Le roi et l'oiseau

I saw this movie only once in a cinema, as a child, shortly after it was released. I still remembered scenes and bits of it more than 20 years later! I recall feeling particularly moved by the poor people kept captive underground, which evidences that children's stories must not necessarily be devoid of suffering and injustice. On the contrary: this kind of plot may feed children's sense of indignation and thus ultimately contribute to a better world.

This film is one of those rare pieces of art that are a true explosion of fantasy that will capture a child's imagination completely, combined with an underlying message that will also fascinate adults.

I bought the superbly produced "Édition Collector 2 DVD" set (Zone 2) through Amazon France about a year ago and it has become one of the favorite movies of my 5-year-old son, too, although neither of us speaks a word of French...

I remember watching this in school when i was a kid, later i had a tremendous struggle trying to find it again, finally got it in my hands & have watched it like 10 times since! Animation made by computer opens new grounds for sure, but most of it (if not all until today) has no soul at all, no replaying value either. Check this & don't mind the language, is so well gestured by the characters you'll understand most of & it has an excellent score as well. I can see cubist & futurist artistic movements influenced this movie too. Nothing comes close, even the best anime movie from japan!

Only movie i ever will put a 10 on, i guess!

I was reminded of this film recently and it instantly became an obsession for me to find the English dubbed copy that I remember as a child. Finally got my hands on a copy and wow this movie is better than anything I ever saw while I was young! Sometimes you go back and watch something you loved as a child and realize how terrible it was but this film sent chills through my body, each scene playing through exactly as I remembered it in perfect detail. Anyone who saw this as a child will know what I'm talking about. The level of nostalgia that comes with this fantastic animation is above anything any other film has ever had for myself. The music is absolutely epic, beautifully written and goes with the movie perfectly. The level of storytelling that this film does is amazing despite the small amount of dialogue. Truly a classic, it is unfortunate that this film is so rare to find, especially in English. If anyone is interested please contact me.

The King and Mr Bird, as it was known in England makes most Disney output seem poor in comparison. It is actually stitched together using an old forties (I think) animation called "The Shepherdess and the Chimney Sweep" and modern footage.

It is the modern stuff which gives it the edge as we are whisked through the Kingdom of Tachycardia, a futuristic city run by a vain king. Mr Bird is a symbol of freedom who brings anarchy to the kingdom.

Best bits. All of it but the ride in the lift is recommended as well as the scenes with the giant robot.

The poetry of Jacques Prevert's text associated with the poetry of Paul Grimault's drawing renders a unique piece of cartooning associating emotions and laughters in a rare way. It would be easy to sum up the story, but it would be like summing up a poem, it'd be a crime. Let's just say it is the story about the king V and three makes 8 and 8 makes 16.