The Adventures of Mark Twain (1985)
Based on elements from the stories of Mark Twain, this feature-length Claymation fantasy follows the adventures of Tom Sawyer, Becky Thatcher and Huck Finn as they stowaway aboard the interplanetary balloon of Mark Twain. Twain, disgusted with the human race, is intent upon finding Halley's Comet and crashing into it, achieving his "destiny." It's up to Tom, Becky, and Huck to convince him that his judgment is wrong and that he still has much to offer humanity that might make a difference. Their efforts aren't just charitable; if they fail, they will share Twain's fate. Along the way, they use a magical time portal to get a detailed overview of the Twain philosophy, observing the "historical" events that inspired his works.
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I wanted to but couldn't!
A film with more than the usual spoiler issues. Talking about it in any detail feels akin to handing you a gift-wrapped present and saying, "I hope you like it -- It's a thriller about a diabolical secret experiment."
It's a good bad... and worth a popcorn matinée. While it's easy to lament what could have been...
It is neither dumb nor smart enough to be fun, and spends way too much time with its boring human characters.
i first saw this film, god knows how many years ago (something like 18-20 years ago) and it stuck with me.... most specifically the duality of the character of mark twain himself and the roller-coaster ride thru modern western mythology... there's some fairly deep ideas in here,(which given the current social and religious climate), we are unlikely to see again on screen for a while. i cant imagine anyone making anything this experimental again for quite some time, much less expecting children to be able to understand and keep up... if this was available on DVD id buy it in a heartbeat.... has anyone come across anything with a similar flavour?
This film was one of my favourites as a child, and has remained so for many and various reasons. The Claymation in the film is second-to-none, with objects and characters continually reshaping themselves in a most psychedelic fashion. The story is fantastic, and weaves together several of Mark Twain's lesser known tales using a fantastically depicted frame story of his most famous characters (Huck Finn, Tom Sawyer, and Becky Thatcher) stowing away on Twain's balloon in which he intends to meet Halley's comet, there in the year of his birth and the year of his death. (Quote: "There go those two unaccountable freaks, they came in together and they must go out together") This movie is not just visually superb, it brings its viewer through the story with all the emotions that a great movie should bring to its viewer. From joy in the touching antics of 'Our Ancestor Adam' from the 'Diary of Adam and Eve' section through some brilliantly evocative quotes spoken by the fantastically animated 'Twain' to the eerie and fearful intensity that comes when the central characters meet 'An Angel', this movie has true and unconventional value.I would recommend this to everyone, but as I'd like it to remain one of cinema's rare hidden gems, don't watch it unless you're ready to be amazed...
This is some great claymation. Great detail caught in the facial expressions, lots of characters and settings. This film is truly a captivating visual experience. Mark Twain is driving an airship to Haley's Comet into his demise, and his characters Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn have stowawayed themselves on the ship. Some of Mark Twain's other stories are told in the process in claymation, and creation, death, and the afterlife are all explored. This film is not just for kids as it has a very adult sense of humor and some very deep themes. I really enjoyed it more than I expected too, definitely a classic in clay-animation.
This movie is a wonderful treat for any age. A child can grow up with this movie and see it differently as he/she matures. As a great fan of Mark Twain, I can say this movie has never disappointed me.It has a wonderful storyline and the claymation makes for better than average animation. There are some truly dark parts in this movie that young children will not understand, but that adults may find disturbing.I have watched this movie many times and have never tired of it. There are few movies I have watched more than once. The script is so well developed from all the material that Twain wrote, that I have been continuously impressed at its depth. The broad outline of the story is based on the fact that Samuel Clemens was born and died in successive passes of Halley's Comet. Huck Finn, Tom Sawyer and Becky Thatcher are along on a ride on an airship invented by Mark Twain. Portions of Twain's stories are presented as "chapters" in the overall storyline.The sad part is the unavailability of the movie. It was released on video tape, but now there are only a few used tapes for sale. I vote for release on DVD so the movie could reach a wider audience. I will certainly buy multiple copies to give as presents to all the Twain fans I know.