The Wind in the Willows (1995)

I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

Brilliant and touching

Great story, amazing characters, superb action, enthralling cinematography. Yes, this is something I am glad I spent money on.

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

I liked most of the character designs (some of the artwork reminded me of the Rackham illustrations) and the voicework, the music was OK too, never too foreground. The backgrounds in contrast are rather pedestrian and rarely manage to convey the atmosphere of the story. The animation suffers from uneven dynamic.My biggest nitpick, though, concerns the overall rhythm - some scenes like the Pan episode (which always seemed very central to me) are dealt with in a near offhand way, while Toad's exploits are given too much room (maybe, it's all a matter of taste, of course).Still recommended as it's surely one of the better adaptions of the book out there (I have to admit I have seen only a few of them, there seem to be more than ten, some rather hard to lay your hands on)

I am a little biased because this is the version I grew up on, but since re-watching it as an adult I still believe it captures the magic of the book better than any other version. Unlike the others, this version doesn't shy away from the spiritual aspects of the book. Despite apparent danger, this world is inhabited by magical beings who look after the river-folk. Also, even though this movie is for kids, it trusts it's audience to relate to the internal struggle between wanderlust and responsibilities. Both Mole and Toad share this struggle, but each handles it differently. This is a fantastic lesson for kids to learn. The animation is beautiful and looks like a painting come to life. The voice acting is also perfect. Overall, the presentation is great and the story is rich. This movie will enchant children and adults alike.

I have seen many different versions of the story based on Kenneth Grahame's book, and this is probably the best I've seen. You probably know the story already, but a Mole gets out of his hole and sees a river. He meets Rat and they have a picnic. They later meet Toad and he gets obsessed by motor cars. Finally they battle stoats and weasels to get Toad Hall back. The voice artists that are in this cartoon are just perfect for the four characters. These British actors are Alan Bennett as Mole, Monty Python's Michael Palin as Rat, Sir Michael Gambon as Badger, and my favourite actor and character of the cartoon, Bottom's Rik Mayall as Toad. Also starring The Vicar of Dibley's Emma Chambers as Gaoler's daughter and Vanessa Redgrave as Grandmother. Very good!

The colours and animation on this are beautiful, some of the best I've seen. The dramaturgy is lacklustre, only the action sequences have any zing. But you'll enjoy seeing animation the way it should be done ( also check out Watership Down and Animal Farm (1954), not to mention Fantasia.