A Disappointing Continuation

It's fun, it's light, [but] it has a hard time when its tries to get heavy.

I was totally surprised at how great this film.You could feel your paranoia rise as the film went on and as you gradually learned the details of the real situation.

I enjoyed watching this film and would recommend other to give it a try , (as I am) but this movie, although enjoyable to watch due to the better than average acting fails to add anything new to its storyline that is all too familiar to these types of movies.

WONDERBIRD, certainly an unbelievably refined cartoon, drawn in a deliciously old—fashioned way, and sensationally old—fashioned in almost any respect, takes place in a kingdom ruled by a mean and heinous monarch; accordingly, the kingdom, or at least what we see—the surroundings of the king's palace, seems devoid, uninhabited.A few inhabitants there are—away from the Sun—in the withered underground city.An advice—call it an allegory, call it a parable, only do not call it a fable.Because IMDb encourages prolixity, and maybe for other reasons as well, I will add that this cartoon is the work of the great Paul Grimault.

One of the great tragedies of life is that Disney is so very successful at everything that they do. If they were not, we might have more unique little gems of animation such as "The Curious Adventures of Mr. Wonderbird." The story is that an evil king has usurped the throne of a place called Up-And-Down-Land (I could have the name wrong). He is hated by everyone. His favorite hobby is shooting birds, and at some point in the past, he presumably killed the wife of Mr. Wonderbird (a bird, played with typical flair by Peter Ustinov) leaving him with four young chicks to raise. Meanwhile, we see that another of the evil king's hobbies is painting. He has done three paintings in particular: a self portrait, a painting of a shepherdess (which he has fallen in love with), and a painting of chimney sweep (of whom he is jealous). One night, the shepherdess and the chimney sweep climb down out of their paintings and run away together. The self portrait of the king climbs down out of his frame as well, and does away with the real king (You think I'm making this up? Its the real plot) and sends the royal police force after the young lovers. Mr. Wonderbird then assists the lovers in attempting to escape the King's forces.The plot is wonderfully surreal, and the setting Up-and-Down-Land is an incredibly imagined place, full of towering buildings accessible only by elevators. Its an equal mixture of the worlds of "Metropolis" and "1984" and the drawings of Dr. Seuss.Watch it for a very unique viewing experience that doesn't fit the standard formula for most animated features.

I just picked this up in a decent if not outstanding DVD version for one dollar at Wal Mart.Run out and buy it.I'm fairly sure that this version is the short, incomplete version released against the animator's wishes in the late Fifties, but even so, at a buck it's an *incredible* bargain.This film was syndicated in small chunks as a serial to local TV stations in the early 60s for the kid's shows that almost every station ran on weekday afternoons in those days - "Mr Bill and Bozo", "Monty's Gang" (Channel 4, Greenville SC) and "Captain Grady" (channel 13, Asheville NC - which is where i saw it). It made such an impression on twelve-or-so-old me that i immediately recognised it when i spotted it in Wal Mart tonight and grabbed it.Wonderful. You should get it.

As a life-long animation fan, I have to confess I had never heard of this film until stumbling on it today. Where? Well, incredibly, this is one of those films that a certain large U.S. retailer has up next to their checkout for a buck a DVD. While watching, I had the feeling, like the other reviewer here, that this film is an obscure masterpiece that has been uncovered. I hope it gains wider exposure and appreciation. The quality of the animation is smoother than that of Uncle Walt from this time, in spots. But I won't take the Disney parallel too far; the character of the animation is not only unlike Disney, but wholly one of a kind. Peter Ustinov, ever the delightful mimic and master of accents and inflections, hams the voice of Mr. Wonderbird in grand style. The only thing left now, besides your making it out to the store to pick up this baby while you can, is to campaign the Criterion Collection, KINO or some other prestige house to restore Mr. Wonderbird to passable condition, or at least get a really clean print out on DVD. (The cheap transfer I got has the sound missing all through the credits, for the first few seconds of the film, and erupts in sound abruptly only once the title character appears from behind some stage curtains. Beyond this irritating flaw, I'll count my blessings and be thankful to have discovered this great film at all.)Ten stars.