Rikki-Tikki-Tavi (1975) (TV)

User Rating:

7.9/10   

Director:

Chuck Jones

Writers:

Chuck Jones (written by) and
Rudyard Kipling (story)

Release Date:

9 January 1975 (USA)

Genre:

Animation | Short | Family

Plot:

A young mongoose protects his human family from two murderous cobrae.

Plot Keywords:

Mongoose | Cobra | India | Muskrat | Tailorbird

Cast

Orson Welles	...	Narrator / Nag / Chuchundra (voice)
June Foray	...	Nagaina the Cobra, Wife of Nag / Teddy's Mother / Darzee's Wife (voice)
Les Tremayne	...	Father (voice)
Michael LeClair	...	Teddy (voice)
Shepard Menken	...	Rikki-Tikki-Tavi the Mongoose (voice)
Lennie Weinrib	...	Darzee the Tailorbird (voice)

Runtime:

30 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Mono

Company:

Chuck Jones Enterprises

Quotes:

[first lines]
Teddy: Here's a dead mongoose. Let's have a funeral!

Movie Connections:

Version of Rikki-Tikki-Tavi (1975)

Soundtrack:

When I Was a Lad

Fun and interesting!

As a fan of cartoons, I hold "Rikki-Tikki-Tavi" to a high regard. When I saw this working in day care last summer, I instantly remembered this classic cartoon, even though I hadn't seen it in over ten years.

Chuck Jones, the genius behind "Cricket in Times Squae" and "Looney Tunes" capitalizes on the popular story by Rudyard Kipling. A mongoose named Rikki-Tikki-Tavi lives with his British family in India in the 1800s, and protects his young master from two deadly cobras, who slither into the family's home in the middle of the night.

The animation, though corny, is delightful, mainly because I was young during a time when cartoons didn't need to be one in 3D on a computer to amuse me. Simple animation has always been in good taste to me. This is one of those gems that kids today may or may not appreciate, because of the recent successes of films like "Shrek" and "Toy Story 1 and 2," which rely on computer animation. Don't get me wrong, I love these computer animation-based flicks, but I also love the simple classics too.

My favorite part is when Rikki-Tikki-Tavi fights off the cobras. I loved how the cobras talked, stressing their s-es. ("And we'll attack while he's s-s-s-sleeping.")

This is a GREAT film for an educational setting, because it teaches students about culture, plus it is too much fun to watch, plus it is cute. Take it from this 19-year old, see "Rikki-Tikki-Tavi," and get to know a great animator's work. Chuck Jones may be gone, but his legacy lives on in his animated classics. This is one of them!