The Little Witch

A Swiss-German production dubbed into English, The Little Witch is not so much about a little witch as a young one: 127-years-old; a mere kid by spellweaver standards. Karoline Herfurth is the unnamed titular heroine, a kindhearted witch who nevertheless wants to participate in an annual night of reverie with older, meaner witches. Advised that she needs to learn to be bad, the little witch can’t help but visit her village’s outdoor market and do a lot of nice things with surreptitious, positive magic. In time, the conflict within her precipitates a crisis, forcing her to finally come into her own. The fairy-tale setting is full of eye-catching scenes and action (an orchestra of music-making appliances offers a clever update on Disney’s Fantasia). A fine family film, this is recommended. (T. Keogh)