Product Details

• Directors: Bert Felstead
• Producers: David Hand
• Format: Animated, Color, HiFi Sound, NTSC
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Celebrity Home Enter
• VHS Release Date: May 12, 1998
• Run Time: 70 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 6304896549
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #485,149 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

David Hand came to the Disney Studio in 1930, where he directed 70 short cartoons, served as supervising director on Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and Bambi and as animation supervisor on Victory Through Air Power. In 1944, he moved to England to set up an animation studio: the shorts he produced there have not been seen in the U.S. in nearly 50 years. Although these cartoons are interesting historically, they're not particularly funny or entertaining. The characters are highly derivative: Ginger Nutt, the squirrel who appears in four of the films, is essentially Thumper with shorter ears and a longer tail, but Ginger lacks the vivid charm that makes Thumper come alive on the screen. "The Australian Platypus" is too predictable and too cute--problems that the stolid pacing only amplifies. "The Ostrich" recalls the "Swing Symphonies" Walter Lantz made around the same time, especially the production number "Don't Hide Your Head in the Sand," performed by hieroglyphics in an Egyptian ruin. Although it goes nowhere, that sequence showcases a graphic imagination missing from the other films. The Animaland series reveals that David Hand, like animation greats Ub Iwerks and Bill Tytla, never equaled the work he did for Walt Disney. --Charles Solomon

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars one of my favorite animated DVDs!, October 6, 2002

By 

James Fieser (Martin, TN USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Animaland (DVD)

Animaland is an exceptionally clever and enjoyable collection of cartoon shorts, with the unique ability to keep the attention of both children and adults. David Hand and his production team did not simply mimic the style of Disney's cartoons, but tried to push the envelope, developing clever plots, strange characters, and sometimes surreal settings. Most of the shorts are fast-paced action stories, with minimal dialog. When the characters do speak, they often have British accents. Some of the shorts are introduced by an off-screen British narrator, who, parodying instructional nature films, gives "scientific" information about the lead animal. The original music is catchy, perfectly timed with the visuals, and provides good instrumental sound effects. The animation is sophisticated, as we'd expect from Hand's reputation as a key Disney animation director. My favorite is "The Ostrich" in which a male Ostrich steps into a two-dimensional Egyptian Hieroglyphic to pursue a female Ostrich. The vocal lyrics to that segment are hilarious, and the animation mesmerizing.

A few comments on the reviews below. Comparisons with Disney characters are misleading; Animaland characters have personalities of their own - often very British. The audio to the DVD is fabulous in view of the date of the source material. Yes, the cartoons are charming and comparatively wholesome, but we're not talking Teletubbies here. The two words I'd use are "zany" and "intelligent".

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Charming, but the audio quality is very poor., September 27, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Animaland (DVD)

These are classic cartoons with a wonderful romantic quality, but I find the audio quality (or lack thereof) to be distracting at times.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars High class animation is great fun to watch!, November 25, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Animaland [VHS] (VHS Tape)

This is a terrific title for kids and adults, full of cute characters and beautiful backgrounds. Hand has truly brought to life a magical forest. There are many different stories detailing the exploits of the animals in the forest. I am reminded of the classic period of animation back in the 30's, when Disney and Warner Brothers were the kings!