(Flash Review)Yep, it is Charlotte's Web. I presume many of you read this in elementary school. Simply a hand drawn animation based on the classic book. Of course it has some basic morals and a very smart spider that can spell and write in English. There are several short musical numbers sprinkled in, overall the pace is calm and there were some average 'dream sequences'.

First of all, a disclaimer of sorts: I do remember reading the original E.B. White book for school as a child, but I'm fairly sure I saw the movie first. I haven't read the book recently enough to be able to comment on how faithful this animated adaptation is. So my review will focus on the movie's merits from a production standpoint. And it has many.As other commenters have pointed out, at first viewing it seems rather hard to believe that this film was made by the same company that produced "The Flintstones" and "Yogi Bear." The animation may look dated by today's standards, and the secondary characters do look like rush jobs, but the central characters - Wilbur, Charlotte, Templeton, Fern, et al. - are animated quite nicely in my opinion. There are moments of real beauty, such as the sequence during "Deep In The Dark/Charlotte's Lullaby" (the song probably known to most as "Charlotte's Web," sung by an all-male chorus). On the whole, the animation is very simple, but it is fluid and it gives the movie a simple, homey charm missing from the CG-heavy animated feature films of today. The songs seem to be quite a point of contention among those who have seen this movie. Some of them are cloying and syrupy, but even the worst songs in this film are good - they're catchy and very well sung. As with many others, Paul Lynde's hilarious reading of "A Veritable Smorgasbord" as Templeton the rat (also when sung as a duet with Agnes Moorehead as the Goose) is a highlight for me, as is "Chin Up," which is guaranteed to stick in your head for hours. "Mother Earth and Father Time" is touching, especially the reprise of the song coinciding with Charlotte's death. Pamelyn Ferdin (well known as Lucy Van Pelt in several "Peanuts" TV specials and movies) delights with her own singing abilities in "There Must Be Something More." I think I can understand why E.B. White didn't care for the songs, but they are well-crafted nevertheless, and kids should love them, especially the more upbeat songs like "I Can Talk" and "Chin Up." "Zuckerman's Famous Pig" and "Charlotte's Lullaby" would later be covered by The Brady Bunch.But the voice acting is what really MAKES the film. I do find Henry Gibson's (R.I.P.) Wilbur a little grating and overacted at times, but some might say he captures the essence of the character perfectly, as Wilbur does tend to be given over to histrionics, which even Charlotte recognizes ("Wilbur, I FORBID you to faint!"). Debbie Reynolds' Charlotte is perfectly cast - her voice is soft, gentle, and tender, yet doesn't detract from Charlotte's intelligence and craftiness. Pamelyn Ferdin as Fern impresses with the mature qualities of her voice and her great emotional range (she's become an animal rights activist since, which considering Fern's initial saving of Wilbur from the chopping block, is apropos). But it's "Bewitched" veterans Agnes Moorehead and Paul Lynde (R.I.P. to them both) who really steal the show as the Goose and Templeton respectively, with their hilarious deliveries of some rather catty lines. Paul Lynde in particular was well-cast as Wilbur's somewhat reluctant ally, Templeton, whose catty and sarcastic remarks are always a highlight. All in all, the 1973 "Charlotte's Web" is still a delight to watch years later. Kids (provided today's kids have the patience for something without Disney/Pixar's bells and whistles) will be delighted by the characters and the fun songs; adults will appreciate the message about the gullible side of human nature that they might have missed the first time around. I haven't seen the live-action 2006 remake or CW2: Wilbur's Great Adventure but I doubt they could be as magical. 9/10 stars.

When I was a kid, I remember watching this on video at my dad's old house. Then, a few years later, those days were long forgotten and for that, I've read the book it was based on and I think it's enchanting. Looking back at the movie, I think there are some problems it has, but despite that, I think this is a childhood favorite that holds up for me even as a young adult.The animation, while crude in some parts, is very lovely to look at. The music score is beautiful and the songs, aside from only two being out of place (not the best work the Sherman Brothers have made, but they're not the worst), are memorable and I would hum those tunes for over a decade. The story is timeless and is faithful to E.B. White's work; the characters are likable and the voice acting is top notch. Henry Gibson as Wilbur is endearing, Paul Lynde is very funny as Templeton, the scene-stealer of the movie and Debbie Reynolds is charming as Charlotte and her voice is beyond beautiful.Overall, Charlotte's Web isn't the best, but it's a memorable classic that has stayed with me since childhood. Recommended to others! :)

This is at least an interesting story, but everything about bringing it to the screen is incompetent, save Debbie Reynolds' voice.The animation was crude even for its time, and the songs have no heft or hook.But the story! If you don't know it, here it is:A pig with no particular value is the focus. It is made clear that this is actually someone (yes, we are talking about people here) with fewer gifts than the average. He's a runt and would have been killed at birth. Throughout, he never grows into someone that can accomplish anything. This is a key element of the setup. In your normal children's story of the era, all beings are special, extraordinary: The ugly ducking becomes a swan. The chargirl becomes a wise queen. The younger brother solves the mystery.But here, this pig has no special qualities at the beginning, nor at the end. It is important that he be completely worthless, a simpleton, throughout the story. Otherwise, the "nothing should be killed regardless how worthless" device to work.The magic of the story is that he is saved by an effect that has nothing whatever with his doing. Something else creates a word not even of his choosing -- he doesn't even know what it means. People, instead of marveling over the spider who can read, write and speak, instead read the words and assign its meaning without question or examination of the "story channel" through which it came.This is a very peculiar phenomenon, now much tested in a scientific way. We usually think of it in terms of "if its in paper (or on TeeVee) it must be true." But the perceptual flaw is deeper. If it is in words; if it is a story, we accept the reality of it.That makes this is a tiny essay on the main tricks of misdirected value in storytelling and hence film-making. That people accept it as a children's story, sort of proves the point now doesn't it?Ted's Evaluation -- 1 of 3: You can find something better to do with this part of your life.