Tom Sawyer

I was shocked and surprised by the negative reviews I had read on the web, since I love this film. This film is based on the classic novel by Mark Twain (the author of "The Prince and the Pauper"), and many versions of this story have been made for the big screen and TV, but I love this version best of all.

I love the "love triangle" between Tom, Amy, and Becky. I found the situation amusing, and it was unexpected that those girls held such high regard for Tom. I also like that the characters are anthropomorphic animals, as in Walt Disney's "Robin Hood" and the "made-for-TV" animated film "David Copperfield," based on the novel by Charles Dickens. So anyway, it's a great cartoon movie.

This movie is the best version of Tom Sawyer ever put to film! My little sis used to watch it repeatedly, and I didn't even mind- THAT'S how good it is! It features Country music as the soundtrack, and I was okay with it- THAT'S how good this is! Plus, it's a good, old-fashioned hand-drawn animated film the likes of which we rarely if ever see made anymore! So, this is a nostalgia-trip and a pure treasure. Perfect to watch with any animation lover or kid in your life. I'm not even that big a fan of animation, but I still think fondly of this movie often- THAT'S how good it is!

It's cute, it's fun, and it tells a classic story in such a delightful way. Recommended.

Mark Twain's beloved novel has once again been adapted for film, with some subtle changes (Injun Joe becomes Injurin' Joe) and some not-so-subtle ones (all of the characters are animals). However, this new animated version, brought to us by MGM and the same people who made the direct-to-video films "Babes in Toyland" and "An All Dogs Christmas Carol," remains a fairly faithful adaptation. It is very, very well animated with a memorable score by Mark Watters. The voice casting, comprising of mostly country music stars with a few veterans like Betty White and Don Knotts, is right on the money. Rhett Akins as Tom Sawyer is simply wonderful. Add to this a selection of great country music songs and you've got good, clean family entertainment.

Tom Sawyer is an MGM animated film at heart. It has corny songs, requisite love interests, physical humor and that signature art style. But Tom Sawyer is different. MGM usually makes sequels to animated films, putting little thought into them and stripping their essence away. But here they retell a classic story in their own unique way, staying true to the source material's strong narrative. And maybe that's why Tom Sawyer succeeds where so many other MGM features have failed. No habits are broken here, but it's an enjoyable ride all the same. I can't stand the corny country music-flavored songs, but eh. The art is really nice too.

This's a pretty good kids movie. For the most part it's faithful to the book in terms of story and characterization. I notice it cut a few scenes probably due to the content which can be a little annoying. The characters are fun to watch. It's all worth it to see Tom get into trouble, hang out with Huck, try to impress Becky Thatcher and/or go on an adventure. My only gripe are some of the voices such as Tom and Huck are voiced by country stars which can be really distracting as they don't sound like kids at all. It's also weird when they start to sing. Speaking of which the songs are ok. Some of them are good while others are forgettable. The animation is great for its time. It's fluid bright and colorful. It looks like a water painting that came to life. I don't have much to say other than check it out if you have kids or are a fan of the books. Hop in and go on an adventure.