As Viagens de Gulliver

Swift's writing really has more in common with Kafka and Orwell than with fantasy-adventure writers, so it's curious that Gulliver's Travels has been deemed a children's novel. Lucky kiddies!

The same applies to this movie. There have been some really awful versions of this story, which must be why people are reluctant to look at this version. I mean, it's a TV-movie and it comes from muppetteer Jim Henson, so how should we expect anything but cuteness?

Look again - beauty turns up in the oddest places. Children love this movie enough to sit through all three hours of it, but it also takes the time to get Swift's dark vision right. I hate special effects, but here they are used to carry the story forward instead of just dazzling us. Please note that the producers took the trouble to recruit classical actors like John Gielgud and Peter O'Toole who perform their eccentric roles with perfection.

Dramatically, the romance between Gulliver and Glumdalclitch is rendered touching and poignant, as well as funny (she's a little girl, but twenty times his size). The frame-story has a theme about absent fathers that many children will relate to. And the part about Gulliver in the asylum introduces an element of horror dealing with the abuse of authority (apparently deriving from Val Lewton's "Bedlam" [1946], another forgotten masterpiece).

The VHS is always turning up in the bargain-bin for a few cents, which is an insult to the many great artists who put this thing together. I encourage audiences to recognize a good thing by getting this movie and inspiring others to watch it. Although it has a lot to offer children, grown-ups will find that it stands up nicely to such classics as Aguirre, Brazil, 1984 and other serious fantastic works.

Much of it was filmed in Portugal, I was looking up the various palaces involved-

Sintra-

-Monserrate(Laputa) -Queluz(Brobdingnag) -Ribafria Palace (Sorcerer's Palace, I think) -Castle of the Moors(Struldbrugs)

Lisbon-

-Ajuda(Burning Palace, Lilliput)

Mafra-

-Royal Palace and streetscapes (Lilliput) -Sea Cliffs (Brobdingnag and Lilliput)

The Doctor's Mansion is obviously in the Cotswold limestone district... anyone recognize it?

The final shot is modelled after the Paul Nash painting "Landscape from a Dream", surrealism seems right for a movie like this.

www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/nash-landscape-from- a-dream-n05667

This has got to be without a doubt, the best adaption of Gullivers Travels that I have ever seen. It is visually stunning, with wonderful special effects (you really can't tell whats real and what's not now!) and a stunning cast. Ted Danson is perfect in his role of Lemual Gulliver, and he plays it with the right amount of emotion and anger. It enthralled me from the very beginning, from his first day back home, to the land of the Whinnims and Yahoos. And who can forget the frighting scene as the ill and blind but immortal women cry out 'You'll never die!' Although I have many favourite scenes I think my favourite is the court scene where Gulliver gets the upper hand. That scene is very exciting and tense and your rooting for him all the way. All in all wonderful stuff. Something that should be shown in school across the world, for there is a powerful message is it: Are we humans not simply just a race of Yahoos?..........

GULLIVER'S TRAVELS (1996/MTV/NBC) ***1/2 Ted Danson, Mary Steenburgen, James Fox, Peter O' Toole, Alfre Woodard, Ned Beatty, Thomas Sturridge, Sir John Gielgud. Excellent mini-series adaptation of Jonathan Swift's classic satirical novel about Lemuel Gulliver (Danson in a fine performance) and his near descent into madness after his journey and many adventures amongst many different people including the legendary Lilliputians (the wee folk) and the the Brobdingnagians (giants) with splendid supporting cast and grandiose production design. Hats off to the special effects thanks to Jim Henson's effects shop and able direction by Charles Sturridge.

We all know bits and pieces of Gulliver's travels. Tiny people, yeah, sure. Liliputians. Giants too, some of us may recall. Some might remember the word yahoo comes from here. That's were it stops for most people.

Swift's book is omnipresent in school libraries. That's were i first read it, and there's were a lot of people read it for the last time. It is treacherously lightly written, like many of the old adventure books. Children can read it. Still, it's dripping with satire, black and uncompromising. That's something I think most screen writers forget when they adapt this movie.

This movie remembers, however. Our hero, Ted Danson, gives a credible and serious performance as the world-adjusted man who's thrown to mysterious countries so like our own. Gulliver's travels criticizes everything. Theists, scientists, government, commonfolk, ethnicity, humanity itself. Few are spared, and most of the satire is just as fresh today.

While very faithful to the story, the movie also dares adding new angles, all which work very well. The screen writer deserves all credit for managing to balance so well between time and activity(it's not boring, that is).

Production values are way beyond a TV movie. With some marketing this movie would have done well at the box office. All of the fantastic worlds Gulliver visits are well-made, explained in detail and often very funny, much like Swift's book.

Actors are all pros, since this is a British production. Mary Steenburgen stands out, along with James Fox's Dr. Bates, the chillingly cruel doctor who, much like nurse Ratched, only wants the patient's best.

So, a modest proposal, if you ever get the chance to get this movie, do so. It's a real treat.

I guess I have to write something here, although I think my one summary says it all. I'm not a huge Ted Danson fan... nothing against the man, just hasn't "done it" for me. This covers the sides of Swift's novel that were never covered before. You can tell the cast was having a wonderful time filming this.