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?