GSmith9072 I felt compelled to comment on a little film I found lurking around youtube because, aside from it's ludicrously lame material, it oozes potential as something that could be brilliant incorporated into a future full length film. Rikki-Tikki-Tavi is an admittedly inspired adaptation of a pretty silly and insensate fable from The Jungle Book by master animator Chuck Jones. It follows the story of a mongoose who gets rescued by a family of rich European colonists and gets named the short animated film's title. Just the family's luck in timing, they acquire the animal that's known for being successful at defeating venomous snakes right at the same moment some cobras, for no logical reason other then maybe not adopting Rikki's fruit-a-vore diet even though nature suggests otherwise, start causing trouble. When Rikki isn't busy attempting to eliminate India's indigenous snake population, he's talking to birds and muskrats (instead of eating them), snuggling by his master the young boy who discovered him, and being consistently successful in deterring the deadly evil snakes. He of course gets constant praise, and the film's tone never changes. He fights he wins, he fights he wins, he fights and, wait for it...he wins. The message ends up being: snakes are evil, and animals that are naturally capable of killing them are heroes. Appropriately Rikki has an annoying voice that makes him sound like some buff superhero. The characterization's of protagonists and antagonists seem to be dictated on the general consensus of how cute and warm blooded the animals are, and killing solves everyone's problems. Okay, the real problem with the film is it's core idea of sympathizing with British imperialism, but that's not enough reason to write the film off; because you don't agree with it's ideology. However, the film's simple-mindedness messes with it's impact and makes it empty. It's a quickie short without a heart, and has no appeal except for it's oddness and nostalgia; it's better off left in the books. I'm one of the lucky ones to not have encountered this cynical little tale in my childhood.

kerry_amptec A few years ago... I read this story for an English class where they made us over analyze it, make observations, and write poems about the outcome of this story. I didn't so much understand why we needed to do so with this story, as it is for young children. None the less, any small child would adore the cute Rikki-Tikki-Tavi, and admire his courage. However, if your children have a huge fear of snakes, especially cobras, then it's best to keep your distance for a while. This was a cute story, that would appeal to a G-Rated audience. r i k k i t i k k i t a v i r i k k i t i k k i t a v i r i k k i t i k k i t a v i.

Katie Malone (armybrat987) I remember watching this in the early '90s as a little girl. It would occasionally appear on Nickelodeon.I had completely forgotten about it until several years ago, when I received The Jungle Book for Christmas.With the book, I became reacquainted with "Rikki Tikki", as well as "The White Seal".This was my first exposure to Rudyard Kipling, although I didn't know it at the time.Because of this cartoon, and others, I became quite a fan of Kipling and still am to this day.Wonderful movie that brings out the four-year-old in me.

Dfredsparks I am 34 now but I remember watching this when it came on television in 75. My whole family watched. This was a great adaptation..I remember being so afraid of the snakes and really wishing i had a pet like rikki. This is a great film, high drama and scary but appropriate for kids