Features

• Animated
• Closed-captioned
• Color
• NTSC

Reviews (3)

Good lessons for the young viewer
This 1961 liberal remake of the Journey to the West is a good film for our children.Although Monkey starts off as a sympathic character, children will quickly condemn him for his selfishness and arrogance.Children will learn -- as they learned in Spider-Man -- that with great power comes great responsibility.At the end, we applaud Monkey as he truly learns the concepts of love, humility and virtue.Our youths need more films like Alakazam.Highly recommended.

childhood memories
I saw this movie when I was 5 and remember it vividly.I recently bought a copy, and enjoyed seeing it again and showing it to my daughter.As an adult I can view it more critically, but I still love it, and I'm glad it has such a large following. One of the very earliest Japanese animated feature films
ALAKAZAM THE GREAT (1961) was the English-dubbed version of the Japanese animated feature, SAIYUKI (1960), an adaptation of "Journey to the West," the Chinese literary work devoted to the famous legend of the Monkey King. It was distributed in the U.S. by American International Pictures and featured a whole new music score, four new songs and a host of celebrity voices, including Jonathan Winters, Arnold Stang, Sterling Holloway and, as the singing voice of the Monkey King, Frankie Avalon. Read more

Subjects:  1. Children's Video   

Editorial Review

Independent animator Bill Plympton first received widespread public attention when his outré "Your Face" (1987) was nominated for an Academy Award for Animated Short. His short films--some as brief as 15 seconds--made between 1985 and 1991 showcase his unique talent much more effectively than his ponderous features, Read more

Features

• Animated
• Color
• NTSC

Reviews (15)

A mixed bag
-- but the good ones are very good.
AKA Plymptoons done the right way....
If there is any confusion between this DVD and 'The Complete Works of Bill Plympton', relax, this is very nearly the same DVD.
this is crap
Don't waste your money. There are 19 shorts: Read more

Subjects:  1. Classics (Silents/Avant Garde)   

Editorial Review

Independent animator Bill Plympton first received widespread public attention when his outré "Your Face" (1987) was nominated for an Academy Award for Animated Short. His short films--some as brief as 15 seconds--made between 1985 and 1991 showcase his unique talent much more effectively than his ponderous features, Read more

Features

• Animated
• Color
• NTSC

Reviews (15)

A mixed bag
-- but the good ones are very good.
AKA Plymptoons done the right way....
If there is any confusion between this DVD and 'The Complete Works of Bill Plympton', relax, this is very nearly the same DVD.
this is crap
Don't waste your money. There are 19 shorts: Read more

Subjects:  1. Classics (Silents/Avant Garde)   

Features

• Animated
• Color
• Letterboxed
• NTSC

Reviews (2)

Let Your Jaw Drop, Let Your Spirits Soar
It is really too bad that this 30-minute mini-masterpiece directed by "The God of Manga (Japanese Comics)" himself, Tezuka Osamu, the creator of Astroy Boy, Black Jack, Kimba the White Lion and numerous other characters and one of the true pioneers of both graphic literature and animated films in Japan, will be missed by most American fans of Japanese animation. Yes, it is a variation on FANTASIA (animation minus dialogue set to classical music) and, yes, Walt Disney did it first, but that by no means detract from the originality and technical marvel evident in this extraordinary animated short. In fact, watching Tezuka's works from 1970s and 1980s such as LEGEND OF THE FOREST will vastly increase appreciation of how this unqualified genius has successfully transformed the American classical animation style into something totally unique, that in turn influenced other, better-known (in the US, that is) anime artists. (Witness Otomo Katsuhiro's recent METROPOLIS, a reverent homage to Tezuka's lasting influence) A must have for ANY Art fan
The only movie I could probably compare this to is Disney's "Fantasia".The story really isn't the beauty of it.It's a sweet enough story that focuses around a tiny squirrel and the forest fairies and whatnot fighting against humans trying to destroy the forest they live in.The story is an environmentalist's dream.The entire animation peice is written and animated to Tchaikosky's 4th Symphony.Although it was created and animated entirely in Japan, there isn't a trace of it in the animation.It takes all the major American animation styles from the past, and uses one once for each movement of the symphony.The animation styles may be old (like McCay and Disney), but everything about movement and backgrounds is done so beautifully (much better than American animators ever did).It's not rated, and suitable for all audiences.But as a former kid, I'd say that younger children wouldn't find it very interesting for long (there isn't any dialogue at all, only music).No explosions, no Ninja Turtles, just a moving story to beautiful music, animated with amazing skill.This is one of my absolute favorite videos ever.It's a must have for fans of art, fans of animation, fans of Japanese anime, fans of classical music... basically anybody. ... Read more

Features

• Animated
• Black & White
• Color
• NTSC

Reviews (4)

For the USA manga fans:
Astroboy(Japanese original name is "Tetsuwan Atom", which meansArmstrong Atom or Mighty Atom by the author's English titles written inmanga books) is the first attempt of the weekly TVanimation series madein Japan. It was released in Japan fromJan 1st 1963 until Dec 31th 1966(4 years) with 193 episodesin total in B/W films. In Japan the watchingrate was usually more than 30% and the highest marked astonishing 40.7 %.In USA, the on air was discontinued by the claim of parentalmovementinsisting the story contains strong brutal actions, so only early part ofthe total episodes were availableoutside of Japan. The original TetsuwanAtom was written inthe form of Manga (comic) on the monthly books startedfrom1951. The author Tezuka Osam (Tezuka is the family name) was the bestmanga writters in history and in his lifetime he wrote more than onehundred fifty thousand pages of manga manuscripts (about more than 500manga books) and directedmany animation films for commertial TVs and noncommertial experimentals. Outside of Japan, very small part of his hugeamount of work is known. Atom is just 1% of him. The Atom seriescontains many classical SF spirits and rich ideas. The design of themachines and buildings are elegant decora style possibly Germanic. ThisAtom series influenced many Japanese kid at that time to make manyengineers to have desire to make humanoid robots with intellect.etc, etc, Enjoy

I never tought it was so wonderful!
It was amazing! Seen this video was the best experience. How can somebody have such a great futuristic vision? Just think about it: this were the 60's! I recomend this video more for adults than for children, and Irecomend it a lot above 100%!

Corny in a 60's kind of way.
I just viewed this video and enjoyed it very much.It's funny to see what the future was going to look like from the 60's.It even beats a lot of the newer cartoons that are produced now. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Anime / Japanimation    2. Japanese Animation Video    3. Movie   

Features

• Animated
• Black & White
• Color
• NTSC

Subjects:  1. Japanese Animation Video   

Features

• Animated
• Black & White
• Color
• NTSC

Reviews (1)

Amazing Astroboy
While it was released in the 1960's, Astroboy contains thematic elements that seem more pertinant in today's ultra technological age. Astroboy's stories had dark aesthetic appeal that seemed more well suited to a mature audience thankids. Made with foreboding, ideologically implicit themes on artificial intelligence, discrimination, societal unrest and more, Astroboy is unbelievably powerful for animation. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Japanese Animation Video   

Features

• Animated
• Black & White
• Color
• NTSC

Reviews (1)

Astroboy #2 -First Love/Save the Carolina/Fighting Aliens
The version of astroboy vol. 2 that I have does not have a title, but does feature 3 episodes on the video. The are titled first love, save thecarolina 3, and fighting aliens. Astroboy is a very uniquecharacter/cartoon in a sense that in almost every episode there is a wargoing on, or fighting, or spaceships shooting eachother, etc. yet, it aimsto promote peace and harmony.althought i am in my early twenties, i hadsome trouble following the storyline of many an episode, and it beats myhow little kids were meant to make sense of this.The storyboard isusually all over the place, and the language they use is definitely not foranyone below the age of ten.Read more

Subjects:  1. Japanese Animation Video   

Features

• Animated
• Black & White
• Color
• NTSC

Subjects:  1. Anime / Japanimation    2. Japanese Animation Video    3. Movie   

Features

• Animated
• Black & White
• Color
• NTSC

Subjects:  1. Japanese Animation Video   

Features

• Animated
• Black & White
• Color
• NTSC

Subjects:  1. Anime / Japanimation    2. Japanese Animation Video    3. Movie   

Features

• Animated
• Black & White
• Color
• NTSC

Subjects:  1. Japanese Animation Video   

Features

• Animated
• Black & White
• Color
• NTSC

Subjects:  1. Anime / Japanimation    2. Japanese Animation Video    3. Movie   

Features

• Animated
• Black & White
• Color
• NTSC

Subjects:  1. Japanese Animation Video   

Features

• Animated
• Black & White
• Color
• NTSC

Subjects:  1. Anime / Japanimation    2. Japanese Animation Video    3. Movie   

Features

• Animated
• Black & White
• Color
• NTSC

Reviews (2)

Let Your Jaw Drop, Let Your Spirits Soar
It is really too bad that this 30-minute mini-masterpiece directed by "The God of Manga (Japanese Comics)" himself, Tezuka Osamu, the creator of Astroy Boy, Black Jack, Kimba the White Lion and numerous other characters and one of the true pioneers of both graphic literature and animated films in Japan, will be missed by most American fans of Japanese animation. Yes, it is a variation on FANTASIA (animation minus dialogue set to classical music) and, yes, Walt Disney did it first, but that by no means detract from the originality and technical marvel evident in this extraordinary animated short. In fact, watching Tezuka's works from 1970s and 1980s such as LEGEND OF THE FOREST will vastly increase appreciation of how this unqualified genius has successfully transformed the American classical animation style into something totally unique, that in turn influenced other, better-known (in the US, that is) anime artists. (Witness Otomo Katsuhiro's recent METROPOLIS, a reverent homage to Tezuka's lasting influence) A must have for ANY Art fan
The only movie I could probably compare this to is Disney's "Fantasia".The story really isn't the beauty of it.It's a sweet enough story that focuses around a tiny squirrel and the forest fairies and whatnot fighting against humans trying to destroy the forest they live in.The story is an environmentalist's dream.The entire animation peice is written and animated to Tchaikosky's 4th Symphony.Although it was created and animated entirely in Japan, there isn't a trace of it in the animation.It takes all the major American animation styles from the past, and uses one once for each movement of the symphony.The animation styles may be old (like McCay and Disney), but everything about movement and backgrounds is done so beautifully (much better than American animators ever did).It's not rated, and suitable for all audiences.But as a former kid, I'd say that younger children wouldn't find it very interesting for long (there isn't any dialogue at all, only music).No explosions, no Ninja Turtles, just a moving story to beautiful music, animated with amazing skill.This is one of my absolute favorite videos ever.It's a must have for fans of art, fans of animation, fans of Japanese anime, fans of classical music... basically anybody. ... Read more