Animals Abound!
The nice thing about going to a place like Family Video is heading straight to the kid's section where there are a host of Disney films and cartoon series. All of them for free rental. That means I don't have to slap down a dollar for the family titles.
What I find, however, is something that doesn't see much running time on television except for a few select PBS stations. But they have copies of it over at Family Video and I manage to see the Redwall series... at least the first season in its entirety.
These are based on the books written by Brian Jacques which chronicles the rise of a hero during a time when he is needed most and accounts the time of tyranny that has run rampant throughout the forest where the action takes place.
If you like animals, then this is the series for you. There is a constant struggle of classes between the mice and rats.. the mice represent the commoner while the rats look to climb the social ladder in their attempt to gain power over others. There are also bunny rabbits, skunks, birds and other sorts of creatures you might see in the forest... including a very poisonous snake.
If you like animals, I say again, then this is the series for you.
If you also like action and adventure set in a Camelot period filled with knights of shining armor, again this is series for you.
Produced by companies in Canada and France, this series sets itself apart from most other series. There is a storyline that runs through all of the thirteen episodes. The stories tend to be simple with plots for children to understand and follow. And that is probably the intended audience... children. Though adults who appreciate animated series could enjoy this as well.
If this series has been produced in the United States, it might have been different. Several characters in "Redwall" do get killed off and there is a thread of death running through the course of the series.
The story revolves around Mathias, a simple mouse from humble beginnings who is attacked by a rat named Cluny who ravages the entire countryside with his tyranny. This partuclar rat killed whatever remaining family Mathias has including his sister who did not survive the jounrey they set out on. While growing up, Mathias is forever tortured by the images of Cluny the rat and wishes to bring justice to him.
Mathias is saved by several holy figures from the Redwall abbey. They are non-violent people with no taste of fighting in their blood. They are meek and continue their lives under the blessed daylight. They do not feel they need to be threatened by outside forces. They are soon proven wrong.
During this time, Mathias learns of his real role in life as he becomes the heir to Martin, the original protector and knight of Redwall. Mathias must lead the attack of the poeple in the abbey as the tide of war would soon engulf them. It is inevitable that Cluny the scourage would soon try to take over their castle and demoilish morale between them. But Mathias' spirit remains strong despite everything.
It's a tough sell for this series. There are no familiar voices in the first season of Redwall and a few of the adult themes going through the children's episodic show, such as the death of some characters, might put off some of the viewers. But the animation is pretty well done. And the series does follow the books well enough with a couple of detours from the story,line. One of the episodes Cluny's Clowns is not in the books and written specifically for the series. However, the theme of the stories remain intact.
There are fantasy elements such as the brazen tapestry unfolding over the inner Redwall structure which tells of many historical points of history. The tapestry does have a certain power which can influence others like some kind of holy spirit. The guidance of its presence is twofold. It can bring goodness to someone like Mathias or nightmares to one such as Cluny who is interested only in power.
This series might be one for those who enjoyed the Lord of the Ring movies with its fantastical elements and mystical surroundings. The combination of knights and spirits give this series a certain mystique of its own. Especially concerning the tapestry which connects every single episode of the series with its storytelling. This isn't a bad series and worth venturing into the video store for.
Children may enjoy it for the number of different, colorful characters such as the Basil the Stag Hare who has a very odd British accent. The characters are very memorable. The older viewers may be captivated by the simplicity of its tale of good and evil. It may be a cartoon that would be able to bring together the whole family.
What I find, however, is something that doesn't see much running time on television except for a few select PBS stations. But they have copies of it over at Family Video and I manage to see the Redwall series... at least the first season in its entirety.
These are based on the books written by Brian Jacques which chronicles the rise of a hero during a time when he is needed most and accounts the time of tyranny that has run rampant throughout the forest where the action takes place.
If you like animals, then this is the series for you. There is a constant struggle of classes between the mice and rats.. the mice represent the commoner while the rats look to climb the social ladder in their attempt to gain power over others. There are also bunny rabbits, skunks, birds and other sorts of creatures you might see in the forest... including a very poisonous snake.
If you like animals, I say again, then this is the series for you.
If you also like action and adventure set in a Camelot period filled with knights of shining armor, again this is series for you.
Produced by companies in Canada and France, this series sets itself apart from most other series. There is a storyline that runs through all of the thirteen episodes. The stories tend to be simple with plots for children to understand and follow. And that is probably the intended audience... children. Though adults who appreciate animated series could enjoy this as well.
If this series has been produced in the United States, it might have been different. Several characters in "Redwall" do get killed off and there is a thread of death running through the course of the series.
The story revolves around Mathias, a simple mouse from humble beginnings who is attacked by a rat named Cluny who ravages the entire countryside with his tyranny. This partuclar rat killed whatever remaining family Mathias has including his sister who did not survive the jounrey they set out on. While growing up, Mathias is forever tortured by the images of Cluny the rat and wishes to bring justice to him.
Mathias is saved by several holy figures from the Redwall abbey. They are non-violent people with no taste of fighting in their blood. They are meek and continue their lives under the blessed daylight. They do not feel they need to be threatened by outside forces. They are soon proven wrong.
During this time, Mathias learns of his real role in life as he becomes the heir to Martin, the original protector and knight of Redwall. Mathias must lead the attack of the poeple in the abbey as the tide of war would soon engulf them. It is inevitable that Cluny the scourage would soon try to take over their castle and demoilish morale between them. But Mathias' spirit remains strong despite everything.
It's a tough sell for this series. There are no familiar voices in the first season of Redwall and a few of the adult themes going through the children's episodic show, such as the death of some characters, might put off some of the viewers. But the animation is pretty well done. And the series does follow the books well enough with a couple of detours from the story,line. One of the episodes Cluny's Clowns is not in the books and written specifically for the series. However, the theme of the stories remain intact.
There are fantasy elements such as the brazen tapestry unfolding over the inner Redwall structure which tells of many historical points of history. The tapestry does have a certain power which can influence others like some kind of holy spirit. The guidance of its presence is twofold. It can bring goodness to someone like Mathias or nightmares to one such as Cluny who is interested only in power.
This series might be one for those who enjoyed the Lord of the Ring movies with its fantastical elements and mystical surroundings. The combination of knights and spirits give this series a certain mystique of its own. Especially concerning the tapestry which connects every single episode of the series with its storytelling. This isn't a bad series and worth venturing into the video store for.
Children may enjoy it for the number of different, colorful characters such as the Basil the Stag Hare who has a very odd British accent. The characters are very memorable. The older viewers may be captivated by the simplicity of its tale of good and evil. It may be a cartoon that would be able to bring together the whole family.
posted by K.M. Paters at 1:05 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home