Bedknobs and Broomsticks 1971
I may have seen this movie at age 6 when it came out. Parts of it are familiar and I certainly remember hearing about the movie when it came out (might have seen it on The Wonderful World of Disney). Certainly I never saw it as an adult and most of it seemed new to me. I had considered buying it through the Disney Movie Club, but am glad I held off, eventually being given a digital copy. There is not much in the movie for adults. Based on a series of books, the plot is just a few mostly unrelated setups involving this group of characters, with a cartoon break in the middle featuring some live action inserts like Mary Poppins. The movie starts out well enough as some British kids in World War II are sent to live with a stranger in the country, played by Angela Lansbury, a woman learning witchcraft through a correspondence course. The witchcraft angle is maybe a little similar to Harry Potter, but is barely scratched. The kids aren’t strong characters and with cockney accents are a little obnoxious. I can see how the books might have been more entertaining, but the movie is kind of lacking and ultimately relies on some slapstick comedy that kids might like. The special effects were good for their time, but look like something from Bewitched. The songs, by Disney’s Sherman brothers, lack much originality and rely too heavily on marches. What is maybe more interesting is that the movie was originally 141 minutes, cut down to 117 minutes for is release, and down to 96 minutes for a re-release. The version showing now on Vudu and Disney Plus is the original 117 minute version.
Written: 05 Jun 2020
Owned on: Digital