Adventures of Mark Twain
by Will Vinton
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DVD details
Actor: Chris Ritchie, Gary Krug, James Whitmore, John Morrison, Michele MarianaDirector: Will Vinton
Brand: TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX HOME ENT
Producer: Will Vinton
Editor: Ed Geis
Editor: Kelley Baker
Producer: Hugh Kennedy Tirrell
Producer: Susan Shadburne
Writer: Susan Shadburne
Writer: Mark Twain
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Subtitled); English (Original Language)
Format: Color, DVD, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
Picture Format: 1.85:1
Running Time: 86 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2006-01-31
Audience Rating: G (General Audience)
Studio: Clubhouse Pictures
DVD Reviews of Adventures of Mark Twain
DVD Review: Visionary!
Summary: 5 Stars
I was only six when I first saw "The Adventures of Mark Twain" on video. That was in 1994. Our friends taped it for us, and good thing, because the movie dropped off the face of the earth until recently. I'm thrilled to find it on DVD, because it's remained one of my family's most beloved (and weird) films. It's not a really a kid's film, unless your kids are brainy and literate. What it is is a strange, beautiful, unsettling, funny, and unforgettable work of animation and storytelling that blends fact, fiction and fantasy.
Mark Twain is indeed the central figure, though we see him through the eyes of his three famous child characters: Tom Sawyer, Huckleberry Finn, and Becky Thatcher. In the strange metaworld of the movie, the aging Mr. Twain is taking off in a fantastical airship to meet Halley's Comet, which lit up the skies during his birth and is now returning to see him to his grave (true fact). His ship is right up there with Howl's Moving Castle in terms of whimsy and inventiveness; it is part dirigible and part steamboat, with a multitude of strange features and gadgets and functions that do not abide by the rules of physics. Tom, Huck, and Becky stow away on the ship by accident, and as the foursome chug through the sky toward their fateful meeting with the comet, the movie leaves all boundaries behind.
The main plot is engaging, as the three children attempt to understand this strange old author and his fancies. Tom wants to hijack the ship and make a new story with himself as the hero. And there is a mysterious fifth passenger lurking about -- who could it be? Ah, but in the meantime, the film breaks from the plot to dive (literally) into some of Twain's literary works. We see a clever retelling of the Celebrated Jumping Frog, a disturbing visit with the Mysterious Stranger (concerned parents may want to fast-forward through this bit), and a bizarre and comical interlude with Captain Stormfield and some pushy aliens. The standouts, though, are two extended sequences focusing on Twain's Diary of Adam and Eve. We see the first couple during their time in the garden of Eden and their banishment, surrounded first by wonders and then by the hardships of real life and family. Adam and Eve turn out to be incredibly dysfunctional (he's lazy and stubborn, she's controlling and anal-retentive), but their exploits, while comedic, are ultimately touching and somehow perfectly appropriate. Meanwhile, in the real(?) world, Twain and the children must cope with such threats as a vicious storm, Tom's reckless hijacking scheme, and what happens when they actually reach the comet....
Creator and animator Will Vinton has an amazing and unique style. His clay figures are distinct and expressive and his fantastical visions are delightful. He uses clay as paint, blending color and form to create amazing sights. Bodies and vehicles morph and shapeshift with cheerful abandon, creating an elastic reality that never grows boring. Such thrilling scenes as the lightning storm and the final "showdown" with Halley's Comet suck you in, and when you remember how much time and effort goes into claymation, it becomes all the more impressive. Artists as dedicated to their craft as Vinton are rare, and their work should certainly be elevated. He has made a great tribute to Mark Twain and his works, and I really hope that "The Adventures of Mark Twain" is destined for a long and successful run on DVD. I plan to tell as many people as possible about it.
Description of Adventures of Mark Twain
Based on elements from the stories of Mark Twain, this feature-length ClaymationÂ(r) fantasy follows the adventures of Tom Sawyer, Becky Thatcher, and Huck Finn as they stowaway aboard the interplanetary balloon of Mark Twain. Twain, disgusted with the Human Race, is intent upon finding Halley's Comet and crashing into it, achieving his "destiny." It's up to Tom, Becky, and Huck to convince him hat his judgment is wrong, and that he still has much to offer humanity that might make a difference. Their efforts aren't just charitable; if they fail, they will share Twain's fate. Along the way, they use a magical time portal to get a detailed overview of the Twain philosophy, observing the "historical" events that inspired his works.Bestsellers in DVD
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