The Thief and the Cobbler

Though I am an animation student, there are still many films I have yet to see, the Thief and the Cobbler was one of them up until recently. Thank goodness for youtube or I might have never seen it. I was also lucky enough to find the original version, the one that is now being called the "re-cobbled" cut. So if you haven't seen it, Educate yourself.



I thought it was wonderful, it is just amazing what can be done when you have no deadlines and you have more time to pour your heart and soul into something. I did also see the other two versions, Arabian Knights and the Princess and the Cobbler. They were not horrible I will admit, not great but not as terrible as I've heard from some people. One of the things that I found kind of ridiculous was that they had a perfectly fine movie, there was finished animation, finished score, finished story, why change it and waste money? That I really didn't understand. And I must admit Tack is a much stronger hero in pantomime than with Matthew Broderick doing the voice. All I hear is Simba and I don't like it, and the Thief was much more comical when silent.

One of the wonderful things about the movie are the layouts, the visual illusions and the detail is awe inspiring. Makes me with I was better with perspective...I just don't get perspective sometimes. Especially during the destruction on the One eye war machine, the spikes and gears, it was amazing. Would have been hell to animate though.

I did see all the places where Aladdin ripped this movie, and I still love Aladdin but not as much as I now love this movie. I found the characters to be more engaging, and they had much stronger personalities. Tack and Yum Yum now have a place in my heart as the best couple in animation. She saves his life and he see's her greatness and beauty in that simple act of breaking her shoe, and she finds him charming and sweet though he isn't much to look at and never speaks. And how can you not love Vincent Price as Zig-Zag, what s GREAT villain! Fun to look at and great lines.

So please go and watch all 11 parts of the re-cobbled cut, don't mind the pencil tests and animatics, enjoy what should have been finished. Richard Williams, Canada loves you!!!!