The Fool of the World and the Flying Ship (1990)
Based on a Russian folk tale. A proclamation went out through all the land that whosoever could build a flying ship would win the hand of the Tsar's daughter. The youngest son of a simple peasant shows up to claim her, and the dumbfounded Tsar quickly has second thoughts, setting several 'impossible" tasks for 'The Fool of the World' and his remarkable friends.
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brilliant actors, brilliant editing
The first must-see film of the year.
One of the film's great tricks is that, for a time, you think it will go down a rabbit hole of unrealistic glorification.
By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.
I reviewed this film many years ago when it came out on videocassette for School Library Journal. As the other reviewer stated, the animation was extraordinary for 1990; the entire production was beautiful including the sets, the puppets' clothing, the voice-over acting; the narration by David Suchet, etc. Based on a Russian folktale, the production stays true to Russian culture of a by-gone era. Young peasant boy Pyotr receives aid from magical beings and people in order to fly a magic ship to the Czar's palace. There he hopes to win the hand of the princess by accomplishing three impossible tasks. I still own the videocassette as this is still one of the best animated films I have ever seen.
I have watched this version many, many times. When I purchased this video 4 years ago, I had my 4 year old watch it with me. If my son, who was that young then, understood the story, the plot, and enjoyed the character as much as I did, then I must say the movie did its job. It has the classic good vs. evil plots, yet the message here was how to make someone with so much power learn how to be humble, which did reach that goal.I am safely say that the story was marvelous, the characters were incredibly cute, and the audience will not be disappointed with the story.*** 8 out of 10 ***
I saw this when it came out in the early '90's and was very impressed by the animation, voices and story. The kids will like the adventure while adults will appreciate the way each character is uniquely portrayed. And it even teaches the kids about greed and friendship.
A silly, greedy Tsar is taught a valuable lesson in humility by the six very peculiar friends who arrive at the Kremlin with THE FOOL OF THE WORLD AND THE FLYING SHIP.This old Russian folk tale, - produced by Cosgrove Hall, masters of the art of stop-motion animation - is most enjoyable viewing. The intricacy of the tiny costumes & sets are fascinating, while the amount of personality infused into each character model is quite remarkable. The boisterous humor of the scene depicting the banquet of the Forester's Wife is a special highlight.The production is helped tremendously by the splendid voice cast. David Suchet narrates, Jimmy Hibbert voices the hero Pyotr, while several old pros - Maurice Denham, Robin Bailey & Miriam Margolyes among them - lend their considerable talents.