Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1986)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

This animated Australian version of the classic Robert Louis Stevenson novel starts off with Henry Jekyll being laid to rest. We then flash forward twenty-years to when a couple boys ask their grandmother about the legend of Jekyll and Hyde so she tells them the story.

I've seen so many versions of this novel that it's not even funny. It's even harder trying to come up with an original or different way to tell the story so I give the producers of this thing a tip of the hat for making it appeal to children. For the most part this was a pretty good film and I think it will appeal to children more than the adults. Nothing here is overly scary and the animation is good for the era. The vocal performances were also quite good and I thought the filmmakers did a very good job with the look and attitude of Hyde. This certainly isn't a masterpiece but it's at least fun.

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is a animated adaptation of the famous novel by Robert Louis Stevenson, elaborate in many film versions. This one is dedicated to children or teenage audience. It has an interesting framework: the scary story about Dr. Jekyll is narrated by a nanny to two young boys - before sleeping. The retro stylization is nice and thrilling plot is interpreted in an expressive way (probably this movie is not suitable for the youngest ones). The humor is attendant only in conception of Mr. Hyde who act more as malicious heavy than a impersonate evil. The voices are becomingly picked (especially Max Meldrum and David Nettheim). It is not the best alteration of Stevenson's work but it is nice and teenagers should like it.

About: A Doctor makes a formula and becomes the became

Story: Fabulous

Production: Classic

Soundtrack: Classical like a warm winter snowing

moral code: 5

Main intelligence: 7

Unworthiness level: 0

highlight: The whole production and story

Should you watch this?: You're damn right you should. This was a real cartoon. This was an amazing time wasted. The book was good no doubt, but this animation was no doubt a classic.

I have seen better adaptations of the famous story elsewhere(namely the 1931 Fredric March film), but this is not half bad at all. While not quite as good as Wind in the Willows, Peter Pan and Ivanhoe it is towards the better end of the spectrum for the Burbank Films Australia animations(much better than their versions of The Odyssey, The Three Musketeers, Prisoner of Zenda and 20000 Leagues Under the Sea anyhow). The animation does have some stiff character designs, but has some pleasing noir-ish elements that are very fitting in tone with the piece. The music is quite atmospheric, the writing injects bits of humour without it feeling out of place and the story is thrilling at least, even the additional characters don't take away from the scary parts and the ending was moving. Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde are both well-realised and well-contrasted to one another, and the voice work is solid. Overall, not the best adaptation, but a very watchable one. 8/10 Bethany Cox