Two classic works of children's' literature are presented in this animated double-header from the Disney folks. First up is a splendid adaptation of The Wind In The Willows (by Kenneth Grahame); the second half features a slightly tedious but climactically quite creepy rendition of The Legend Of Sleepy Hollow (by Washington Irving). From the point-of-view of animation, the film is absolutely gorgeous, with richly designed characters and places and seamless movement. From the point-of-view of entertainment, the film is generally charming despite losing its way during the mid-section of the Sleepy Hollow segment.
Toad of Toad Hall is an extravagant creature whose obsessive interest in adventurous pursuits threatens to cost him his stately home. His friends Ratty, Mole and Badger try to help him put his affairs in order, but to little avail. When Toad is falsely imprisoned for car theft, Toad Hall falls into the hands of a bunch of unscrupulous weasels and the devious Mr Winky. Reinstating Toad Hall to its rightful owner rests on the heroes snatching a deed that proves Toad's innocence....
Ichabod Crane, an odd-looking school master, arrives in the peaceful community of Sleepy Hollow to begin work in the local school. He catches the eye of the village beauty Katrina, but this proves mighty irritating for the local hunk Brom Bones. After trying various schemes to get rid of Ichabod, Brom finally hits upon the idea of scaring him out of town by telling the story of the Headless Horseman that roams the nearby woods. Then one night, poor Ichabod personally comes face to face with the ghostly horseman....
Each section is narrated by a big star - the Mr Toad half is brilliantly told by Basil Rathbone, while Bing Crosby uses his soothing, absorbing tone to narrate the Ichabod Crane section. Overall The Wind In The Willows part is the better of the two sections. It has many fabulously funny touches (Cyril, the Yorkshire accented horse, in particular has some great moments) and is vibrantly exciting. The climax, in which the heroes attempt to seize a deed that proves Toad as the rightful owner of Toad Hall, contains moments that are ingeniously funny in the best Disney tradition. The Sleepy Hollow section starts promisingly, but the mid-section becomes repetitive and tedious. Having said that, the finale in which Ichabod flees from the Headless Horseman is absolutely great. The crescendo of dramatic music and the foreboding colours and forest silhouettes make the sequence genuinely hair-raising. On the whole, The Adventures Of Ichabod And Mr Toad is an entertaining and pleasing-to-the-eye film with a sufficient variety of pleasures to keep kids and adults alike engrossed.
Toad of Toad Hall is an extravagant creature whose obsessive interest in adventurous pursuits threatens to cost him his stately home. His friends Ratty, Mole and Badger try to help him put his affairs in order, but to little avail. When Toad is falsely imprisoned for car theft, Toad Hall falls into the hands of a bunch of unscrupulous weasels and the devious Mr Winky. Reinstating Toad Hall to its rightful owner rests on the heroes snatching a deed that proves Toad's innocence....
Ichabod Crane, an odd-looking school master, arrives in the peaceful community of Sleepy Hollow to begin work in the local school. He catches the eye of the village beauty Katrina, but this proves mighty irritating for the local hunk Brom Bones. After trying various schemes to get rid of Ichabod, Brom finally hits upon the idea of scaring him out of town by telling the story of the Headless Horseman that roams the nearby woods. Then one night, poor Ichabod personally comes face to face with the ghostly horseman....
Each section is narrated by a big star - the Mr Toad half is brilliantly told by Basil Rathbone, while Bing Crosby uses his soothing, absorbing tone to narrate the Ichabod Crane section. Overall The Wind In The Willows part is the better of the two sections. It has many fabulously funny touches (Cyril, the Yorkshire accented horse, in particular has some great moments) and is vibrantly exciting. The climax, in which the heroes attempt to seize a deed that proves Toad as the rightful owner of Toad Hall, contains moments that are ingeniously funny in the best Disney tradition. The Sleepy Hollow section starts promisingly, but the mid-section becomes repetitive and tedious. Having said that, the finale in which Ichabod flees from the Headless Horseman is absolutely great. The crescendo of dramatic music and the foreboding colours and forest silhouettes make the sequence genuinely hair-raising. On the whole, The Adventures Of Ichabod And Mr Toad is an entertaining and pleasing-to-the-eye film with a sufficient variety of pleasures to keep kids and adults alike engrossed.