Reviews (16)

Animated Christmas classic... but not for the little ones
As others have pointed out, this should not be confused with the live action version of "Carol" filmed in 1951. This is the animated version of "A Christmas Carol" that won the Academy Award for Best Animated Film for 1972. It aired on TV a few years later and has not been seen on televsion since.

It was produced by Chuck Jones (How the Grinch Stole Christmas) and directed by Richard Williams (Raggedy Ann and Andy). But don't be fooled into thinking that this is a cartoon for the little ones. This is a serious animated 30 minute film that *will* scare small children. Believe me, I know. I first saw this version when I was six or seven years old and the sequence with Jacob Marley in particular scared the you-know-what out of me.

Bottom line: if your kids gets spooked easily, you're better off buying them a Disney video for Christmas instead. But older children and adults should enjoy this intelligent, well- animated film immensely.

A Christmas Miracle
To begin with, a warning: many of the reviews you'll find here are incorrectly filed and unrelated to this remarkable animated gem. Many of the reveiwers here seem to be talking about the Alister Simms original live action feature--a classic in its own right and deserving of all due praise--and not discussing this specific version of the Dickens classic. This can be confusing and frustrating (at least it was for me during my initial attempts to locate this lost classic at AMAZON.com). That said, let's proceed.

You, dear viewer, are truly in luck. You have stumbled upon one of the few genuine miracles of Christmas: Chuck Jones' animated version of the Christmas Carol. I saw this amazing presentation during its original broadcast (I believe it was on ABC, lo these many years ago) and I have NEVER forgotten it. If you are a Dickens fan, a Christmas Carol fan, or simply a fan of remarkable animation, you MUST own this video. That it was not immediately enshrined as a Christmas Classic to be repeatedly viewed after its initial boradcast remains one of the great, tragic mysteries of our times. I dare say this version of the Dickens tale (which I must confess I consider not simply a "beloved Holiday tradition" but a genuinely brilliant piece of modern literature worthy of all the stuffy academic consideration often heaped upon more "serious"-- but far less gifted--written endeavours). I searched in vain for more than twenty years, hoping to stumble upon the minor wonder again. And now, thankfully, I can share my happy fortune with you, Constant Reader.

Rendered to capture the flavour of the original pen and ink sketches and etchings which accompanied Dickens tale in print, this animated version brings home the world of Scrooge's England in a way both startling fresh, yet immediately familiar. The fine line work of the graphic design lends a rather fleeting, spectral quality to the entire affiar--perfectly in keeping with the tone and context of the story itself. I defy a child not to be captivated by this animated version's mesmerizing visual character. Supported as well by wonderful voice characterizations and carefully edited music and sound, this ANIMATED CHRISTMAS CAROL should make everyone's Top 10. To see it, is to be transported. Buy this video and you will own a treasure to be cherished for every Christmas to come. GOD BLESS US EVERY ONE!

One of the Best Christmas Carol versions
All the comments made by the other reviewers are true. This twenty-three of so minute classic is, in my humble opinion, in the top four or five versions of Dicken's Christmas Tale. The first being the other Alastair Sim Christmas Version (1954). This ranks up there with either two or three as the "BEST."

It is sad that like so many other fine versions of A Christmas Carol, this hasn't been shown very regularly on any network or cable channel in recent years. This makes it all the more imperative that it come out on DVD.

So Goodtimes Video (or whoever owns the rights). Please put it out on DVD. It's worthy of DVD release.

Sincerely,

JThree

carolyn@dia.net

YOU'VE GOT TO SEE THIS ANIMATED FILM!!
I, like the other reviewers, saw this spooky, animated version of "A Christmas Carol" about 30 years ago. The networks never showed it again. I found it on Amazon.com, recently, & bought it --- It's as incredible as I remembered it!!

The short, 27 minute long, animated film is beautiful to watch. It is so well done. The film is not for the very, very young, who might be frightened by the haunting images. You will definitely enjoy this classic animated film, just as much as the younger people.

You will not forget it. I can't understand why the networks haven't shown this film every Christmas Holiday. Buy it -- you'll enjoy it!!

5 * IF it had been longer but still wonderful!
I ordered this on Christmas Day 2002 after learning that it did indeed exist on video! I got it yesterday (Kudos to Amazon for fast shipping!) and watched it this morning. It lived up to my memories of seeing this 30 yrs ago & did not disappoint me. Moving and creepy like any authentic A CHRISTMAS CAROL should be!
(Marley & the Phantoms, and the Waifs at the Christmas Present Ghost's feet may disturb small children- they sure gave me the chills this morning *L*) ... Read more

Description

Behold this critically acclaimed feature-length fantasy created, written, and directed by Richard Williams, the three-time Academy Award(R)-winning animator. Almost 30 years in the making, it incorporates extraordinary M.C. Escher-like backgrounds with classic two-and-a-half-dimension hand-painted animation. In the ancient city of Baghdad, magically protected by three Golden Balls, a timid shoemaker named Tack falls for the lovely, adventure-loving Princess Yumyum. When a bumbling thief manages to steal the enchanted orbs, they fall into the hands of the wicked wizard Zigzag. Tack and the Princess must recover the magic balls, defeat the evil Zigzag, and save their beloved city from destruction! Feast your eyes and ears on this exotic mosaic of exquisite color, hilarious comedy, enchanting music, and all-star voices. The magic of THE THIEF AND THE COBBLER will steal your heart and the hearts of your entire family! ... Read more

Reviews (26)

Quit the whining about what isn't...
I find yet another forum for those who have seen some other version of a movie to whine about what should've been. Deal with this reality, people! Miramax/Disney has placed this one in the same category of importance as Air Bud! I purchased my copy of the DVD on eBay from someone in Canada who got it free on a box of Froot Loops. So Disney sees it as disposable, as far as I am concerned and I don't expect to see it released anytime soon. We originally saw this in Laser Disc format and we have loved it ever since, and I miss that widescreen version. Vincent Price's voice as a baddie is perfect, as always. What's not to love about Matthew Broderick as the underdog hero? But, most of all, I wouldn't know what to do without Jonathan Winters as the thief with his witty, albeit anachronistic, comments. So if you haven't seen the original version, you will probably like this one well enough, especially if you like animation in all its varieties. The nice thing is you can buy this one used on Amazon for a few bucks, so you won't be out much $$$ even if you don't like it.

An animation gem hidden in a mess of studio insanity
With the announcement from Richard Williams himself that the "work-in-progress" version of "The Thief and the Cobbler" will one day be released to the public, perhaps "The Magnificent Ambersons" of animation will not suffer that film's tragic fate. Until William's work print is released, however, we have to contend with this version. While displaying some of William's awe-inspiring animation (done before CGI was even heard of), the studio version is one of the most unbearable bastardizations I've ever seen of a film. William's groundbreaking animated work is intercut with horrid Saturday-morning cartoon quality animation, which also contains pointless and downright painful musical numbers. Even the footage that remains from William's version is often marred by awful voiceovers from Jonathan Winters and Matthew Broderick as the title characters. One bright spot in the voice cast is the late, great Vincent Price. While Zig-Zag might not be quite as memorable as Ratigan, Price recites rhymes and musings with a quality that no other actor could match. If you are looking for an example of just how severe the damage of studio interference can be, study this film (as well as the Criterion edition of "Brazil"), and you will come to the irrevocable opinion that letting executives within a mile of a single frame of film is always a turn for the worst. I can't wait to own the REAL version of "The Thief and the Cobbler" on DVD, in its restored, widescreen, and (near) complete glory.

Richard Williams deserves better than this
I rented "The Thief and the Cobbler" and I didn't enjoy it, fully. It would've become the greatest animated film of all time, if it wasn't so horribly butchered by Miramax. I saw some parts of the Workprint version on the internet first before I worked up the courage to rent the Released Version. In the released version, I didn't like the constant narration and the voices added to Tack the Cobbler (Matthew Broderick) and the Thief (Jonathan Winters), who were both intended as silent characters. It ruins the subtlety and it's inappropriate.
They also cut many scenes of the film and replaced them with lame musical numbers. I heard the songs were awful so I didn't hear them. I put on mute and fast forward. I can't believe this happened to a would-be classic masterpiece Williams worked on for almost 30 years.
Time to talk about the things I like. I think it has the best animation I've ever seen. It has scenes with animation that'll blow you away. My favorite scenes include, the beginning where The Thief and the Cobbler fall down the stairs and disrupt Zig-Zag the Grand Vizier's march, when Tack chases the Thief through the optical illusion-filled hallways of the castle, when the Thief gets caught in a polo game, Zig-Zag's card trick, and The War Machine sequence (which is absolutely astounding). I love the character and background designs, very suitable to their personalities. Overall, it's worth watching, but I suggest turning the sound off for the subtle feel (That's what I did), but save the sound for Vincent Price's outstanding performance as Zig-Zag, who they didn't replace in the voice cast. It's also a great learning exercise for animation students. I hope one day to own a copy the rare Workprint version to see what it could've been like or have it released to the public someway. Good Luck, Richard.

Am I feeling love?
I've always loved this movie ever since I was a little girl even. I, for one, think the songs are so beautiful, "Am I Feeling Love?" And "She is More Than This" have astounding lyrics and melodies. I don't find the animation to be spectacular like other people, but it's interesting to look at and the plot is amazing. If you like Aladdin, you will probably like this.

woah
To start: this movie is HORRIBLE! Everything about is terribly done. An added side note: THIS MOVIE FREAKED ME OUT! I don't know what it was about it but it's kinda creepy ... Read more

Reviews (31)

Beautiful, Magical Animated Story
If this is the film featuring the voice of the lovely Didi Conn as Raggedy Ann, then it is the children's masterpiece i was thinking of. i remember seeing this movie MANY times as a child, and it was always a joy to watch. The music is heartfelt and sincere, not an ounce of pretense. This movie should DEFINITELY be made available again, not just on VHS but DVD as well. This treasure for children of ALL ages (girls AND boys) deserves as much, if not more.

A New Generation deserves this enchanting musical!
I loved watching this movie as a child and would love for my own children to share my memories of Babette, the Pirate King, the camel and Rageddy Ann and Andy among others. In this Disney dominated era it would be nice for my kids to have something "new" to watch.

Nearly 20 years later...
...I can still quote this movie.

This was the most fantastic movie I'd ever seen as a little girl. My mother and I saw it about 5 times in the theater, and I haven't heard anything about it since. Guess what I'm buying for Mother's Day?

This should be on DVD!

raggedy ann
this movie is great it is hard to find...i hope to see it again .

Ahead of it's time, a work of animation art...
I can only hope that the wonderful people who created this beautifully animated movie will get it out of archives, clean it up and re-release it someday in the future to theaters and DVD before I'm too old and my VHS copy finally stops working. It far reaches any expectations of any Disney movie from the same time era. I compare it to sleepers such as "Iron Giant". It truly deserves recognition. I was dazzled by it as a child in the theater, and at 33 years old, I am still amazed how good it is. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

My family and I enjoy this video....
I truly enjoy this video year after year. It is different in that it shows the darker side of life but also how good eventually triumphs over evil. The songs are cute and I think it is cleverly written. My kids have always asked for this every season. I would recommend it, it actually has some content to it; something that much of today's videos sorely lack.

OK.
I'm not really a fan of the the Ziggy comics but I did enjoy this cartoon it was kind of a strange Christmas cartoon and not exactly an essential that I just have to have in my collection but if I saw it on TV I would probably watch it again though it doesn't seem to be shown on TV anymore.

Ziggy's Gift is a cute Christmas movie
Ziggy's gift is a really cute video set at Christmas time. The story is about Ziggy, a chubby little guy, and all the mishaps that he goes through when he is just trying to collect money for the poor at Christmas time.

A movie for anyone who wants to get in the Christmas spirit!
A heart-felt and memorable film, Ziggy's Gift is sure to put a smile on your face and warm your heart! Assumed rumors say that the movie will be re-released in the year 2000, but if you film critics can't wait that long, try your luck at Ebay.com. It's where I got my copy. Happy Watching!

Ziggy Shares the Love of the Christmas Season!
This is a rare animated special: one which appeals to children and adults and carries a strong anti-consumerism message. It can be watched over and over as those in my family have done. One particular family member was driven to tears. It is extremely heartwarming and may be the best animated television special ever, or at least rank up there with A Charlie Brown Christmas. The music in this special is also does a great job at benefitting the general feeling of the film. ... Read more