Instant Favorite.

Good concept, poorly executed.

I really wanted to like this movie. I feel terribly cynical trashing it, and that's why I'm giving it a middling 5. Actually, I'm giving it a 5 because there were some superb performances.

Ok... Let's be honest. It cannot be the best movie but is quite enjoyable. The movie has the potential to develop a great plot for future movies

When I watched this movie as a child, I haven't got the idea. It was funny - to listen the song of merman and that forest witches about their funny problems and fairy-tale business. All, that I remembered, were this songs of very different characters about their dreams. But then I grew up and understood something else. Not always the inventor gets revenue from his invention. Sometimes someone fat and rude comes and wins. Does it really means, that we shouldn't try and make our happiness with our own hands instead of sitting high in the fairy castle and hiding our heads in clouds? If you live in a swamp, even in the status of the king, then stop complaining about loneliness and dampness and frogs and snakes. And if you are fat and lazy and greedy, you'll never get the flying ship and the girl (or I just hope so).

The name Garri Bardin is probably known to animation film lovers, especially to these with an interest on the Eastern European take on the matter. I liked some of the stuff I saw from him, but this short film that runs slightly under 20 minutes is (despite the ridiculously high IMDb rating) not among his finest achievements. I never really could develop any interest in the characters and the story and the animation was also not too great for a 1979 film. I have seen better stuff from previous decades. The music is sometimes good, but also not continuously strong from start to finish. All in all, this little movie is not among the best in terms of Soviet animation and I have seen several superior works. Not recommended.