The Trumpet of the Swan

You don't have to tell me that cuteness alone is not a factor by which an entire movie can be judged. But even so, this movie just has so much cuteness that one could actually sit through it and keep him engrossed. Besides which the movie isn't very long at all and barely touches 70 minutes and therefore, you aren't really likely to get bored. The dubbing or lip syncing does seem a bit subpar though and I don't know if they've done that intentionally? I would recommend this movie for young children as they would certainly appreciate. As an adult or parent, if you have nothing better to do than watching this short film may leave you warm and fuzzy inside. Nothing wrong with that is there?

Now, I haven't read the book so I can't exactly compare and even with movies for which I'm familiar with the source material I try to judge the movie on its own. But judged on its own I personally found Trumpet of the Swan very nice. It's not flawless, but then again few movies are. The animation is nice and crisp, if a little dry at times, and I don't understand why people complain about the swans having hair because otherwise it would be hard to tell them apart. As for the songs, they aren't actually that bad. "Louie, Louie, Louie" I always have a hard time getting out of my head and "Serena" is a lovely song. Trumpet of the Swan's weakness is that it's a little slow at times and I wish Serena had been a bit more developed, but for the most part The Trumpet of the Swan is still pretty enjoyable. It's not Secret of NIMH, The Last Unicorn, Spirited Away, or Lady and the Tramp but neither is it Secret of NIMH 2, Titanic the Animated Movie, or Spider's Web: A Pig's Tale.

Now, I'm not one who likes picking apart a film, because of differences from the book, but ... I'm okay with praising it for accuracy.

My children and I had just finished reading the book, when we saw this in the discount section at the store. Well, we just couldn't resist giving it a try. We all truly enjoyed it.

Most of the details are true to the book, but more important than that, the spirit of it remained in tact.

With a strong moral lesson (or two) I really enjoy this just for causing you (and kids) to spend some time thinking about things that matter. It is also very upbeat overall, despite some more serious moments while the characters face large personal dilemmas. The voice talents were impressive and the animation was adorable and engaging.

The only negatives I have to say about this one are not a big deal, but there are two very weak characters. The 'mean kid' is totally unconvincing and pretty annoying and the camp coach is just confusing. (I don't understand what he says or why he is like that. Is it supposed to be funny?) But, since both of their roles are relatively minor, they don't ruin the film. So, sit back with the kids and maybe some popcorn and enjoy.

This is a mediocre family friendly animation. It's nothing special but works as modest time-pass entertainment specially for young children. The story deals with a trumpeter swan who doesn't have a voice and so doesn't know how to attract a mate. Would it help if he got a real trumpet and learned to play? The animation quality is alright for home viewing. The voice work is decent with Jason Alexander, Reese Witherspoon and Carol Burnett managing to hold our attention. The songs are dull and feel like padding. The film runs a short seventy minutes and is acceptable for kids.

Overall 4/10

Being a very large fan of the original story, this movie was absolutely abysmal. As a standalone movie it's just a bit below par (the songs are just awful), but given that it was based on such a great story, this film had something to live up to, and it falls far short of that. There are characters and storyline added that don't really make sense - and some of the best parts of the original story were omitted.

For some reason, the swans all have hair that is obnoxiously colored. Lime green, purple, yellow and orange?? I guess this is so you can tell them apart but there could've been a less anatomically incorrect way to do it... but I guess this will be OK for kids.

If you are a fan of the original story looking for a decent movie adaptation, DO NOT watch this movie. You will be sorely disappointed.

If you're looking for a cute and fun movie to watch with your kids, then this movie is adequate. But just barely.