Mr. Toad's Wild Ride

A splendid, energetic version of one the classics of children's literature which benefits from a stellar cast of British acting talent. Aside from nearly every Python appearing to good effect, we have a touching performance from Steve Coogan as the downtrodden Mole, Anthony Sher as a hissable Chief Weasel and... well to many famous faces to mention.

What makes this version stand out is the stunning costume and production design by James Acherson. This is a caricartured version of olde England, with the animals played by cartoonish humans rather than anthromorphosised animals. The sun always shines, everything is polished and colourful. There's some subtle satire about the class system going on in the background but director Jones doesn't let that get in the way. Only the factory subplot strikes a wrong note, tending to clutter up the last half of the film but not seriously. Genuinely for children of all ages.

Don't get me wrong, I did really like it, but like most films, there were a number of flaws that undermined what could have been a fun romp for kids. The first, and main problem, was the story. There were some times when it bared some resemblance to one of the best children's books ever written, up there with Peter Pan and the Hans Christian Anderson Fairy tales, for imagination and complexity. However, I especially disliked the dog meat factory subplot, that's where it got really clumsy and it made the climax feel really cluttered. The songs were also nothing to write home about. They were fun to listen to (especially the Weasel song), but they were definitely forgettable. The direction, by I think Terry Jones(also actor), lacked at times the director's usual silliness and fun. There were some scenes, like the train scene where the action felt a bit rushed. However, there were a number of redeeming qualities to the film. Some scenes, like the introduction to Rat, were beautifully shot, and reminded me of Three Men in a Boat. The sets and scenery are very colourful and pretty and the costumes didn't bother me all that much, admittedly though some of the special effects were so-so. The script was good, very witty at times, with some priceless lines especially with Toad, Badger and St John, while maintaining the book's gentleness and drollness which I liked. The performances were in general excellent especially Nicol Williamson as Badger, who brought a much needed gruffness to the character as well as having a gift for comedy. Steve Coogan was touching as Mole. Eric Idle and Terry Jones were very funny in their roles, Idle is wonderfully sympathetic and jovial while Jones has a ball as the juiciest character. The courtroom scene was hilarious because of Toad's increasingly silly breaking-into- song moments, and was the highlight of the film. John Cleese and Stephen Fry were good(Cleese especially), but their appearances were too brief. Anthony Sher was adequately menacing as Chief Weasel, but like everyone else involved, he has been better. All in all, a likable, colourful and funny but unfortunately at times clumsy film, with a 7/10. Bethany Cox

Terry Jones's adaptation of "Wind in the Willows" is wonderful!! I found it very interesting to watch, and it kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time! I'm not usually a fan of Disney movies, but I saw this and flipped! I loved it! I think people who don't like this movie really don't appreciate the wonderful Terry Jones. Yes, I understand some of the humor is a little "adult" for some of the younger viewers, but there is plenty for them as well (I mean, as a former python, how could Jones resist a few jokes here and there). The kids will laugh at Mr. Toad's zany exploits trying to get his motor car! Even funnier is Mole, Rat, and Badger trying to cure him! What else to say... I just thought this was a wonderful film, and a must see for (a)Disney Lovers (b) Python Lovers (c) and people who just want to see a different adaptation on a movie!!

The Monty Python team are the Pink Floyd of comedy; that is to say, they began brilliantly, shattering paradigms, but gradually subsided into lumbering, stodgy self-parody. (In the Floyd's case, compare and contrast the brilliantly fresh and visionary "See Emily Play" with the depressingly self-regarding millionaire's stadium plod-rock of "Comfortably Numb".)

The trouble is, many people follow rock bands and comedy teams as blindly as they follow political parties, once their basic loyalties have been established. So it is with the Floyd and the Pythons. Two or three Pythons only have to show up in a film or TV show for unthinking accolades to be heaped on it, regardless of whether, viewed objectively, it is any good or not. The Floyd/Pythons continue to bathe in the referred glory of their earlier, genuine achievements. (In any case, Jones and Idle are the only strong Python presences in the film; Palin (the smuggest of superannuated satirists) must have sleep-walked through his exiguous, undemanding role as The Sun, while it must have taken about thirty seconds for Cleese to complete his economy-size cameo.)

As an adaptation of the children's classic, Terry Jones's film is a travesty. Taken on its own terms, it is intermittently entertaining, although it loses focus and becomes excessively silly once Toad has escaped from gaol.

I think the film must be viewed in the context of the time it was made. John Major's faltering Conservative regime still just about held sway in Britain in 1995-6 (the time of the film's production), and the Labour Party had been out of power since 1979. The grasping, treacherous, materialistic weasels - who resemble the Blue Meanies from "Yellow Submarine" - are clearly a satire on the greedy entrepreneurs who had taken centre-stage in British public life after the accession of Margaret Thatcher. (We were still naive enough then to hope that Tony Blair's New Labour would rescue us from the weasels, so to speak. But New Labour were just the same old weasels in disguise.)

Steve Coogan and Nicol Williamson play their roles with more conviction than the film strictly deserves, while the Pythons simply trade on their fans' brand-loyalty. Pretty Julia Sawalha is fetching as the gaolkeeper's daughter

Venturing out from his underground home, Mole joins Ratty for a river trip. They come across the rich Mr Toad, who has taken up caravanning as a new hobby. However this hobby is replaced by a new one when he is run off the road by a motorcar – sparking a new passion in his life. While Badger, Mole and Ratty try to cure Toad of his car obsession, the weasels use it against him in order to get the deeds to Toad Hall.

After making this film, Terry Jones had a public falling out with Disney resulting in them pulling it from a theatrical release, giving it a stupid title and dumping it out direct to video – a fate it certainly didn't deserve. It is Disney that now looks stupid though as this is a wonderfully fun film that is pure simple fun to watch, it is the sort of kid's film that adults love because they can easily enjoy it just as much as their children.

The plot is a good adaptation of Grahame's classic book with only the factory bit towards the end being the biggest change to the source material.

In honesty, this thinly veiled attack on the ethics of big business is not only what most likely annoyed Disney but also is the bit of the film that doesn't work that well – it is cluttered, overly busy, noisy and lacking in the clean, fresh wit of the majority of the film. However this is a minor complaint as the rest of the film is a real joy.

The film has a constant spring in it's step and is fresh and funny. For my money the best scene to demonstrate this humour is the wonderful courtroom scene where absurd wit runs amuck (Cleese's 'defence of Toad had me rolling!). I'm sorry for gushing about this but it is an underseen film due to Disney's shoddy treatment of it and, expecting it to be bad like all video releases, I was really surprised to find just how enjoyable it was. As director, Jones does a great job on the film – it looks great and only the odd bit of special effect work let it down: the land is an idyllic, colourful place full of leisure time and a kind, friendly sun that always shines!

What really raises the film up is an amazing cast who are pretty much all used well rather than just being cameos for cameos' sake. Idle is really good as Ratty, as is Coogan in a nicely played role as Mole – they both play the characters as I imagined them. Jones has the film's most fun role and he really does it very well, keeping the audience on Toad's side by playing up his childish side rather than an arrogant side. Sher is great as the chief weasel and has great fun, Williamson is well cast but has less fun with his role than the others. The support cast is great – not only most of the Python team but good little roles from Fry, Hill, Planner, Wood and others are all used well and rarely is a bum note hit.

Overall this is a big, lively, colourful film that will please children no end. For adults it is never silly enough to be just for kids and there are plenty of famous faces to keep them entertained. However more than that, adults will enjoy the film's constant absurd wit in the script and direction that only really flags when the film pulls itself into a straight finish with a cluttered finale that is good but not as fresh and free as what had gone before. Despite Disney's best efforts this remains a really good film and one that is worth hunting out if you want a good bit of fun for family viewing.