TheLittleSongbird I love the book by EB White and having seen Stuart Little and Charlotte's Web and really liking them, I looked forward to seeing The Trumpet of the Swan. Another reason why I wanted to see the film was because Carol Burnett was doing a voice on it, to this day I still love her as Miss Hannigan in Annie and I consider her a great actress and comedienne. On paper, Trumpet of the Swan had all the ingredients for a perfectly charming family film. A beautiful, charming book to work from and a great voice cast were the main attractions.After finally seeing it, I felt that there were some good moments and everything, but at the end of the day it all felt bland. First of all, I highly appreciate the messages that the film had, learning the importance of reading and writing, overcoming disability, finding your own voice, honour and family love are great messages for kids and incorporated into the story in a simple yet effective way. Another redeeming quality is the voice cast, while I found the characters themselves bland I thought Jason Alexander, Seth Green, Reese Witherspoon, Mary Steenbergen, Joe Mantegna and Carol Burnett all do stellar jobs. Plus I think kids will find it very cute, there are parts where I certainly did find very sweet and well intentioned, as there are some touching moments.However, there are also things that don't quite work. The animation I had mixed feelings about, some of the backgrounds are quite pretty with lovely use of pastel colours, but some of the characters are poorly drawn with some wonky movements. A lot less successful were the songs, they were sweet but they were also very sugary and forgettable and felt as though they were there to make the movie longer. Another component that didn't work as well was the story, there were some touching and humorous moments but the film's structure is somewhat episodic and rushed. That way I didn't relate to the characters as much as I would have liked, and that extra ingredient that made the book so charming was missing. Speaking of the characters while the protagonist was decent and Mrs Hammerbotham was likable in some ways, but some others Serena and the squirrels especially were rather cookie-cutter and the father did have moments where he annoyed me. Several of these problems lead to one major problem, the length, at barely over an hour the film was for me too short and that did affect how I felt about the characters and the story.Overall, The Trumpet of the Swan certainly isn't a bad film as such, it just wasn't a particularly good one either. Kids will definitely like it, but adults may find it bland. 4/10 mainly for the voice work. Bethany Cox

tibs-chris The animation was terrible (the blue-eyed boy wouldn't stop rocking back and forth as though he was high). There were a bunch of really bad music numbers, and the plot wasn't anything like the original story. The scenes were jarring and made no sense. In one scene a kid at summer camp climbs into a kayak at the beach and fifteen seconds later he's in danger of going over a waterfall. Right next to the campground, really?? So a bunch of other kids get in a kayak to save him. All the while they were being directed by a single counselor who shouted incoherently through a bullhorn. The bullhorn even made annoying electronic squeals, but it was ANALOG. What? Oh, and daddy swan won't shut up, ever. In the opening scene he sings a song about his partner's newly laid eggs and then proceeds to JUGGLE THEM. The characters and settings in this movie were so bad that I'd rather try to watch Microwave Massacre again. I'm sure a lot of work went into this, but they should have invested a whole lot more.Avoid.

wedgewu Being a very large fan of the original story, this movie was absolutely abysmal. As a standalone movie it's just a bit below par (the songs are just awful), but given that it was based on such a great story, this film had something to live up to, and it falls far short of that. There are characters and storyline added that don't really make sense - and some of the best parts of the original story were omitted.For some reason, the swans all have hair that is obnoxiously colored. Lime green, purple, yellow and orange?? I guess this is so you can tell them apart but there could've been a less anatomically incorrect way to do it... but I guess this will be OK for kids.If you are a fan of the original story looking for a decent movie adaptation, DO NOT watch this movie. You will be sorely disappointed.If you're looking for a cute and fun movie to watch with your kids, then this movie is adequate. But just barely.

saxofonix This is one of the worst animated features I have ever seen. I can't see how this silly and convoluted story (and minimal animation) would appeal to either a child or an adult. Despite using a 'name' cast, the voice talents don't gel on screen. There is no depth to the storyline and in the end leaves you completely uninvolved with either the characters or the narrative.