Tom e i moschettieri del mare

I was wandering through my local library, browsing VHS tapes, when I saw a movie that made my mouth drop--Waterbabies. I have been hoping to see this movie again--it's been over 22 years since I saw it (cable-movie channel around 78-79). I had recalled a good many of the details--Grimes in particular. My son, who is 4, and I watched it.

He agreed with me that Grimes was "Not nice", and the best way for me to describe it was that he didn't love Tom. He accepted that. It was amazing that I still recalled some of the songs, too! They had stuck in my head for 22 years--which means they had to have some memorable-ness, eh?

It's a good child's movie, with parental guidance in case of questions about what children had to go through that were not nobility/society in the time-frame. This is what all the children faced daily (except for a few lucky ones), and while we try to Disney-coat movies, making them more pc for children these days, it doesn't mean that cruelty didn't exist--or even still doesn't. I enjoyed the animation. It wasn't Disney, no. I don't think Don Bluth touched a paintbrush on this movie.

There's a lot going for it, though. David T plays two roles! (I really like him!) James M does too. The waterbabies themselves are cute. You feel sorry for Tom, and root for him. Then Billie herself is extraordinary in the multi-role part she's playing--it's as if her eyes ARE magickal! I'm a huge fan of WoO, TLW&TW, and company (AND LOOKING FORWARD TO HP!), and I filed this along with those kind of movies. Yes, he jumps in the water, but not because of suicide. He jumped because he trusted the lady in black--she'd been appearing to him all along.

I think it's a good movie! If you have kids, pick up a rental copy. If you happen to locate a buy-able copy, let me know where! Ian liked it! :)

Dee

I remember the first time I saw this movie I fell in love. My parents taped it for me so that I could watch it over and over again. I actually still have a copy of it on an old BETA tape. Unfortunately, I watched it so much that I ended up pretty much wearing the tape out. Okay, so compared to the animation and acting of today, it can't compare but it was made in '78, what do you expect? Animation and film have come a long way since then it's not going to be like the films of today. All I have to say is that it's a good family movie that I will always enjoy. If you like classic movies, I would recommend this one.

Water Babies is a Victorian tale about a very young chimney sweep named Thomas (Tommy Pender) who becomes a fugitive from justice after being falsely accused of stealing the silver. Fearing the gallows (the punishment in those days for thievery), he jumps into a river, drowns, becomes a water baby and embarks on a series of adventures. For many people, this film was very childish, farcical and generally not good. Admittedly, it is not a great film by any means. Director Lionel Jeffries did far better with "The Runaway Children," but this film has its charms.

To begin with, Lionel Jeffries depicts life in Victorian England far more effectively than Franco Zefferelli ever did in Jane Eyre. It is one thing to dress actors in Victorian costumes, create sumptuous looking sets and have everyone speak in aristocratic accents, but quite another to bring the spirit of the Victorian age to the screen. Lionel Jeffries has a gift for doing that, whether it is with the scene in the pub where Tom is subjected to physical abuse and then given hard liquor by Mr. Grimes (James Mason) and Mr. Masterman (Bernard Cribbins) or in Hartover Hall, where we see the supreme pomposity and confidence exhibited by Sir John Hartover (played very well by David Tomlinson). The surreal touches are also very interesting.

Now the bulk of the film is animation. Many reviewers have criticized the animated part for its poor graphics. No doubt, they are right. But this is my point -- who cares? Maybe I am old fashioned, but I did not care when they improved the graphics for the Nintendo games or when they combined computer animation with the older animation for the movie Alladin. That apparently matters to some people -- usually the kind of people who complain about the texture of food. But for me, as long as I can see the pictures on the screen, I am content. The bigger problem was with the songs, which children will find enchanting, but which I (and probably many adults) found childish and a waste of time.

But with that said, this film has enough charming, good natured and funny characters to delight even adults. Characters like the lobster, the sea horse, the sword fish, the Krakon (whose bark is worse than his bite), the walrus, the polar bear and even some of the water babies (when they are not singing). Elly (Samantha Gates), the niece of Sir John, is also a delightful sweetheart.

The 1978 adaptation had all the ingredients of a potentially wonderful film. It is based on an absolutely charming book by Charles Kingsley. It has a truly talented cast from the likes of James Mason, Bernard Cribbons and David Tomblinson, not to mention the vocal talents of David Jason and Jon Pertwee. There is also Lionel Jeffries, the director of wonderful classics such as The Railway Children and the Amazing Mr Blunden, and while the film is good on the most part, it was also a little disappointing. I had no problem with the performances, particularly those of Mason and Tomblinson as Grimes and Sir John Harriet respectively, and Tommy Pender and Samantha Gates are believable as Tom and Ellie. Billie Whitelaw is also intriguing in numerous roles, even if one or two of them are quite bizarre. The voice cast is also commendable, especially Jon Pertwee, voicing charming characters in their own right. I also liked the incidental music it is so haunting and beautiful, and the script was fairly faithful and in general well-written, particularly at the beginning. The characters, especially the Water Babies are very charming, and the villains are sinister and funny at the same time, I loved the part when Tom and his friends help the Water Babies escape, seeing the shark chasing the electric eel with an axe was very funny. However, I will say the film does look dated, especially the animation sequences, the live action parts weren't so bad, if you forgive the rather dark camera-work. The character animation was rather flat, and the backgrounds sometimes were a little dull, though there were some nice moments, like the scene with the Krakon and of course the first meeting with the Water Babies. I also had mixed feelings about the songs, the Water Babies's song was beautiful, but I found the first song forgettable, when Tom ends up underwater. Hi-Cockallorum is an example of a song, that is like marmite, you either love it or hate it. I personally don't know what to make of this song, it was fun to listen to at first, but once it's in your head, it is perhaps annoying. As much as I like Lionel Jeffries and his films, his direction just lacked the wonder and the magic it usually does. All in all, certainly not a terrible film, but could have been better artistically. 7/10 Bethany Cox.

My childhood was never the same. He was but a simple chimney sweep and then these whistles kept going off & women kept winking at him until it all got to much for him & he jumped in a river & became a cartoon.& things got even more wavy.