Then, the novelty of seeing live-action characters interacting with an animated fish was more pronounced.
Frankly, I don't know why the movie is being remade - the original is odd and silly and very much a product of its time. Reportedly, the WWII setting will be updated for this version, but we don't know how the action will really work. The original film had Don Knotts as a henpecked guy who transforms into an animated fish who fights Nazi U-Boats. several times to discuss the film and that he was the top choice, and updated later to say that the studio is ready to hire him to make the picture.
The LA Times reported last night that Richard Linklater had met with Warner Bros. But now Richard Linklater looks set to direct, which would make this his second overtly mainstream movie, after The Bad News Bears. Limpet (1964) WarnerArchive WarnerBros TheIncredibleMrLimpetHailed as one of the greatest films of all time, The Incredible Mr. Enchanted director Kevin Lima was attached, and there was word that Zach Galifianakis was in talks to take the lead role.īut things stalled, Kevin Lima moved to other things, and Mr. Limpet filtered through Waking Life? Two years ago Warner Bros put a remake of the old Don Knotts live-action/animated film into motion. Not too bad for a DVD that could have just been a bare bones fullscreen release.Could we see The Incredible Mr. Finally, you have the film's trailer as well as a bunch of DVD ROM games for the kiddies. Not+quite+a+creepy+as+he+was+in+Pleasantville. Then there is a menu titled "Henry Limpet's Fish Tank" that leads to short interview clips with Don Knotts that are mixed in with film footage. Next up is a 10-minute featurette from 1964 titled "Weekend at Weeki Wachee" that includes footage of the film's underwater premiere as well as some silly interviews with the cast. If it's an introduction, why doesn't it play before the menus even show up? The Crossroads DVD did the same thing with the Britney Spears intro, but that one was buried on the second page of the special features. The first is a short introduction by Don Knotts that you can only access from the special features menu. 4 out of 10 The Extras There are actually a couple of special features on the disc to keep it from being completely bare bones. Everything sounds crystal clear thanks to it being encoded in Dolby Digital, but it's still just mono. The film is presented in its original 1.0 mono audio track. I+bet+you+haven't+seen+those+flags+in+a+kids+movie+recently.
Still, this is easily the best that this movie as ever looked. Things kind of go down the tubes in the animated sequences that not only feature sub-par print quality, but also some minor artifacting that is most noticeable in the solid blue backgrounds. Colors and flesh tones are great, and the detail and clarity is very good.ĭon+Knotts+finds+Elton+John's+underwater+hideout. The live action sequences look very good, despite a bit of edge enhancement and I did notice some minor artifacts in some of the German scenes.
7 out of 10 The Video While it's a big plus to actually get a family movie such as this in widescreen, the 1.85:1 anamorphic transfer is a mixed bag. Limpet is a charming, simple, little story that's boosted by pioneering a filmmaking technique while at the same time featuring some nice vintage 1960's Warner Brothers animation.
For the kids there's a cute little underwater adventure, while adults will find a light-hearted WWII story. Sure, the combination of the two is a bit rough, but for one of the first attempts it works pretty well. Limpet is years, but watching it again on this DVD reminded me how charming this first foray into mixing animation with live action was. Eventually he begins to help the Navy go up against German subs, and ends up saving the day - despite being a fish. Limpet starts to experience the aquatic life. It's there where the film switches into animation mode as Mr. One day at Coney Island, Henry wishes that he could be a fish and his wish is granted. The Movie Don Knotts plays Henry Limpet, a small man who yearns to serve his country during WWII, but he just can't pass the admissions physical. The movie has always been a popular staple for Saturday afternoon television, but now it's finally receiving a DVD release, and it's even in widescreen. Limpet, which was one of the first successful experiments that mixed animation with live action. Shortly before Dick Van Dyke danced with animated penguins in Disney's Mary Poppins, everyone's favorite deputy from Mayberry experienced life as an animated fish in The Incredible Mr.