The Adventures of Mark Twain

My mother brought this movie home from the library once when I was a young child, about 4. I didn't understand it very well, but I was thrilled by the clay animation. When I was about 13, I came across it tin the library again and after checking it out, I found a post-it note stating: "May not be understood by children under Junior High level."

When I watched it again, I understood it. There was the story of Adam and Eve and how they didn't understand what each other did, and thought each other foolish. Then there was the dark side. I still didn't understand it quite as well after watching it a second time, but it was slightly understood.

This may not being a good movie for younger children, but they do get a thrill out of the animation, although they may not fully understand it.

Amazingly for those who haven't seen it (and usually neither heard of it), this unknown animated masterpiece regularly makes it into the shortest short-list of best films of those who have - and i don't mean list of animated movies, but movies in general. Uncomparable to anything else - much like Twain himself - it's every aspect is just amazing. It will feast your eyes (as much as any claymation can), fill your heart (with a both joy, sorrow, warmth and eeriness), boggle your brain, and make your jaw hurt. And you'll still have to find time to enjoy acting (yes, _acting_ of the clay figures here is just amazing) and clever solutions. For example, Mysterious Stranger is the best visualization of Devil(?) i ever saw in film.

Some have pointed out that it is "not necessarily a kids movie"; Not AT ALL a kids movie, i'd rather say.

Nobody forgets seeing it, and as soon as one remembers it later, one starts to look for it. Alas, it is extremely hard to find - at least i never succeeded. I saw it only twice, on TV, no less than 10 and 14 years ago, and my filmometer jumps high every time i think about it.

Find it. See it. Enjoy the ride. Copy it. Copy it again, for your grandchildren, and save the copy somewhere safe till they grow up.

I know this is going to sound like hyperbole, but this makes my list of the ten best movies EVER. What a shame it's so obscure. Highly recommended, for older kids and adults. A bit dark and scary for younger kids.

The script draws in some of the more obscure Twain works such as The Mysterious Stranger and Tom And Huck Abroad, and does so seamlessly. The claymation is excellent. It really gives you sense of both the humor, darkness, and humanity of Mark Twain. Just a great, great movie, and an excellent overview of Twain and his work.

BTW, I believe that there is a later live-action movie with the same title (The Adventures Of Mark Twain), so don't get the wrong one.

I don't know how they did it. This movie is as close to memorable as "movie magic" will ever get. As i sifted through the previously posted comments i came to realize that i wasn't the only one who was completely "tranced" by its animation and story line as a little kid. Unbelievable! Kudos to those who did it.

I watched it only once before, i think i was around 7, and i NEVER EVER forgot about it! Then i watched it again yesterday, and then an avalanche of unexplained and repressed memories came down trickling as things became clearer. Well, a bit more clearer!

At any rate, now that i know what it's about, i can't say i am disappointed. This time nostalgia really paid out. Beautiful movie, even if broody, in every respect. That said, this clearly isn't a movie for everyone.

After recently watching this film on video, I realized I had finally seen a movie I have waited 15 years to see since I missed it in the theatres when it first came out. I was not disappointed. Will Vinton Studios went out of their way to produce a masterpiece: the animation is top-notch, the story is amusing, intelligent, and marked with wry humor. I was particularly impressed with the section with the Mysterious Stranger. Most of the film focuses on the story of Adam and Eve. They explore Twain's dark side and his emotional side. Through all the subject matter, it still remains a family movie. Absolutely brilliant.