...there was an honest woodcutter called Jonathan (Bernard Miles), who lived with his wife Anne (Jessie Matthews) in a small cottage in a great forest. One day, while Jonathan is busy chopping down a mighty oak, the beautiful Forest Queen (June Thorburn) appears and asks him to stop, promising to grant him three wishes if he does so. The woodcutter agrees, but stupidly wastes his wishes; taking pity on him, the Forest Queen grants one further wish, giving the childless couple a son in the form of Tom (Russ Tamblyn), who is no bigger than their thumb.
All is well until two despicable villains, Ivan (Terry Thomas) and Antony (Peter Sellers), dupe the diminutive, naive youngster into helping them steal gold from the town's treasury. Shortly after, Tom's parents are arrested for the crime when one of the missing coins finds its way into their home. To save his mother and father from a public flogging, Tom must track down the real thieves and bring them to justice, with a little help from loveable local layabout Woody (Alan Young).
Thirty seven years before Pixar's Toy Story, director George Pal made this charming fairytale adaptation that also featured toys that come to life (AND a prominent character named Woody!), but he did so without the aid of computers. Showcasing an impressive array of old-school special effects techniques (stop-motion, travelling mattes, animation, oversized props, forced perspective, puppetry), Tom Thumb is an innovative, vibrant, family-friendly treat for fans of classic fantasy.
Tamblyn, in the title role, can be a little bit annoying at times, with his over-exaggerated pantomime-style performance, but his sheer energy and agility has to be admired, especially during the 'living toy' dance set-piece, in which he busts some crazy moves to a jazzy beat and performs acrobatics worthy of Jackie Chan. Also hamming it up a treat are Thomas and Sellers as the boo-hiss bad guys, but being the villains of the piece, the overacting here is a little more excusable.
With a rollicking pace, terrific set design, a few catchy songs, and some memorably freaky moments (is it just me or is the Yawning Man seriously creepy, even moreso than the Black Swamp?), Tom Thumb is still highly entertaining fun for all ages, recommended for those who love the likes of The Wizard of Oz, Jack the Giant Slayer, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, and the work of Ray Harryhausen.
All is well until two despicable villains, Ivan (Terry Thomas) and Antony (Peter Sellers), dupe the diminutive, naive youngster into helping them steal gold from the town's treasury. Shortly after, Tom's parents are arrested for the crime when one of the missing coins finds its way into their home. To save his mother and father from a public flogging, Tom must track down the real thieves and bring them to justice, with a little help from loveable local layabout Woody (Alan Young).
Thirty seven years before Pixar's Toy Story, director George Pal made this charming fairytale adaptation that also featured toys that come to life (AND a prominent character named Woody!), but he did so without the aid of computers. Showcasing an impressive array of old-school special effects techniques (stop-motion, travelling mattes, animation, oversized props, forced perspective, puppetry), Tom Thumb is an innovative, vibrant, family-friendly treat for fans of classic fantasy.
Tamblyn, in the title role, can be a little bit annoying at times, with his over-exaggerated pantomime-style performance, but his sheer energy and agility has to be admired, especially during the 'living toy' dance set-piece, in which he busts some crazy moves to a jazzy beat and performs acrobatics worthy of Jackie Chan. Also hamming it up a treat are Thomas and Sellers as the boo-hiss bad guys, but being the villains of the piece, the overacting here is a little more excusable.
With a rollicking pace, terrific set design, a few catchy songs, and some memorably freaky moments (is it just me or is the Yawning Man seriously creepy, even moreso than the Black Swamp?), Tom Thumb is still highly entertaining fun for all ages, recommended for those who love the likes of The Wizard of Oz, Jack the Giant Slayer, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, and the work of Ray Harryhausen.