6.7 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 2.5 | |
Overall | 2.5 |
This children's fantasy is based on Sid and Marty Krofft's popular 1960s kiddy show H.R. Pufnstuff, which combined giant puppets and live action players. In the story, a young lad with a magical flute travels to a magic island where inanimate objects and animals talk. There he encounters the amiable dragon Pufnstuf, the mayor of the island. When the wicked Witchiepoo steals the flute so she can be named "Witch of the Year" by her cronies, the boy, the dragon, and their pals must somehow get it back from her enchanted castle.
Starring: Jack Wild, Billie Hayes, Cass Elliot, Martha RayeMusical | 100% |
Family | Insignificant |
Comedy | Insignificant |
Fantasy | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0
English SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (C untested)
Movie | 3.0 | |
Video | 2.5 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 1.0 | |
Overall | 2.5 |
Producers Sid and Marty Krofft finally landed a hit show with 1969’s “H.R. Pufnstuf,” which brought audiences to the oddity of Living Island, inhabited by a mix of fantasy characters and the witch who wanted to kill them all. Trying to capitalize on this creative momentum, the Kroffts quickly put a film version of “Pufnstuf” into production, looking to make some money on the matinee circuit, adding a few guest stars to boost the marquee value of the picture. Director Hollingsworth Morse was put in charge of making magic for the big screen, tasked with opening up the world of “H.R. Pufnstuf” to a certain degree while keeping young audiences entertained with non-stop wackiness. The gamble didn’t result in huge box office returns, but it did produce one of the strangest movies of 1970, finding the Kroffts doubling down on weirdness to make the endeavor stand out from the competition, sold with their usual blend of broad performances and floppy, full-body puppetry.
The AVC encoded image (1.85:1 aspect ratio) presentation is clearly an older scan of "Pufnstuf," resembling an average Universal catalog release. Detail isn't present, with softness diminishing strange textures on the fantasy creatures and extreme makeup on the witches, with their pronounced warts and hair. Living Island decoration isn't as clear as needed, along with the particulars of the village and castle. Colors survive with evidence of age, passably preserving the film's insane palette, maintaining a rainbow appearance on almost everything. Reds on Witchiepoo and Pufnstuf's full-body yellow skin are acceptable. Grain is chunky, with a processed appearance. Delineation is satisfactory. Source is in good condition.
The 2.0 DTS-HD MA offers some power with musical numbers, securing big voices throughout the feature. Instrumentation is also appreciable, including scoring cues, which bring more of a cartoon atmosphere to the picture. Dialogue exchanges are satisfactorily defined, maintaining clarity as impressions, accents, and general hysterics are encountered. Sound effects retain intended exaggeration.
"Pufnstuf" grows a tad more static once the Witches Convention begins, keeping matters tied to castle happenings, which include passive-aggressive fighting among the hags and a song from Elliot. However, it doesn't stop, layering on frantic behavior on its way to an ending, or perhaps a beginning for a future that was never realized, finding the Kroffts moving on to future creative achievements. "Pufnstuf" is a quickie production meant to advance the earning potential of the brand name, but it's certainly not a lazy endeavor, working to give fans of "H.R. Pufnstuf" some cinematic amplification to support this often inexplicable journey to the big screen.
50th Anniversary Edition
1964
Special Edition
1971
Paramount Presents #23
1976
1952
1978
1986-1990
2018
1971
DVD Packaging
1977
2011
35th Anniversary Collector's Edition
1983-1987
2005
80th Anniversary Edition
1939
1968
1952
2005
1979
1973
2014
1951