Hans Christian Andersen's Thumbelina

Director: Don Bluth, Gary Goldman Don Bluth

Overview

"This animated adventure tells the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale of a tiny fairy who is kidnapped by a mean group of toads. Can Prince Cornelius save her from the clutches of the befuddled mole who wants her for himself?"

Product Details

Release Date:	03/16/2004
UPC:	0024543029298
Original Release:	1994
Rating:	G
Source:	20Th Century Fox
Region Code:	1
Presentation:	[Full Frame, Wide Screen]
Sound:	[Dolby Digital Surround]
Language:	English
Time:	1:26:00
Sales rank:	23,330

Special Features

Closed Caption;Featurette; TV spots; Interactive menus; Scene selection; Presented in both Widescreen and Pan & Scan; Anamorphic widescreen (aspect ratio 1.78:1); Audio: English Dolby surround; Subtitles: English, Spanish

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Dorette Hugo	Däumeline
Jana Werner	Däumeline (Gesang)
Angelika Milster	Mutter (Gesang)
Sonja Deutsch	Mutter
Mario von Jascheroff	Hero
John Hurt	Mr. Mole
Gino Conforti	Jacquimo
Will Ryan	Hero/Reverend Rat/The Goat
Barbara Cook	Thumbelina's Mother
Kenneth Mars	King Colbert
Jodi Benson	Thumbelina
June Foray	Queen Tabitha
Gary Imhoff	Prince Cornelius
Charo	Mrs. Toad
Danny Mann	Mozo
Loren Lester	Voices
Kendall Cunningham	Baby Bug
Tawny Sunshine Glover	Gnatty
Michael Nunes	Voices
Gilbert Gottfried	Mr. Beetle
Pat Musick	Mrs Rabbit
Carol Channing	Ms. Fieldmouse
Joe Lynch	Grundel
Neil Ross	Mr. Fox,Composer
Jodie Bensen	Actor
Thumbelina	Actor
Mark Isham	Composer
Bruce Sussman	Composer
Jack Feldman	Composer
Barry Manilow	Composer

Technical Credits

Don Bluth

Willard Carroll

Don Bluth	Director,Producer,Screenwriter
Gary Goldman	Director,Producer
John Pomeroy	Producer
Willard Carroll	Screenwriter
Lynda Gordon	Sound/Sound Designer
Judy Taylor	Sound/Sound Designer
John Carr	Sound/Sound Designer

Editorial Reviews

Disney's revitalization of its animation department in the late 1980s -- and their subsequent huge box office returns -- created a boom period for animated features from other sources as well, although few found significant financial success. Thumbelina, produced in the middle of this period, is another frustrating offering from director/animator Don Bluth. Clearly a talented cartoonist, Bluth has produced few films that realize their promise, and Thumbelina is no exception. The film's biggest problem is its screenplay, which is so freely drawn from the Andersen fairy tale as to have almost nothing in common with it beyond the idea of a tiny girl. The movie also discards the fragile delicacy of the fairy tale in favor of broad humor and hackneyed plotting. In addition, the story Bluth and Willard Carroll have devised centers around one of the most passive characters ever created for a film. Aside from her size, there is nothing distinctive about Thumbelina, and the adult viewer eventually grows tired of her, despite a fine effort from Jodi Benson. Matters are not helped by the ho-hum Barry Manilow score, which contains only one decent number ("Let Me Be Your Wings.") As usual with Bluth, the animation is superior to the story, but while it contains a number of interesting sequences, too much of it is merely serviceable. In addition to Benson, good supporting work is turned in by Carol Channing, Gilbert Gottfried and Charo.