectacular but it is fun nonetheless and is worth seeing if you are in the mood and can cope with the rather coying touch of old fashioned sentiment that runs through it.

This is sterling stuff. A charming film that all the family can watch. Jeremy Irons is really believable as the single father of Danny Smith. Together they hatch a plot to do down wealthy landowner Hazell, played excellently by Robbie Coltrane. It is Jeremy Iron's heartwarming performance that I enjoyed most however, and he works incredibly well with his son Samuel. Their relationship is a joy to watch. I've rarely seen a father and son relationship portrayed so touchingly on screen. Good supporting performances too, from Cyril Cusack and Jimmy Nail among others. I can't think of better actors who could have played the characters in the film. Also lovely music and views of the English countryside. The film is quite evocative of the time it was set in (1955). Great that it's coming out on Region 2 DVD, I think this film deserves more recognition as it definitely captured the spirit of the book.