The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad Reviews

To be honest, I wasn't really sure what to expect from this flick but since it was available on Disney+, I thought I might as well check it out. Well, it is definitely one of Disney more obscure animated features, one of these Package films they released during WWII, before going back to some more prestigious work like 'Cinderella'. Well, to be honest, I really struggled to care about the damned thing. Concerning the animation, some characters looked fine but most of it felt rather cheap. Above all, these two stories might have worked as short movies but they really pushed the running time by adding some rather tedious bits. I was above all surprised by what they did with 'The Legend of Sleepy Hollow'. Indeed, from a classic Gothic tale, they turned it into some rather bewildering  vintage romantic-comedy during which Icabod Crane basically chases some girl not because he actually loves her but because she is rich. At least, the Headless Horseman, still considered as one of the scariest villains ever displayed in a Disney animated feature, was pretty awesome but he came just so late, during the last 2 mins, and, as a result, he felt more like an afterthought which didn't have much to do with the rest of the story. Anyway, to conclude, I think I was rather generous with my rating here but I think it is still worth a look, especially if you like the genre. 

Finally, as we reach the end of the package years, Disney produces a classic. The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad combines two disparate literary adaptations, both originally intended to be expanded into features, with a solidly imagined wraparound segment to tie them together. By copying the formula from Fun and Fancy Free, Disney was able to make two completely solid shorts that are highly enjoyable on their own, and surprisingly work well together.

 

In their own ways, both of the stories contained here are morality plays. The Wind in the Willows, the Mr. Toad section of the title, tries to teach its hero a lesson in slowing down and thinking before acting, to questionable success. The Legend of Sleepy Hollow punishes Ichabod Crane for purposefully trying to swindle and gold-dig into a marriage with a wealthy land heiress. That’s about it for the similarities.

 

Basil Rathbone narrates The Wind in the Willows, and this short works exceptionally well for the economy in which it burns through the original story. Granted, like many Disney films, it plays fast and loose with the material. The Wind in the Willows tells the story of Mr. Toad and his close friends who must constantly keep a close eye on him and clean up his many messes. Mr. Toad is also a bit of a bored upper class individual who must blindly and mindlessly buy the latest gadget to demonstrate his status and provide a few minutes entertainment before zipping off to his newest obsession. There's a timely and timeless element to a story of a crassly spending character, bankruptcy and foreclosure. It probably will go over the heads of many children, but for the adults there's something smarter going on in this one.

But it's still one of the better shorts to come out the 1940s package films that the studio turned out. It features the watercolor backgrounds of the Golden Era, and the solid character animation that the Disney studio did so well. It’s easy to see where the plot could be expand to spin the narrative out to feature-length, as was originally intended. While it would have been a charming feature, it’s pretty perfect in its thirty-five minute incarnation.

 

In contrast, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow is narrated and sung by Bing Crosby, who excels here, and done in a more angular style. Naturally, Mary Blair provides the backgrounds for this short. All warm, autumnal colors, rounded geometric shapes, and equally severe characters, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow is every bit as lovely to behold as the prior segment, contrasting that pastoral England for a lively colonial Americana. Crosby’s sleepy voice is perfect for Ichabod, and the title character bares a passing resemblance to the crooner.

 

Much like the original story, this version is mostly a pastoral story of a schoolteacher trying to marry rich before the climax diverts over into supernatural and horror territory. The Headless Horseman is all inky blacks with large blocky bits of blues or purples as highlights. This segment is probably the most famous piece of animation from the short, even though it only occupies the last five minutes or so. It really is that memorable and well done to justify its omnipresence.

 

After The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad, Disney would return to single-narrative feature films. While numerous other package films contained moments of greatness, Disney spirited itself for its final release of the era and crafted a truly great film. Not a moment is wasted, nor is anything too bloated. It’s no wonder that this film and Fun and Fancy Free have been paired together recently for home video release, they’re the only two films in the entire era that Disney seems proud of. With good reason, among the four segments across the two films, three of them can claim full-on classic status.

It clearly says at the beginning of the film, that The Adventures Of Ichabod And Mr. Toad is a Disney picture. However, I am convinced that "Disney" is a major typographical error, and this is really a 68 minute long Looney Tunes episode. There is a fine line between Animated Feature and Cartoon, and The Adventures Of Ichabod And Mr. Toad crosses over to the Cartoon side.

The Adventures Of Ichabod And Mr. Toad is a two part film. The first part is a story involving Mr. Toad, a crazed amphibian with no respect for the property of others. He is charged of stealing an automobile, though Mr. Toad claims he did not steal it. His friends and he must prove his innocence.

The second part is about a man named Ichabod Crane. He's skinny and odd, but despite this, he's a real lady magnet. But when attractive Ms. Katrina comes to town, it's a fight for the lady between Ichabod and town bully, Brom Bones.

I don't know why these two stories were combined into one movie. They're completely different from the other. The only thing they have in common, is that they're both exhausting.

Mr. Toad's story has some fun to it. Some of Toad's antics are amusing, and there are a couple of good lines. But overall, it's dull, and the slap-stick goes way overboard.

I decided to remain optimistic though. I had hopes that the second half with Ichabod would be better. Well, I admit: I was wrong. The second half is even worse. There is almost nothing noteworthy in the second half. The songs are dull and rather flat. It boasts an unoriginal story line. Also, somehow, the headless horseman gets worked into the end and it doesn't make even the slightest bit of sense.

The one good bit in the Ichabod half of the film, is a dance sequence where Ichabod and Brom are both trying to dance with Katrina. Yes, this kind of thing isn't all that original, but it's easily the best scene in the film (which, admittedly isn't saying much).

Ichabod's bit also ends with a chase scene between Ichabod and the Headless Horseman (who's involvement doesn't make even the slightest sense). This is incredibly dull and I can't imagine a worse way to end the film.

The animation is mostly bland. But it's kind of silly that the character's lips rarely match what they're actually saying (though this isn't a problem during the second half, where it's mostly narrated).

The Adventures Of Ichabod And Mr. Toad is not a film. It's merely a cartoon disguised as a film (and the veil is relatively thin, at that). Disney rarely makes a bad animated film, but The Adventures Of Ichabod And Mr. Toad is a major exception.

I suppose the reason that Ichabod And Mr. Toad is such a bad film, isn't so much that it's flawed (though it is), it has more to do with it being rather dull and forgettable. It does little to separate itself from the average Saturday morning cartoon. You would be better off watching the Looney Tunes shorts that The Adventures Of Ichabod And Mr. Toad is so obviously trying to imitate.