When I was a little girl, I used to watch and love the productions of Jetlag and Good Times. Revisiting a vast majority of them at 18, some have held up really well even better than I remembered and some haven't quite but were still watchable. This version of Thumbelina belongs in the former category. It is an immensely charming little treasure, and one of my favourite adaptations based on Hans Christian Andersen's stories.
I also want to say this is a big improvement over Don Bluth's 1994 film. The Don Bluth film wasn't bad as such, I loved Let Me Be Your Wings and the reprise of Soon, but it was for me one of Bluth's weakest films having scenes that dragged and while I don't hate her as some do Thumbelina did have her annoying moments. This version in my view has better animation, better music, is closer to the story, is brisker paced and has more of an emotional impact.
I personally think they nailed the character of Thumbelina here. She isn't whiny or pessimistic here, instead she is strong-willed and very cute as a button, and I found it very easy to fall in love with her. All the other characters are likable too, not just the swallow but also Big Bear, Mr Mole, the Fox, the Frog Son and the mouse, who all have interesting personality traits.
The animation while low in budget was still quite good. The characters are drawn well, and the colours are very nice, but I loved the backgrounds the most, some of them are quite stunning. The music surprised me and in a good way. The incidental music is very pleasant on the ears, and the song Little Teeny Thumbelina is a cute song with a sweet melody and lyrics.
The way the story was told impressed me too. Andersen's story is one of my favourites, moving and timeless with beautiful scenes and well-written characters. This version mayn't be completely true in the details to the story, but that didn't bother me. It had its spirit and charm, and a number of scenes work, especially the scene with the Swallow which is very poignant and the ending which made me cry tears of joy. Thumbelina is short and just under an hour, but it is a very worthwhile and charming experience, also it moves very quickly and the cuteness and poignancy that was there in the story is here too.
All in all, a true charmer and after seeing this I am glad I decided to revisit some of my old childhood favourites. 10/10 Bethany Cox
