The Wind in the Willows (2006)

Excellent but underrated film

Absolutely the worst movie.

A lot of fun.

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

The Wind in the Willows is a live action adaptation of Kenneth Grahame's famous book. A nervous Mole (Lee Ingleby) emerges from his hole and ventures out to the river where he encounters Ratty (Mark Gatiss) who takes him on a boat trip. They get taken on a caravan ride by Toad of Toad Hall (Matt Lucas) who then goes dashing about recklessly in a motorcar.Mole and Ratty join up with Badger (Bob Hoskins) to save Mr Toad from his reckless need for speed but he ends up in jail and then the weasles take over his manor.This is a fun family drama directed with some style by Rachel Talalay. Hoskins is suitably grumpy as Badger, Lucas is manic as Toad. There are some nice cameos from actors such as Jim Carter and Imelda Staunton. However the weasels were a letdown.

Who doesn't love the storybook Wind in the Willows? Chances are, I still have the book collecting dust somewhere. It was one of my favourites's as a child, and I was excited to see a live action movie version.Matt Lucas (as Toad) does a fantastic job. It's a heartwarming, delightful film that you will completely enjoy with your family, especially children because of the life lessons taught. Set creation was fantastically done and they stayed as true to the book as possible.I'm grateful that they didn't use much special effects, and I understand that hard-core book fans might note appreciate the artistic interpretations taken in some instances of this film.In conclusion, if you are a fan of the book, or if you have children, then I recommend this movie to you.

This is not the best version of Kenneth Grahame's wonderful book, but it is a very enjoyable one. It is amusing and charming with memorable, quirky performance and great costume and set design.The adaptation does look visually pleasing, with colourful costumes and sets and the scenery is beautiful. The camera work was also creative, with interesting angles. The story is still well-constructed, well-paced, fairly true in essence and has many charming interludes particularly the Piper at the Gates of Dawn sequence which was a delight to see.The writing is also playful and witty, particularly with Toad, and the characters are still their likable selves. The acting is in general very good. Matt Lucas occasionally overdoes it, but he also seems to be enjoying himself. Bob Hoskins is a wonderful badger, while Lee Ingleby is a touching Mole and Mak Gatiss a suitably subdued and subtle Ratty. Mary Walsh is lovely too, Imelda Staunton is very amusing and while the weasels are a slight disappointment they aren't in a lot of it to distract too much.Overall, a very enjoyable TV adaptation. 8/10 Bethany Cox

A highly enjoyable made-for-TV version of the story. The subtle costumes and understated acting are perfectly suited to the subject. Toad's frivolous and irresponsible behavior are well-captured, though I found him more childish than anything else. There are undertones of class separation and hints of the poverty of some of the characters that I found touching, and will go over the heads of many children, which to me is a plus.Bob Hoskins' Badger is a delight, and I have a soft spot for Mary Walsh, no matter how large or small the part she's in. The British and Canadian actors all bring their considerable talent to the table, despite the fact that most of them are relatively unknown (at least to the best of my knowledge).All-in-all, well worth renting or downloading, if you want a simple family movie for the holidays, or just a family movie night.