Product Description

A classic Disney tale comes to life in this outrageous comedy adventure filled with high-spirited antics and madcap fun! Bring the whole family along on MR. TOAD'S WILD RIDE, a live-action woodland fantasy adapted from the pages of the classic children's novel THE WIND IN THE WILLOWS. Mr. Toad (Terry Jones) is literally driving his friends crazy with his powerful passion for motorcars -- selling off the town's land to replace each vehicle he crashes! It's up to Mole (Steve Coogan), Rat (Eric Idle), and Badger (Nicol Williamson) to put an end to the lunacy and save "Toad Hall" from falling into the hands of the conniving Weasels, who plan to turn it into a dog food factory! Includes guest star Bernard Hill (LORD OF THE RINGS) and John Cleese and Michael Palin (MONTY PYTHON).

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #17201 in DVD
• Brand: Disney
• Released on: 2004-03-02
• Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
• Formats: Color, DVD, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 88 minutes

Amazon.com
Inventive, tuneful retelling of The Wind in the Willows by filmmaker Terry Jones (Erik the Viking), and costarring many of his Monty Python pals. The film relies on creative dramatics and subtle costumes to show the human actors playing the various animal characters. We follow Mr. Mole (Steve Coogan), whose home is destroyed by a feisty band of weasels who want to make over the peaceful "wild wood" for economic means. Rat (Eric Idle) and the noble Badger (Nicol Williamson) are enlisted to help, but the rich and foolish Mr. Toad (Jones) and his enthusiasm for automobiles--and his ability to wreck them--soon lay waste to his friends' noble efforts. Python members Michael Palin and John Cleese have small roles as, respectively, the all-knowing Sun and Mr. Toad's lawyer. Three-time Oscar winner James Acheson (The Last Emperor) provides the delightful costumes and production design. The film is not as fun as ex-Python member Terry Gilliam's creative films (Time Bandits) but this is one of those films that deserves an audience. It languished for two years, with only very limited release in U.S. movie theaters. As with Time Bandits, the PG rating is for shenanigans and comic gunplay. --Doug Thomas

Customer Reviews

A Classic Which Shouldn't Be Forgotten
This is a so-called kid's movie that's way too good for kids. It's based on the book The Wind in the Willows. Mr. Toad (Terry Jones) of Toad Hall loves fast cars, crazy inventions, and all the latest fads. He crashes his cars regularly and is spending more money that he has on his enthusiasms. And it seems the Chief Weasel (Antony Sher) and his cronies have been buying up the land Mr. Toad has had to sell. They're going to tear down Toad Hall and build a huge dog food factory in its place. The Chief Weasel plans that the first ingredients to be processed will be Toad and his friends, the meek but brave Mole (Steve Coogan), the picnic-loving, loyal Rat (Eric Idle), and the grumpy, advice-giving Badger (Nicol Williamson). The movie details with great humor their adventures to defeat the Chief Weasel and save Toad Hall.

What makes this movie so special is the loving care Jones took establishing the look of the place and the fullness of the characters. If you pay attention, you'll see some gentle takes on greed, the legal system (John Cleese is a defence attorney who makes an impassioned case in court that his client should receive the maximum sentence), 1984, the protection of our environment, taking responsibility for our actions, and friendship. And the movie is not ponderous or preachy at all. It's great fun.

Disney, which had U.S. rights to the film, did nothing with it. When they finally put it in theaters, after insisting the name be changed from The Wind in the Willows to the name of one of their park rides, they spent almost no marketing money on promotion. Not suprisingly, the movie tanked faster than Mr. Toad's tongue catching a fly.

I've watched it twice now, and skimmed through it again this morning. It should be considered a classic. Little kids would probably like the characters, the color and the action, but my target audience would start with slightly alienated and smart teenagers. They'll get it. And then move on to those adults who like adult things.

The DVD transfer is excellent.

Fasten your seabelts for 'Mr. Toad's Wild Ride'!
'Mr. Toad's Wild Ride' is definitely one of the most charming children's movies that I've ever seen. Based loosely on the classic 'Wind in the Willows' by Kenneth Grahame, the film is set in the English countryside and follows the adventures (and misadventures) of Mr. Toad (Terry Jones of Monty Python!), Ratty (Eric Idle of the same), Mole(Steve Coogan), and Badger(Nicol Williamson) as they battle with the evil, greedy weasels over the rights to Toad Hall. The special effects are minimal but very well done, and the quaint period costumes and animal make-up creates the perfect woodland atmosphere. The songs are short but cute; you'll find yourself humming the tunes before you know it. All in all, children will find the characters delightful and funny, while the darker images of the dangers of industrialization and progress will keep the attention of adults. I'd say my rating is four and a half stars, as opposed to just four. 'Mr. Toad's Wils Ride' is a definite must to any video collection!

Thank heaven for Mr. Jones
I am not afraid to admit that I am an avid python fan. Been watching the stuff since... well, for more than just a few years, let's put it that way. Several years might be closer to the truth, though my parents would call that an understatement. I happened upon this film at a Monty Python fan site. As one of my goals happens to be to watch every Python-related film I can get my hands on, I went to the local hastings and rented it. I liked it. A lot. It was somewhat childish, but was not without its python influences (There is this one scene in which Mr. Toad is being led to jail and there are 2 guards punching each other in the background. If that's not Pythonesque, then I don't know what is). The songs were delightful, most of them anyway. I thought that altogether the whole thing was really creative. There are a few "violent" parts, such as fighting, and something having to do with a dog food factory that reminds me very much of Wallace & Gromit, but nothing that will lead your child to, say, becoming a Gang banger, or anything outrageous like that.