Customer Reviews

Creature Comforts [VHS]

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(17)
3 star:		(11)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

Being a "Wallace and Gromit" fan I recently bought this video, since Nick Park's first Oscar winner, "Creature Comforts," is featured. That 5 min skit focuses on interviews with claymation animals in a zoo about their impressions of zoo life. A creative and entertaining offering. It's easy to see why it was a winner. Younger children may not appreciate the extremely dry British humor of "Creature Comforts" though. It's still 5 stars in my book. "Creature Comforts" is, by the way, the only Nick Park offering on the tape.

The next offering, "Wat's Pig," is a nearly silent story of royalty, a stolen twin heir to the throne, and what happens to each of the twins as they grow. This is probably the piece that is most entertaining to viewers of all ages, though it lacks some of the fundamental charm of characters like "Wallace and Gromit." A 4 star offering in my book. Good but not fabulous.

The third offering, "Not Without My Handbag," is a dark claymation offering, featuring the devil who recruits new inhabitants of hell by having them sign incredibly complicated lease agreements for appliances. This is a rather grizzly flick that is not at all suitable for younger children (maybe younger than 10 yrs or so), even though it is filmed in a medium typically earmarked for them. The story is interesting, but I don't plan to watch it many if any more times. It probably does deserve some critical acclaim, but this is NOT a film for children...I can alreay hear the wailing from bad dreams in the middle of the night if my children were to watch it.

The fourth flick, "Adam," is a somewhat comical silent film depicting the creation of a being on a small planet. It does have some good sight gags, and Adam -- the main character -- has a personality that you soon get to know. I have to admit that I wasn't too jazzed to see that the animator chose to make Adam anatomically correct (though not overtly so). If that had not been the case, I would say that this film is fair game for the younger set. But, as it stands, we chose not to show this one to our kids either. It is, nevertheless, still an entertaining offering, especially as Adam interacts with his small planet.

I'd say that the first show is definitely 5 stars, while the others are in the 3.5 to 4 star range, for an overall rating of 4 stars for the entire tape.

This tape is best reserved for the adult claymation fan, rather than for viewing by younger children.

4 stars.

Alan Holyoak

This DVD includes four shorts from the company that produced the Wallace & Gromit shorts. These are:

1) Creature Comforts - directed by Nick Park, this short is only five minutes long. It is a funny concept: animals are interviewed at a zoo, and they talk about the advantages and drawbacks of captivity. This, however, gives no space to the excellent action scenes that charactherize Park's best work. It is just the animals talking in front of the microphone.

2) Wat's Pig - this one narrates the story of two brothers separated at birth: one ends as king, the other is raised by a pig. There is no payoff here at the end.

3) Not without my handbag - this one is weird, in the line of Beetlejuice. Some people say it is a little scary for small children. I don't think is scarier than other cartoons in TV. This is the funnier of the lot.

4) Adam - a small (and naked) man in a small planet, "a la The Little Prince", while his creator (God) works on him. Interesting, and more in line with the visual humor that we expect.

Somes notes regarding the price. Ten dollars sounds cheap for a DVD disc but consider that it is only 35 minutes long, it is not close captioned and lacks any extras. The transference, as noted by other reviewers, is not great (while maybe better than VHS, but that is expected).

I will recommend this disc only to the die hard fans of clay animation.

Aardman animation has produced some of the best stop-frame, claymation adventures I've seen--ever. I'm an animation addict, so I know what I'm saying.

"Creature Comforts" is a bit different than some of Nick Park's other work. I'm sure you've heard of his newest adventure, "Chicken Run," and maybe you know about "Wallace & Gromit." All three of the W&G adventures are fantastic and if you do know of them, then you'll probably enjoy "Creature Comforts." The witty British humor can't be beat.

This video is a collection of four shorts. Each short has a feeling of its own and brings a different level of humor to the whole collection.

The first short is the namesake of this collection. "Creature Comforts" is a documentary, of sorts. The viewer gets an inside look at life in a London Zoo. The animals are so cute! Even the feces is crafted in a "cute" way (if you can say that about excrement). As the characters discuss their lives in the zoo they comment on what could be improved: the temperature, the food, and as the large cat says (with a notable Brazillian accent), "More space. We need more space." It is a funny short, but there is a deeper meaning if you care to look for it. It's played occasionally on Cartoon Network or Nickelodeon between commercials--keep your eyes peeled for it if you decide not to purchase this collection. You may like it.

The second short on the tape is called "Wat's Pig." This is a cute-sy story of twins separated at birth; one boy becomes the King and the other becomes a farmer. Wat is the farmer, but the question is...is he unlucky? Through the course of the adventure a viewer is entertained, but also is shown the lesson that power and money do not necessarily bring happiness. This one is not the best on the tape, but it is enjoyable and fine viewing for the whole family.

If you're still reading this review, I'd like to talk about the next short--it is the best on the tape! "Not Without My Handbag" is a wacko story of a lady being sent to hell because she did not make her washer payment on time. Some French/English tension that exists in the world is displayed in a comical way here. Aardman chose to portray the devil as a gluttonous Frenchman--the underwriter to the washer payment contract. Oh, it's quite funny and some of my favorite lines have come from this short, such as a complacently phrased: "My Auntie is a zombie from hell." This comes from the little girl pictured on the cover of the video (in the polka dot dress).

Although I often stop the tape once I've enjoyed the third short (can you tell it's my favorite?), the last film on this video seems to be an experiment in clay and creation. "Adam" is fairly simple. A male figure is created by live-action hands and wanders a small clay globe looking for something to do. The hands of god (the animator) play a dominant role as well. There's not too much to this short, but it is worth watching at least a couple of times.

Overall this video is filled with fun and laughter and meaning. "Not without my handbag" isn't for the small kids, but it certainly would entertain older children and your over-active inner child. If you liked W&G or "Chicken Run," then buy this collection--you won't be disappointed.

Any fan of Nick Park and Aardman studio would expect so much from a dvd like this which unfortunately disappoints badly in all respects.

Beware!!!!! The dvd consists ONLY four short films from aardman. Other than the ever popular, groundbreaking short claymation "creature comforts" which also won Nick Park his very first academy award, there's "wat's pig", academy award nominated "adam" and "not without my handbag". The running time of the disc is barely half an hour. Forget about any extras on the disc, the sound and picture quality is just not of a dvd.

There's much much more about three time academy award winner Nick Park and Aardman studio than just these four shorts! Those who have a multiregion dvd player or watch dvds from different region on their pc, have a brilliant option of buying a dvd named "AARDMAN CLASSICS" from region 2 (also available from AMAZON.CO.UK). It has an astounding 31 (yes!!!!) short films by Aardman, including the four mentioned earlier. It also includes a behind the scenes commentary and directors and animators biographies. It is a real complete collection of award winning short films from aardman studio on one dvd.

Inspite of the four great films it consists, "creature comforts" dvd is just not worth your money. Getting "wallace and gromit" or "chicken run" on dvd would be a much better idea.

"Creature Comforts" is the name of the first claymation short that is worth the small price of the DVD. The film was done by the creator of the popular "Wallace & Grommit" series. It is an documentatry style interview with various British zoo animals about their living conditions. Very hilarious. My favorite is the Brazilian big cat (panther?) that discusses needing space. Although the turtles are a close second with their antics in the background.

The other three shorts are watchable, but only so-so. I would not recommend "Adam" or "Not Without My Handbag" for children. "Creature Comforts" would be okay -- but the humor would most likely be over their heads. The remaining "Watt's Pig" is okay for kids (I guess) but a bit boring for adults.

The DVD had the opportunity to show how the art was done, etc... which would have been very interesting. However, nothing extra is done.

From Aardman Animation Studios, creators of Wallace and Gromit and Chicken Run, come four wonderful animation shorts.

The first, Creature Comforts, winner of the 1990 Oscar for Best Animated Short Film, is cute, as various zoo animals are interviewed on what it's like to live in a zoo. This one contained some of the funniest moments of the four shorts on this disc. This short runs about 6 minutes.

The second short, Wat's Pig, is a story of two brothers born into nobility and separated at a young age, one becoming the ruler of a kingdom, and the other a poor peasant, and what happens when a neighboring kingdom decides to declare war. This one runs about 11 minutes.

The third short, Not Without My Handbag, is a darkly humorous tale, which is, as other reviewers put it, in a rather different style of animation than the other three shorts. The style and story line reminded me a lot of Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas. Due to the darker humor of the subject matter here, it may not be appropriate for younger viewers. This one runs about 11 minutes.

The final short, Adam, is a funny look at the first being created, and the problems he must face in a rather limited environment. This one runs approximately 6 minutes.

In all, there is about 35 minutes of material here (no extras), and even at a seemingly lower price, one must consider if it's worth the money. I did enjoy all the shorts, but I do wish they could have included more, even if it meant a higher cost. I would have liked seen these included as extras on either a Wallace and Gromit or Chicken Run DVD, but to release so few on one DVD seems a little wasteful. I feel like I've just had the appetizer, and now I am waiting for the entree.

I have the video version of 'Creature Comforts' and it's one of my all time favorites. There are four shorts, all from Aardman Studios--home of the famed Nick Park, creator of Wallace and Gromit.

The first short is called Creature Comforts, and is the only one to fully reflect Nick Park's style and humor. It's hilarious and the details are wonderful. The british accents can get a bit tough to understand at times, but it's worth watching over and over to get the full meaning and catch all the little jokes.

There are three other shorts, each with a completely different style and sensibility, and all of them displaying master level animation and brilliant attention to detail. My favorite of the other three is 'Not Without My handbag'-- the animation style is completely different than the other three, and the story is hilarious, in a film noir/black comedy kind of way.

If you love Wallace and Gromit, are a fan of animation in general, or love dry british wit...you'll love Creature Comforts. Enjoy!

A lot of these reviewers seem to be preoccupied with whether these shorts are appropriate for children, never mind that these skits are brilliant. "Adam" seems to be a funny minimalist take on existentialism; it's a wonderful exercise in economy and brainy physical humor. "Wat's Pig" is a lovely prince and pauper tale with some of the prettiest "pop classical" music I've heard in animation, recalling Beethoven's pastoral 6th symphony in mood. The piece has a lot of atmosphere and makes me happy. "Creature Comforts" is deservedly famous for its animated spin on real life dialogue. The Handbag sketch is my least favorite, and to be honest I haven't watched it in awhile. Still, some of these are amongst the very best animated shorts.

Update: I'd like to add that these skits can also be viewed for free at the following website, letting you choose your favorites: http://www.atomfilms.com/af/spotlight/collections/aardman/

Creature Comforts is just a 5 minute film but of such quality that it is worth the $9.99 price of the tape. The 3 shorts on the rest of the tape are by other animators, and not my first choice. Although they are first-rate claymation, they are not great stories. In fact, if I were a child, the "handbag" one (though really cute looking) would creep me out a bit. However, I disagree with other(s) (...) who think the 1st short, "Creature Comforts," is not for children. I think kids will enjoy it, and as they grow, understand the many layers of meaning in it. As for the 2nd one - "Watt's Pig" - this is perfect for children as it is pure pantomime and set in the middle ages with castles and knights. It also demonstrates good morals. But the main reason why I insist on owning this tape is ... the title short, "Creature Comforts," is one of the best short films of any kind, and frankly I have to have it around just to show people. No matter how many times I've seen that one, it's still great. It's a bogus documentary interviewing animals at the zoo and their perception of how they are treated, and the living conditions. It is brilliant, a work of art.

My two children (ages 4 & 6) LOVE Wallace and Gromit. After reading some of the reviews, we thought they would enjoy this. Not a chance. "Creature Comforts" (the only Nick Parks animation on the video) went way over their heads. "Wad's Pig" was about the horrors of war, and "Not Without My Pocketbook" left them with bad dreams for a month. For adults, it's cute, 3-4 stars, for small kids, 0 stars and this warning! If you want something the whole family will enjoy over and over again, buy the Wallace & Gromit three pack.