The Reluctant Dragon (1941)

Save your money for something good and enjoyable

Boring

A story that's too fascinating to pass by...

Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

The Reluctant Dragon (1941) *** 1/2 (out of 4)Robert Benchley and his wife are sitting around their pool when she suggests he pays Walt Disney a visit and talk him into making an animated short out of The Reluctant Dragon story. At first Benchley doesn't want to but after she forces him he finds himself on the Disnet lot where he gets a behind-the-scenes look at the company while trying to find Walt Disney.Those walking into this expecting a full-length Disney movie might be a tad bit disappointed but I think adults and fans of the company will really enjoy this part-documentary, part-animated short. What we've basically got here is a tour of the Walt Disney Studios with Benchley given access to various things that most common people wouldn't get to see. Along the way he interacts with Donald Duck, Goofy and a few other characters as well as getting to view the HOW TO RIDE A HORSE short (which would be released on its own in 1950).What I enjoyed the most about this documentary is the fact that you really get to learn how an animated movie is made. This might be more common knowledge today but back in 1941 I'm sure most people didn't know everything and this film does a great job at explaining it. Even better is the fact that we get to meet some of the actual people who worked on the films as either animators or even those doing sound effects or working around the office.The animation sequences are perhaps the least entertaining thing in the film. The Goofy short is good but it certainly isn't one of the studios best films. The Reluctant Dragon is mildly entertaining but it's certainly far from classic Disney. For his part in the film Benchley is good, warm and isn't as annoying as he was in some of his own personal shorts. I'm not sure kids will enjoy this but adults are bound to have a great time with this behind-the-scenes look at Disney and we even get a nice sequence with the man himself.

EEK! a mouse! this movie is so off the wall and gets trippier every time i see this weird little piece of Disney nostagia. it probably doesn't deserve 10 stars like 'Fantasia' or some of the other Disney feature length classics from the 40's, but it's so good and such excellent cinema, not to mention a classic gem, that i had to give it the very best rating.this film really is a pseudo tour of the original Burbank studio (i consider the Burbabk studio to be Walt's first because he didn't create the Hyperion building he only leased it). it's not a real documentary or actual tour, it's really live-action, animated entertainment in disguise. it's main goal seems to be to entertain the viewer than actually inform them on the real life workings of the studio. almost every process they depict is fictionalized to some degree.and the whole effect is very entertaining. not to mention very magical, whimsical and colorful. they really make the 1940's Burbank studio seem like a fairy tale fantasy world. the film even has a magical switch from B&W to color a la 'Wizard of Oz'. and the scene where Clarence Nash and the voice of Clara Cluck perform is hilarious and fun. the film's central character, Robert Benchley playing himself, is bumbling and funny doing his usual comedy routines. and of course, there is an appearance by a thirtyish looking Walter E .the title cartoon 'Reluctant Dragon', is some of the funniest and best animation ever produced by the studio. the animation is every bit as accomplished and imaginative as any 'Silly Symphony'.every Christmas (dont know why xmas)i sit down and watch this and am always amused. it's one of cinema's best photographed and clever, psychedelic mind blowers.

As she reads her husband the story of the reluctant dragon, Mrs Benchley has the idea of selling the idea to Walt Disney to make into a film. Reluctantly Robert Benchley goes to Disney studios to see Walt but tries to delay on the way. As he wanders around the studio he meets various cast and crew behind the Disney films and gets to see some of the techniques that make the film.Although I am not a real fan of Disney films from this period, I decided to give this film a try as the basic plot sounded quite interesting. I'm glad I did as this film is not only quite interesting but also an amusing mix of life action and animation. The basic plot is no more than a tour of the Disney process but done in a rather amusing way as Benchley slips from one room to another in an attempt to evade a very boring tour guide. This element of the film is quite enjoyable; the process is interesting (if not really valid anymore - it's all in Korea isn't it?!) and it is delivered by gentle wit that both kids and adults will like.The 100% animated strands of the film are mixed and will depend whether or not you are a Disney fan or not (I'm not - I prefer Loony Tunes). The Goofy section is very good but the storyboard telling of Baby Weems is pretty poor and the actual story of the Reluctant Dragon is a bit too cute and lacking teeth (if you know what I mean). The bits where Benchley is shown the animation process and the characters come to life are well handled and pretty cool - Daffy gives him a bit of a mouthful and is funny.The people in the film are rather airbrushed but still OK; the women are a bit too polished and wholesome, leaving the better roles for the men. Walt himself is OK and his presence adds to the value of the film, but it is Benchley that makes this such an enjoyable film. He died a few years after making this and he can't have been much more than fifty when he passed. His mocking humour is good and he isn't afraid to clown it up for the cameras.Overall this is a very enjoyable little film. For Disney fans it is almost a must-see as it goes around the basic stages of creating a cartoon within the studio. The animated sections are not as good (to me) and I was left wanting more of Benchley and the unofficial tour rather than the title story, but it was quite enjoyable in a rather fresh and amusing fashion.

I just loved this cartoon, and I hope that video stores have it, so that I may rent it or buy it. what I liked about this cartoon was the voices and the songs that the dragon, esp. the song that the dragon sang while he was taking a shower; and my favorite scenes were when the dragon and sir giles were in the cave and they were both shouting and carrying on as if they were doing battle, when actually they were having tea!