The Curious Adventures of Mr. Wonderbird (1953)

Sorry, this movie sucks

One of the most extraordinary films you will see this year. Take that as you want.

There are moments that feel comical, some horrific, and some downright inspiring but the tonal shifts hardly matter as the end results come to a film that's perfect for this time.

It’s sentimental, ridiculously long and only occasionally funny

One of the great tragedies of life is that Disney is so very successful at everything that they do. If they were not, we might have more unique little gems of animation such as "The Curious Adventures of Mr. Wonderbird." The story is that an evil king has usurped the throne of a place called Up-And-Down-Land (I could have the name wrong). He is hated by everyone. His favorite hobby is shooting birds, and at some point in the past, he presumably killed the wife of Mr. Wonderbird (a bird, played with typical flair by Peter Ustinov) leaving him with four young chicks to raise. Meanwhile, we see that another of the evil king's hobbies is painting. He has done three paintings in particular: a self portrait, a painting of a shepherdess (which he has fallen in love with), and a painting of chimney sweep (of whom he is jealous). One night, the shepherdess and the chimney sweep climb down out of their paintings and run away together. The self portrait of the king climbs down out of his frame as well, and does away with the real king (You think I'm making this up? Its the real plot) and sends the royal police force after the young lovers. Mr. Wonderbird then assists the lovers in attempting to escape the King's forces.The plot is wonderfully surreal, and the setting Up-and-Down-Land is an incredibly imagined place, full of towering buildings accessible only by elevators. Its an equal mixture of the worlds of "Metropolis" and "1984" and the drawings of Dr. Seuss.Watch it for a very unique viewing experience that doesn't fit the standard formula for most animated features.

(Review is of the original 1950's version not the restored 1980's one) In a land where the king likes no one and no one likes the king a shepherdess and a chimney sweep from two nearby paintings come to life and run off. A portrait of the king, who loves the shepherdess, kills the real king and takes his place. A huge bird, the wonderbird of the title, acts as a hero of sorts and helps out our two lovers.This is a strange strange movie... no surreal, very very very surreal.The style of the background is very European while the characters are Fliescher meet Warner but early arty Warner of the non major characters. They move in both realistic and cartoon like manners.This is an odd movie and it takes a bit to get into it but Peter Ustinov as the bird is a riot, his kids and the puppy are wonderful. There are cops in rubber ducks and a bear design that makes you smile.And there is deep philosophy in the film, about the existence of a world out there...out beyond a Metropolis subterranean city.This is a really neat movie. There is something just so odd and unique about it that rewards you if you stay with it for the whole ride. Its not perfect but what the hell.This is a movie to search out. If your local bargain DVD bin has the capcom version (paired with Alice in Paris) buy it. It should run you under ten bucks, probably around five and the price is absolutely worth it especially when you realize it comes with two full length cartoons, two short cartoons and several neat commercials and other fun things.

As a life-long animation fan, I have to confess I had never heard of this film until stumbling on it today. Where? Well, incredibly, this is one of those films that a certain large U.S. retailer has up next to their checkout for a buck a DVD. While watching, I had the feeling, like the other reviewer here, that this film is an obscure masterpiece that has been uncovered. I hope it gains wider exposure and appreciation. The quality of the animation is smoother than that of Uncle Walt from this time, in spots. But I won't take the Disney parallel too far; the character of the animation is not only unlike Disney, but wholly one of a kind. Peter Ustinov, ever the delightful mimic and master of accents and inflections, hams the voice of Mr. Wonderbird in grand style. The only thing left now, besides your making it out to the store to pick up this baby while you can, is to campaign the Criterion Collection, KINO or some other prestige house to restore Mr. Wonderbird to passable condition, or at least get a really clean print out on DVD. (The cheap transfer I got has the sound missing all through the credits, for the first few seconds of the film, and erupts in sound abruptly only once the title character appears from behind some stage curtains. Beyond this irritating flaw, I'll count my blessings and be thankful to have discovered this great film at all.)Ten stars.

Heard about this film a long while ago and finally found it on ebay for five bucks. I wasn't expecting much but wow, was I ever surprised. It's a story of a boy and girl in love trying to escape an evil king who wants the girl for himself and takes place in a huge castle, reminds me of ICO for PS2 because some shots gave you a sense of vertigo.Sounds pretty standard but this movie is insane! It's hard to believe such an original animated feature was made in 1952. Also, the king was probably one of the creepiest character's I've seen in a long time, with a feminine walk, weird eyes (usually crossed), and a soft but scary voice. The only problem I had with the film was that the boy and girl had no personality and hardly even any lines except for calling for mr. wonderbird (A large talking green bird)to save them. The animation was fantastic in most areas but some cells were missing from some scenes which sucked. It's incredibly original with flying police and giant mechs and even laugh out loud funny at times, it's a real shame this is such an obscure title because it's really a good film. Check it out sometime.