The Wind in the Willows

Produced for TV by Jules Bass and Arthur Rankin Jr., this 1987 animated feature is a largely faithful adaptation of Kenneth Grahame's oft-filmed 1908 classic novel. Charles Nelson Reilly voices the obsessive Mr. Toad, who is so smitten with the modern new automobile that he keeps buying and smashing them with no regards to the consequences, while his friends Ratty (Roddy McDowall), Moley (Eddie Bracken), and the very private Badger (José Ferrer) stage a kind of intervention to curb his behavior before it can land him in serious trouble…which it finally does. Like most of the Rankin/Bass productions, The Wind in the Willows features big, broad characterizations, as well as bouncy (if ultimately unmemorable) songs, and solid hand-drawn animation. The designs of the animal characters are actually quite engaging (the humans less so), while the scope of the action—featuring a riverboat, a locomotive chase, and an assault on Toad Hall by a gang of ill-behaved weasels—is wide-ranging. Although made for kids, this might seem flat and sluggish to children raised on Pixar and Disney features, but may well appeal to animation buffs and fans of the Rankin/Bass style. A strong optional purchase. (S. Axmaker)