My Movie Review on Swiss Family Robinson (1960)
Merry Christmas, Kemosabes.
This is your friendly film, TV show, and episode reporter here with another review.
Today, for the 7th installment of my "Christmas Craze", I'm gonna give you guys my take of Disney's "Swiss Family Robinson".
Here's the rundown of this tale:
In the aftermath of surviving a storm at sea, a family from Switzerland called the Robinsons find themselves to be the only passengers left on an abandoned ship that crashed against rocks.
After locating an island not far from where the ship crashed, the family realizes that they'll have to do everything they can to survive until help comes. However, making a living on the island will not be an easy task, because they'll have to face off against a surprisingly vast amount of wildlife, scrounge for whatever they can find, and battle murderous pirates that have been terrorizing the family even before their ship got caught in the storm.
Along the way, the family meets a girl from London who, along with her grandfather, was captured by the pirates.
I know that this movie isn't a Christmas-based feature, but I've been wanting to make an analysis of "Swiss Family Robinson" for quite a long time. It's a movie that I fondly grew up with, and I figured that it'd be a fitting entry for my "Christmas Craze" saga since the Robinson's celebrated Christmas at one point in the film.
Having watched this movie again after so long, I really must say that the movie was as awesome as I remembered it being. It's also what I'd like to call one of the best live-action movies made by the Walt Disney company ever.
For instance, the direction by Ken Annakin, and the screenplay by Lowell S. Hawley, were magnificent. And despite not being credited as a producer, I could tell that Walt Disney himself gave his own personal touches and was all in with this project.
Looking back, I couldn't help but note that the film's use of Panavision lenses and widescreen format via Cinemascope helped the movie be an all-out visual pleasure. It not only made me feel like I was in the time period the film was taking place in, but it aided the camera in neatly fitting everything featured in a shot, which can help audiences take in the surroundings and events of the movie.
The film was also pretty fun concept-wise. Every step of the way, the film had comedic moments that were hilariously well-done and irresistible. The action scenes it contained were enjoyably exhilarating and thrilling too. Plus, the movie had heart and emotion that made it all-the-more compelling, was character-driven to a tee, and had exhibited something that many would likely consider to be rare in modern films: a story about love and family in its purest of forms.
The music that was composed by William Alwyn and conducted by Muir Mathieson was magnificent, if I may add. Every melody throughout the movie captured the emotions of the characters flawlessly, and they greatly reflected the film's tone and helped every moment be incredibly engaging.
Finally, the performances of the cast, casting, characters, and character development were awesome! Each performer onboard fit their parts like they were born for them, and they portrayed them with stunning personality and emotion. They looked like they were having the time of their lives being on the project too. In addition, the Robinson family, Roberta, and Captain Kuala had dynamic development throughout the movie.
Also, this is just my opinion, but I enjoyed the fact that the pirates were Chinese. It aided the film in standing out and helped the pirates be unique, fresh, and distinguished as characters. I don't think it's even been done in any other movie, really.
In conclusion, "Swiss Family Robinson" is one of Disney's greatest live-action movies, as well as a classic for the ages. I can hardly imagine what it would've been like if I had never seen this movie at all, I'll tell you guys that.
So, I rate Disney's "Swiss Family Robinson" five out of five stars.
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