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WIND IN THE WILLOWS
Second Season
Review by Chastity Campbell
Voice Actors: Ian Carmichael, Sir Michael Horndern, David
Jason, Richard Pearson, Peter Sallis
Director: Various
Audio: Dolby Digital Stereo
Video: 1.33:1 Standard Full-screen
Studio: A&E
Features: See Review
Length: 260 Minutes
Release Date: July 26, 2005
Film ***
For those of you who read my reviews, you will know that I
am an advocate of family friendly movies. We
simply do not have enough movies and television shows out there that the entire
family, no matter their age, can enjoy.
Thankfully, A&E has once again presented me with the
opportunity to gush, and pontificate about a series that I not only enjoy
personally, but it is also safe for the youngest child, or oldest grandparent!
The Wind In The Willows is an extraordinary series.
The second season of this wonderful series is now available in a two-disc
DVD box set, which contains four and a half hours of fun filled, family
entertainment.
Back are the Claymation characters you have come to know
and love.
Mr. Toad still causes more trouble than his friends can
handle. However, his giving nature
and jolly spirit reverberate around Toad Hall, bringing delighted grins to all
who visit there.
Mole is still the same sweet, caring character you have
always known. Although timid and
sometimes shy, Mole proves time and again what a true and good friend he is to
the other creatures of the wood.
Ratty is known and loved by everyone.
Whether he’s out on the river in his boat, or bringing a basket of
scones to Badger, he never seems to tire of helping friends, and enjoying life.
The elder of the group, Mr. Badger is always a joy to
watch. Wise and all seeing, Badger
helps his friends get through the seasons, with a little less enthusiasm than
Toad likes. Badger may be the elder
of the group, but he does know how to appreciate life, and enjoy everything it
throws his way.
Now that the cast of characters is set, get ready for some
of the best episodes yet!
Take a ski trip with Toad, enjoy a birthday party with
Badger or, become a detective when Ratty disappears. This series allows you to do all this and more.
Have some tea, sing a song, or grab some Mole made Jam! There
is no end to the entertainment value in each of these wonderfully crafted
episodes.
Claymation to me is an amazing art form in and of itself.
The attention to detail and amount of time that goes into each of these
episodes is astounding. Anyone with the patience and nerve to take on a project of
this magnitude deserves some applause.
Oh, I forgot to mention the weasels!
I have to mention the weasels! As
always, they are out for only themselves, and always up to no good.
Mr. Toad can’t resist making bets with them, and they can’t resist
being…well, weasels when it comes to betting!
There is definitely something for everyone in this box set,
so grab a copy today before they blow away!
Video ***
The 1.33:1 Standard Full Screen presentation of these DVDs
suits the stories quite well.
Each of the episodes is narrow in scope, so as to bring
your focus and attention to the characters onscreen. I think a letterbox format would ruin the effect of the
claymation somewhat.
The colors were bright and airy. There was some dirty and graininess to the print, but
Cosgrove Hall did an excellent job of transferring this family friendly favorite
to the digital realm, where it will be enjoyed for generations to come.
Audio ****
I love it when I pop in a DVD and my ears are met with
great sounding audio that resonates around the room, in a harmonious fashion.
The Wind In The Willows DVD box set managed to do this quite well
if I do say so myself.
What always impressed me about this series is the way each
characters voice resonates audibly. Each
voice is crisp and clear without any kind of audio degradation.
I especially enjoyed listening to how well the background sound effects
and music complimented the dialogue.
Features *
I live in the South, so I’m going to assume there was a
northerly wind pattern when these extra features were put together!
The only extras with this box set are a bonus episode from
Season 3 titled “Mr. Toad’s Telephone” and chapter descriptions.
Summary:
