Customer Reviews

The Harryhausen Chronicles

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

If you're considering a purchase of this title, but are wary because of the occasional misinformation and confusion regarding the original screen ratio and the preservation of this ratio in the transfer, then don't fret. With no intention of starting a debate, I can comfortably state that the film hasn't been re-formatted to fit your screen (although this is inaccurately stated before the film begins). Concerned that the studio/corporation had balked on an authentic widescreen transfer, I spent more time than I care to admit in pursuit of clues and/or answers without doing any severe film-scholar-like research. Anyway, although you may encounter what appears to be a 16X9 transfer in the U.K. and EU markets, I don't believe that these are any more accurate than the supposed widescreen preview/trailer found on several of the Harryhausen Collection discs. In fact, it's the very preview on "3 Worlds" for "3 Worlds" that solved the riddle. Here's the deal: It's a banded, or barred trailer (wherein the black bars at the top and bottom are actually hiding or covering the picture beneath). Whether this was done for exhibition on a 1:85 to 1 or 16X9 big screen, I can't say, but the visual material in between the bars is composed the same as the "supposedly" cropped transfer. I took a couple of easy-to-find images from the trailer and double-checked them by using the chapter search. Anyway, you don't want the widescreen version of "3 Worlds" anymore than you want a widescreen version of "Shane." It simply isn't the screen ratio in which these films were shot. If you think I'm wrong, then please check for yourself. Screen composition and visuals are only being compromised in the artificially "wide" versions. Lastly, while viewing this watered-down, but totally delightful feature, you'll notice that the on-screen composition fits the 1:37 to 1 ratio, which is to say that the character group shots fit very comfortably, as does the entirety of the film's action, while there aren't any distracting pan-and-scan artificial edits that usually show up during two-shot dialogue sequences and the like... Please pardon this messy and long-winded response to the transfer complaints that I came across, but I felt sort of obligated to save some time for those of you who may want to view or purchase this title, but may (understandably) hesitate due to the feedback conflict.

"THE HARRYHAUSEN CHRONICLES" focuses on the art of Ray Harryhausen. This affectionate and classy documentary is a perfect companion title to the feature "20 Million Miles to Earth." Narrated by Leonard Nimoy and written, produced and directed by Richard Schickel, Time magazine's film critic and film historian, this entertaining celebration of Harryhausen's singular cinematic legacy features numerous film clips and observations by George Lucas and others whose lives were impacted by his films. Harryhausen says the "essence of fantasy is the transfer of reality into the imagination." Certainly his remarkable stop-motion sequences have entertained generations and haunted memories. Schickel says it best with an observation spoken by Nimoy: "In this moment of mechanized imagination, this unforgettable work recalls for us the value of the open and wondering eye and the informed and compassionate heart."

Jonathan Swift's satirical novel is given the Ray Harryhausen treatment, and though most of the satire is lost, there still remains echoes of it. For instance, the war the Lilliputians are involved in revolves around the best way to crack open your eggs...from the top or the bottom? And of course in Brobdingnag, any unusual behavior is attached to witchcraft..sound familiar?
At any rate, this is one of the least visually impressive of Harryhausen's works, mainly because the script didn't call for a lot of the trademark stop action effects. The squirrel and alligator are impressive, but don't come near any of the other creatures Harryhausen so brilliantly created. For a 1960 film, however, the effects are impressive.
Kerwin Mathews, who gained his stardom with THE SEVENTH VOYAGE OF SINBAD and JACK THE GIANT KILLER is sort of a British John Gavin. His dashing good looks and charming accent made him an ideal catch for the idealist Gulliver. Jo Morrow (the original 13 Ghosts) played Gwendolyn, and June Thorburn (Tom Thumb) was Gulliver's Elizabeth. The talented character actor Gregoire Aslan was a perfectly foppish Emperor, and Lee Patterson (Tv'S Surfside 6) a gallant prime minister.
While not a bad film by any means, GULLIVER just doesn't have the overwhelming magic of previous Harryhausen efforts. But it is entertaining and I think kids will like it.

Sad that so many people rated this as one star since in fact the chronicles are interesting and well done. Why the studio decided to release this on a separate DVD when it is all ready on most Ray Harryhausen DVD movies released is odd. Suffice it to say the chronicles are well worth seeing. If you want them just buy a great Harryhausen movie like "Jason and the Argonauts" or "Mysterious Island" on DVD.

This excellent documentary is already available on the DVDs "7th Voyage of Sinbad", "First men on the Moon", and several other DVD releases. I can't imagine that the "creatures gallery" could justify a purchase of this, even for die-hard model-building fans.

Like most of Ray Harryhausen's films, THE 3 WORLDS OF GULLIVER is not a film to watch for plotting and drama. The acting is overall mediocre (the girl who plays Glumdalclitch is terrible), and the plot removes much of Swift's satirical touches that made his book so damn ingenius. It is a movie to simply entertain you, and it succeeds excellently at that. Like the reviews on the cover and booklet included in the DVD state, the two most notable features of the film are the music and special effects. Bernard Herrmann's whimsical score is one of his best, and you'll find yourself whistling the melodies for weeks afterwards. And, of course, there are the special effects; they are nothing short of astonishing. This was 1960, people, and they totally outdo some of the ... CGI plaguing the cinema these days! Diehard Harryhausen fans may be disappointed with the fact that the film is almost devoid of any stop-motion effects. However, what IS present (during the two scenes with the giant squirrel and alligator) is extremely impressive. The main effects in the film are those of miniscule and giant people, and they're some of the best special effects I've ever seen.

THE 3 WORLDS OF GULLIVER is part of Columbia Pictures' "Ray Harryhausen Signature Collection", and like all other titles, the first-rate documentary "The Ray Harryhausen Chronicles" and the featurette "This Is Dynamation" are both included. As well, the film has digitally mastered audio and video, the latter of which has been remastered in high definition and looks brand-new.

No Ray Harryhausen DVD collection would be complete without THE 3 WORLDS OF GULLIVER, a rollicking good time complete with first-rate music and special effects.

This was one of the first films I ever saw and parts of it stuck in my imagination for 43 years. So, sitting down with my kids, I was very curious as to how I wd find it. In a nutshell, it is great.

But the most rewarding thing was how much my kids loved it, in particular my son. At 6, the whole story to him was fascinating and got him to ask me all sorts of questions, like, why are the Lilliputians arguning about such silly things and why are the giants so dumb? That is exactly what Swift was hoping to do with this tale, which espouses many of the theories (rationality, the uses of science in human society, etc.) that were becoming popular with the enlightenment. What a delight to discuss these issues with my kids!! THen there are the characters, such as Gulliver's naivte, which leads to some life-threatening situations. Finally, there are the wonderful special effects - Harryhausen had a certain genius for his time - which are crude by today's standards by still enthralling.

Warmly recommended for the entire family. (Note: I got this as part of the 5-film package deal of Harryhausen films, which cost just 1/3 more than this stand-alone version and lacks the documentaries, which I don't think are worth the difference in price.)

3 Worlds of Gulliver has some pretty high expectations to meet being that special effects master Ray Harryhausen was involved. The master of stop motion model effects, Harryhausen was responsible for creating giant Cyclops, Medusas and battling skeletons in other films like "Jason and the Argonauts" and "7th Voyage of Sinbad". Unfortunately, "Gulliver" did not call for such a roster of memorable creatures.

Most of the effects have to deal with size, true to the novel by Jonathan Swift. Gulliver either occupies a world of giants, or a world where he is the giant. Harryhausen pulls off these sequences quite convincingly using minatures, over-sized props, or perspective shots with the "giants" closer to the camera than the "little people.". Nevertheless, there are a few stop motion monsters that are in line with Harryhausen's other works- a giant alligator for Gulliver to fight in the land of the giants, and a giant chipmunk sequence that makes for one of the films best scenes. Still and all, despite the shortage of stop motion monsters, Gulliver is harmless entertaining family fun. It is a well mounted production that still holds up today, and completes the collection for any Harryhausen fan.

Yes, it IS disappointing that the Columbia Pictures "The 3 Worlds Of Gulliver" DVD is NOT a widescreen presentation. (For other aspects of the DVD quality, I'll leave that to other reviewers.) However, anyone with some knowledge of film techniques would not call someone an idiot for complaining about that. In fact, it's quite the reverse.

While a movie may be shot with the widescreen view in mind (widescreen crop marks are engraved into the camera's view-finder), such pictures are actually shot "full screen" on the 35mm (or other size) negative. A "soft matte" of top and bottom black bars (added later), restores the director's on-set composition and gives the audience it's widescreen view. This can be seen in "Gulliver" by viewing the included "theatrical trailer" ... which is in widescreen format! What we're getting with this DVD is an "editing-booth" presentation of Gulliver rather than the "theatrical release" one.

This is THE release from Columbia Pictures. Yet, there seems to be another release which properly has the "soft-matte" in place for widescreen presentation [see the review of the "region 2" release of Gulliver at http://www.zetaminor.com/ ]. This is how it SHOULD have been released here.

So, don't be afraid to be called an idiot. Rather, complain to Columbia Pictures and call THEM the idiots. And demand OUR widescreen version!

The correct aspect ratio (screen size) for this film, as it was filmed in widescreen, is 1.66:1, and is the format by which Columbia or Sony should have released this film on DVD.