Will Vinton Movies
A handful of zoo animals leave behind their well-protected environment for the streets of the big city in this computer-animated comedy. Sampson (voice of Kiefer Sutherland) is the king of a make-believe jungle far from the African plains -- he's a lion on display at a zoo in New York City's Central Park, and he lords it over the other animals, including Nigel (voice of Eddie Izzard), a testy koala bear; Larry, a dumb but well-meaning snake; ; Bridget (voice of Janeane Garofalo), a bright but cynical giraffe; and Benny (voice of Jim Belushi), a very New York-ish squirrel who is good friends with Sampson and is trying to romance Bridget without much success. The pride and joy of Sampson's life is his son, Ryan (voice of Greg Cipes), and he's devastated when one day Ryan is crated up and shipped back to Africa. Sampson is desperate to find his boy, and with the help of his pals he escapes the zoo and sets out on a daring mission to rescue Ryan, battling the unfamiliar terrain and Kazar, a wildebeest with a will to power and a passion for choreography (voice of William Shatner) along the way. The Wild was the first directorial credit for animator and special-effects artist Steve "Spaz" Williams. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kiefer Sutherland, Jim Belushi, (more)
- 1988
The California Raisins, a rhythm & blues aggregation consisting of genuine raisins A.C., Red, Stretch, and Bebop, originally starred in a series of popular TV commercials. These were animated in a fluid, wholly believable fashion by stop-motion maestro Will Vinton. Meet the Raisins, the group's second prime-time special (the first was a 1987 Christmas show) is an on-target parody of rock documentaries. In between the faux "home movie" clips, scenes of the group's early days as the Vine-Yls, and concert footage, we are treated to interviews by those responsible for the Raisins' success, including a broadly caricatured manager -- gold jewelry, bikinied hangers-on, and all. Meet the Raisins first aired on November 4, 1988. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1988
Even non-fans of Michael Jackson will be caught up in the exuberance and virtuosity of Moonwalker. This 84-minute music video casts The Gloved One as host of a futuristic TV special. Highlights include an extended Claymation sequence and a 3-D vignette put together by the Disney Company. The most endearing aspect of Moonwalker is Jackson's willingness to poke fun at his own tabloid-headline image. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Jackson, Sean Lennon, (more)
- 1986
- R
An author is haunted by the spirit of her dead husband in this routine supernatural thriller by Susan Shadburne. Morgan Hanna (Dee Wallace Stone) returns to the island where her husband died several years earlier in hops of breaking through her writer's block. She stays with her late husband's mother (Cloris Leachman), joins a local drama group, and starts working on a play. But she begins to see her husband in the mirrors and windows of the house, and is compelled to investigate. At the heart of her turmoil is she really doesn't know if he fell accidentally from the roof of the lighthouse, or if he was pushed. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Cloris Leachman, Ron Kuhlman, (more)
Will Vinton, the stop-motion animation whiz who brought us The California Raisins, is the principal creative force behind The Adventures of Mark Twain. A clay-model Twain, voiced by James Whitmore, sets out in a hot-air balloon to find Halley's Comet. Joining the waspish humorist on his journey are some of his favorite creations, including Tom Sawyer, Becky Thatcher and Huckleberry Finn. As the balloon ascends further into the sky, we are treated to animated dramatization of such Twain classics as "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County." Though brilliantly conceived and executed, Adventures of Mark Twain might have been even more effective had it been shortened by ten minutes or so. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- James Whitmore, Michele Mariana, (more)
This '80s follow-up to The Wizard of Oz is based upon two of L. Frank Baum's later Oz books. In Return to Oz (a version that may be a bit too scary for young children), Auntie Em sends Dorothy to a sanitarium where hopefully she will clear her head from all of the "Oz nonsense." This doesn't work, for soon Dorothy manages to return to Oz, but things have definitely changed. She finds her old friends turned to stone and discovers that the awful Nome King has taken over Oz. ~ All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Nicol Williamson, Jean Marsh, (more)
Oscar-winning short-film director Wil Vinton (Closed Mondays) brings author Antoine de Saint-Exupery's beloved children's tale to life through the art of clay animation. When a pilot is forced to land deep in the desert, he soon makes the acquaintance of a friendly but mysterious visitor known as The Little Prince. As the pilot spends the following days repairing the engine of his airplane, the Little Prince entertains his newfound friend with tales of his faraway home planet and his intergalactic quest to find an elusive and unique flower. After taming a wild desert fox, the young space traveler discovers an important lesson in matters of the heart hidden deep within the velvet peddles of a common rose. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Cliff Robertson
Will Vinton's clay animation version of Rip Van Winkle stays faithful to Washington Irving's original story. Rip is a kind-hearted but talkative farmer who, after seeing the loss of his crop after trying to be helpful to another person, ends up sharing beverages with some tiny men he meets. The drinks put Rip into a deep sleep that lasts two decades. This Oscar nominated short is narrated by Will Geer. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
