The Wind in the Willows (1997)

Pretty Good

Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

what a terribly boring film. I'm sorry but this is absolutely not deserving of best picture and will be forgotten quickly. Entertaining and engaging cinema? No. Nothing performances with flat faces and mistaking silence for subtlety.

One of the most extraordinary films you will see this year. Take that as you want.

When I first heard about this film, my first thought was - I'm going to hate it. I really like Monty Python, it had nothing to do with the fact that they were in it - I just thought I would hate it as I don't usually like it when animal characters are played by humans and don't look anything like the animals. Only when I watched this film (12 years after it was made) did I realize that was actually the point.Terry Jones is a fantastic Toad. He's got his personality and attitude to a T. Ditto for Badger, Ratty and Mole. The film is rather a comical version of the book, and whilst it stays along the same lines, there are a lot of changes of the storyline. Bits are added, and bits are removed...but I can say i was never once bored while watching this! Go ahead and check it out - I'm glad I did!

A real life interpretation of Wind in the Willows. Wind in the Willows was originally written by Kenneth Grahame in 1908.The Story is based around the self-absorbed Mr. Toad and his friends Rat, Mole and Badger. Toad becomes obsessed with motor cars, but keeps crashing them, and in the end it selling his field to the weasels to pay for more motor cars. So His friends try to help him by keeping him locked up inside until he gets over his obsession but one day he sneaks out when Rat goes down stays to fetch the picnic basket. In the end He gets arrested for stealing a Motor Car, Crashing it and assaulting a police officer. He then gets sent to jail for 100 years. While he is in jail, the weasels plan to blow up Toad Hall, his home. So, Luckily Rat and Mole Come up with a plan to rescue him, but will they get to toad hall in time? This is a great Movie a highly under rated. It is a great movie for all of those fans of Monty Python as it has 4 of the Python's in it, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, John Cleese and Michael Palin. This Movie is rather weird and random and does have the odd funny joke. This movie at time can be rather confusing, but it all joins up in the end. The all comedian cast really brings the characters to life, as well as their over the top costumes do as well. Steve Coogan does a very good job as the timid mole, and at ties it is hard to tell it is him. Terry Jones additionally does a marvelously comical job as the insane and arrogant Mr. Toad. Plus Eric idle does a commendable job as the clever Rat. This is a great Movie for Python fans, and for all ages, but maybe more suitable for the ages 7 to 12 mainly.

I have seen many versions of the famous Kenneth Grahame classic story, too many in fact, and this was the very first live action version. You probably already know the story, but this one has had a few changes made so it is a bit more exciting, but not too much. Mole (Steve Coogan) is painting his wall when suddenly his home starts to collapse and he runs away to find the river, and Rat (Eric Idle). They go to Toad (Terry Jones, also directing) at Toad Hall to find out that Weasels from the Wild Wood have bought the meadow where Mole's home was, it was Toad's father's meadow. They soon meet up with Badger (Nicol Williamson) and try to erase Toad's warped mind of motor cars. Later in the film you find out more from the Chief Weasel (Antony Sher) that he wants to turn Toad Hall into a slaughter house, and there is a new Dog Food Factory in the meadow. Apart from the small changes made, the story is still the same. Also starring John Cleese as Mr. Toad's Lawyer, Stephen Fry as The Judge, Bernard Hill as The Engine Driver, Michael Palin (also in the Rik Mayall cartoon version) as The Sun, Chicken Run's Julia Sawalha as The Jailer's Daughter and Victoria Wood as The Tea Lady. Okay, mainly for the kids!

I went to see this not really knowing what to expect - a Python slant on a great book, perhaps? The casting of the four main characters is perfect - Terry Jones, who also directed, is a joyous Mr Toad; Steve Coogan, surprisingly, is touching and affecting as Mole; Eric Idle (complete with whiskers that spring in surprise) is pretty close to the book's depiction of Ratty; and Nicol Williamson is hilarious as the crabby Mr Badger. But that is really as far as Jones went to appease Grahame's fans.His 'Wind in the Willows' takes these characters and puts them in a bizarre hybrid of song and dance (I love the weasels' song, led by a pleasingly sinister Antony Sher), and dog food factory plot - who did this idea first, this film, or Wallace and Gromit's A Close Shave? Not much is left of the source material - although what is left is at times very funny! Interesting cameo parts go to Michael Palin ('that's the advantage of being - the sun'); John Cleese (recycling an old Python plot about a defence lawyer only coming up with 'my client is guilty' statements); Stephen Fry (another Melchett-like judge); Victoria Wood (tea-lady), and Nigel Planer (motor-car man).I do wonder who this film was aimed at - surely not an adult audience or one of children? Perhaps the US decision to rebrand the product as 'Mr Toad's Wild Ride' was more accurate after all.