The Little Prince
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Movie Reviews of The Little Prince
Movie Review: At Last!
Summary: 5 Stars
If you saw The Little Prince in the theater, you noticed that the voices were low and the music was loud. That was in addition to the imagery being a little fuzzy. Unfortunately, the VCR was no improvement. However, this DVD has the voice and music sound levels in sync and the images are fresh and crisp. It's like seeing The Little Prince for the first time! I would higly recommend this DVD - especially to previously disappointed fans. At last - the movie has been perfected. Movie Review: This is a fabolous musical and story!!!
Summary: 5 Stars
I'm soo glad I bought this tape. The musical has some really great songs. It also has some great special effects for being made quite awhile ago. The story is brilliant. I love the song and dance sequence peformed by Bob Fosse as the Snake in the "Snake in the Grass". Wonderful, I highly recommend it.Movie Review: Fine Family Fare
Summary: 3 Stars
I remember this movie opening to very mixed reviews back in 1974, and so I avoided it for over 30 years. But I recently reread the book (highly recommended for adults as well as children, by the way) and became curious about this adaptation. Although there are a couple of serious problems with this film, it is, on the whole, a surprisingly enjoyable and moving viewing experience. For the most part, the problems are limited to the first half of the film, so if you stick with it that long, the payoff is worth your while.
First of all, that Lerner and Lowe score is a mixed bag at best. But the score improves remarkably in the second half of the film, and the best of it is winning. Secondly, the depiction of the rose is flawed. Gene Wilder's Fox and Bob Fosse's Snake, both wonderful here, are able to step out of their animal skins once their characters are economically established. This frees up their performances considerably. We see their faces clearly, they interact with the Little Prince directly, movement helps define their characters. But the great dancer Donna McKechnie's entire performance as the Rose is horribly ill-conceived. Her image is projected onto a red petal, and as a result, she's murky, small, and, worst of all for a dancer, straight-jacketed. The fact that the connection between the Prince and his Rose is not more persuasive is problematic, since the Little Prince's love for the beautiful but petulant Rose informs almost all his actions.
That being said, the look and feel of this film is pitch-perfect. Stanley Donen wisely avoided the typical bloat to which most Hollywood musicals are susceptible. This Little Prince is intimate in scale. The musical numbers are mostly solos or duets. Nothing here overpowers the delicate plot. The art direction and special effects, particularly during the Prince's interplanetary travels, catch the eye. The performances, with the exception of the Rose (whose deficiencies are more the fault of the director than Ms. McKechnie), are praiseworthy. Richard Kiley is appealing and in fine voice as the Pilot. And Steven Warner is absolutely beguiling as The Little Prince.
Everything pulls together successfully for the last 45 minutes of this film and drives the audience to a touching finale. And about that snake bite: it is certainly meant to be transformative and transporting rather than suicidal. It makes complete sense within the context of this tale, and all but the youngest child will grasp this easily. The Little Prince's peals of laughter filling the night sky make it clear that he has arrived at home safely.
This is, overall, a winsome, faithful adaptation of the beloved children's book.
Movie Review: Fits the Book well
Summary: 4 Stars
I've read this book in English and French and it is one of my favorite French books--I hate modern French literature. I thought that this movie was charming, and also that it follows the book very well. I've shown it to my French classes and most of the students enjoy it. The only parts that I didn't like were the character of the rose although it fits the book and I hate Bob Fosse's bit. It was too long. Gene Wilder was great in his part. My favorite character was the Little Prince himself. I can't imagine a more perfect fit. My favorite "scenes" from the book were well represented. My three children watched and enjoyed it, but as one reviewer pointed out, there is a theme of child-suicide. My children did not catch it, but in retrospect it is obvious and disturbing, but that is what happens in the book. It is definately a point of discussion. It is not condoning suicide, but in the movie you are really left to sort it out yourself. Overall, I love this movie, but it is not oscar worthy.Movie Review: I need air.........
Summary: 5 Stars
I saw this low rated musical for the first time at of all places Radio City Music Hall (when they showed movies). Since then, it has been one of my favorite films of my childhood. I never read the book, or saw any other adaptations of the story. Yet, several of the actors (Bob Fosse, Gene Wilder, Richard Kiley, Joss Ackland, Carol Lawrence and a LONG PRE Waiting For God Graham Crowden) in their "younger and more formidable years" give performances that would be as first rate as the other roles they would be remembered most for today. Steven Warner in the title role is a delight, and on star filled nights now 30+ years later, I can still hear him laughing. Until this film, I never knew Kiley could sing, but since buying this film on disc, I find my self singing "It's A Hat/I Need Air" with an alarming degree of frequency. Buy this for your children's second exposure to musicals (make the first one Wizard of Oz or Willy Wonka), they will enjoy and so will you (but keep them away from snakes afterwards okie dokie?):-)