Christopher Bubb First of all, a disclaimer of sorts: I do remember reading the original E.B. White book for school as a child, but I'm fairly sure I saw the movie first. I haven't read the book recently enough to be able to comment on how faithful this animated adaptation is. So my review will focus on the movie's merits from a production standpoint. And it has many.As other commenters have pointed out, at first viewing it seems rather hard to believe that this film was made by the same company that produced "The Flintstones" and "Yogi Bear." The animation may look dated by today's standards, and the secondary characters do look like rush jobs, but the central characters - Wilbur, Charlotte, Templeton, Fern, et al. - are animated quite nicely in my opinion. There are moments of real beauty, such as the sequence during "Deep In The Dark/Charlotte's Lullaby" (the song probably known to most as "Charlotte's Web," sung by an all-male chorus). On the whole, the animation is very simple, but it is fluid and it gives the movie a simple, homey charm missing from the CG-heavy animated feature films of today. The songs seem to be quite a point of contention among those who have seen this movie. Some of them are cloying and syrupy, but even the worst songs in this film are good - they're catchy and very well sung. As with many others, Paul Lynde's hilarious reading of "A Veritable Smorgasbord" as Templeton the rat (also when sung as a duet with Agnes Moorehead as the Goose) is a highlight for me, as is "Chin Up," which is guaranteed to stick in your head for hours. "Mother Earth and Father Time" is touching, especially the reprise of the song coinciding with Charlotte's death. Pamelyn Ferdin (well known as Lucy Van Pelt in several "Peanuts" TV specials and movies) delights with her own singing abilities in "There Must Be Something More." I think I can understand why E.B. White didn't care for the songs, but they are well-crafted nevertheless, and kids should love them, especially the more upbeat songs like "I Can Talk" and "Chin Up." "Zuckerman's Famous Pig" and "Charlotte's Lullaby" would later be covered by The Brady Bunch.But the voice acting is what really MAKES the film. I do find Henry Gibson's (R.I.P.) Wilbur a little grating and overacted at times, but some might say he captures the essence of the character perfectly, as Wilbur does tend to be given over to histrionics, which even Charlotte recognizes ("Wilbur, I FORBID you to faint!"). Debbie Reynolds' Charlotte is perfectly cast - her voice is soft, gentle, and tender, yet doesn't detract from Charlotte's intelligence and craftiness. Pamelyn Ferdin as Fern impresses with the mature qualities of her voice and her great emotional range (she's become an animal rights activist since, which considering Fern's initial saving of Wilbur from the chopping block, is apropos). But it's "Bewitched" veterans Agnes Moorehead and Paul Lynde (R.I.P. to them both) who really steal the show as the Goose and Templeton respectively, with their hilarious deliveries of some rather catty lines. Paul Lynde in particular was well-cast as Wilbur's somewhat reluctant ally, Templeton, whose catty and sarcastic remarks are always a highlight. All in all, the 1973 "Charlotte's Web" is still a delight to watch years later. Kids (provided today's kids have the patience for something without Disney/Pixar's bells and whistles) will be delighted by the characters and the fun songs; adults will appreciate the message about the gullible side of human nature that they might have missed the first time around. I haven't seen the live-action 2006 remake or CW2: Wilbur's Great Adventure but I doubt they could be as magical. 9/10 stars.

OllieSuave-007 This is a wonderful animated film adaptation of my favorite children's novel by author E.B. White, a story about a lonely pig named Wilbur who befriended a barnyard spider named Charlotte. Realizing that his own life is in danger from the fate many pigs meet once they grow to a certain size, Wilbur turns to Charlotte, who vows to save his life.This movie follows the novel pretty closely, including in it many plot elements from the book and a majority of the original animal characters such as Wilbur, Charlotte, Templeton the Rat, the Goose and the Ram, and a majority of the human characters such as Fern, Avery, Mr. and Mrs. Arable, Mr. and Mrs. Zuckerman, Lurvy and Henry Fussy. Earl Hamner Jr. did great on the film story, making each scene and each character memorable. Incorporated in the movie are catchy and uplifting songs by brother songwriters Richard M. and Robert B. Sherman, followed by a terrific music score by composer Irwin Kostal.Charlotte's Web sends great messages of friendship, courage, childhood phases and moving-on - things that resonate in your mind about the cycles of life and something everyone, especially young children, could learn. Charles A. Nichols and Iwao Takamoto did a very nice job directing, providing us with a movie that is happy and sad, but uplifting and entertaining.While I enjoy seeing all the characters in the movie, I thought that Wilbur was portrayed as too whiny at times and I thought the Jeffrey (little gosling) character was unnecessary. He was not originally in the book, is out of place in the movie, and making him Wilbur's friend I think distracts from the friendship of Wilbur and Charlotte. Other than that, most of the characters were great - each portrayed in their own unique flavor. My favorite is Charlotte - strong, witty, kind and lovable; Debbie Reynolds was the perfect choice to voice the character - gentle and soothing. And, The Goose, voiced by Agnes Moorehead, was hilarious. I loved her stuttering and thought the scene where she argued with the Ram about spelling "Terrific" was classic! Charlotte's Web is one of my favorite animated movies and one of my favorite stories overall and is one of they perfect movies for the entire family.Grade A

Gavin C (gavin-lordofthefutur-776-426631) When I was a kid, I remember watching this on video at my dad's old house. Then, a few years later, those days were long forgotten and for that, I've read the book it was based on and I think it's enchanting. Looking back at the movie, I think there are some problems it has, but despite that, I think this is a childhood favorite that holds up for me even as a young adult.The animation, while crude in some parts, is very lovely to look at. The music score is beautiful and the songs, aside from only two being out of place (not the best work the Sherman Brothers have made, but they're not the worst), are memorable and I would hum those tunes for over a decade. The story is timeless and is faithful to E.B. White's work; the characters are likable and the voice acting is top notch. Henry Gibson as Wilbur is endearing, Paul Lynde is very funny as Templeton, the scene-stealer of the movie and Debbie Reynolds is charming as Charlotte and her voice is beyond beautiful.Overall, Charlotte's Web isn't the best, but it's a memorable classic that has stayed with me since childhood. Recommended to others! :)

mike48128 From the studio that made very bad 1970's TV animation, came this unexpected surprise hit of 1972. The animation is good for a Hanna-Barbera production, but certainly not even close to Disney. It has a penciled-in quality very similar to 101 Dalmatians, but the motion is not as smooth. No shadows and a slightly 2D look to it. But give this little film a chance: Great voice-overs by Debbie Reynolds (Charlotte the spider), Henry Gibson (Wilbur the pig), Paul Lynde (Templeton the rat),and others. A fine musical score by The Sherman Brothers of "Mary Poppins" fame, a screenplay by Earl Hamner Jr. and great narration by Rex Allen. The animation works best on the barnyard animals and the action does not drag. It is a "fast" 93 minutes. Charlotte the Spider is very well imagined with big blue eyes and long eyelashes! There are two reasons that this isn't rated higher by me: 1.The transfer has washed-out skin tones and scratches & dirt. 2.The story centers about helping Wilbur not end up as dinner at the Fall Harvest, which may upset very young children. Charlotte spins words into her magical wondrous webs, to keep Wilbur alive, while singing about "Mother Earth and Father Time." A charming and wonderful animated film. The best scene (with another cute song) shows Templeton "Where a rat can glut" on scraps at the county fair! Easily the best film Hanna-Barbera ever made.