Product Description

A mischievous orphan with a knack for tall tales, Tom lives with his exasperated aunt in the riverfront town of Hannibal, Missouri. Along with his ragtag best friend Huckleberry Finn (Jeff East) and his fetching sweetheart Becky Thatcher, Tom's life is a series of clever and irrepressible adventures. But when he and Huck witness a crime, Tom must decide if he will risk his life to exonerate town bum Muff Potter (Warren Oates).

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #69182 in DVD
• Brand: TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX HOME ENT
• Released on: 2002-07-30
• Rating: G (General Audience)
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• ESRB Rating: Teen
• Formats: Animated, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .25 pounds
• Running time: 89 minutes

Amazon.com
The classic Mark Twain book The Adventures of Tom Sawyer is presented here as an animated video featuring the voices and music of country music stars Mark Wills, Lee Ann Womack, Rhett Akins, and Hank Williams Jr. Other famous voices include Betty White and Don Knotts. Twain's general plot is reproduced fairly faithfully: Tom falls in love with Becky, Tom and Huckleberry Finn witness a murder and later risk their lives to save the falsely accused Potter, and Tom and Huck eventually find Red Beard's buried treasure. Subtle elements have been changed for either political correctness or plot convenience: for instance, the name "Injun Joe" has been changed to "Injurin' Joe" and Becky has gained an antagonist father. A not so subtle change is the presentation of the characters as animals: Tom and Becky are cats, Huck is a fox, and Joe is a bear. The video is skillfully animated (much more so than the cover suggests) and the voice talent is excellent. Pop-country music lovers will love featured songs such as "You Can't Keep a Country Boy Down" and "There's a Light at the End of the Tunnel," although they seem more appropriate for adult audiences than the 5- to 12-year-olds this video is aimed at. All in all, this is an entertaining, accessible presentation of a classic story that kids will enjoy. --Tami Horiuchi

Customer Reviews

An excellent animated version of an American Classic.
The animation itself is very well done, being on a par with1993's "Once Upon a Forest", and nicely conveys the variousmoods and emotions of the plot and characters. About the only real problem I noticed throughout was a slight continuity problem: sometimes Tom is barefoot in scenes where, a second before, he'd been wearing shoes. But this is just a minor thing.

While I'm not a "Pop-Country" fan, the music in this effort is, if not show-stopping, then at least pleasant to the ear without detracting from the plot and children will probably like some of the bouncier rhythms.

As a previous reviewer notes, the plot mostly follows the book with; as noted; certain concessions made to political correctness. But this does not detract from any of the characterizations or the "romance" of Tom's puppy-love-at-first-sight attraction to Becky Thatcher (and Amy Lawrence's transition from "woman-scorned" anger to resigned semi-acceptance of it is tastefully handled too) and the drama of Deputy Bean's murder by Injurin' Joe and his pursuit of Tom and Becky through Deadman's Cave.

So if you're a parent looking for a Video that both you and the kids might enjoy watching on a rainy afternoon, this is one that I can definitely recommend. (And if it gets the viewer [especially kids] interested in reading Twain's American Classics "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" and "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" too [as it did me!], then chalk that up as an added bonus!)

Excellent movie/cartoon for family
This is a terrific movie/cartoon that the whole family can watch. Rhett Akins and LeeAnn Womack are great. It has a wonderful soundtrack for adults and children alike. The music sends a good message as well as the story being a Mark Twain Classic.

Tom Sawyer
I was told about this video and decided to check it out. I was delighted with the high quality of the animation. The story was charming and full of interesting characters. Becky and Amy are my favorites. Probably the rarest treat of all, are the great songs that filled the video. Good music has been missing from too many animated movies in the past. I enjoyed this movie so much, I have told my friends about it and even sent out extra copies, I bought, to friends all over the world. They all enjoyed the movie. Can't ask anymore from a movie to be pleasantly entertained, this one does that beautifully.