7.2 | / 10 |
Users | 3.5 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Two stories. The Wind in the Willows: Concise version of Kenneth Grahame's story of the same name. J. Thaddeus Toad, owner of Toad Hall, is prone to fads, such as the newfangled motor car. This desire for the very latest lands him in much trouble with the wrong crowd, and it is up to his friends, Mole, Rat and Badger to save him from himself. - The Legend of Sleepy Hollow: Retelling of Washington Irving's story set in a tiny New England town. Ichabod Crane, the new schoolmaster, falls for the town beauty, Katrina Van Tassel, and the town Bully Brom Bones decides that he is a little too successful and needs "convincing" that Katrina is not for him
Starring: Eric Blore, J. Pat O'Malley, John McLeish, Colin Campbell (I), Campbell GrantFamily | 100% |
Animation | 90% |
Fantasy | 40% |
Horror | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.37:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
English: Dolby Digital 2.0 (320 kbps)
French: Dolby Digital 5.1 (640 kbps)
Spanish: Dolby Digital Mono
Portuguese: Dolby Digital Mono
English, English SDH, French, Portuguese, Spanish
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (1 BD, 1 DVD)
Digital copy (as download)
DVD copy
Slipcover in original pressing
Region free
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 2.0 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
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 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 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.
No special features are included.
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.
1947
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2009
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1950
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Family Icons
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1940