Las Maravillosas Aventuras de Pufnstuf

I'm always amazed at the following certain films I thought of as totally obscure actually have.

This is one of the funniest films I've ever seen. Admittedly the humor is of its time and really stoned out, but it works straight too, the best of both worlds.

I would also like to point out the great songs and musical score by Charles Fox.

One of the songs, "If I Could," sung by Jack Wild, is really touching and poignant, and Mama Cass's "Different" is a great 60s up-tune with a timeless message.

Charles Fox had scored another great trip movie, BARBARELLA, about this time, and this score is like Barbarella meets Witchie-Poo.

The score, originally on Capitol Records, belongs on CD, and the film itself should have a deluxe release on DVD.

This is a movie from a wonderful children's TV series and everyone in the TV show is here and a few surprises are thrown in as well. One generation's hit is another's camp classic, but this is fun. They sure don't make them like this anymore!

There is something here for everyone, visually it would appeal to the very young due to it's eye-catching colours and gentle plots, older children might get more into the storyline and even adults might catch themselves enjoying the borderline Freudian plot which is at the center of this movie as well as each episode of the TV series, a witch and her obssession with a little boy's "magic flute".... ahem.

The non-human characters will remind many of the old ad campaigns of McDonald's with Mayor McCheese, The Hamburgler, etc. Did the Crofts have anything to do with the McDonald's advertising or was it just a rip-off?

It was a nice surprise to see "Mama" Cass Elliot in this one, she seems to be having a ball in her role as a crony of Witchpoo. Seeing this makes me wonder at what potential died with her.

Recommended highly...and yes, I'd have to strongly agree with other reviewers here who have said that if children's fantasy movies from the period interest you, definately give this one a try, switch off your inner critic, and just enjoy!

I've just recently borrowed my sister's DVD of Pufnstuf. I loved this movie and I am a huge fan of Jack Wild from seeing him in Oliver! and I had never seen Pufnstuf before so I thought that I would borrow her DVD. The first time I watched it I loved it straight away, I love the color, the storyline and the songs. My favorite songs are If I could, A friend in you, Different, Living Island, Pufnstuf and Zap the world. Every time you watch it you'll feel happy. In a wizard of oz like fantasy with similarities and who doesn't love Jack Wild or Pufnstuf? R.I.P Martha Raye and Jack Wild. Living Island IS a most amazing place. "Oh go home and have a nightmare."

I used to watch Pufnstuf every weekend when I was about 10. It was on right after Bay City Rollers. I saw it come on to Family Channel one day, and taped it for my then three-year old daughter. I'd forgotten all the things I'd loved as a child, the magic flute, the zoom broom, Witcheepoo's makeup.

This show is decidedly low tech. The mayor is surely a precedent to Mayor McCheese, and everyone is a stuffed creature with annoying googly eyes. But kids love this stuff. They would way, way rather watch a guy work a sock puppet than sit in front of high-tech computer animation. There is (mild) slapstick, but no adult themes such as sex or people dying, and kids accept Jimmy's schemes. Kids think it would be neat to carry a bag of smoke around and convince someone their house was on fire, and I loved how every time my daughter saw a jet stream in the sky she thought Witchypoo was flying overhead. The music is old, but you really get used to it, and my daughter really loved it. She used to sing "different is hard, different is lonely" in the car. My daughter watched this show at least once a day for about 5 months, and it's still one of her favourites.

I see that a new Pufnstuf 2000 is in the works. I really hope they try to keep the old flavour and don't do anything like computer-animating characters etc. I think a whole new generation would love Pufnstuf.

Capitalizing on the popularity of the short-lived Saturday-morning children's series "H.R. Pufnstuf" came a feature-length film based on the same. As there really wasn't anything "new" to say in this film (it was definitely just a retelling of the same plot and premise as the series) it is clear this was simply another vehicle to make money and market the concept to a wider audience (i.e. outside of the US). Still, fans of the original series (at this point geriatric) would have also enjoyed the film (I know I did). And I think the retro aspect of this film will definitely be as enjoyable as any Disney classic set in the "olden days" ("Song of the South" excluded). Meaning, if today's children took the effort to suspend their disbelief and imagine a time with no cellphones, video games or internet, they might actually find themselves singing along to the lyrics and laughing at the silliness of it all. In sum, there isn't anything remotely harmful or negative here (unless you are some radical feminist wiccan); just good wholesome fun which was made specifically to delight children once upon a time.