Disclaimer: This review isn't a part of storyline of movie review 2019. Readers discretion is advised.
Hey everyone, my name is Anthony and welcome back to my movie review.
For many years, we have some familiar animators for their successful animated films like Don Bluth, Eric Goldberg and few others in the industry. But then, there's one who's the most recognizable who's a British-Canadian and his name is Richard Williams. It is no secret that he's the busiest animating director that made plenty of animated films that well know, from opening sequences of Pink Panther movies (Return of the Pink Panther and The Pink Panther strikes again) to Who Framed Roger Rabbit where he won the Oscars. But, there's one film that it had a long project that it was nearly unfinished for 30 years.
"The thief and the cobbler" is an animated film that written/produced/directed by Richard Williams, co-produced by Imogen Sutton and co-written by Margaret French.
This is one of the animated film that was started all the way back in 1964, where he wanted to make a movie about Nasrudin (which it was based on the book with a same name by Idries Shah), but the Shah family didn't like the idea, which Williams had to change from the scratch for as an original story and keeping some of characters like the thief and ZigZag (who used to be named Anwar). The project had been push everytime due to hardworking, the other films Williams had done like " Raggedy Ann & Andy: A Musical Adventure" and the mentioned "Who framed Roger Rabbit" and the delayed story-boarding. But when 1992 kicked in, everything fell apart Richard, which he ended up kicked out from the project due to the lack from confident producers, investors and Warner Bros, they handed over The Completion Bond Company in order to finish the project in the worst way as possible with some subplots and a questionable songs, which Rich isn't very happy for what happened.
For this review, there are three versions what we have, there's the 1993 version called "The Princess and the Cobbler" that was released by Allied Filmmakers, it had a limited release outside of US such as Australia and South Africa, the 1995 version called "Arabian Knight", which is the bastardized version by Miramax to giving Tack and the thief a spoken dialogue in a very stupidest way of writing (Thanks, Harvey Weinstein...!), and the 2006 to 2013 version as "Recobbled Cut" (Mk 4) by Garrett Gilchrist, which is the one that il talk about today and its a lot better than two previous version for how short and cheap they are.
So, with all that said, will this movie holds up after nearly 30 years of waiting, or is this film is a total waste of time it would've killed off in tragic way.
Well, lets find out.
The Story
For the plot itself, it was rather original, which is all about keeping the valuable items for the town, even if it was rather simple.
It takes place in a fantasy world of Golden land, where in Golden City is in safe from three golden balls without the threat from One-Eye. We introduced the cobbler name Tack who's relaxing in his home before he got annoyed by a nameless thief, which Tack caused a messed entrance at the Grand Vizier named ZigZag. After being picked by the guard to showing at King Nod and his daughter Princess Yum-Yum in order to executing him, but Yum-Yum saves him to not only fixes her shoe, but also proven that Tack is innocent. But when thief accidentally removed three golden balls, all hell breaks loose, when King Nod goes in panic about the missing objects, ZigZag believe that they're magically disappeared from the witch. So its up to Yum-Yum and Tack to get the golden balls back before the invasion from One-Eye.
Even though its rather original for the plot, but its rather too simple what to follow for. Though it also goes to subplot where Tack and Yum-Yum starting to attracting together, as they're falling in love or even a random moment where the thief is messing around whether he steals something or even bumping around, but at least its not a filler than comedy excuse. Which is rather obvious that it mainly focus on the animation, rather than the story.
The story aren't as special to follow, but its rather easy to follow and at least its not another generic damsel in distress, its more about saving the valuable items of the village.
The Presentation
Oh man, what more can i say about this animation, it looks fantastic when it showed.
For starter, the setting and location has a very impressive details for its quality, it looks like something straight out of new quality level of painting background of the village, the rooms and few more locations out there, it looks fantastic where it looks like for the setting, specially its huge.
As for the designs and the animation, i gotta say, the designs is no secret that it takes place in fictional Arabian for the setting and the character designs are rather impressive for the cartoon styles and the colorful appearances. And the animation itself is impressive that it feels like a work of art, thanks to a smooth movement that it feels real at the time and the background animation to give us some optical illusion, whether is the chase of Tack and the thief, the battle sequence the thief's accidentals. Though sometimes, some moments could contains that its not suitable for viewers with photosensitive epilepsy. So if you're one of those people with the effect, i don't recommend to watch it.
Even though its a great looking animation what Rich Williams has done, but it has some flaws, aside from my warning to viewers's health problem. The movie could have a hiccup from high quality to low quality, and then it switches to a sketch animation to a storyboard. Keep in mind, this is the fan-edited version in order to show us the completed story. I know its unfinished, but i understand Garret added some moments that are from rough animation and storyboarding in order to expending the whole story.
Even though the movie has some small flaws from the edits, but its the animation became a huge deal when it comes to the presentation.
The Characters
For the characters themselves, there's not much else to say, they're rather simple in order to follow the story.
First we have Tack the cobbler, a silent and good-hearted who's somewhat of main focus, thanks for being chosen from the palace to save the golden balls. Though i find him to be a fascinated character, but i guess im fine for him being silent.
Then we have Princess Yum-Yum (voiced by Sara Crowe), who's a typical love interest of Tack, but also being chosen for the journey from her father. Even though she looks beautiful and somewhat being the leader of the group, but she has a respect to Tack when they first met, specially where she saved him in order to keeping him for innocence. Though i find her to be a fascinated princess, but why can't she's the main focus than Tack? Aw well, maybe its just me. Though il give a credit that Sara did a nice work of her role.
Next, there's Yum-Yum's father King Nod (voiced by the late Anthony Quayle), he's a king who's very tired during the peaceful time or in conversation with ZigZag. Though sometimes, whenever there's alert like losing three golden balls, he's likely going in panic mode for alerting the villagers. Once again, he has nothing special to give. Though Anthony did a work of his role as a king.
Then we have the main antagonist, the Grand Vizier ZigZag (voiced by the great late Vincent Price), i gotta say, he's a fascinated villain for how sinister he's portrayed where he wants to sabotage the Golden City with three balls and even manipulating One-Eye for invasion. With a combination of great design for the animation and an outstanding performance of Vincent Price for a delivery dialogue with rhymes, its no secret that i find him a rather underrated villain.
And lastly there's the thief, another speechless, but he's rather depicted a comedic character for stealing something and messing around. At first, i find him to be a very unnecessary character that he has no purpose of the plot, but in reality, he has a purpose for the plot when he was distracted from the golden balls, even though he's somewhat being focused rather than being pointless. Once again, he has not much else to say, but at least he does made me chuckles.
As for the rest, there aren't anything else the say, there's Yum-Yum's nurse (voiced by the late Joan Sims), who's Yum-Yum's sidekick than a typical nurse, Chief Roofless (voiced by the late Windsor Davies) is a leader of the dimwitted brigands, Holy Old Witch (also voiced by Joan Sims) who's a riddle witch to reveal Tack is considered a chosen one to fight the evil force, and Mighty One-Eye (voiced by the late Christopher Greener) the evil leader of "One-Eye" to get the golden balls for the threat.
Without all the annoyance and given a dumb written dialogues, they're rather pretty simple to describing the characters, but some has a complex persona, where is Yum-Yum wants to save Tack for innocence or ZigZag being an underrated villain.
Spoiler Alert, for those you haven't seen this movie or if you don't care
The final act is gonna be interesting for the true color of the animation.
When the army of One-Eye showing up for invading Golden City, our heroes are going after them to stop. Tack, being prophesied to save Golden City, is going to fighting against ZigZag. Meanwhile, the thief is sneaking in One-Eye's giant war machine for once again, being distracted from golden balls, which not only he avoids many of death traps, but managed to get these balls. Tack finishes ZigZag off for not only saving Yum-Yum, but also has one tack on the ground that ZigZag got stepped on and falling into a hole to be killed by alligators and his vulture Phido. At the end, Golden City is celebrating that Yum-Yum and Tack (who surprisingly has one line with voiced by Sean Connery) are married and live happily ever after. That is until the thief proceeds to steal the whole film reel and runs away.
Though im kinda disappointed we never seen a whole battle between Tack and ZigZag, but its the execution of the final for not just an impressive animation, but where thief keeps sneaking in the war machine while avoiding multiples of death traps.
And now for my final opinion of this film
Overall, "The thief and the cobbler" is a very impressive animated film what it would've been before Rich got kicked out, which is pretty shame to hear that. The story is simple to where we follows, the animation is a magnum opus for its quality and a smooth movements, and the voice acting is also well performed. Though, most of characters aren't as special, since again, the movie is mainly focus of masterpiece of animation, rather than the story or the character development, cause im a fan of movie that i like to follow the story and routing for the characters, though it didn't matter, because im very impressed what Williams came up with.
So, if you're a fan of animated films for a new level of hand-drawn animation, i recommend this film, specifically the "Recobbled cut", its longer for expending animation (despite the use of rough animation and a storyboard) and more fascinating than the two versions in the 90's.
For my rating, il give this one 8/10. I would've give this one 9, but for a simple plot development like this, but i had to dropping it to 8. Like i said, im fan of story telling with developments what we relating to. Aw well.
Before il end this, i wanna give you my confession. The reason why i review this movie, its because of a dedication to the innovative animator Richard Williams. I never grew up with some of his works, but i had seen the clips of his best work "Who framed Roger Rabbit", i was very impressed what we has done for the quality and the use of mix between live action and animation (though maybe il watch "Who framed Roger Rabbit" and sharing my thought on this), though sure he made some that aren't as good like Raggedy Ann and Andy, but again, Williams did an amazing job for the animation. But with The thief and the cobbler, its a tough story to tell for his struggle that i got push over and over before booted out from the lack of confident, i feel bad for him that i understand that making a big indie animated film is a tough one, specially for what quality we chose, either hand-drawn, digital or stop-motion.
But sadly, recently from August 16 2019, Richard Williams is sadly passed away with the age of 86, due to his cancer. Its a very sad end what he could've been a masterpiece if he would've coming back to get his right back from Miramax/Disney in order to finishing what we wanted, like say, going to Disney Animation Studio in order to remaster his project (as "Director's cut") what we wanted, but then it all vanished, due to Disney's bad shape in millennium for average animated films with disappointing box-office and broken down relationship between the late Roy E. Disney and former boss Michael Eisner, meaning not only no enough money, but also a broken down business of Disney. But of course, without Williams, there won't be The thief and the cobbler...
Richard, i just wanna say, i understand you wanted to finishing The thief and the cobbler, but its really hard how stressful it was in order to finishing the project for nearly 30 years, but in fairness, you've done an amazing job of your animation. We will say, thank you, we love your work and we will deeply miss you, forever...
So this ends of my movie review, if you guys have your opinion or any suggestions, let me know at comment bellow and support me on KO-FI.com/blackevil.
Thanks for reading, and im Anthony, signing out
Richard Williams
(1933 - 2019)
