Hansel & Gretel- Opera Fantasy [VHS]

Bad transfer
The View Video edition of HANSEL AND GRETEL (alas, the only one available as of 2008) features a video transfer that looks suspiciously like a copy from a VHS master. The overmodulated, fuzzy audio is no better. In short, this DVD is very nearly unwatchable. Only a few extras here, including a brief "making-of" short for 1950s television. As for the film itself, it's an odd little curio but no masterpiece, certainly not as good as the Engelbert Humperdinck opera it's (loosely) based on. The animation is generally lifeless and inexpressive, and the various attempts at cuteness come off as creepy. But Anna Russell's spry turn as the Witch injects some much-needed vigor into the proceedings, and Irish poet Padraic Colum's translation of the German libretto is excellent -- when you can understand it. RKO Pictures commissioned HANSEL AND GRETEL in 1954 as a low-budget alternative to Disney features -- a necessary move, since at the time the Disney studio was making plans to distribute its product through an in-house company. The film was animated in sequence and rushed through production, which explains why earlier scenes are smoother than later ones. It doesn't approach Disney caliber, on a technical or a narrative level. Even though the film garnered some respectful reviews on its initial release, and seems to have performed adequately at the box office, RKO didn't care to repeat the experiment.

My Introduction to Opera
This still remains one of my favorite movies. Alright, the bad quality of the transfer I'll concede, but the actual movie itself? Entrancing. I guess you could call this the "good parts" version of Hansel and Gretel. It holds the most beautiful of Humperdinck's songs, but there is still a lot of spoken dialogue as well, which is probably a little easier for kids to handle. And yes, Anna Russell is amazingly funny!!

Superb Movie-Definitely Recommend!
I would definitely recommend this movie to children of all ages. It is a great classic and I remember watching it as a child in the mid-80's. This is a movie I am very happy to buy once again!

A childhood favorite of mine!
I recently ordered this DVD. I was surprised when I found out that it had been released on DVD. You have no idea. I went nuts. I used to watch this over and over again when I was younger. My mother had bought a VHS copy of this at Wal Mart. Watched it all the time, and then it accidentally got sold at a yard sale. Don't know how that happened, but it did. Anyways, ever since then, I had always looked for a copy, but could never find one until now. This is one of the best children's films ever produced, and the best claymation production ever...well, this and The Nightmare Before Christmas. It may look dated, but we have to remember that it WAS made in the '50s. Anna Russell still cracks me up as the voice of Rosina Rubylips, the witch. The entire vocal cast is excellent! I LOVE THIS FILM! The only problem with the DVD is this: It looks as though someone took a VHS and transferred it over to a DVD. The sound isn't that great at times, either. Since this is the only version available at the moment, it will have to do. When (and if) they do finally remaster it and clean it up, I'll buy a new version of it. As of now, I'll settle with this one. There is also a ten minute "making of" feature on here. Pretty interesting. If you grew up with this, and you love it like I do, buy it. I don't see any signs of a new DVD version coming out any time soon.

Chiefly for those who like Disney's Fantasia
This is not an opera, nor a cartoon version of an opera. What it is, is an animated film of the story of Humperdinck's Hansel and Gretel, presented in the style of Walt Disney's Fantasia. The artists made little figures, with such amazing detail that it allows for facial expressions and movement, and then took more than 140,000 pictures of them to give them movement and life. It makes for a very unusual presentation--neither cartoon nor real people. It appeals to mainly two groups: those looking for an introduction to the opera or story of Hansel and Gretel, and those interested in a movie like Disney's "Fantasia." Oh, I should have said THREE groups: there is also a growing interest in this as a camp movie (like the Rocky Horror Picture Show). Most of this comes as a result of love for the great operatic comedienne, Anna Russell, who was in this production the delightfully camp voice of the witch, Rosina Rubylips.