The Point
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Movie Reviews of The Point
Movie Review: Classic allegory about conformism
Summary: 5 Stars
Harry Nilsson had a point and knew exactly what it was. This allegorical classic had a simple but direct message--accept everyone for who they are and not force them to fit into a preconceived notion of who they should be. Oblio and Arrow his dog are banned from the town they live in. Why? Because the Evil Count decides that anyone that can beat his son at a game (misuse of power) and looks different (Oblio's the only child with a round head not a pointed head) shouldn't be allowed in the town. He's called pointless by the Count and others. But Oblio in Nilsson's extended allegory finds that nothing is pointless least of all himself.
A charming film full of colorful imagery, "The Point" remains a classic to this day regardless of which one of the narrators you heard when you saw it. For the record, Dustin Hoffman was the original narrator. He was replaced by Ringo Starr and, then, finally Alan Thicke (of "Growing Pains" fame). The narrator on the original album was, of course, Nilsson himself. He would have done a delightful job of narrating this animated classic but elected to go with a professional "actor" in each case.
There's not much in the way of extras. We can go directly to each song which is a nice touch although including Nilsson's original album (with his narration) would have been nice. Also, what about deleted scenes, a gallery of character designs and, perhaps, some footage of Nilsson himself? Ah well, perhaps next time.
The picture quality is quite good although there's some minor analog imperfections such as dirt and debris but, on the whole, the film looks remarkably good. The soundtrack recorded in mono has more presence than the videotape version. I would have liked a surround mix of the original songs but that would have required remixing the original album mastertapes and that's probably not going to happen anytime soon. Also pick up Harry's album of the same name. The reissue of Harry's classic album supervised by Curtis Armstrong (yes, THE Curtis Armstrong of "Moonlighting Fame" and who gave a marvelous performance as the owner Ahmet Ertegunof Atlantic Records in "Ray")includes two early versions of songs that ended up on the album as well as a replica of the original booklet that came with the album.
Movie Review: 35 Years Later....!
Summary: 5 Stars
Like many of you I wathced "The Point" February 2, 1971. As a 7 year old, the movie changed me forever. Unfortuneately, that was the last time I saw this classic cartoon. Year after year I waited and wathced to see it again to no avail. As years turned in to decades I forgot the name of the movie and its delightful characters. I simply remembered the movie about the "round headed" kid who got banished from the Kingdom of "pointed heads" in to an enchanted adventure. Despite my failing recollection, I often wondered and mused about my favorite movie. Finally, a recent post by Jack Black gave me the information I needed to track down and order the DVD. 35 years later! I am now about the be reunited with my childhood friends Oblio and Arrow. There have been many intances when I doubted if there ever was such a movie. I have never met anyone in my life who watched it despite my frequent queries. After reading all of the "reviews" of this antimated classic I now realize I was not alone in my love of this picture. Like many of the younger boomers and X-ers who saw this movie at an early age I can't wait to see it again, and again, and again. I wonder how I will view the movie through the eyes of a 43 year old. Some of the early posters spoke of wishing to get a copy of the movie in its original black and white version. I saw the movie in black and white too, only because my familiy owned a black and white television set. How times have chagned. When I put "The Point" in my DVD player, if only for a moment, I hope to be 7 years old again.....Movie Review: I have a Point
Summary: 5 Stars
There are many fine reviews of this feature cartoon so I won't add a repeat of all the others to the list. However I would like to make a few points of my own. How many of us noticed the anarchist with a bomb, the artists smoking pot, Orichs skull from Hamlet I believe, or the very Beatlesque walrus? They all reinforce the main theme of the whole film which everyone has interpreted for themselves.I do believe this was the authors intent, not just to portray an individual in a "do as your told" society but to help support the individual in our society, when he or she stands up and says that they arn't going to play the game any more.
I like the first version with Dustin Hoffman the best and I am one of the lucky few to have recorded it off of tv many years ago. I have just shown it to a bunch of middle school kids and was facinated by which parts of the video seemed to interest them the most. The Count's kid, the whole triangle toss incident with picking players, and all the parts with arrow and Oblio interacting were their favorites. I thought the kids who were the thoughtful independent types sat in front and paid the most attention to the story. This behavior seemed to reinforce my opinion and the video seemed to give these kids spiritual support : as the film went on they seemed to sit up taller in their chairs. This is a wonderful video for the family if you have one to show it to and, if not, watch it with a friend, or a whole class as I did.
Movie Review: Teach your children lessons about fairness and racism in a kid-friendly and fun manner
Summary: 5 Stars
The Story:
"The Point" is a great animated film. I grew up watching "The Point" because my parents taped the movie from TV sometime when it aired. A round-headed boy grows up to the age of ten and is then exiled from his hometown of pointed-headed people because he looks different from them. He and his dog wander through a forest and come upon different characters living there, each with a lesson of some kind to impart on the boy. I won't give away the ending, but you will smile.
The Music:
Throughout the story, songs from Harry Nilsson are played and, like an animated music video, you get lost in the songs. The songs do not have much to do with the story as it progresses, but they are not childen's songs. Rather, Harry Nilsson's songs are warm and easy to sing for adult and child. As a child, I sang them all the time.
The Animation:
The animation and character design are really interesting. No anime or CGI here. It looks to be hand-painted and definitely a product of great imagination.
Recommendation:
"The Point" is a great film and songbook that you can use teach your children about the problems and unfairness of race and discrimination without images of violence. I also recommend "The Point" to any fan of Harry Nilsson or Ringo Star (who narrates the film).
Movie Review: Great character film with good issues for discussion
Summary: 5 Stars
The movie is very fun for kids and adults - the music is catchy - Oblio is endearing and we do care for his honesty and smarts - the artwork is fantastic and often wierdly abstract. The characters Oblio meets all point his thoughts towards the truth he is struggling towards. Ok, so Ringo may not have been the best narrator - he sounds like he is just reading along and often emphasizes the wrong parts of speech. More annoying is that this digital transfer seems to have been done from a flawed master - there are lots of "dusty" blemishes that could easily have been brushed out before committing it to DVD. There are no extras at all either - kinda short-changing the millions of people who love this movie. Having said that, it really is a classic and it will cheer up everyone who watches it. It is a funny, thought-provoking, tale of a boy's mission and it makes its many "points" in a gentle and creative way. Kids will relate to Oblio and he will help them think about the law, crime and punishment, bullying, discrimination, ethics, character, growing up, caring for nature, purpose in life, danger and fear, and making a stand. They can wonder and wander along with Oblio through this magical treat which is a feast for the the mind, the heart, the ears, and the eyes.