Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland (1989)

I saw Little Nemo: Adeventures in Slumberland on YouTube last night, having vague memories of seeing it once as a child. I just want to say I loved it; it is such a beautiful imaginative movie, that is a must-see for everyone. There is so much to recommend this wonderful movie, and the rest of this review will aim to explain why the film was so good.

The animation is stunning. Yes, I know some of the characters' faces were rather pale, but the backgrounds are colourful and lush, and the scenes in the sky were jaw-dropping. The songs by the Sherman Brothers, who brought us Mary Poppins, Jungle Book, Aristocats and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang are lovely and memorable. Some bring a subtle touch to scenes, while others are jolly and fun.

The characters are a delight. Nemo is still a likable character, if a rather unlikely hero. Icarus is hilarious, Camille has her good moments, King Morpheus reminds me of Santa, Captain Genius is great fun but my favourite has be Flip. As for the vocal talents they were exceptional, the standout easily being Mickey Rooney in a fitfully amusing turn as Flip. The story is highly imaginative and beautifully told, with some subtle moments and some dark ones. I will admit what I remembered most about this movie as a child was the Nightmare King. Young children may find him frightening, but he is such an effective villain. Who cares if he looks a little like Chernabog from Fantasia, he is still a scary and great villain in my eyes.

All in all, a beautiful, imaginative and underrated film. 10/10 of course! Bethany Cox

Fmovies: Ever since Walt Disney created the first animated cartoon, some have been great, OK, and truly bad. Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland, in my opinion, is one of those great animated movies. The plot, a young boy named Nemo having adventures in a magical place called Slumberland, will surely enchant its viewers and you will always remember the fun, whimsical music. Not to mention the animation is as magical as Slumberland itself (the work of millions of dollars). I'm surprised it did very poorly in the American box office. I heard that the reason for the huge flop was because it was "un-Disneylike". So what? Have you seen the crap Disney has been making lately? (with the exception of Pirates of the Caribbean). Little Nemo is one of the greatest kid movies ever made and if you have toddlers, I thoroughly recommend this movie.

I remembered this movie that I used to watch when I was little. There was a parade, a squirrel, a little boy, a big man and a big key. There was a lot of black goo at one point and an evil guy. I had no idea what the movie was called and I had no idea if it was actually real, because when I told people about it (which I did a lot because I wanted to find out what it was called so I could see it again) no one had heard about it.

I started thinking that I had dreamt the whole thing. That it was one of those dreams that you have several times. I had tried googling it, I had asked my parents and my sibling, who should've known what I was talking about seeing as I probably couldn't just pick it out and put it on myself as a little kid.

Years passed, yes, years. I just thought that it was a dream. I didn't really believe that it was, but maybe...? A year or so ago, I remembered it again; the squirrel, the little boy, the key, everything. I decided to google it again, but this time I used different search words and I found it. I was so happy. You have no idea! I had been thinking about this movie for years!

I watched it again and it's a cute and sometimes scary movie. I was just happy I had a chance to find it again (:

Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland fmovies. It's sad to see this type of movie put down as a children's movie, because it's a cartoon. The dialogue isn't only not kid-like, but very refreshing in a cartoon. The art, and the colors... the music, all melts together into a work of art unappreciated by the general public. So I ask thee, why?

Little Nemo, a boy of about 5 or 6, enjoys the bucolic wonders, beauty and fun of Slumberland, but breaks a promise to the fatherly King Morpheus which unleashes the dark powers of the Nightmare King upon his friends. He must face his terror to rescue them.

A terrific children's fantasy without a whiff of adult subtext, demeaning remarks or misplaced self-consciousness. The drawings were beautiful and wondrous; the characters were interesting and unburdened by comic-book-style psychological problems; the storyline was generous and kind, without being obsequious or sentimental. There are some frightening scenes for preschool children, involving nightmares and the demonic Nightmare King, but the reconciliation at the end of the story makes it all worthwhile. Very tender children (age 2 - 4) may find these scenes too horrifying unless a parent is there to comfort.

"Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland" is a joy and a wonder, just like the original Winsor McCay cartoons. For those ignorant of the history of American cartoons, McCay's "Little Nemo" series was a classic of naive pop surrealism exploring the adventures of a boy in the dream-world. McCay was sometimes deficient in spelling, but he was never deficient in drawing or imagination. Of course, the movie has to elide or telescope things a bit. After all, the original cartoon was a serial running episodically in newspapers. I find no serious fault with this. I took particular delight in how some scenes here meticulously mirrored the original cartoon. The animation is at various points dreamy, beautiful, dark, menacing and, of course, surreal. I think it is a mistake to view this film purely as a product of the anime industry - the film is instead a meeting of the Japanese culture with American culture. The merger of sensibilities here is quite wonderful. I loved the squirrel's petulant irritation at being called a "rat." And I loved the nightmare monster-heel. And, of course,the trickster figure, Pip. The whole thing has the quality of a twisting dream, sometimes good, sometimes bad, just like real dreams. Don't hesitate to buy and watch this. Greg Cameron, Surrey, B.C., Canada