![Puppetoon Movie [VHS]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/512vskzhxqL.__AC_SX300_SY300_QL70_ML2_.jpg)
What a wonderful discovery—the career of George Pal and his marvelous Puppetoons-era all in one set of discs. And, first, let me thank a couple of the other 5-star reviewers for explaining all the wonderful surprises in this set. The problem is that the front cover doesn't even hint at what's inside. However, on this Amazon page, you can enlarge the image of the back cover and you'll see the extra gems included in this package.
In short: You're not only getting the actual Puppetoon Movie, which is a compilation of individual Puppetoons, including my personal favorite: a from-the-heart drama—yes a Puppetoon drama—set in Holland during the Nazi invasion in World War II. In this case, dangerous creatures called "Screwballs" fill in for the Nazis but the point is the same. Pal and his wife had the heart-breaking experience of trying to keep one step ahead of the Nazis and lived a while in the Netherlands—then, watched what happened as the war kept relentlessly marching West. IN ADDITION, you'll find "The Fantasy Film Worlds of George Pal," a documentary about Pal's entire career that was shown in autumn 2017 on Turner Classic Movies, plus lots of individual Puppetoons. This is a Puppetoon-themed salute to an entire career within one Blu-ray set.
But I want to share two other perspectives in this review.
One is that, if you're like my wife and I in your love of classic movies from the 1930s and 1940s and even some of the 1950s, then George Pal is a giant in cinematic innovation throughout that era. Today, his Puppetoons may look a bit clumsy compared with modern 3D digital animation. But, for their time, they were masterpieces that amazed audiences. As a kid, watching these when they showed up on TV in the '50s and early '60s, I remember I was astonished that—in my childhood eyes—"toys can come to life." Personally, I'm also a big fan of Ray Harryhausen, whose movie-making career coincided with Pal's later career making feature films. But, in fact, Ray Harryhausen owed a huge debt to George Pal's much earlier innovations. So, no, this isn't like buying a Pixar Blu-ray set of short films. Don't expect that style of animation. This is something quite different—yet surprisingly endearing and fanciful if viewed through sympathetic eyes.
The second point is to underline that this set ALSO includes a fresh copy of The Great Rupert, which my wife and I discovered a couple of years ago in our quest to see all the classic Hollywood Christmas movies we could find. We discovered the movie under the much later, alternative title, A Christmas Wish. In fact, the comedy, starring Jimmy Durante, was George Pal's debut in feature film production. George "animated" the squirrel who is responsible for the central plot twist in this tall tale. We love the movie, rewatch it most years in our "Christmas favorites" selections, and it's terrific to see The Great Rupert included in this set dedicated to Pal's innovations in cinema.
If you like the fuller descriptions you're reading in several of our 5-star reviews on this page, then you're sure to enjoy hours—easily several hours at least—with the three main movies and the extras in this set.
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Top reviews from other countries
Alain Carmichael
Un tour d'horizon pour George Pal l'animateur
Reviewed in France on January 30, 2022
