IMDb-BEWERTUNG
6,8/10
1946
IHRE BEWERTUNG
Füge eine Handlung in deiner Sprache hinzuDisney's retelling of the legend of John Henry, the steel-driving man.Disney's retelling of the legend of John Henry, the steel-driving man.Disney's retelling of the legend of John Henry, the steel-driving man.
- Regie
- Drehbuch
- Hauptbesetzung
- Auszeichnungen
- 1 Gewinn & 1 Nominierung insgesamt
Alfre Woodard
- Polly
- (Synchronisation)
- …
Geoffrey Jones
- John Henry
- (Synchronisation)
Dave Murray
- Thomas
- (Synchronisation)
Carrie Harrington
- Singing Voice of Polly
- (Synchronisation)
Empfohlene Bewertungen
The traditional story of John Henry is brought to life in this very unusual Disney short. I like some of the unusual qualities...one in particular I didn't. The quilt-like look and colors were great--and really eye-catching. I also liked the nice spiritual style of the music which dominates the film. What I wasn't so fond of was the unfinished look that the animators deliberately used--with pencil marks appearing and disappearing throughout the film--like they forgot to erase them. Stylish? Perhaps...but I thought it made an otherwise good film look unfinished. As for the story, it's pretty much the familiar folk tale--about an ex-slave named John Henry who does battle against a steam-powered machine and wins...at a big cost. Worth seeing but it just missed the mark.
A late addition to the Disney folklore shorts, this short film more than holds its own. The slightly-unfinished style helps it feel right at home with the earlier films and also establishes a legendary aura to the story. You almost sense you are watching an animated story book. Early images of a woman quilting even hint that this is meant to be seen like a story told through quilted squares. Vocal performances are great and the addition of new characters builds a deeper sense of emotional connection to the old legend. The real strength comes from the music. True to the legends of John Henry, singing saturates and propels the story forward. Strong, Gospel-style numbers lift the film above a standard children's feature to something truly moving. The well-known conclusion hits all-the harder as a result. I watched this countless times growing up and now my kids love it too.
I read about this film being made and that it would be released to theaters to play in front of Disney films released during the year. Well I never did see it and had forgotten about it when I saw that it would be included on a special DVD with several of the other Disney Tall Tale classics, Paul Bunyan, Johnny Appleseed and Casey Jones.
John Henry is an excellent short and it deserves a much higher rating. As mentioned the animation is made to look unfinished and rough. This only adds to the charm of the film. The music is also outstanding and the story is touching. I hope more people will check out John Henry as well as the other shorts on the DVD.
John Henry is an excellent short and it deserves a much higher rating. As mentioned the animation is made to look unfinished and rough. This only adds to the charm of the film. The music is also outstanding and the story is touching. I hope more people will check out John Henry as well as the other shorts on the DVD.
Considering this was just a project to keep animators occupied, it is a pretty darn impressive film. Disney's take on the tall tale is nothing new, but the style and look of this short is fantastic. The characters were made to look like animation before "clean-up" which is very interesting to watch, and also a brave move on Disney's part! Great backgrounds, too. Let's hope the Mouse takes more chances like this one!
Disney films and shorts were a huge part of my childhood, and many are still hold dear to my heart. As someone who was introduced to it very recently, 'John Henry' will never go down as one of their greatest achievements but it is a long way from being one of their very few duds.
There is not really that much at all wrong with 'John Henry'. To be honest though some of the animation was also not to my taste, was not a fan either of the (clearly intended) unfinished look to some of the drawing especially the constant coming and going pencil lines. The animation is certainly not without its meticulous detail and vibrant colours though, and while it hearkens back to the style of something like 'Paul Bunyon' it is a little more appealing, while lacking finesse the character designs are noticeably less blocky.
However, the music, adopting a soulful spiritual tone, is outstanding, sung with real passion and exuberance. If there is anything about 'John Henry' that can be greatly admired especially, it is how it clearly knew what it was trying to do and who to aim it at, and succeed totally at these aims. It was very brave to have a darker tone to the story, with the tackling of heavier themes, in a period where Disney noticeably took less risks than in their "Renaissance" period from 'The Little Mermaid' to 'Tarzan', and it is dealt with touchingly and never feels tonally muddled or distastefully dark nor does it feel preachy.
'John Henry' is very nicely written, with heart and sensitivity, and the characters while not complex are likable and relatable to the audience. The voice acting is strong.
In summary, interesting and touching if unusual. Some of the animation was not to my taste but everything else works. 8/10 Bethany Cox
There is not really that much at all wrong with 'John Henry'. To be honest though some of the animation was also not to my taste, was not a fan either of the (clearly intended) unfinished look to some of the drawing especially the constant coming and going pencil lines. The animation is certainly not without its meticulous detail and vibrant colours though, and while it hearkens back to the style of something like 'Paul Bunyon' it is a little more appealing, while lacking finesse the character designs are noticeably less blocky.
However, the music, adopting a soulful spiritual tone, is outstanding, sung with real passion and exuberance. If there is anything about 'John Henry' that can be greatly admired especially, it is how it clearly knew what it was trying to do and who to aim it at, and succeed totally at these aims. It was very brave to have a darker tone to the story, with the tackling of heavier themes, in a period where Disney noticeably took less risks than in their "Renaissance" period from 'The Little Mermaid' to 'Tarzan', and it is dealt with touchingly and never feels tonally muddled or distastefully dark nor does it feel preachy.
'John Henry' is very nicely written, with heart and sensitivity, and the characters while not complex are likable and relatable to the audience. The voice acting is strong.
In summary, interesting and touching if unusual. Some of the animation was not to my taste but everything else works. 8/10 Bethany Cox
Wusstest du schon
- WissenswertesThe director, Mark Henn, is a collector of antique firearms. The pistol in the film used to start the race is based on one of his own Civil War-era pistols.
- Crazy CreditsThe Disney logo is stitched into a patchwork quilt that opens the film.
- VerbindungenEdited into Sweet Home Alabama - Liebe auf Umwegen (2002)
Top-Auswahl
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Details
- Erscheinungsdatum
- Herkunftsland
- Sprache
- Auch bekannt als
- Джон Генри
- Drehorte
- Produktionsfirmen
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- Laufzeit
- 10 Min.
- Sound-Mix
- Seitenverhältnis
- 1.66 : 1
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