'Rikki-Tikki Tavi' is not the only time Soyuzmultfilm adapted any work from Rudyard Kipling, with them also having 'Mowgli' (one of their best in my view) and two adaptations of 'The Cat Who Walked by Himself' (both very good, especially the latter). It is not one of my favourite works of Kipling, partly down to not being as familiar to me as 'The Jungle Book' and the 'Just So Stories' which were childhood favourites (whereas this was introduced to me quite late).
This 1965 adaptation does a very good job adapting it. There are significant changes to the original story, namely the setting (Indian family rather than British plantation owners) and the protagonist's primary role in the story (protecting humanity against deadly species rather than just foreign conquerors against natives). Those who like their adaptations to be 100 percent faithful will be disappointed, but those looking for something of high quality and that has successfully found ways of working around the more troubling aspects of the story. All of Aleksandra Snezhko-Blotskaya's solo work ranges between very good and must see, and this is one of the very good ones.
Not much wrong here, though other Soyuzmultfilm animations deliver more on the charm and the emotion.
As well as a slightly more appealing animation style for the characters, the stylised look occasionally lacking refinement.
On the whole though, the animation is impressive with very rich attention to detail in the backgrounds and great vibrancy and atmosphere. The music always fits in tone and placement and never sounded appropriate, it rouses and haunts and sounds lovely. The voice acting is expressive without being too theatrical.
Did like the way the characters were portrayed, with the mongoose being wonderfully heroic and relatable and the enemy in the form of snakes genuinely menacing. The conflict has real tension. The writing flows well and probes thought and the story is involving, inspires and has the right amount of tension and emotional impact.
In conclusion, very well done. 8/10.
