The Wind in the WillowsIf animals did have human qualities, humans would have gone to war with the cows years ago.Fortunately, none of the anthropomorphic fauna in this animated movie are edible.Suffering from spring fever, Mole (Richard Pearson) emerges from his subterranean home. During his constitutional he encounters his woodland colleagues Rat (Ian Carmichael) and Badger (Michael Hordern). Together, they arrange a picnic, followed by a visit to Toad Hall.The latter, however, proves a wild ride as the lead footed Mr. Toad (David Jason) takes the trio on a whirlwind tour of the countryside in his roadster, which lands Toad in hot water.Featuring an unforgettable Mr. Toad performance and finely detailed characters that are masterful manipulated, this brilliant stop-motion BBC adaptation of the misadventures of upper-crusty critters is now a classic in its own right.More impressive is that foxhunting dogs haven't torn any of these beloved characters to shreds.Green Lightvidiotreviews.blogspot.ca

I have seen many different versions of Kenneth Grahame's famous and popular story of the river and the characters that live in it. This is the clay cartoon version where the characters (I think) are made of Plastercine and do not move much, unlike the Aardman Animations clay work. I think you know the story already. Mole gets out of his hole, meets Rat, they meet Toad, go in the wild wood, meet Badger, Toad goes to prison for nicking a motor car and so on and so forth. Toad is the only character I have always liked in and Wind in the Willows. This one is voiced very well by Sir David Jason. It won the BAFTA for Best Children's Programme (Entertainment/Drama) in 1984, and it was nominated the same award in 1985. A TV series followed this, which was was number 56 on The 100 Greatest Kids' TV Shows, and it was number 69 on The 100 Greatest Cartoons. Worth watching!

This stop-motion animation was the first adaptation of a British children's novel to make me realise why Britain produces all of the world's best children's novellists. Its ethereal, sunlit world was the product of a mature and dark yet utterly English imagination inspired by a 2000-year legacy of faeries-in-the-fields mythology.

There is only one word for this movie: legendary! The entire cast plays their parts to perfection, especially David Jason as Toad, but overall, the whole cast of talented actors who have ideally lent their voices to this production deserve praise. They've done themselves well.