The Wind in the Willows

This is legendary animation and a classic of British Tevevision.

The well known Kenneth Gramhame novel is given glorious treatment in stop-motion animation style (before the days of popular Aardman). The animation is perfect, depicting all the colours and textures of the British countryside, and the impressive cast plays to perfection, such as the gruff, unforgettable Badger played by Sir Michael Hordern, the wise, dry Ratty played by Ian Carmichael, and the thoughtful, sensitive mole by Richard Pearson, and the infectious clown Toad played by David Jason.

There are also ingenious visual ideas and direction such as Badger's echoing lecture in the library, and Mole's encounter with the weasels in the wild wood. This is beautiful, atmpospheric stuff for all ages, plus the songs are great, and the theme music is one of the most beautiful pieces of music ever! I can't remember who wrote it - but whoever did deserves some high recognition!!!! In fact, this was later developed into an equally great series, one for each of the seasons, and Peter "Wallace and Gromit" Sallis took over the job of voicing Ratty, but the rest of the cast remained.

In short, they're all perfect! Take that, Disney!

The stop motion animation is simply wonderful, the characters exquisitely rendered, the actors delightful, the script true to the spirit of the original. This will be enjoyed on different levels by both children and adults. It is decidedly NOT merely for children, anymore than "The Nightmare Before Christmas." This is a beautiful and timeless production that deserves to live forever.

This stop-motion animation was the first adaptation of a British children's novel to make me realise why Britain produces all of the world's best children's novellists. Its ethereal, sunlit world was the product of a mature and dark yet utterly English imagination inspired by a 2000-year legacy of faeries-in-the-fields mythology.

There have been several versions of The Wind in the Willows, and this is, without a doubt, the best of them. Everything about is wonderful. It has magnificent animation and looks beautiful, and is written and played excellently. This is as good as movies get.

together with jeremy brett's sherlock holmes and the burlesque of allô allô, this was a landmark for a very young admirer of brit-fashioned TV productions. i saw this for the very first time on the telly and i suppose this was but the movie of the series. today i know this movie is a fair piece of artwork that moulded my life: i teach English. the characters are so exquisite and the scenario is state-of-the-art tasteful paintings. the Gothic side of the movie is also an allurement to it. when mole leaves in search of badger, part of the tone of the movie is clear: there's true darkness in those woods. that darkness is also stressed through the gory mole's fingernails. there's much violence, too, for those who like a pinch of tavern-like brawl. it's a sweet translation into moving pictures of a great story for parents to read their kids when they misbehave and have problems with the increasing, and at times puzzling, importance of friendships in their lives. there's the hilarious water-dancing of the ducks in the river and the truly tiresome teenager frog. beautiful. beautiful.