Rating summary
| Movie |  | 4.0 |
| Video | | 4.0 |
| Audio | | 4.0 |
| Extras |  | 2.0 |
| Overall |  | 3.5 |
The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad Blu-ray Movie Review
Reviewed by Kenneth Brown August 8, 2014
Disney's 11th animated feature, 'The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad,' adapts two children's classics: "The Wind in the Willows" by Kenneth Grahame and "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" by Washington Irving. First, J. Thaddeus Toad's (Eric Blore) mad mania for motorcars drives his dear friends Moley (Colin Campbell), Rat (Claude Allister) and Angus MacBadger (Campbell Grant) into a worried frenzy; especially when toady trades the magnificent Toad Hall for a stolen red roadster. Before long, Mr. Toad is merrily on his way to nowhere in particular... until his whimsical escapade lands him behind bars, leaving his friends to clear his good name. Then it's onto Sleepy Hollow with narrator Bing Crosby. There, schoolmaster Ichabod Crane pursues wealthy Katrina Van Tassel, much to the dismay of rival suitor Brom Bones, who frightens the superstitious Ichabod with the perfect ghost story: the fearsome tale of "The Headless Horseman" that haunts the very road Ichabod must take on his way home from Katrina's Halloween party.
The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad is a quaint but wonderful, oft-forgotten Disney classic. And while its two stories don't exactly mesh very well, each one is a joy in its own right. Narrated by Basil Rathbone, "The Wind in the Willows" is unique among the studio's early animated projects. A wild, fun-filled tale of recklessness, debt, false accusation, friendship and obsession, the 34-minute short barrels along at the same bumpy, carefree speed as Mr. Toad on one of his joyrides. It almost blazes by
too quickly, but the brisk, break-neck race from the road to the courtroom to the skies is a delight; one backed by the sort of contagious laughter sure to transcend its sixty-five years and appeal to audiences today, young and old.
The 31-minute "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" proceeds at a much more leisurely trot, stopping along the way to indulge itself one time too many. It's still an enjoyable short, particularly when the Horseman finally appears, but unlike "The Wind in the Willows," it doesn't feature any voicework other than Crosby's narration, its characters aren't all that likable (even Ichabod) and its animation isn't as accomplished or noteworthy (other than perhaps the lanky, sometimes rubber-faced expressions Ichabod flashes while moving through various states of panic). The treat here isn't necessarily the visuals, music, pacing, humor or horror (as Disney-inspired horror goes), but rather the frights and mystery of what many adults would consider one of their first scary movies. If it wasn't the Evil Queen in
Snow White or the Pleasure Island transformation in
Pinocchio, chances are it was the second half of
The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad. The nostalgia of those unsettling early images -- Ichabod's last desperate dash for a bridge -- stirred up enough deep-seated childhood shivers to bring a smile to my face and a fitting end to a solid anthology film.
The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality
The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad features a commendable 1080p/AVC-encoded video presentation, albeit one that could have used a slightly more meticulous overhaul. While noise reduction has been judiciously employed to some small degree (think Disney's Robin Hood), grain is largely intact, with very few scenes exhibiting any serious anomalies, other than frequent print specks and minor nicks and scratches inherent to the film's source elements. Softness is present throughout, but, as far as I can discern, it's only of the optical variety. Detail is reasonably strong, with nicely defined line art and well-resolved background-painting textures. Colors are relatively muted but faithful to the animators' intentions as well, with rejuvenated primaries, deep black levels and consistently satisfying contrast. Sixty-five years of age is the only formidable foe here; not the studio's encode. I wouldn't go so far as to call the transfer a revelation, or even the best the film could look, but it does represent a marked improvement over its previously released counterparts.
The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality
The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad offers a decidedly decent DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track. Narration and dialogue are intelligible, grounded and neatly prioritized, music is full and engaging (if a bit tinny), and sound effects are given limited but effective directional play courtesy of the rear speakers. LFE output is more than serviceable too, considering the age of the film -- engines and headless horsemen are granted extra weight and presence -- and there aren't any problems begging to be noted. The important thing to keep in mind is that The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad is pushing sixty-five. It sounds great despite its years, but it certainly doesn't sound as if it were animated yesterday. Adjust your expectations accordingly and you'll be pleased.
The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras
No special features are included.
The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation
The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad delivers an entertaining glimpse into Disney Animation in the rocky 1940s; a tough period in the studio's history, after opening strong with Snow White, Pinocchio, Dumbo and Bambi, but before regaining its stride with Cinderella, Alice in Wonderland, Peter Pan, Lady and the Tramp and Sleeping Beauty. The standalone release of Ichabod and Mr. Toad features a strong AV showing, but considering the 2-Movie Collection edition is available at the same price point (or close to it), you may as well get multiple films for the price of one.
