THUMBELINA (DVD/FAMILY FEATURE) DVD

Thumbelina
The voices of Carol Channing, John Hurt, Jodi Benson and Gilbert Gottfried help bring this wonderful Hans Christian Andersen story to life. Barry Manilow contributed heavily to the film's music. Children still seem to enjoy this story about a young girl who was the size of a human thumb. She was kidnapped by a toad, just when she hoped to continue her life with Cornelius the Fairy Prince. This is a good "family film" with few, if any, parts that might be considered questionable for children. Kids are likely to enjoy how Gilbert Gottfried does the voice of a strange beetle and how Carol Channing breathes life into Ms. Fieldmouse. ~ Elizabeth Smith, All Movie Guide

Cast Jodi Benson as Thumbelina Carol Channing as Ms. Fieldmouse Charo as Mrs. Toad Gino Conforti as Jacquimo Barbara Cook as Mother Kendall Cunningham as Baby Bug June Foray as Queen Tabitha Tawny Sunshine Glover as Gnatty Gilbert Gottfried as Mr. Beetle John Hurt as Mr. Mole

Crew Barry Atkinson - Art Director John Hill - Animator Len Simon - Animator Jean Morel - Animator Dave Kupczyk - Animator Piet de Rycker - Animator Richard Bazley - Animator Russell Boland - Associate Producer Don Bluth - Director Gary Goldman - Director Thomas V. Moss - Editor Barry Manilow - Composer (Music Score) Jack Feldman - Composer (Music Score) Mark Isham - Composer (Music Score) Bruce Sussman - Composer (Music Score) William Ross - Composer (Music Score) Rowland Wilson - Production Designer Gary Goldman - Producer Don Bluth - Producer John Pomeroy - Producer John K. Carr - Sound/Sound Designer Judy Taylor - Sound/Sound Designer Lynda Gordon - Sound/Sound Designer John Pomeroy - Supervisor/Manager Don Bluth - Screenwriter Willard Carroll - Screenwriter Hans Christian Andersen - Short Story Author

Thumbelina
Disney's revitalization of its animation department in the late 1980s -- and their subsequent huge box office returns -- created a boom period for animated features from other sources as well, although few found significant financial success. Thumbelina, produced in the middle of this period, is another frustrating offering from director/animator Don Bluth. Clearly a talented cartoonist, Bluth has produced few films that realize their promise, and Thumbelina is no exception. The film's biggest problem is its screenplay, which is so freely drawn from the Andersen fairy tale as to have almost nothing in common with it beyond the idea of a tiny girl. The movie also discards the fragile delicacy of the fairy tale in favor of broad humor and hackneyed plotting. In addition, the story Bluth and Willard Carroll have devised centers around one of the most passive characters ever created for a film. Aside from her size, there is nothing distinctive about Thumbelina, and the adult viewer eventually grows tired of her, despite a fine effort from Jodi Benson. Matters are not helped by the ho-hum Barry Manilow score, which contains only one decent number ("Let Me Be Your Wings.") As usual with Bluth, the animation is superior to the story, but while it contains a number of interesting sequences, too much of it is merely serviceable. In addition to Benson, good supporting work is turned in by Carol Channing, Gilbert Gottfried and Charo. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide
 

(no awards)

General Specifications: Language Options: English Subtitle Options: English, Spanish Sound Processing: DD: Generic Dolby Digital (unspecified format) Additional Features: Featurette TV spots Interactive menus Scene selection Presented in both widescreen and Pan & Scan Anamorphic widescreen [aspect ratio 1.78:1] Audio: English Dolby Surround Subtitles: English, Spanish DVD Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1: Alternate Wide Screen 1.33:1: Pre-1954 Standard MPAA Rating: G DVD Discs Included: 1 DVD Sides: 2 DVD DVD Region Code: 1 Content Length: 86 min Part of Series: Fox Family Feature   DVD Chapters: Side #1 -- Widescreen 0. Scene Selection 1. Main Titles [1:36] 2. "Follow Your Heart" Intro [2:24] 3. Once Upon a Time [1:25] 4. "Thumbelina" [3:05] 5. A Fairy Prince [4:07] 6. Going for a Spin [4:08] 7. Kidnapped [:26] 8. "On the Road" [4:59] 9. "Follow Your Heart" [3:59] 10. With the Toads [2:02] 11. Mr. Beetle [6:02] 12. "Yer Beautiful Baby" [3:23] 13. "Show Us Your Wings" [:19] 14. Mr. Beetle's Idea [:36] 15. The Prince in Ice [2:08] 16. "Soon" [2:12] 17. Under Ground [3:50] 18. "Marry the Mole" [2:12] 19. The Vale of the Fairies [2:57] 20. End Titles [1:26] Side #2 -- Standard 0. Scene Selection 1. Main Titles [1:35] 2. "Follow Your Heart" Intro [2:24] 3. Once Upon a Time [1:25] 4. "Thumbelina" [3:05] 5. A Fairy Prince [4:07] 6. Going for a Spin [4:08] 7. Kidnapped [:26] 8. "On the Road" [4:59] 9. "Follow Your Heart" [3:59] 10. With the Toads [2:02] 11. Mr. Beetle [6:02] 12. "Yer Beautiful Baby" [3:23] 13. "Show Us Your Wings" [:19] 14. Mr. Beetle's Idea [:36] 15. The Prince in Ice [2:08] 16. "Soon" [2:12] 17. Under Ground [3:50] 18. "Marry the Mole" [2:12] 19. The Vale of the Fairies [2:57] 20. End Titles [1:26]