Puff the Magic Dragon (1978) ** 1/2 (out of 4) When a shy boy is unable to communicate or reach out to others, he's visited by Puff (voice of Burgess Meredith), the magic dragon who plans on teaching him to be strong. Of all the animated TV-movies from the 70s, this one here certainly isn't among the greatest but there are enough interesting ideas and some charm to make it worth viewing. I think a lot of the appeal can be credited to Meredith who really does a nice job in his role. The vocal performance here is quite good because the actor can bring the fantasy element of the story out but he also brings the dragon to life with ease. Another very strong point is the animation. It certainly isn't "pretty" but it just has a certain atmosphere about it. Just check out the sequence where Puff and the boy are out in a boat when some dark clouds show up to scare the boy. The darkness of the clouds look wonderful but the atmosphere they give off is the major plus. Another good look if Puff himself and especially that crazy hair. The story itself is rather weak and even the 22-minute running time feels a tad bit long in spots but fans of this type of film will still want to check it out.

Directed by Charles Swenson and Fred Wolf, Puff the Magic Dragon was a lovely surprise. True, at 30 minutes it is very short and perhaps rather scant, but all the same it is cute, it is charming and it is intelligent.It is made up of very cute art designs, so the animation is nice and colourful. The songs, principally the truly memorable title song, are beautiful. The cartoon itself is very funny, and has a nice story, and some nice lessons that don't preach. The characters are also very endearing, Puff has to be the most lovable dragon ever, and Jackie isn't annoying at all. And then there's the voice acting, the late Burgess Meredith was perfect as Puff and Phillip Tanzini is appealing as Jackie.All in all, a very nice and gentle watch. 9/10 Bethany Cox

this was my all-time favourite movie when i was a kid.i remember when me and my brother and cousin would drop everything we were doing to sit down for a half hour and watch and sing along with Puff and Jackie. recently, my brother's girlfriend found him a copy and we still knew all of the words to every song. i am not ashamed to say that i still love this movie. it's great for kids and enjoyable on so many levels for adults too.if you can find a copy of this anywhere, i highly reccomend that you get this, for your kids or whoever. it's way better then most of that new "children's entertainment" that exists today. and it teaches a great lesson.

Not many cartoons can be so touching in less than 30 minutes. Puff, manages to movie the audience a great deal despite its scant running time.Jackie Draper is a young boy who wont communicate with anyone. Through wonderful images and the beautiful music Puff helps Jackie help himself. The cartoon is funny and follows the song very well. The late Burgess Meredith lends his voice to the green dragon. This was followed by 2 other specials "Puff The Magic Dragon and The Land Of The Living Lies" and "Puff and the Incredible Mr. Nobody". I highly recommend all three, not just for children but for everyone with an imagination.