If you ever wonder why some Australians seem weird, remember that many of them likely saw THIS as a kid. This is a direct(ish) adaptation of the Book of the same name. Would you think that a CARTOON would be made of this?!?
It was.
Just this one time.
Made in 1986 for Australian TV, the Film is apparently an 'Animation Classic' according to the $1 DVD I got at a Thrift Store. Sure.
Can you make a Story like this palatable enough for kids? Let's find out...
Yikes!
Curiously, the Film then jumps ahead 20 YEARS LATER to have Jekyll's Maid tell the story to her Grandkids. Huh?!?
What was the point of showing the ending first and *then* telling the Story?!?
If you were ever in High School or are currently in High School, you know the gist of this Story, right?
Dr. Jekyll is a good man who wants to prove that evil is a separate part of us that can be removed.
It worked out well for Adam Warlock and Stewie on Family Guy, so why not?
He, of course, proves his Thesis by way of transforming himself into the devilish Mr. Hyde.
His bones must have hurt with this transformation, no?
In a great example of 'why is this a cartoon for kids,' see Mr. Hyde murder a guy on a Bridge.
It's barely-concealed and outright stated to happen in the Newspaper the next day.
He kills a few people too!
They introduce odd little asides that are supposed to make this more 'for kids.'
For instance, Mr. Hyde tries to kill Jekyll's cat, since it is a 'witness.'
Why are you crying, kids?!?
They follow the Story pretty faithfully otherwise, even showing Jekyll's comrade seeing the transformation and then dying slowly from shock afterwards.
For kids!
With Hyde wanted for murder, things seem to be closing in on him.
He barricades himself in Jekyll's study, leading to the man's other friends preparing to break in and save him.
He barricades himself in Jekyll's study, leading to the man's other friends preparing to break in and save him.
They...find him dead.
We are now back at the Funeral and the people all agree to not speak of Jekyll's connection to Hyde, lest his name be tarnished.
Whoops- I guess the Maid missed that, since she just told her Grandkids all about it! The End.
What a weird mix of styles and Story. Have my made my point about how this is not for kids yet?!?
As a faithful adaptation of the Story, it's not that bad. The Animation is nice enough at times. There's definitely some stiff Characters and motion though. The Soundtrack is...oddly funky for this kind of tale. The Voice Acting is alright, so nothing to complain about there.
It's just...very odd as a combination of Animation and this Story. Hyde kills people, but also does 'wacky' stuff like stealing some silverware and throwing it into the Themes. Ha. The Framing Device here is just silly and contradictory. Just tell the Story in order. That's all you need to do.
If you ever wanted a great example of how odd this mix was, I'll leave you with this. A rat finds some of Jekyll's formula and eats it, turning into a mutant itself. It walks by a glass beaker, sees its reflection and dies of a fright-based heart attack. For kids!
****
Next up, another Film from my random pile of DVDs. Will it be Horror, Action or both? Stay tuned...
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