Rankin Bass' The Wind in the Willows

Let’s review their very last none-holiday film with The Wind in the Willows.

James Thaddeus Toad of Toad Hall has a mania onto various things starting with a steam boat. His mania is causing chaos onto his town without him realizing it, as it brings Ratty on his boat and Moley at his hole together. Ratty and Moley go through the riverside, as they came across a literally direct less Toad in his steam boat to crash through them.

Ratty and Moley continue at a different boat to come across Badger (voiced by Jose Ferrer), as they would stop at Toad Hall where Toad is.

Toad spots a motorcar as it became his new mania for one that he bought a motorcar as he made more unintentional chaos onto his neighborhood. In fact, Toad kept buying cars after cars after destroying them in Jackass style stunts.

Badger blocks Toad’s allowance and tries to repent Toad, but repenting means nothing outside of his room. So they locked Toad in his room, but he escaped to get to a motorcar by any means including stealing. So the court gleefully yet echoing state their verdict that Toad is guilty and thrown in the dungeon for 20 years. While he’s gone, the Weasels suddenly took over Toad Hall to mostly trash his place.

Is Toad redeeming himself, and can we tolerate him any longer through his mania and personality?

I have briefly seen this film when Nickelodeon used to air any animated film that isn’t related to a Nicktoon. I mostly refuse to watch it when it was on, mostly because I don’t want to watch film that Disney already did their version without the constant reminder of the better known adaption. I didn’t know back then this was a Rankin Bass film. I was going to skip this film since there’s no complete film version online, but there’s piece of them in youtube, and I found the full version in German. Since I know the story going in, I’m OK watching the German dubbed as long I got English clips involved.

Toad is voiced by Charles Nelson Reilly; you may know his voice as Humpty Dumpty in Toby Bluth’s Babes In Toyland,

Humpty: When you grown my dear, and are as old as I…

The Goblin King in… (Labyrinth. Ha ha ha, very funny, jerks. No this one isn’t even that.) A Troll in Central Park….

Llort: I know a place of rock and steel, and nothing grows.

Duke of Owl’s nephew in Rock-A-Doodle…

Hunch: Uncle Dukey, Uncle Dukey!!

and…

“Shut up, Killer!”

-Carface voiced by Vic Tayback from All Dogs Go To Heaven.

Yep, Killer from All Dogs Goes To Heaven. As unique and entertaining he is, he’s better as side character in small dosage than a main character. Yes he’s fitting for the character, but it’s funny that the Disney version has common sense to not steal a car, thus would have some innocent backing. This Toad is a crazy jerk and he wouldn’t defend him in court.

This is the rare case where the tone of the film is fighting against each other. Toad wants it a wild comedy, the opening and Ratty wants a relaxing tone, Badger wants a dramatic, and the music numbers just break the film entirely. There are about 7, including the opening; all but two of them mean little to nothing. One is about rowing, Toad’s little food, Toad riding, and Weasels partying at Toad Hall, even a court has a song. We know Toad is guilty of simply crashing a stolen car, but why stop there?

“He’s guilty of mayhem, exposer indecent. Freak out behavior both chronic and recent. Drinking and driving narcotic possession, and that’s page one of his ten page confession! “

-The cast of Steppin Out, in the Simpsons.

It’s very strange that the Disney version has less musical moments than this one, and they have one and half; those halves are Christmas caroling and New Years music. One of the characters that were dropped was Cyril Proudbotton the Horse and was reduced to being a regular horse with a canary yellow gypsy cart, though to be fair, that was a Disney exclusive character, yet made sense that all animals speak than all but a horse. Even more strange that Disney would something similar when they made a live-action version with Mr. Toad Wild Ride. That film isn’t any better, and that has everyone’s favorite villain song, The Secret of Survival.

As for the other characters, Roddy McDowell is a good rat and the design looks like an actual rat. Speaking of actual, Jose Ferrer as Badger is the best Badger I’ve seen and heard. His voice is mighty good, and he does look like an actual Badger, unlike McBadger who looks like human badger. Most of the animals in design look passable, except for Moley; he looks creepy. Eddie Bracken voices Moley, who you know him as Mr. Duncan of Home Alone 2. This is at this point that is this is the only one animated by Cuckoo’s Nest Studio (who mostly animated Hanna Babera shows, Warner Bros show, and got doomed when they did Mulan 2 and Universal’s Brer Rabbit), the last to feature Jose Ferrer since Little Drummer Boy, and the very last time from them we hear from Paul Frees as the Sea Rat, as he died in 1986, and the film was previously recorded in 1985 and delayed after his death. It was the last in Rankin Bass, his very last was voicing a T-rex with Gumby in The Puppetoons Movie.

Overall, Rankin Bass’ Wind In The Willow is fluff of a mess for me. There’s little that can save, but it’s not enough. Not ordinary is that they did a TV show of Mr. Toad with each episode having to deal with different mania, while packaged with another Kenneth Grahame, Redundant Dragon. That could have worked for a short series, with a chance of getting old! So the limit for Mr. Toad story is best under half an hour.   

What a shame to end the holiday special on the Wind and the Willow’s note by struggling to be noticed, which that’s sadly to sum it up. Made worst if I did included the animated King and I. They have made the second complete stop-motion film with Willy McBean, but it wasn’t widely known, and with the stereotype doesn’t help to get a wider audience. They try to work stop-motion with live action integrate with the story with Daydreamer, yet time limits, location, and the main actor’s puberty would work against them. Many of the specials would either rely on the actors playing themselves or fairy tales. The Hobbit films were the different exception. Rather if it was the studio interference or lighting strike once for The Hobbit and misses Return of the King, it was hard for them to continue to the point they would carry the atmosphere and tone into their later films and work for fantasy, but not enough.

The regular, Easter, and barely Halloween magic can work few times. It’ll take a different kind of magic to ever attach people and became everlasting for years to come. So long non-holiday Rankin Bass, and we should say hello to Rankin Bass Christmas Specials. The specials that have put their name better on the map. 

The Coneheads

Remember the Coneheads; those point headed aliens on Saturday Night Live and had their own movie? Well we just happened to have an animated special that was originally an animated series.

At Ramulak, Beldar (voiced by Dan Aykroyd) and Prymaat (voiced by Jane Curtin) are on a mission to travel onto a new planet. They landed at assuming the Hudson River in New York City.

Primad gave birth to her daughter from her head on-screen. (You know, for kids! Wait, this was intended for adults on TV? How?)

After they made their contact their commander from the monitron crystal, they were commanded to move to New Jersey. (I could say this add the junk pile of bad films in NJ. Jokes on you, I recently moved to North Carolina, and I didn’t count on the state to be commented on)

They made awkward friends with their neighbors, and their daughter, Connie has a date with a human, Ronnie.

Will the Star Cruiser get the Coneheads off the ground, as much as this pilot? The answer is too obvious. This was a failed pilot, and judging with what I watched, I don’t blame them. If it was a kids show, this won’t fly by. If this was an adult show, that’ll be a rare time back then, but it could work now, but need to be vulgar to please Adult Swim, Comedy Central, or Fox.

I do like the designs to capture the Coneheads more than just the heads. This helps to make them unique to stand out, including giving Aykroyd a tiny mustache. Ramulak is an alien world I kinda wish we see more than Earth.

There are bad moments that would hinder this series, and that’s their comedy.

Much like Mad, Mad, Mad Comedian, the laugh track can ruin the film, and they play it on many moments, none of them are funny. What worked in Saturday Night Live won’t work in an animated show and currently in Saturday Night Live. I swear the live action movie or sketch explained more on the alien device they used in the special more than just the ring as their “protection”. This is the last film for Rankin Bass to be animated by Topcraft, before they become Studio Ghibli. If this was animated today, it’s best to be animated by Rough Draft or better trusted hand drawn animation studio, but never as Adobe Flash/ Adobe Animate, or else it’ll be real crap.

If you’re interested to see an animated version of an SNL sketch, this is an interesting failure to see to believe. Otherwise, you’re better off watching SNL TV Funhouse sketch by Robert Smigel.

Now let’s review the last non-holiday special, The Wind in the Willow.

Flight of Dragons

 Rankin Bass had one last chance with the Middle Earth with The Flight of Dragons.

In the 10^th Century valley, there’s a swarm of dragons living happily with a Green wizard named Carolinus living with them.

“You heard of me?”

-Yogurt played by Mel Brooks in Spaceballs. He does look similar.

Carolinus tells his daughter Princess Melisande is he’s getting weaker with magic and age. He has a meet that he summons his brothers; Solarius the Blue Wizard, Lo Tae Zhao the Golden Wizard, and his evil brother of the Red Wizard, Ommadon (voiced by James Earl Jones.)

“Behold, the Red Wizard!”

-Red Wizard Quintesson in G1 Transformers’ episode of Madman’s Paradise.

Carolinus rides on his dragon, Gorbash flies to their meeting place at a ruin. Carolinus purpose a realm where only magic continue to exist while logical and practical become the modern’s standard. Ommadon want to make fear and greed to be humanity’s weapon, which his brothers disagrees.  

The three brothers can’t be involved to fight against Ommadon, Carolinus need to find a champion for a quest. He would lend Gorbrash, Solarius’ Shield of Saturn and Lo Tae Zhao’s Flute of Healing Sleep to the champion. He would get help from Antiquity (voiced by Paul Frees) that the champion is in the 20^th Century, he’s a man of science, a game designer and the writers of the book this film adapting named Peter Dickenson (voiced by John Ritter). He’s a good game designer of the game of Flight of Dragons that he designed the game piece perfectly to the Carolinus and his brother’s designs.  

Gorbrash’s uncle, Smirgol the dragon warns the other dragons has been controlled by Ommadon. Ommandon had his dragon named Bryagh was going to kill Peter, but he dropped Peter to Gorbrash, and Carolinus cast an unknown spell to fuse Peter into Gorbrash. The rest of the film is Peter in Gorbrash’s body put in a quest to stop Ommadon with the help of Smirgol, Sir Orrin the kinght, Araugh the Wolf (voiced by King Tut of 60’s Batman, Victor Buono), Danielle the archer (voiced by Eowyn’s actress, Nellie Bellflower.), and Jiles the woodland elf.

This is probably the closest for Rankin Bass to actually do their Lord of the Ring in the second half of the film, with some Star Wars given with James Earl Jones, Carolinus resembles an in-between of Yoda and Yogurt, and the princess having Leia’s hair buns. This is not too close to be crappy Eragon territory.

This is one of the rarest non-holiday Rankin Bass films out there on DVD. I manage to find it in Watchcartoononline.

This reminds me of the TV show, Dungeon and Dragon, or G1 Transformers’ episode Madman’s Paradise; someone from modern 20^th century to be put into ye olde fantasy world through portals or a game. Thankfully having the board game makes since logic plays less in story and more simple with the rules and magic.

James Earl Jones is awesome as Ommadon and his design is a different kind of wizard with a rhino face. John Ritter is a likable as the writer and as a dragon. He’s trying to work science in the magic, which would get tedious, but he’s actually enjoying it and actually being useful with it. Unilke Peter Cottontail Jr. and Albert from Twas The Night Before Christmas, who has the logic, but are physically useless and will doom the film. Fitting that Peter is wearing red tunic, as he would later voice Clifford the Big Red Dog. This was their way to show the difference with their dragons the way they fly with wings and helium. Personality wise, they mostly show less of a Smaug tyrant but more butches than the Reluctant Dragon; somewhere in the middle that makes them better noble.

If you watch this alone, it’ll be a decent film, but when you watch this while binge watch The Hobbit, Return of the King, and The Last Unicorn, it grow to make sense and how intertwine the Middle Earth works and Gandalf words of how the world is changing and certain mythological being are fading away. This could indicate a metaphor the magic for Rankin Bass, as this is the last of non-holiday special to set in that world. After that, they’ll be doing TV shows with the Thundercats and Silverhawks, then they will be relying again what they did in the 70’s again with Mr. Toad again, and an existing TV show is where the next review is the Animated Coneheads. 

The Last Unicorn

After the Return of the King, Rankin Bass would move on to a different star for Middle Earth. They went with human looking characters with The Hobbits, so let’s go with something like Pegasus, Centaurs, Bo Jack, or one to aim for as an endangered species with The Last Unicorn.

A singing butterfly (voiced by Robert Klein) revealed the Last Unicorn (voiced by Mia Farrow) that all the other unicorns went missing because of King Haggard’s Red Bull. (The ox that doesn’t give you wings)

She gets kidnapped by a group of carney led by Mommy Fortuna (voiced by Angela Lansbury), a henchman named Ruhk (voiced by Gollum’s actor, Theodore), and a magician named Schmendrick (voiced by Alan Arkin). Fortuna has made a show with all the mythical creatures; they’re real weakening animals disguise as a toothless lion into a manticore, a snake as a dragon, and a boy as a rabbit. One of mythical creature is real which are a Harpy; a half bird and half woman at least with the only nipples shown in Rankin Bass.

They eventually escaped from Mommy Fortuna, but Schmendrick got captured by outlaws led by Captain Cully (He’s voiced by a guy named Keenan Wynn. Yes, he’s the son of Ed Wynn, and voiced Winter Warlock in Santa Claus Comin’ To Town.) They escaped thanks to the Unicorn by casting illusions of Robin Hood. (It’s Fitting they fell for the last episode of Festival of Family Classic.)

One of the outlaws, Molly Grue (voiced by Tammy Grimes) eventually escaped from the Robin Hood illusions to meet up with Schmendrick and the Unicorn that she’s able to see because she believes they exist for years as a middle aged woman. She helps lead them to King Haggard’s castle, as they eventually arrived there. The Balrog- I mean The Red Bull has arrived to attack the Unicorn, but Schemendrick has cast a spell to make the Unicorn into Human in order to save her from the Red Bull.

          They entered the castle of King Haggard to reveal it’s inhabited by the Red Bull, King Haggardand his master magician, Mabruk (voiced by Paul Frees), and his Prince Lir (voiced by Jeff Bridges)

“I’m the Dude!”

-Jeff Bridges in Big Labowski

How long can the Unicorn keep the charades from King Haggard than he can hide his devil horns?

The unicorn’s design in original and human version is simply beautiful. Mia Farrow does a good performance of depress and stuck up, yet cynical. Despite those brief personality traits is seen more as a unicorn than human. When she’s human, she’s mostly sad throughout the second half. That’s the downside of the film is the Unicorn became a depressed human in a castle we spent slowly can get really boring. It has the reverse Brother Bear effect, ironically in the middle of the film.

The atmosphere has a Lord of the Ring feel; in fact, Christopher Lee is the voice of King Haggard, and this is before he became Sauramon. Though he does look like an older Denathor from Return of the King. Prince Lir…he’s not young Jeff Bridges at his best, he can try to do his best, but Lir is dull love interest. Though it was Jeff is how they got Jimmy Webb for the music, whose music you hear later in Ferngully. Half the time it fits the film and the other don’t work with it as much as Phil Collin in Tarzan.

I would be barely surprised if this film is what inspires My Little Ponies two years later. Tammy Grimes would later play Catrina in the second episode or fourth if the first two episodes. Though I think The Last Unicorn may got some influence more for G4 My Little Ponies: Friendship Is Magic. That’s right; I’m a brony, and more on G4 and first two episode of G1!

There are some brief characters that can add some silliness that save or hurt the film. The butterfly can get annoying of singing pop culture music that wouldn’t exist in the Middle Ages. Mabrek just came and went away, there’s a guarding skeleton (voiced by Rene Auberjonois) that gets a chuckle, a big breasted tree (I’m not making this up. She’s voiced by Eowyn’s actress Nellie Bellflower of Return of the King) and Don Messick as a three-legged cat. Molly Grue and Schmendrick are likable enough to carry the film with or without the Unicorn.

I’m kinda glad I did watch the first and third act of the film. The middle can be skipped. I’m not entirely recommending this to kids under 12 with some brief nudity of harpy nipples and Unicorn’s human cheeks. You’ll get some magic here, but much like Schmendrick’s, minimum is all you’re getting. Take it for what it’s worth.  

Mouse on the Mayflower

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! Let’s review their only Thanksgiving special with The Mouse on the Mayflower.

A church mouse tells the story of his many great grandfathers, Willum as a mouse POV of the Travel on the Mayflower Voyage. They travel from Plymouth Harbor to America.

The crew of pilgrims is including Miles Standish, an old lady named Miss Charity Blake (voiced by June Foray in her Granny voice.), Captain William Bradford (voiced by Paul Frees) and the focus couples of Pricilla Mullins and John Alden.

Eventually, they made it to America, and they’ll meet the natives in human and mice to live in for years.  

There are some trouble makers on the Mayflower, but they’re not worth the footnote. No connection to the deleted scene that only exists in the VHS of Disney’s Ben and Me. This is the only Thanksgiving special Rankin Bass ever did, at least fully.

“Ugh, eggs! I couldn’t eat another bite. I’m stuff for the guild.”

-Father voiced by Paul Frees at a Thanksgiving Dinner in Here Comes Peter Cottontail.

Why it was the only Thanksgiving Special may be obvious, aside from part of the reasons the Pilgrim left to begin with. Unlike Christmas Special, there aren’t many angles to Thanksgiving. There are the Mayflowers, the parade that’s usually for action scenes that would lead to Christmas (as seen in Spiderman Movie, Jackie Chan Adventure, and some horror film), a turkey as long Free Birds is erase from history than their plot, a family dinner, or half to all the above. There has been many Thanksgiving special that that fits the example with Mighty Morphin Power Rangers as Storybook Rangers part 2, The Simpsons or South Park (thrice or quadice), Bobby’s World, Hey Arnold, That 70’s Show, Charlie Brown, Casper, Popeye, Looney Tunes, Animaniacs, and Land of Oz.

“His friend is a talking pie!”

-Ron Howard in Simpsons.

 There’s a rare exception with Planes, Trains, and Automobiles and maybe Berestain Bears.

The narrator and singer is Tennessee Ernie Ford, the singer of Sixteen Ton. So what do you get? You get a dignified narrator and half strong music that help the film, but only half of it. The other half is mostly padding usually the romantic part. Though I swear they used the same choir in Daydreamer.

The animation this time isn’t Mushi Studio, but it’s done by Toei. Yes, the company that made most of the anime, Kamen Rider, and Super Sentai to be as Power Rangers. It looks good and different that stands out from the other specials. Toei has done other Rankin Bass projects such as The Wacky World of Mother Goose, Smokey the Bear show, and King Kong animated series. However, because of creative difference and other complicated detail, this was the last project Rankin Bass did with Toei. The designs of the humans are distinct, more than 3 of the characters that stand out; Pricilla, Willum, and Miles Stanton. It’s funny how Miles went from a stern commander to crazy on hunting turkeys and otherwise of meat and fish.

“Be gone pest, and give me the bird!”

-Miles Stanton voiced by Maurice LaMarche.

“We love to really, but the Fox censors won’t allow us.”

-Yakko Warner voiced by Rob Paulsen.

Yes, I’m aware that CR, a former Channel Awesome member did a review of Top 9 Thanksgiving Cornucopia Review recently including this film. If you haven’t, check it out.

This is nice Thanksgiving special. It can drag in places, the visual quality hasn’t been remaster yet, and the native Americans may rub some people the wrong. It’s an interesting Thanksgiving film to dig up, as long you don’t see what happens after the first Thanksgiving. Enjoy your feast, avoid shopping at Black Friday for your safety, and have a Happy Thanksgiving Day! Stay tune for The Last Unicorn.  

Rankin Bass' Return of the King.

If I’m going talk about Return of the King, then I must briefly talk about Ralph Bakshi’s Lord of the Ring. Gandalf the Gray wanted Bilbo’s Ring he got from Gollum to be analyzed by Elrond. Bilbo has gone mad with the ring’s power, as he passes it to his gran nephew, Frodo Baggins. Frodo, Gandalf, and the annoying comic relief Sam“Wise” has journey to the Hidden Valley, where it’s decided for the ring to be destroyed at Mount Doom. Joining the adventure is Aragorn the King, Legolas the Archer Elf, Gimly the Dwarf, Merry and Pippen. They have to deal with Sauruman (or Auruman in Bakshi’s case) and his army of orcs. Gollum return to lead Frodo and Sam to Mount Doom, while the rest of our heroes fight the army of Orcs at Helm’s Deep. Gandalf deals with the Balrog, defeats it, and came back to life as Gandalf the White.

There, that’s as much vague detail I can bring up and save me from their recap. Anyway, here’s The Return of the King!

Bilbo celebrates his 129 birthday with our current cast and actual survivors of “The Hobbit”. Bilbo noticed Frodo last his ring finger as he destroyed the one ring of power. Frodo explains to Bilbo what happens. Most of the recap of The Hobbit and Lord of the Ring was sung by a minstrel Glen Yarbrough. (Yes, the singer. This is a boiling point I’ll pour out in critical point.)

Samwise Gamgee (this time voiced by Roddy McDowell) is rescuing Frodo from the orcs, formerly known as goblins to Bilbo (one of them voiced by Paul Frees). He carries the Ring of Power on the necklace, Bilbo’s sword of The Sting, and the protective cloth.

At the White Tower of Minas Tirith, the war with the Orcs with the king led by Thanador Gandalf and Pippen serve and debate with Denethor with his corrupted choice with the Pelennor; a black orb that can show the future. As soon as the Witch King came, it ended with the dawn. King Theoden gathered their army with Eowyn in disguise and Mary (voiced by Casey Kasem) to meet up with Gandalf. 

Bilbo saves Frodo from the Orcs, and continues with their quest while the Black Riders roam the sky. As soon they get close to Mount Doom, they deal with Gollum from The Hobbit. (Why he’s green instead black might be because some people were offended. It’s making him more frog than usual. Maybe the years go by; he got the green from the Pair of Mounts Nick.)

The battle was finished with Eowyn and Merry defeating The Witch King, as King Aragorn made completely cleared out the remaining army Orcs and assuming trolls from his Black Ships. Is it obvious that Frodo and Sam Wise destroyed the Ring of Power?

If Red Baron is the worst in pacing, Swiss Family Robinson is the worst in interest in character, Tom Sawyer is the worst in setting, and Sleeping Beauty is the worst in lazy design, then Return of the King could be the worst Rankin Bass film in narrative terms. It was common for most Rankin Bass films to have a narrator character to tell the story, and sometimes they don’t. Return of the King has narrator as Gandalf or the other characters to tell their part of the long story, which I wouldn’t mind if it was in a journal just like the Hobbit, but this is a flashback to an epic event the characters went through. It immediately kills any suspense for our main characters that’s in the story. It’s made worst for Frodo since the fate of their land relies on him casting out the ring to the volcano. These kinds of storytelling rarely work in a War or Action story. I keep expecting Daffy Duck asking a question whenever “suspense” happens.

“Did they kill you?! You got killed you, didn't they?!"

-Daffy Duck asking Granny from The Looney Tune show, voiced by the Jeff Bergen

This is part of the reason why the Peter Jackson version worked since it’s a continuation of the films, not a nostalgia story. Unlike The Hobbit, the music can actually harm the film than help it. The songs range from repeating what’s being said to “Where there’s a whip, there’s a way”. Legolas and Gimly are nowhere in this continuation of Lord of the Ring, as Elrond and Aragorn is just there.

There are some good moments in Rankin Bass’ version of Return of the King to prevent it from being an awful animated film.

I like Roddy McDowell as Samwise. He at least he lives up to the name “Wise” than the Bakshi version being a wimp. Anytime other than Lassie Comes Home, Black Hole, Cricket on the Hearth, and maybe Bugs Life would Roddy speak, I would follow him, and Sam Wise has gotten at his bravest, and we actually see much of what he wants with the ring and wonder what happens after the journey. Maybe about too much with Sam given time it takes up in the first act. I could say he’s almost on par with Sean Aston.

It’s interesting that Casey Kasem would make his return appearance after Peter Cottontail. Thanks to him and the twin’s design, I can tell who’s who. I did like Eowyn’s moment when she reveal herself and gotten a little more character than what she got in Bakshi’s Lord of the Ring; which she has nothing said and done. However, because how little they appeared, it doesn’t matter.

In fact, most of the acting, atmosphere, and tone are seriously good. While the story wasn’t following the meaning of epic, and the songs aren’t better, the background music sounds epic as it fit better in a fantasy war. It’s not as epic as Peter Jackson’s version, but I would go with this version of their epic music than the phoned in epic I hear in most Zack Snyder film, TV action shows, and Neo-Saban Era Power Rangers epic whimsically music that kept destroying the emotional tone for the series that will never be on par with Ron Wasserman.

The ending is kind of touching with the realization of fantasy characters fading away with the years slipped away and we depart with characters we have been with since The Hobbit. I’m not going to touch on Frodo and Sam friendship, as it was said to depth/ death with the Lord of the Ring Trilogy.

I don’t see this Return of the King a complete waste of time. For my bladder sakes, this is decent shorter version. It’s hard to tell if it’s on par with The Hobbit. It’s too epic in music and has more than three characters to be invested to ever be worse than Hobbit, but story flowing wise, songs and continuation is what prevents Return of the King to be better than The Hobbit. Basically, they’re almost equals.

Up next is Thanksgiving, as we’ll celebrate with The Mouse On the Mayflower.

The Hobbit

Rankin Bass had some decent to weak film in terms of none-holiday project. Many of them aren’t as big as Rudolph or Frosty or Santa Claus Coming To Town. The 70’s had a major limit for animated TV shows and specials. Then in the late 70’s, many auteur films were made to break the dumb mold that whiny society and/ or executives have made, with films such as George Lucas on Star Wars, Richard Donner on Superman, and for TV is Rankin Bass on The Hobbit.

Gandolf the Gray recruited a Hobbit named Bilbo Baggins as the Dwarf’s burglar to steal their own treasure they made. The a dreaded dragon named Smaug ruled the Dwarf kingdom with all of the Dwarfs' treasures. Bilbo would go on a grand adventure with Gandolf, King Thoin Oakenshield and his 12 Dwarfs through the land of Middle Earth.

Along the way, they stumble upon trolls, goblins, spiders, elves, orcs, human, and other creatures that would bite them back in hindsight.

Unless you watched the Peter Jackson remake already, I’m not going to spoil this.

This is a new style for Rankin Bass in terms of non-holiday specials after relying so much on Fairy Tales, cutesy cartoons, and made for another TV show. This is the only Rankin Bass film to win a Peabody Award. The designs are detailed to fit the characters closest in the book of the same name, something that was started with Festival of Family Classic with 20.000 League Under The Sea. Unlike 20,000 League Under The Sea, instead of Mushi Studio, the production was done by Topcraft, who would do the later non-Holiday special with Stingiest Man In Town as the exception, and would later be the production for Miyozaki’s second film, Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, and eventually become Studio Ghibli. The music created a new laid back magical atmosphere to match the tone The Hobbit became and set bar for later fantasy animated films, before Lord of the Ring changed the bar for live-action fantasy. Half of music was sung by Thurl Ravencraft, and the other is Glenn Yarbrough and sometimes  the actors themselves.

Bilbo is a likable wide-eyed character, and Gandalf is mysterious wizard that appears whenever he wants. Smaug is an intimidating dragon with an awesome deep menacing voice and is a unique cat dragon design (?). This leaves me a debate whether the remake of Smaug played by Benedict Cumberbatch is better or not. I'm very split on either one.

Elrond, the half-elven is voiced by Cyril Richardson, who voiced the Sandman from Daydreamer and Emperor Klockenlocken from Emperor’s New Clothing does lend his voice one last time before he died weeks after it was broadcast on TV. It’s interesting how this character started from this version, before Hugo Weaving changed the character with a little more depth as seen in Lord of the Ring.

Hans Confried does great as the Dwarf King. Everyone have a gripe with the dwarfs, and I may have one as well. The dwarfs are mostly useless and forgettable. It was intentional to be influence of Snow White’s Dwarfs, but they are different with the names after their strongest character trait and designs. Most of the dwarfs that aren’t the king are too similar to each other, and only recognized some of their voice actors such as Don Messick, Paul Frees, or John Stephenson, who also voiced Bard the King of the Lake People, and you may later hear as Windcharger in G1 Transformers. There’s the inclusion of Gollum, as he could be considered pointless, but it’s where Bilbo got the One Ring of Power which help Bilbo through his adventure and unintentionally set up for the sequels. It’s very strange that they would design the elves so weird to be a contrast to the elves you would see in Christmas Special, yet they look more like Gollum from the Bakshi and Jackson version than this version’s Gollum, and he looks like frog.

If you’re going to watch the Trilogy of Hobbit remakes by Peter Jackson, you might have more detail, extra characters, too much sidetracks in order to give more “arcs” for the dwarfs and connect characters to the Lord of the Ring films, but for 9 hours around in total. Only watch it if you have the time, and best not watch it in theater when it's rereleased.

What’s interesting thing about the film is it’s technically a remake of the first Hobbit in 1966, brought to you terribly by William Snyder and Gene Deitch; the men that would first doom Tom and Jerry after Hanna Barbera ended their original run. 

If you want to see the shortest version of the story of Hobbit, Rankin Bass’ version is good for you than this 7 minute short. Not the Gene Deitch version though. Their version of the Hobbit is as unique as Knight vs Dragon story can ever go without being Reluctant Dragon. In fact, it was so bad, their contract with J.R.R Tolken’s estate ended quicker than others. This is what happened when you don't follow the simple point and end up making a dreary Arabian Night feel.

Overall, this is a good telling of the Hobbit. This very special film would set the ways Rankin Bass would do their later films to evolve, for better (Last Unicorn) and worst (Rudolph and Frosty in Christmas In July). If you want a funny version, then watch Waxanator’s last Youtube Poop as a Trilogy.

Now we’ll continue after the Hobbits with Lord of the Ring. At least we would if Ralph Bakshi did that film already, including the Two Towers. Instead we’ll be moving onto the sequel of the story that may recap the previous two in their style with The Return of The King.

Rankin Bass' Robin Hood

Let’s finish the series with their last episode in series order with Robin Hood.

The Sheriff of Nottingham is haunting down the rebel Robin Hood. A poor lumberman named Jarvis Green gets arrested by the Sheriff for having the tree land on him and his army, and accused him for working for the rebel. His son, Willow Green (voice by Billie Mae Richard) and his dog, Cecil is finding Robin Hood to save his father.

Robin Hood reveals to Willow why he and his Merry Men are rebellions, because the kingdom is corrupt, as he only robs from the rich…

“And give it to the Criminally Insane! No, No, No. He robs from the rich and gives it to the poor.”

-Stimpy from Ren & Stimpy.

 Robin Hood surrenders himself to the sheriff to save Jarvis, but the Sheriff keeps Jarvis and Willow until Robin Hood died.

Will they escape from execution from the Sheriff of Nottingham?

Believe it or not, this was release around the same time as the Disney in the same month and year of November 1973. However, the Disney version was released first in November 8, while the Rankin Bass was released in November 23. So technically, some people had seen two different Robin Hood at the same time. The difference is the Disney version would have longer air time in theater than TV, unless it was rerun. This make some people question if this show is what caused the Movie to bomb or not. I doubt the Rankin Bass version is the cause of the Disney Movie to bomb, unless they count a week airing off of the box office.

There has been other version with Robin Hood in animation, though realizing they usually go for one of the chapters of the book. Looney Tunes uses about 3 of the angles of Robin Hood; Bugs Bunny deals with the Sheriff of Nottingham, Daffy as Robin Hood to prove Fryer Porky Tuck Pig and some squirrels that was inspired by a tiny book. Of course there’s the Ren & Stimpy version as Robin Hoek, Popeye, and UPA’s Fox and Crow have Fox as Robin Hood (the first fox Robin Hood before we got the Disney version?), though Fox isn’t a good archer, and he’s saved by his Merry Men, because he missed their tea, and I mean they’re “Merry”.

“Faygeles?”

  -Mel Brooks in Robin Hood: Men In Tights.

This is in the angle for Rankin Bass’ Robin Hood, it’s Robin Hood saving the poor from the Sheriff, and we focus on the son of the poor. It’s not a bad idea of an angle. It’s strange they never show the Prince, but if they included him, he’ll mostly be lazy. Robin Hood is interesting, and isn’t boring unlike Clark Kent’s Robin Hood daddies of Costner and Crowe.

“Because unlike all the other Robin Hoods, I speak with an English Accent.”

                   -Robin Hood, played by Cary Elwes in Robin Hood: Men In Tights

For the last episode of Festival of Family Classic, it’s a decent adaptation to end with. That’s pretty much to sum the entire series. It ranges from decent to dull. At their best is Jack O’ Lantern or Robinson Crusoe. At their worst are Sleeping Beauty, Swiss Family Robinson, Tom Sawyer, and Snow White. The series shows Rankin Bass has try the stories they’re interested with the limitation of what the animation can do in their own angle and what was allow on TV at the time. Though when adapting certain stories that has better versions, it’ll be difficult for a big shoe to fill. Having two parts to the story can help with something such as Around the World in 80 Days, but sometimes it doesn’t show much such as 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea. What the series did follow was the stories identity, from the characters to the designs to the time and setting. It would have been too easy to give the characters the name while everyone is dressed the same in black tux to do their business in a dark room in modern day.

If you’re interested to see a storybook series with different stories, this is one of them to check out.

Thus this ends my review for The Festival of Family Classic for a while, until A Christmas Tree arrives as part of the Christmas review. Yankee Doodle & Song of Hiawatha yet had an English version to review. Stay tune for A Mouse of Mayflower, Hobbit, and most of the rest of the non-holiday special before I get to the Christmas Specials.     

Rankin Bass' Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

Now we read on a story, whose hair is the wrong color from hair black as ebony to blonde as the sun. It’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

The evil queen wants her step-daughter, Snow White to be killed. She sends her guard with a jester for witness to execute Snow White, but she easily escaped into the forest.

Snow White safely went to the nearest cottage with the help of Why the Owl and a Yellow Brick Toad. (No, I’m not making this up, and it’s not an All That sketch.)

The 7 Dwarfs came back to their cottage to spot Snow White; they are Clumsy, wimpy, bossy….

“There’s Tipsy, and Queasy. There’s Surly, and Remorseful!

-Bart and Lisa Simpsons at Duff Garden.

The evil queen found out through her magic mirror that Snow White is alive. She tries to kill her with a strap while disguising herself as an old lady, but she saved. So the evil queen disguise as a carney tries to kill her with an apple through bobbing for apples, and “succeed”.

Obviously, Snow White got saved by the prince from Cinderella- I mean Prince Daring from Sleeping Beauty- I mean Prince Maximillion or King Maximillion. (Seriously, is this the only design for prince to reuse three times?) She isn’t awakening by kiss, but by one word she thought last only said by a king.

Snow White was one of those stories I’ve grown to hate, starting with the obvious Disney version. Something I could live without, yet it’s the very first animated feature length film, so it’s impossible to remove it.

Many other versions have tried their versions, and mostly are forgotten. Even the German Live-action version of Snow White was mostly shot for shot, ironically, the Disney version was a half shot for shot from an earlier version that he watched. This version of Snow White isn’t any better. Nothing has proven better, I question the inclusion of Why, and we don’t know who any of the dwarves names are aside from Clumsy. The Dwarves show their one personality, but their personality would have more than one name such as their leader could be Doc, Bossy, Jerky, Cranky, Grampy, Pappy, A Holey, Trumpy, Mandarky, Villainy, Neutrally, Papa Human Smurf, Stricty, or Surly…

“Hey, Surly looks out for one man, SURLY!”

-Surly from The Simpsons

I can’t believe I’m saying this, but this could be worse than Happily Ever After and Snow White Christmas. You read that right; it’s one of the rare animated films that are worse than a Filmation films. One of them that cost the company for being release around the time Disney’s Snow White was rereleased in theater. At least you know the name of the Dwarvelles and the Friendly Giants, they got a better owl to work off the villain, Dom DeLuise and Larry D. Mann (Yukon Cornelius’ voice actor) is a better mirror, and Malcolm McDowell is a menacing villain for semi-weak reason.

I could say this is a standard Snow White story, but Disney’s Snow White has reaches into “The Standard” that anything lowers than that is immediate bad. Any good Snow White that’s better than the Disney version is incredibly rare. I can’t say the Rankin Bass version is the worst of the Snow White, as there’s plenty others such as Happily N’ever After 2, but for me, this isn’t worth mirroring back. If you want a funny one, then go watch Animaniac’s.

How much longer do I have to review this series? I have one episode left? Woo-hoo! Oh boy, I hope this one doesn’t have a previous version that Disney did. What are the chances they would make their own version that came out at the same year as this version?

Robin Hood! 

Robin Hood?

*me screaming as I grabbed my laptop and twist it on a pole. The screen cut to Technical Difficulty.*

Rankin Bass' Tom Sawyer

Let’s go south with Tom Sawyer! 

Mark Twain tells the story of Tom Sawyer. (Oh good, the actual writer that narrate. Wait, Charles Dickens in A Christmas Tree? Oh well, at least this follows through the story with the writer than telling a different stories. You’ve been warned.)

In Mississippi, Tom Sawyer (voiced by Billie Mae Richard) convince a bunch of kids to white wash the fence He has actual friends with Becky, a dog named Shag, and Huck Finn, as they have an adventure at Doogal Cave. (Butch Hartman wishes to bury one of the worst animated films to be redubbed with the Weinsteins.)

6 minutes later, Tom found Desperado Jones discovering gold. 2 ½ minutes later, Tom and Becky got out of the cave. The town thinks they’re dead, but of course they’re not. Tom and Huck got the gold from a dead Desperado to be in the rich life. Will they enjoy this new life, and do we care?

I can’t believe there’s something as boring as Swiss Family Robinson, if not, more boring as that. We spend half the episode in a dark, dull cave with absolutely nothing happening but walking. There have been many films that spends majority of better times in a cave such as Simpsons, Avatar, and even the Fraggle Rocks. The people in this film are just as interesting as the cave. At least Swiss Family Robinson got attention-grabbing with the only girl disguise as a native, before she blends in with the family.

Any of the famous scenes of the book of Tom Sawyer is very minor from painting the fence at the beginning to the raft at the end. Yes, the story has grown more controversial in this PC world, as they can’t show every other recognizable character such as N-Jim. It’s really strange that the animated MGM version even showed that character as the villain, and they’re animals. The Simpsons is probably closer to Tom Sawyer under seven minutes than 20 minutes! It’s probably best to show the friendship of Tom and Huck, but this version mostly shows it at the last third act.

As Billie Mae Richard can be remarkable, it’s the only time she voiced the main character in this series, other than A Christmas Tree. She can hold a film on her own, but I rather follow her as a reindeer than human, and an extent of a Care Bear.

Much like the cave and river in the story, it’s best to go through this film once, and never go there again, unless you can predict every natural moment to make it a better trip. Tom Sawyer is one to it a give it a pass. 

You don’t want to listen to semi-reality, you want to hear another fairy tale, said viewers mostly under 7 that don’t read my blog as much as any over the age of 8. The next one would be grim with poison and psychos with Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. 

Rankin Bass' Robinson Crusoe

Didn’t I already review a Robinson film? Oh, it’s the single version, not the married version. So here’s Robinson Crusoe!

Robinson Crusoe gets stranded on an island with his animal sidekick; a parrot named Paul, a turtle named Bess, dog named Ben, cats named Tisk and Task, and a Dolphin named Fifi. (OK, the dolphin doesn’t have a name as it’s the same one from 20,000 League Under the Sea.)

From 6 months to 20 years later, he rescued a native from the cannibals he named Friday, and they plan to leave the island. (I’m not analyzing this part with an 80 foot pole.)

Robinson Crusoe is an interesting strong willing character, with a strong presence, and a decent voice. It’s funny that I’m more interested in one person than a family that we only focus on half of the family. Fitting that Robinson Crusoe came first, and Swiss Family Robinson was influence after that. Then it hits me why Swiss Family Robinson is dull while Robinson Crusoe is a delight. Crusoe is one person setting off with distant animals and a native, while Swiss Family is one person made into four without anything distant and have one or two breed of animals with a female Crusoe that start blending with the Swiss Family. Its conflict, distinct, and survival is what makes the drama difference, unless there’s something unique or actually good comedic angle. It’s sad realizing that most of the animals at the beginning are dead, but less sad that it doesn’t faze Robinson. Someone such as Ebenezer Scrooge wouldn’t mind the details.

“Robinson Crusoe not real…*he laughs* and Friday and the parrot, with green body with yellow tail not real?”

-Ebenezer Scrooge; played by George C. Scott in A Christmas Carol (1984).

It’s not like Disney did their version of Robinson Crusue and get more awkward…

(One viewing of Mickey’s Man Friday in 1935, later..)

Ohh…..well they briefly did it in Three Caballeros, so it’s neutral?

I rather watch this instead of Wild Life of 2016. One of the few animal focuses on Robinson Crusoe with the animals more generic to each other. It doesn’t help that this Robinson is a major clumsy wimp as we question how he is not dead from a trip from sand. However, that will be one of many crappy animal films, and made worse when it’s a POV of famous or better stories such as The Legend of Titanic, Happy Feet 2 with useless shrimps, Sony’s The Star, etc.

This is good version to check out, if you’re interested.

Let’s go back to America with Tom Sawyer. It can’t get obdurate than that, right? Wait, I’m informing that the controversial character isn’t in that version of Tom Sawyer. Oh good, now I feel safe. Maybe this version has a different angle to the Mark Twain that’ll be good, right?

Rankin Bass' Alice In Wonderland

Strangely enough, Rankin Bass did two versions of Louis “Dodo” Carol classic. One is an animated special of the TV show of That Girl (the name of the show, not the vague specific.), and the other is a story to Family Festival Special episode 14.

Unfortunately, I can only find the opening and tea party scene in That Girl in Wonderland. So I’m reviewing other version.

Alice is bored of reality, until she sees a rabbit in a red coat going down the rabbit hole with curiosity. After figuring out which bottle is the correct size for her to be for the small door, she entered Wonderland. Wonderland is filled with everyone being backwards and mad; featuring the lazy caterpillar, the Cheshire Cat, the Mad Hatter, the barely “March” Hare, Mock Turtle, and the kingdom of the Red Queen of Heart.

Throughout my life, I was looking for a better version of the Wonderland story that isn’t the obvious Disney version I known the longest. The closest I found was a Betty Boop cartoon, the two versions of Lou Bunin’s stop motion version, an anime series, and a Christmas special of the Two Ronnies.

There’s a weird choice of what’s the best age for Alice to be in Wonderland. You have either an 8 year old that would cry too much in the Festival of Family Classics, or around 20 year old that knows too much to either sound pandering in That Girl In Wonderland or being as dull as a frozen piece of grass? Personally I would lean towards Marlo Thomas of That Girl in Wonderland in terms of design, voice, and cries the least than assuming Peggi Loder in the Festival of Family Classic version.

Weird enough, Disney’s version is probably the right age of 14-16. She’s not young enough to know little, but she not old enough, unless the remastered version would edit her lips rosie red to show an age difference somehow. It’s very similar to Judy Garland being Dorothy in Wizard of Oz. Both characters were originally a little girl in a blue dress at a magical world, but child actors were mostly difficult to work with at the time, with the exception of Shirley Temple as the one of the first choice of casting. So they use choose teen actors to play the character. If the actors are good, then they make a landmark, and both Garland and Kathryn Beamount has set the bar at their highest.

Wonderland’s background is decent, but naturally it’s inpassible to go beyond the background of Mary Blair. It went further with Wonderland being Wonderful than having Wonderland to just be a land of giant mushroom without inviting Mario Mario. Yet somehow they were closest to get the March Hare (voiced by Jerry Colona) to go by his name, and in a moment you’ll realize is creepy after his certain question. (Thanks, Bobsheaux!)

This is just a decent short TV version. The colors have more life than Golden Time’s mostly orange Wonderland or Tim Burton’s Grown Up Alice Return to Gray Underland and the foamed in sequel. It’s definitely more living than the animated 2010 MS Paint version with the 1940’s recording with Dinah Shore and Arthur Q. Bryan; the voice of Elmer Fudd.

If you can find That Girl in Wonderland in full, that would be something to be curiouser and curiouser to check out. If you’re interested to see the Festival of Family Classic version, you’ll have your short fill. Otherwise, it’s best to move down to a better door to a different Wonderland.

Next time, I’ll review a Robinson film, this time is Robinson Crusoe. There’s that awkward feeling again that’s slightly different here. 

Rankin Bass' Arabian Nights

Finally, a set change! After so much repetitions and forgot to put in a Segway from the previous review to this one due to going on for about 900 words, it’s time to move on through the sands of time to The Arabian Nights.

Pindar is commissioned by Omar to get the treasure at the Enchanted Hideout Cave of Aladdin. (Yeah, you thought the main character is Aladdin, but it’s not.)

Pindar got the treasure and magic lamp away from the guarding Genie. The magic lamp would cast the first wish for a magic carpet, even without saying “wish” but “grant”. Pindar loses a ruby from a Guhgah Bird. (It’s not the evolve form of a Chattot.) Since he lost the ruby, he lost the deal with Omar to marry his daughter, Princess Aouda- I mean Jasmine- I mean Fatah. (OK, the reusing design character is still happening minor.)

Omar would give Pindar a second chance to get the slippers of the Cruel Kalief of the Blue City across the Steaming Desert. Will he succeed in his mission and win the hand of Fatah?

This one is different visually in term of setting, but story wise is same as any related love story. We’ve seen plenty of medieval setting, but this time it’s in Baghdad, which may or not interest enough to people. You know this story; boy meet girl, boy does something to win the girl, and he win the girl at the end most unrealistically. I wouldn’t mind them, if we didn’t them many times in episodes as much as a romance genre film in a year. I wish for variety where it’s the female focus without any predictable romance.

Genie from this version of Arabian Night: As you wish, fool! *he clap his hands*

Me: What just happened? Anyway, back to the review.

As far as I know, Disney hasn’t done an Arabian Nights story before this version. Closest thing they did was the Magic Serape in Three Caballeros. Other cartoons did their Arabian Night story such as Popeye as Aladdin, the Puppetoons version, Bugs Bunny has a magic lamp with a genie voiced by Mr. Magoo, who has a point to his comedy, and even Mr. Magoo in 1001 Arabian Nights where Mr. Magoo has little to no point in the film. Nowadays, 2/3 of people will immediately watch Disney’s Aladdin, while the 1/3 of people would watch The Thief and the Cobbler, the Recobbled Cut.

This is a decent version of the Arabian Night story. It’s not the worst version of the tale, which position either goes to Mr. Magoo in Aladdin, Miramax’s Thief and the Cobbler, Ali Babba & The Gold Raiders, Aladdin and the Adventure of All Times, and maybe Return of Jafar. Take the Arabian Night as it is, as you wish.

Now we’ll sail to something vaguely awkward to a story that may get awkward with Robins...wait a minute. Episode 14 is what? *sigh* I delay this review long enough. It’s time to review one and half version of Alice In Wonderland. It did spare me from an awkward moment. Thank and Curse you, Genie!