The Adventures of Mark Twain

A lot of things amaze me about this movie. First of all, this movie came out when I was a kid, and I had never heard of it until this past week. Second, someone actually got around to releasing it on DVD, although with virtually no special features. And third, of all the movies the Claymation guys could have picked, they chose this one. They could have had a California Raisins movie, but instead they chose to go with Mark Twain. In the short run, it was probably not a financially successful move. In the long run, however, it was a very smart move.

This movie, simply put, is so . . . cool. I've always been a fan and admirer of Mark Twain, but never in my life could I have imagined that he could be the subject of a movie where he flies a hot-air balloon/spaceship into Halley's Comet. The Star Wars-esquire introduction in the beginning, however, ties it all together pretty well, at least for those of us who are paying attention.

One of my complaints about the movie, which is more of a compliment than anything else, is that the movie wasn't long enough. Of course, I know that in stop-motion animation it takes an 8 hour day for an animator to make 5 seconds of a film. The fact that it made me want even more is a testament to how good this film is. Anyone who is a fan of animation, AND a fan of Mark Twain will love this movie.

Having said that, however, there were a few issues I had with this movie. First of all, despite the fact that it was G-rated, it was pretty dark in some areas. The one part in particular which I would think would send kids out of the TV room screaming is the part where the three kids (Tom Sawyer, Huck Finn, and Becky Thatcher) encounter an "Angel" named Satan. This part of the movie encompasses Twain's unfinished novel (and unquestionably his darkest story), "The Mysterious Stranger". I personally found that part very chilling, but I can't say for sure if it was because Satan himself was frightening to hear and look at, or if the subject matter from an adult's understanding was too much to handle. Perhaps both.

Also, there were some parts in the movie that were very confusing, and contained a half-baked explanation towards the end. For instance, it's very confusing when another member of the ship is found aboard, without giving too much away. The sequences with this member (up until the very end) are choppy at best, and make way for some serious plot holes. It is also not very well explained why Tom Sawyer wanted off the ship. He was eager to get on, and I could understand his equal eagerness to get off too. However, when you're in space, there's really not a lot you can do about it.

My other complaint with the movie was that it spent way too much time on Mark Twain's take on the Adam & Eve story. I really wanted to see other Claymation interpretations of his other stories, such as Pudd'nhead Wilson or A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court, to name a few. Although the Adam & Eve segment was funny, and in the end was actually quite sweet, it still should have been shortened to ten minutes tops.

Other than that, the movie was great, and one I'll probably keep in my DVD collection for as long as I can. James Whitmore made a great Mark Twain (although Hal Holbrook also could have done a great job, since Mark Twain is his most famous role outside of film), and the plot, although confusing at times, was so original. Kids may not get the Mark Twain references that other adults may pick up, but they could return to the movie after graduating high school or college and pick up the references immediately.

So I highly recommend "The Adventures of Mark Twain" to everyone. I loved it, and I'm telling everyone I know about it soon.

Amazingly for those who haven't seen it (and usually neither heard of it), this unknown animated masterpiece regularly makes it into the shortest short-list of best films of those who have - and i don't mean list of animated movies, but movies in general. Uncomparable to anything else - much like Twain himself - it's every aspect is just amazing. It will feast your eyes (as much as any claymation can), fill your heart (with a both joy, sorrow, warmth and eeriness), boggle your brain, and make your jaw hurt. And you'll still have to find time to enjoy acting (yes, _acting_ of the clay figures here is just amazing) and clever solutions. For example, Mysterious Stranger is the best visualization of Devil(?) i ever saw in film.

Some have pointed out that it is "not necessarily a kids movie"; Not AT ALL a kids movie, i'd rather say.

Nobody forgets seeing it, and as soon as one remembers it later, one starts to look for it. Alas, it is extremely hard to find - at least i never succeeded. I saw it only twice, on TV, no less than 10 and 14 years ago, and my filmometer jumps high every time i think about it.

Find it. See it. Enjoy the ride. Copy it. Copy it again, for your grandchildren, and save the copy somewhere safe till they grow up.

My mother brought this movie home from the library once when I was a young child, about 4. I didn't understand it very well, but I was thrilled by the clay animation. When I was about 13, I came across it tin the library again and after checking it out, I found a post-it note stating: "May not be understood by children under Junior High level."

When I watched it again, I understood it. There was the story of Adam and Eve and how they didn't understand what each other did, and thought each other foolish. Then there was the dark side. I still didn't understand it quite as well after watching it a second time, but it was slightly understood.

This may not being a good movie for younger children, but they do get a thrill out of the animation, although they may not fully understand it.

This is some great claymation. Great detail caught in the facial expressions, lots of characters and settings. This film is truly a captivating visual experience. Mark Twain is driving an airship to Haley's Comet into his demise, and his characters Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn have stowawayed themselves on the ship. Some of Mark Twain's other stories are told in the process in claymation, and creation, death, and the afterlife are all explored. This film is not just for kids as it has a very adult sense of humor and some very deep themes. I really enjoyed it more than I expected too, definitely a classic in clay-animation.

"The Adventures of Mark Twain" is a fascinating animated feature. The clever mind of Will Vinton fashioned a masterpiece from the works of one of America's greatest writers. Seeing stories like "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County" and "The Diaries of Adam and Eve" fleshed out in animation is something else. Of course, it's doubtful that any studio today would make an animated film exactly like this. Still, I'd think it's a wonderful way to introduce younger people to classic American literature.