Loosely fashioned from the Rodgers and Hammerstein Broadway musical and movie -- which itself was based on the 1946 film "Anna and King of Siam" that was adapted from Margaret Landon's book about the real life Anna Leonowens -- the beloved tale of a confidant school teacher and a stubborn monarch comes to life once again in Warner Bros. animated release of "The King and I."
With the 1956 Deborah Kerr/Yul Brynner version being loved and well known by millions (it also received nine Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, winning five) the question that begs to be asked is why animate this classic film and in doing so, alter it by adding new characters and songs while eliminating or restaging some of the old favorites.
The answer of course, is pure economics. While the theatrical revenue from kid based animated fare has been waning since the glory days of Disney's "The Lion King," the home video market is still incredibly strong and there's still "gold to be found in them 'thar videocassettes."
By using the title of a classic, well-known musical that parents will recognize and that may possibly motivate them into taking the family to the theater, and by injecting a villainous character, his comedic sidekick and some cute animals to entertain the kids, the filmmakers hope they'll strike that lucrative goldmine. While the strategy is somewhat reasonably sound on a financial basis, the end artistic result is questionable.
That's because this is one of those films that's hard to judge regarding its artistic merits. Purists will cringe at the thought of the classic being massively revamped and given something of the lowest common denominator treatment for its target audience.
Those kids, however, who were weaned on what's become the animated standard set forth by all of those similarly constructed Disney films, will probably enjoy this one just as much. They certainly won't know of the original picture, won't care about the how's or why's of its alterations, and probably won't mind the often subpar animation found in this one. Those problems, however, will affect how adults will receive this picture, and I'll proceed with the review from that standpoint.
The story, for those familiar with the Kerr/Brynner version, has substantially been altered. While some scenes and songs have been eliminated or substantially restaged, other new scenes -- such as an opening high seas sequence showing Anna and her son en route to Siam as well as the entire ending -- have been added.
To the film's benefit, the musical's more popular numbers, including "Getting to Know You" and "Shall We Dance," are still present and the film soars while they play. The newer songs, however, courtesy of music supervisor William Kidd, are okay, but clearly pale in comparison to the originals.
Director Richard Rich ("The Fox and the Hound," "The Black Cauldron") and screenwriters Peter Bakalian and Jacqueline Feather & David Seidler (who collaborated on "The Quest for Camelot") have also taken it upon themselves to turn the story into something resembling what's become the standard animated film setup. That means it now includes the obligatory scheming villain, his comedic sidekick, and some cute supplemental animals, including a mischievous monkey that more than closely resembles Abu from "Aladdin."
The debate about whether altering this film is appropriate or not could go on forever, with the filmmakers' defense probably being that without such additional characters kids most likely wouldn't be as receptive to it. The truth be told, whenever those character weren't on the screen and a musical number wasn't playing, the kids at our screening did collectively get rather restless.
Few will probably argue about the film's animation, however, as most of it's substantially below the quality found in the latest Disney films or the likes of Fox's "Anastasia." Although at times it's okay and passable, at others it's noticeably bad.
General landscape shots often look incredibly flat and "cartoonish" (as compared to recent efforts to strive for more realism) and certain characters occasionally look very roughly drawn. While the overall effect is better than typical Saturday morning TV fare, the animation just doesn't match the amazing visuals that audiences have grown accustomed to in films delivered by the likes of Disney.
Although the film's not horrible and manages to entertain its target audience, the subpar animation and the filmmaker's roughshod treatment of the well-known material may not sit well with adults who remember and/or love the original. While the inclusion of the additional characters and animals make the film more accessible to kids and take the basic elements of the story in a new direction, the end result doesn't necessarily prove that's a good thing.
Even so, the remnants of the original -- and in particular the wonderful Rodgers and Hammerstein numbers -- mostly make up for the rest of the way the story's been treated, and whenever they play the film soars beyond its problems. With animated adaptions of other Broadway hit musicals hanging in the balance, the success or failure of this film will determine whether kiddie versions of the likes of "South Pacific," "Oklahoma" and other classics ever get made -- a thought that should send shudders through the hearts of film purists worldwide.
Although this film should entertain the little ones -- with the side benefit of introducing them to the basic story and music of the original -- and perhaps leading them into wanting to see that film -- this animated adaption is clearly an example of too much artistic license being given to the filmmakers. As such, we give "The King and I" a 4.5 out of 10.
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