AsifZamir
Who doesn't love the storybook Wind in the Willows? Chances are, I still have the book collecting dust somewhere. It was one of my favourites's as a child, and I was excited to see a live action movie version.Matt Lucas (as Toad) does a fantastic job. It's a heartwarming, delightful film that you will completely enjoy with your family, especially children because of the life lessons taught. Set creation was fantastically done and they stayed as true to the book as possible.I'm grateful that they didn't use much special effects, and I understand that hard-core book fans might note appreciate the artistic interpretations taken in some instances of this film.In conclusion, if you are a fan of the book, or if you have children, then I recommend this movie to you.
danielpauldavis-405-150578
The movie begins with a brilliant idea that previous versions of Kenneth Grahame's book missed: animated animals are cartoons, not people. Grahame wrote his book with his main characters called by names of animals, living like animals (in the ground) sometimes, and living apart from humans (like animals). But they're humans . . . up to and including having their own god ("Piper at the Gates of Dawn.") This version fixed the ridiculousness of animation by having human beings in the roles, who had slight make-up like animals and some behavioral quirks like animals, but otherwise interacted like HUMANS. Thus, the script began with a brilliant improvement. It was so well done that one could forgive editorial decisions for time constraints ("Dulce Domum" is truncated, as is the seminal "Piper at the Gates of Dawn" (no search for otter's pup, no poem explaining why they don't remember, no Pink Floyd.) The THEME of the book is friendship: Mole leaves his burrow and instantly strikes up and maintains a friendship with Rat. Rat is both generous and gracious with Mole, who supports Rat (in most things.) They give to each other because that's what friends do. Toad is merely the biggest friend who is also the most needy. Mole, Rat, and Badger work to rein in Toad for his own good and ultimately succeed by making painfully clear to Toad that their friendship requires his good behavior. AND TOAD AGREES. The book ends with the 4 animals being the closest companions and Toad is humble, self-effacing, and moves attention to others BECAUSE THEY'RE HIS FRIENDS. This movie waits until (literally) the last minute to undo and re-write all of that. Toad was going to be a fair and humble Toad . . . until he sees an airplane. Then he goes right back to being a selfish, destructive jerk. Rat and Badger and Mole leave in disgust. All that brilliance betrayed in 60 seconds. I want my time back.
simon-trek
Wind in the willows in one of my all time favorite stories. I loved this story when I was a child, and this movie reminded me of how much I loved this story. This movie appeared on Australian television just before Christmas Eve. This movie has a great cast including Matt Lucas as Toad, Mark Gatiss as Ratty, Lee Ingleby as Mole, and Bob Hoskins as Badger. But this isn't the first live-action of Wind in the Willows. You may recall that there was a previous live-action film version of The Wind In The Willows that was released in cinemas. This film was released back in 1997 and it starred Steve Coogan as Mole, Eric Idle as Ratty, Terry Jones as Toad, Nicol Williamson as Badger, and Anthony Sher as the Chief Weasel. But this previous live-action film was a parody of Wind in the Willows. While this TV movie is very loyal to Kenneth Graham's original story. It has many of the same scenes and the same quotes that were in the book and it even has Toad's conceited songs. So I certainly enjoyed this movie and I highly recommend it to anyone who loves the book.
lady_seraphina
A highly enjoyable made-for-TV version of the story. The subtle costumes and understated acting are perfectly suited to the subject. Toad's frivolous and irresponsible behavior are well-captured, though I found him more childish than anything else. There are undertones of class separation and hints of the poverty of some of the characters that I found touching, and will go over the heads of many children, which to me is a plus.Bob Hoskins' Badger is a delight, and I have a soft spot for Mary Walsh, no matter how large or small the part she's in. The British and Canadian actors all bring their considerable talent to the table, despite the fact that most of them are relatively unknown (at least to the best of my knowledge).All-in-all, well worth renting or downloading, if you want a simple family movie for the holidays, or just a family movie night.
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