Le avventure di Stanley

I don't think that Troll in Central Park is as bad as people make it out to be, as a matter of fact it's very sweet, but anyone who loved Secret of Nimh and Land Before Time like I did, will be disappointed. The animation on the most part was quite flat, with the exception of some nice animation in the musical numbers and the effects, and there were some lifeless backgrounds in the scarier bits. The incidental music is lovely, but I didn't care that much for the songs. They're not excrement, but they are certainly not Oscar-worthy. This was disappointing, as Cynthia Weil and Barry Mann have done some lovely songs for American Tail and Muppet Treasure Island, but the songs they did here didn't feel the same. The script wasn't bad, but there were times where it could have been more imaginative. The characters were likable but not particularly memorable. Stanley is very sweet, with his wiggling ears, and the late Dom DeLuise voiced him earnestly, and there is some very nice singing. Gnorga is rather frightening, but Cloris Leachman was brilliant in an almost unrecognisable voice over. Phillip Glasser was good, but he and DeLuise lacked the chemistry they had in American Tail. Rosie was really sweet and Charles Nelson Reilly and the singing and dancing flowers provided the humour,(even if it reminded me strongly of the Silly Symphony Flowers and Trees) that was much needed, in a rather lacklustre plot. All in all, one of the weaker Don Bluth films is redeemed by a very good voice cast, and some nice music. 6/10 Bethany Cox

A Great Family Movie. When I was a kid, I Always watched this movie. Stanley is a troll, but he is different from the others. He is Kind. He and his two new friends Rosie and Gus must defeat the Evil Troll Gnorga. The movie is Very well drawn, and the story is just very entertaining, and does spread a good message about having a Greener World. I would recommend this to all young ages, as it is a great tale and is a Must see, but may not be that appealing to older audiences. The characters are Great. Gnorga is Evil, and a great Enemy, and Stanley is a perfect Mood Uplifter, and Gnorga's Husband King Llort is really a kind Troll, but acts evil around her and is treated badly by her. Although some parts of the movie can be a bit scary for younger audiences, the movie is perfect for all.

I got this because my kiddos and I have enjoyed other, better known Don Bluth films, without realizing the negativity surrounding this one. I will say that we could only get the film in DVD, and the picture quality was way below what we've come to expect, even on older films which have not been remastered. The troll is a little bit over the top, it's true, but his general plight of feeling different and being persecuted, in part because of a fear he would influence other trolls, is clearly topical in the early 2020s. The alternation between troll land, a real Central Park, an eerily devastated Central Park ("tornado"), a whacky imaginative world, and New York City, makes the film hard to follow. But the movie does feature one of the best animated cityscapes (complete with Twin Towers) of New York I've ever seen, even if it's "stone" structure is praised by the evil troll queen (an Ursula look-alike, by the way). And, given the troll Stanley's "green thumb" and leprechuan-like appearance, the movie is a good choice before St. Patrick's day (we watched it in early March). Finally, the sequence at the end where the entire city is wrapped in plant growth as Stanley celebrates is priceless and, once again, timely.

It may not be ranked with the best animated classics, but the animation's strong as usual in this Don Bluth production, the story of Stanley (Dom DeLuise), a good natured troll who prefers planting over destruction, and the positive influence he has on two kids and vice versa.

Sure it might be corny or silly in spots, but it's a harmless, inoffensive piece of fluff that will probably appeal more to the little kids than anyone else, but older folk with a kinder, more forgiving critical heart - as well as a soft spot for sugar coated fantasy - should find it a brisk viewing.

Loved this when i was a child and remember watching it many times with my mom! what child do you know at an innocent 7 yrs of age follows the plot and what is happening the way an adult does?? mine are 10 & 11 and still don't understand what, why and how somethin happened in an animated movie made for children. so what if they don't understand some of the details, as long as they get the main idea. I still want to see this movie any given day just because it makes me feel like a kid again..