Product Details

• Actors: Jack Mercer
• Directors: Dave Fleischer
• Format: Full Screen, NTSC, Color
• Language: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: Legend
• DVD Release Date: February 19, 2008
• Run Time: 78 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B000ZIZX4K
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #142,720 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

When Hoppity the grasshopper returns to Bugville, he finds all is not well when humans threaten the survival of his town. After moving his friends to a beautiful city garden, owned by the kind-hearted human songwriters Dick and Mary, tragedy strikes and they must return to the lowlands. All can be saved – but the evil C. Bagley Beetle hatches a destructive and selfish scheme with his bungling henchmen. Can Hoppity save his friends and his girl from the evil Beetle? Max Fleischer’s brilliantly animated movie takes you on a journey inside the amazing world of Bugville and is a heartwarming story presented in classic vintage animation that will delight kids and fans of all ages!

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Classic Brought Back from the Dead, December 4, 2008

By 

Teresa Anson (Michigan, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bugville (DVD)

Bugville is the second re-titling of the 1941 Max Fleischer animated classic, which has otherwise been known as Hoppity Goes to Town or Mr. Bug Goes to Town, respectively. For the uninitiated, the Fleischer brothers were an animation powerhouse that rivaled Disney at the time--producing cartoon greats like Popeye, Superman and Betty Boop--only to be undone by the extremely poor timing of this film's release (several days after Pearl Harbor). Since the Fleischers were often distinguished from their competitors because of their use of human characters in their cartoons, as opposed to the industry standard anthropomorphic animal, I find it interesting that the film that forced them out of their own studio featured anthropomorphic animals.

History lesson aside, anyone who has seen Popeye would have an excellent feel for the style and quality of the animation in Bugville, which more or less conforms to the visuals of the Fleischers' more renowned cartoons. Speaking directly to the quality of this particular DVD, it is certainly better than many of the other versions I've seen floating around the internet. The picture is clear, as opposed to the blurriness that seemed to pervade the other copies I've seen. The sound is likewise better, although still in mono. Overall, if you're interested in acquiring a version of Mr. Bug/Hoppity, this Bugville release seems to be the best readily available.

Noteworthy extras include biographical information on the Fleischers and several more of their cartoon shorts.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars WONDERFUL STORY, January 23, 2009

By 

Bo Bipidty (Ohio) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Bugville (DVD)

Bugville is filled with great musical numbers and a very interesting and engaging story. The characters are lovable and charming and there is heart in this film and lessons to be learned. Both my boys (9 and 3) were enthralled with the story as was I. It is filled with adorable adaptations of human's items (a compact case and powerder-puff is used as a bed, a glove over a doorway becomes a drape).

The quality of this particular DVD is excellent. The picture is clear and the sound is very good, although still in mono.

As another reviewer indicated, I too almost missed this title because I had heard of and was looking for "Hoppity Goes to Town." (There was some legal reasons why the name had to be changed.) This is a wonderful film. It is a classic and it's a shame more people don't know about it.

The Fleischers' really outdid themselves with this and never quite did so again. In reading up about this release, it was the first animated feature not adapted from a work of literature. (Also, the first one to take place in contemporary times, rather than "long ago and far away.") More recent feature cartoons such as Ants and Bugs were clearly influenced by this wonderful story. If this had originally been released a month sooner, I believe it would've been as well known as Disney's Snow White, and maybe better, since it's an original story. It's a shame it was never re-released to the theaters in the late 40's or released in video decades ago so that during the Fleischers' lifetimes, they would've been properly recognized for this wonderful production. Highly recommended for the whole family!

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars BUGVILLE - WONDERFUL, April 26, 2008

By 

KAREL R. GOTTLIEB "FERNLEY KAREL" (FERNLEY, NV USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Bugville: Hoppity Goes to Town (DVD)

I almost missed this title because I knew it as "Hoppity Goes to Town." This is a wonderful film. It is a classic, it's a shame more people don't know about how wonderful Max Fleischer's work was. Highly recommended for the whole family.