DISNEY BEDKNOBS AND BROOMSTICKS(1971)
The great Angela Lansbury as a "witch", David Tomlinson
as a shister, three kids and some magic! Throw in the
War and some ancient armor and you get this movie!
This isn't terrible, but somethings missing! Not sure
if it's the music, acting or script, but it's just a
good movie, but not great! Not sure if it's because
it came on the heels of Mary Poppins or what, but it
is enjoyable! And of course if you're a Disney fan,
a must watch! B+
A review from Amazon:
When a mail-order apprentice witch (Angela Lansbury) is
saddled with three sibling refugees from London during World
War II, the outlook is grim. But the kids soon discover her secret
and sign on for adventure in the name of England. With the aid
of a magical bed, they track down her fraudulent headmaster
(David Tomlinson) to find the spell that will aid the Allies. Fascinated
that she has actually achieved results with his lessons, he joins
forces. The quintet does battle with corrupt booksellers, animated-lion
royalty, and, eventually, invading Germans. Songs include Lansbury's
Oscar-nominated "The Age of Not Believing." This film is often compared
to director Robert Stevenson's earlier effort, Mary Poppins, and for good
reason. In addition to Tomlinson, the movies share a fondness for magic
at the hands of a good woman, light romance with an understanding
male, and wide-eyed children. Stevenson also graces both films with
interaction between humans and animated animals. Disney is wise to
play up that aspect on its box this time around as both the underwater
ball and the subsequent island soccer match are the most visually
interesting and appealing parts of the film. Adults may find the
1971-vintage mixing of actors and animation a bit creaky, but kids
used to a variety of animation quality will find the action a hoot.
Ages 4 and up. The movie has been recut several times but was
restored to the original length of 139 minutes for its 30th anniversary
in 2001. --Kimberly Heinrichs