Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad

We have finally reached the last of the 1940's package films! Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad ends this era on a good note, and returns to the format of telling two separate stories instead of half a dozen. This greatly helps things and is what makes this film enjoyable, being able to just take your time to meet the characters and enjoy the world they inhabit instead of rushing through in a few minutes.

The first segment we are treated to is a retelling of the Wind in the Willows, which does seem to be pretty faithful to the original, though it has been quite some time since I've read the book. So I could be a tad wrong. The story follows the adventures of Mole, Rat and MacBadger as they try to help their friend, Mr. Toad, clear his name after a run-in with the law and some rather shifty weasels. A curious thing about this short is that the animals and humans all inhabit the same world, at their proper sizes. During scenes where a human is with one of our animal heroes, the size difference is very noticeable and slightly odd. It's not so much a hamper to the film, but it can be a little distracting sometimes. The one thing that does hamper the segment, for me at least, is the character of Mr. Toad. For me, I find him so unlikable that I often wonder why his friends even put up with him. He does not show any remorse for putting his friends through so much trouble, and is constantly being a destructive force. A tad puzzling, though it does seem to fit with the segment that follows....


Much like in Wind and the Willows, Sleepy Hollow also features a rather unlikable hero. While most people are saying "Chern! It's Ichabod Crane, what are you talking about!?" Well, what I mean is that Ichabod isn't exactly the nicest guy around. While he wants to woo Katrina, in one scene we see that he's actually far more interested in filling his stomach and inheriting her father's wealth with very little mention for actually having feelings for Katrina beyond using her. Furthering things, we also have Katrina Van Tassel who happily pits Ichabod and Brom Bones against each other, while Brom Bones himself is little more than the village bully. Certainly a curious way to present the main character. The true highlight of Sleepy Hollow however, is entire ending half where we see Ichabod at the Halloween party, and his terrifying ride through the forest as the Headless Horseman gives chase. At first we get a slow build up, giving a bit of tension, until finally the Horseman appears.

The animation in these two segments is the best we've seen during this decade, aside from the big five that started the company, and is full of great songs and moments. While both of these could have been made into feature length films, it does feel like adding more in might have been a hamper, and instead the shorter running time is what helps make these such solid entries into the Disney canon.

All in all, Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad is a lot of fun, and certainly the best the package features has to offer.

3 1/2 /5