Not so magic after all (Magic Roundabout (DVD))

Member Name: pinkpowderpuff

Product:	Magic Roundabout (DVD)
Date:	30/10/06 (80 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: kids quite liked it

Disadvantages: routine chase adventure, obvious actors for characters, extras

Once upon a time there was a children’s television programme from many years ago called “The Magic Roundabout”. It was set in a magical forest with beautifully written stories and wonderful, imaginative and quirky characters. The original programmes originated in France by Serge Danot. They were shipped to England where Eric Thompson (father of oscar-winner Emma) wrote his own stories based only what he saw in the pictures. The programme became a cult with parents enjoying it as much as children.

Now there is this travesty of a film set in a village with a Magic Roundabout seeming to be the centre of things without any explanation or reason why. The characters set off from a hopelessly contrived position to have a routine chase and adventure story. There is an attempt to amuse adults with pastiches of other films such as “Mission Impossible” but this totally fails, as it looks so desperate.

The casting director has seemingly looked at the characters and picked the most obvious person to voice them. They are as follows:

Dougal is a dog that tries to make himself loveable by being cute. He is addicted to sugar and causes the breaking of the Magic Roundabout by his selfishness and carelessness. He is voiced by Robbie Williams surprisingly well from someone who is so famous as himself that you do not expect him to be able let that persona go.

Florence is supposedly the heroine. However she and her voice actress (Kylie Minogue) are wastefully underused which undermines the whole basis and reason for the underlying story. She appears only at the beginning and end of the story without any real explanation as to why she is so important. In fact they have to insert a dream sequence in the middle to get her in the film more.

Dylan is the laid-back rabbit who supposedly comes into his own later in the film. Voiced by Bill Nighy was presumably to give him his perceived character traits such as in “ Notting Hill”. Frankly it failed and made him just annoying.

Ermintrude is the cow that thinks she can sing well but can’t. Joanna Lumley voices her with reasonably good characterisation but in a rather obvious way.

Brian is the slow snail (in every way). He is in love with Ermintrude. Jim Broadbent voices him in a crude uninteresting way that the makes the character neither believable nor sympathetic.

Train is the crazy train voiced too obviously by Lee Evans. You can see the casting director thinking of which crazy character is most similar to the train!

Zeberdee is supposedly the glue that holds everything together. His demise is hardly missed and as such totally undermines his purpose to the plot. Too obviously again, Ian McKellen voices him like Gandalf sending his “friends” off on their quest.

Zeebad is supposedly the evil alter ego of Zeberdee. He is a new and completely ridiculous character. Tom Baker voices him in his “Little Britain” manner that completely undermines the character so much that as to be pantomime.

Soldier is played by Ray Winstone as the lackey of Zeebad. Again an obvious choice, which gives the actor little work to do.

It was exciting the thought of an updated version that would still be with spirit of the original. However from the very first scene it becomes clear that the original had absolutely no connection with the film whatsoever. Even looking at it as an original project it does not stand up at all as there is neither rhyme nor reason for the whole thing. Ill-conceived characters and bland plot leaves this DVD on the shelf.

The DVD has a few extras described as “Special Features” but they are as much interest as the film.
The best is probably the “Magical Mysteries Quiz Game”. There are two levels for this game (starter and smarter) in which the film is played and stops ever so often to ask questions. These have to be answered correctly from the multiple-choice selection before the film continues. Yawn!
“Our Heroes and Villains – Character profiles” gives one page of their vital statistics for each character of the film. This includes their favourite saying! It adds nothing to knowledge or enjoyment. Double yawn!!
“Magical Voices – Interviews with the cast” is as it says interviews with the actors and their impressions of the original and this film. Some might regret their over-hyped endorsement of this embarrassment. Triple yawn!!!
“UK Premiere Footage Montage” is a self-glorifying series of glimpses of the premiere. Why should I want to see celebrities going to the cinema? Quadruple yawn!!!!

Summary: an attempt to put magic of TV cult onto big screen