Customer Reviews

The Wacky World of Mother Goose

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

 

 

This is an extraordinary version of Mother Goose as seen through the talented and always original eyes of Rankin-Bass. I was a teenager when this first came out and loved it; I mostly forgot about it until I read the title and then it all came flooding back, the pictures, the colors, the music and the wonderfully bizarre characters interpreted by this great team. I did think, from time to time, of a wonderful TV cartoon I had seen and it had Mother Goose characters in it but I couldn't remember what it was...it stayed in the back of my mind for years until I bought a copy of Rick Goldschmitt's great book of Rankin-Bass films and saw the title and pictures; then it came flooding back and some months later the WWOMG was released and restored. I was so thrilled and excited to see this available on DVD I couldn't wait to get it home. I have watched it over and over and I love it each and every time, and having Margaret Ruthford (THE best Miss Marple from the Agatha Christie film versions) as the voice of MG is a stroke of genius; she is the perfect fit for this particular version. There is something very comforting as well as very good about the cartoons that came out in the 1960s, and this represents the very best. Real nostalgia and yet still very fresh and interesting as seen through the eyes of children and adults today; virtually something for everyone, fun for kids and a trip down memory lane for adults.

This is probably the most overlooked property in the Rankin/Bass canon. It is a sprightly amalgam of various Mother Goose rhymes, not at all unlike "Babes in Toyland" in conception. The animation is highly stylized and dated (the film was made in 1966), so it's either tolerated or hated by viewers today. Some of the character rendering is rather good, especially the title character, who is round and jovial and seems like everyone's idea of Mother Goose. The Crooked Man is very crooked, twisting his body 'round and 'round as he makes his speeches, literally oozing against the scenery. But other characters suffer, smothered under their wacky 60s outlook, especially the princess Harmony, who has no nose, and breasts that look like two cue balls hanging around her neck. Sleeping Beauty she ain't! The story is as simple as Simple Simon: Mother Goose has flown off to take care of a sick relative and Count Warptwist (aka the Crooked Man) has used the opportunity to take over Mother Goose Village. His crooked knights burn down houses and terrorize little lambs. Harmony is imprisoned, her crime the preservation of her own virtue (Me marry Count Warptwist? Euwww!) There are several hapless heroes and lovable animals. That's about it. Six or so songs round out the feature. They are mostly jazzy 60s tunes, likeable if not so special. The best is arguably the rousing anthem "Great Big Wacky World," the title tune, sung by a children's chorus. The animation is actually sort of uneven, lively when needed, wooden the rest of the time. Animation vs. soundtrack mistakes abound: Count Warptwist yells at his henchman ZigZag to SHUT UP! The sound comes out of ZigZag's mouth! Mother Hubbard says "the cupboard was bare;" no sound escapes her lips. Mother Goose seems to mutter like a Japanese Samurai while tumbling from the clouds. The script has inexcusable gaps in plot/motivation logic: Jack Horner needs to find Mother Goose; he knows darn well she's flown off into space; so why does he go looking for her on the outskirts of town? And if Warptwist was so smart, knowing that Goose's magic was greater than his, why'd he bother to take over the kingdom when he knew she'd be back before long to kick his butt? I enjoyed this film quite a bit during its many tv showings in the early 70s. It is far from Rankin/Bass's best, but not everything can be Rudolph or the Mad Monster Party. Today's kids have been spoiled by things like Shrek to pay much attention to it. The film is dated but that does not drain it of its charm. Any student or fan of the Rankin/Bass studios will want to see it. Children of today have all seen better films, but may fall under its spell regardless. The dvd itself is as good as it gets; the previous VHS version was probably the single poorest vhs ever released...! It had warping, atrocious sound reverb, knicks and cuts and murky colors. This dvd is bright and vivid, the soundtrack acceptable, although there is a little background rumble in certain spots.

In the past, this film has been released from a very poor 16 mm transfer....finally, the 35mm becomes available. It will be like seeing the film for the first time. In a cel animated feature especially, you need to see it in vivid color and the 16mm print wasn't cutting it. There is some GREAT music in this 1966 RANKIN/BASS film too! AND surprisingly, it wasn't provided by MAURY LAWS (Who was busy with another project)...it was provided by GEORGE WILKINS. Once again, JULES BASS wrote the lyrics and Directed the film. Another RARELY seen film that involves RANKIN/BASS artist PAUL COKER, JR. for the first time! Glad to see this one restored for all to enjoy!

Just received my copy of the DVD and my kids love it! Must have played it 10 times already!!! MOTHER GOOSE fairy tales with BRILLIANT animation by our favorite animators ARTHUR RANKIN JR. and JULES BASS! A hit with the entire family!

Wow. just loved it. really brought me back to my childhood days of sitting around mindlessly watching Rankin/Bass and Sid & Marty Kroft and eating all the wrong foods and drinking soda pop and kool aid. it wasn't exactly nutritional, but it was fun and they were strangely stimulating memories.
i saw this a lot on local KTTV-11 when i was i kid and even though i watched it i sort of assumed it was bad and for babies. i couldn't have been more of a juvenile snob. this was just great and a lot of cute fun. too bad i couldn't have appreciated it more when i was the right age. oh well. i'm into it now. maybe i was into it then because i certainly used to sit around the boob tube and watch it every time it was on.
this happen's a lot with retro stuff you once thought was cruddy junk but now seems even better today when you realize they just don't do "that" (good or bad) anymore.
this has funny songs and gags and is a good example of low budget, hand drawing that is a rarity in today's computer dominated industry. kudos to this one. total, funky, fun.

Saw this when it was first broadcast on television nearly 30+ years ago, as a "No School Today" presentation. I often would bring this movie up with friends of my generation and nobody could remember it. It had a catchy opening theme song, which I never forgot. So, imagine my delight of its release on DVD.The print is excellent, and the opening theme song is great as I remember it. But this movie soon went downhill after Mother Goose left for the Moon. Some of the storylines were just too much on the level for a five year old, and soon my wife and I couldn't take much more. But we managed to get through it somehow.Get "Mad Monster Party" instead.

i dont think this video is very good. With all the other great videos for your children out there, this one just didn't stand the test of time. Just my opinion. ...