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!

Rankin Bass' The Sleeping Beauty

OK, let’s get this royal pain out of the way with Rankin Bass’ Sleeping Beauty.

An evil witch Zelda- I mean Glenda has cast a spell on needle and pins for when the princess touches it on her 20^th birthday, she dies.

“Only bad witches are ugly!”

-Glenda from Wizard of Oz, 1939 MGM version.

Glenda’s good sister, Fairy Godmother- I mean Cecilia (Kacilia?) has altered the spell her and the entire kingdom will sleep in suspended animation but only awaken by true love’s first kiss.

The king has banished all sowing implement in the entire kingdom. One couple hid their spinning wheel in the castle attic tower. 20 years later, their princess Cinderella- I mean Trophi- I mean Melody- I MEAN BEAUTY is safe from the spell. (Oh god, I’m having a Goodtime Beauty and the Beast flashback with Crazy Old Man.)

Out of curiosity, Beauty was looking for more books to read, but she has pricked her finger on a spindle of a spinning wheel, and she and the entire kingdom fall asleep for 100 years. (She only she had her nose stuck in a book.)

Not worth to spoil here. Glenda guards the entire sleepy kingdom with thorny vines. 100 years later, Prince- I mean Prince Daring and the Messenger- I mean his squire swing their sword to the rescue. Glenda is defeated by not by Prince Daring, because he was frozen today, not by a sword to the chest, not even a flaming sword, but by the squire’s kiss. It’s one thing to say Prince Daring didn’t defeat the villain, but it’s another thing when Princess Beauty awoken from his presence, even though it’s a kiss that supposed to wake her up. Meaning Prince Daring did nothing but simply stood there!

“He’s completely useless!”

-         Crazy Old Man from Goodtimes’ Beauty And the Beast, voiced by Phelous in his review of the film.  

Out of all of the Rankin Bass films so far, this is by far the laziest I’ve seen in design. I’m not saying Paul Coker Jr. is lazy, I meant the choice of reusing earlier designs from earlier episodes within the year as a “different character” is lazy.

The witch is from Jack O’ Lantern, The godmother, princess, messenger, the queen, trumpet players, and prince from Cinderella,

This was based on the book by Charles Perrault, the same author who did Cinderella and Puss In Boots. Would that explain the excuse of designing Beauty to look identical to Cinderella? I was going to compare Princess Trophi from Puss In Boots, but at least the eyes and dress were drawn different, and she had huge.. Tracks of Land. Beauty’s minor difference is having a pink dress and Trophi’s eye shadow. It’s debatable if the entire princesses are voiced by Peg Dixon, who also voiced Mrs. Donner, who I can be convinced voice the queen or witch.

This is pretty bad when the Disney version of Sleeping Beauty is more original in design, and the fewest recycling they use was the Headless Horseman’s animation from Sleepy Hallow, the Evil Wicked Queen’s scream from Snow White, and the pluck sound from Toot, Pluck, Whistle, and Boom. Yes, the classic Disney film that I didn’t like entirely has done more originality than the Rankin Bass! OK, that was expected comparing, but Rankin Bass usually do films of different characters to stand out while having most of their same characters connected. (Santa Claus is the rare exception.)

Yes, the story they’re using is mostly based from the original story, but even Disney knows better when to change to fit better. The prince that rescues the beauty is in the same time period than 100 years later. The 3 fairies protect the beauty from the witch and a spinning wheel than have the princess remain in the castle as an easy target and have the spinning wheel hidden where royalty have access to. Maleficent is a unique witch villain in design and magic to stand out from the design that the Wicked Witch of the West owned more than her original book design. Even the music actually uses the Sleeping Beauty ballet than Rankin Bass' standard music they played since Cricket On The Hearth. Yes, I know, the music is limited for TV shows for non-serialized episodes, which prevent from doing a better version of any previous stories in public domain.

George Pal did their Sleeping Beauty in the similar story, except the Witch simply put the Beauty and kingdom to sleep by magic powder, they showed other people try to break through the vines, and beauty was awaken by Phillip Radio, because most of the Puppetoons at the early times were partly serving as commercials. It’s just a coincidence that the Phillip in name wakes the beauty, unless it’s a nickel.

The only character that stands out from this special is the Bell Ringer as a Grump who notices the flaw in the system of his job such as ringing every waking moment at night. Somehow there’s more relief to know he made it alright than the entire kingdom. That’s an extreme minor positive to say for a Lazy Negative Film in design. I almost have a theory that Festival of Family Classic was supposed to be fewer than 15 episodes, but was demanded by ABC to make a little more, but not enough it would almost end Mushi Production for America, or no one was on board. Unsure the reason for this episode to exist, but for the time being, I’m going to sleep away from this version, and dream something more original visually.    

Rankin Bass' Swiss Family Robinson

Just sit right back, and you’ll hear a tale. The tale of a fateful trip, that started with…the Swiss Family Robinson? OK, the full non-musical version. Despite synopsis would be shorter than the song.

The Swiss Family Robinson got shipwrecked, and crashed safely at a group of rocks at an island nearby.

5 years later, the youngest one hasn’t gone through vocal puberty. A Pelican has a note on its leg to reveal another strand passenger. They found the passenger named Emily Montrose, as she rides on ostrich. The ostrich’s ride them all back to the family Robinson, as Emily’s ostrich deal with a snake.

I was aware of the story of Swiss Family Robinson with a family trapped on an island, though I didn’t have such an interest. There was a Disney version, but it’s one of many live-action films that people mentioned the least aside from the Ostrich Rider. Even then, Disney already had an Ostrich rider then with Harpo Marx in a Polo Match then, and has a video game version of an Ostrich rider now with Prince of Persia. Hell, even the book cover of this episode would have the ostrich and the youngest boy. That’s how small their impression is!

The description of the Swiss Family Robinson is the example of a “perfect family”, which people have grown less favor for good reason; they’re less realistic and relatable. These families can be easily compared to The Brady Bunch, The House on Prarie Hill, Stepford Wives, and all the family in 50’s live TV shows. Any other stories involving a small family would either have cabin fever without pancakes, have extreme melodrama, go insane for hunger, or deal with a Black Puff of smoke.

This is why families in films became more relatable by being mostly dysfunctional or otherwise. Families such as Duckman, the McCalister in Home Alone, The Incredibles, and the Simpsons. Speaking of which, which version of Swiss Family Robinson was Bart talking about? 

“It’ll be like the Swiss Family Robinson, only with more cursing!”

-Bart Simpsons.

This film, as well as this story is boring. The family interaction isn’t interesting, the brothers interacting aren’t.

Emily started to get interesting, but by time she got connected to the Robinson, she just mostly stood there. Granted, there’s nothing she can do against a snake, but her time alone in the tropical island could have made her either crazily savage or female Tarzan. We rarely ever get a Jungle Gal, that isn’t a Morphing Japanese School Girl voiced by Rika from Digimon season 3.

Maybe I just can’t get interested in any Robinson, as proven with Lost In Space and Meet The Robinson. The only Robinson I can be interested is Edward G. Robinson (OK, less on him, but more on Chief Wiggum) and Tony Robinson of Blackadder. Just skip this Swiss Family Robinson, you’re not missing much!

Next up is Sleeping Beauty. Please this better be a step up from this!

The Ballad of Paul Bunyan

Now let’s talk about the Ballad of Smokey the Bear! Wait- I already review that film with a little miracle with a gorilla of a threat of the close size. What I meant to say, “Let’s talk about the Ballad of Paul Bunyan”.

Uncle Fred tells the Ballad of Paul Bunyan. A bully giant of a gorilla brute named Panhandle Pete is running/ ruling the lumberjack business. (OK, this one is less hairy)

Two of his workers named Watson Stump and Kelly found a “giant” baby at Contrived Convenient Currents. (It’s a clean current this time around.) The workers became two uncles to raise the giant baby named Paul Bunyan.

As Paul grew, while Watson and Kelly is barely notice from their absence for 20 years, Paul found a meteor. There was something very magical about the meteor, something very special that Paul can make an axe out of. So Paul discards his homemade football, and start carving his axe with his bat. (OK, the last part was Homer Simpsons’ origin of the Wonder Bat in reverse. He did make an axe with the meteor though.)   

Paul decided to challenge Panhandle Pete to a contest to be the chief Easter Bun… I mean the best giant lumberjack.

The contest is probably the most entertaining of the film.to see two giants fight in different challenges with Log Roll, Arm Wrestling, and Log Chop.

There isn’t much to spoil in this version, but Paul Bunyan wins, and made the Niagara Falls.

“Niagara Falls. Slowly I turn, step by step, inch by inch….”

-reacted by Moe of Three Stooges, Abbot of Abbot & Costello, people in Hardcore Kid’s review of Top Cat (including Linkara, and me dressed as supposedly Harvey Finevoice, but end up looking like Elroy Blues.), etc..

Paul Bunyan isn’t that interesting of a good nature character, as of Panhandle Pete. Somehow we spent more time with Watson and Kelly than the title character, and most they did on-screen was giving him a clothing at certain age.

I hate to compare it to Disney version, as it kept boosting their favors’, but their Paul Bunyan is told better. The Ballad was told by different people who were involved in different era of Paul. First was during Paul’s childhood with the entire town raising him, second was during his start of his career, and third was at his competition with Virgil with his chainsaw that he realistically (to an extent given the giant size) lost the battle, as have most legend. Just to show technology can beat the old ways of progress. Paul has lost, but he still continues his life with his bully, Babe. Speaking of Babe, that bull was only seen as a statue in this version. So timeline with the legend, Niagara Falls was the first thing made by Paul before he made Babe? On a side note, it’s funny that in the Disney version that some of the residence was voiced by Dallas McKennon, who voiced the first Tony the Tiger, while one of background music is sung by the Mellomen, and the voice of Paul Bunyan is one of them as Thurl Ravencroft, the second voice of Tony the Tiger.

Now if you want a funny version, you’ll obviously guess I choose the Simpsons version with Homer Simpsons as Paul Bunyan.

The Rankin Bass’ version of Paul Bunyan, you may like it in an OK sense, unless you’re a strict environmentalist that would hate the sight of anything involve harming trees, even the behind the scenes of the animation process with the large amount of papers to sketch out every frame of a scene, then you may hate this film and story. As shown as minority.

Let’s switch from a tall tale to what should be a short story to be made shorter with the Swiss Family Robinson.

Rankin Bass' Puss In Boots

I doubt anything from this film would get a cat meme, because this is Rankin Bass’ Puss In Boots.

A teenager boy named Jacque and his cat came to town. What caught the boy’s eyes in the parade is Princess Trophi (OK that’s not her real name, it’s Melody, but that’s what she is, and I need a variety of names for the damsel.) He paid cheaply with one gold coin to a cobbler for new shoes, but the cobbler made a child size shoes. There must have been some magic in those little shoes they bought, for when they placed it on cat’s feet, he became to speak his thought. Thus Tabby the Cat became the Puss In Boots, or Orlando is his real name. Puss In Boots uses his wisdom, luck, and pluck to pretend Jacque to be the Marquise of Carabas. Orlando got to the ogre to for his castle.  

Puss In Boots, at least the cat himself reminds me of Heathcliff, or at least since he exist before Heathcliff’s series exist, in fact, Rankin Bass’ Puss In Boots existed a year before Heathcliff was made into comic form. The closest existing Cartoon Cat I would compare before this film was either Sylvester or Top Cat in terms of the accent and wit.  He’s what makes this special good.

The story is based on the original story of Puss In Boots that this version follows close, a lot closer than the CGI version with William Shatner. Somehow, they both have their human boy hiding naked. (You know, for kids!) Nowadays, when people hear this particular story, they would think Aladdin; the teen boy pretends to be royalty with a supernatural character. Dreamworks Puss In Boots from Shrek 2 would be an upgrade from proto-Heathcliff to Zorro, and by ditching his human. OK, that's quite a stretch since there's many Puss In Boots between this version and Dreamworks version, so later we can judge it through evolution. It would help the characters to have an occupation as a hero/ bounty hunter to be enough to have his own film and TV show. Though upon realizing, Dreamworks’ Puss In Boots wouldn’t work as an ogre hunter since Shrek and Fiona was the only ogre in that film, while questioning where was the other ogre in Shrek 4 Ever? Maybe Puss uses his wit to be a liar that he slayed an ogre, after he left Humpty.

Overall, this is a decent version of the story, and I do recommend this. If you’re not interested in the main human characters, you’ll have a brief fast forward to get to many better parts. If you’re not interested in cat characters, then this is the shortest film for you, mostly dog and people lovers, not counting a Mog.

The next episode is episode 10, The Ballad of Paul Bunyan. Where’s episode 9? I’m saving that for Christmas,