Success often breeds laxness, and the critically acclaimed Rabbit Ears Video series is, unfortunately, not an exception. Following such early consistent winners as Pecos Bill, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, and How The Rhinoceros Got His Skin/How The Camel Got His Hump in 1987 and 1988, later entries have been sporadic in achieving the ultra-high quality established by the openers. The latest pair, Koi and the Kola Nuts and Rumpelstiltskin, offer an instructive contrast. Read by Whoopi Goldberg, with music by Herbie Hancock, and illustrations by Reynold Ruffins, the African folktale Koi tells the story of the son of a recently deceased chief, who is given only a kola nut tree for his inheritance. Wrapping kola nuts in his backpack, Koi sets out to find a new village, and along the way uses his kola nuts to aid a snake, band of ants, and crocodile, who are in distress. His kindness pays off later when, at the village he visits, the residents start eyeing him as if he were a box of Hamburger Helper. Given three tests to prove himself, Koi is able to succeed with the help of the friends he aided earlier. Ruffin's simple illustrations, along with Hancock's competent soundtrack, provide the backbone for Goldberg's multi-layered reading, which embodies a pleasing range of tones and styles. Rumpelstiltskin, on the other hand, disappoints primarily because of its reader: Kathleen Turner. Adhering strictly to the story (and a little modern embellishment wouldn't have hurt), Turner's rendition of the tale, popularized by the Brothers' Grimm, of a miller's daughter who must rely on the help of a gnarled dwarf to spin gold for the king, is surprisingly one-dimensional. As narrator, miller's daughter, and Rumpelstiltskin, Turner's voice barely changes. Since a good deal of the effectiveness of the fairy tale lies in conveying the horror (the demand for the first-born child) of the monstrous dwarf, Turner's placid reading of the character of Rumpelstiltskin carries no bite. Rumpelstiltskin, though nice to look at, and featuring a serviceable soundtrack by Tangerine Dream, is rather lifeless, and not a necessary purchase. Koi and the Kola Nuts is highly recommended. (Available from most distributors.) (R. Pitman)
Koi And The Cola Nuts; Rumpelstiltskin
(1992) 30 m. $9.95. Rabbit Ears Video (dist. by Uni Distribution). Public performance rights included. Color cover. Vol. 7, Issue 4
Koi And The Cola Nuts; Rumpelstiltskin
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