DVD Review: Unstable Fables: Tortoise vs. Hare

Movie Info:
Writer: Arish Fyzee
Director: Tom Martin
Cast: Drake Bell, Danny Glover, Vivica A. Fox, Keke Palmer, Jay Leno, Nolan North, Chris Elwood, Jenni Pulos, Steve Wilcox
Rating: G
Studio: Weinstein

Release Info:
DVD Release Date: September 9, 2008
Online Availability: Amazon

I am usually up for a good animated feature. I am an 80s child so that translates to popular cartoons such as The Smurfs, The Wuzzles, and The Transformers. It also means that I am a sucker for anything Muppets or Jim Henson oriented. So, it was with much delight that I was able to watch and review Unstable Fables: Tortoise vs. Hare.

Unstable Fables are a fun idea because you’re working off of a basis that everyone is familiar with. Most everyone knows about The Tortoise and the Hare. Offering that look into the future to show what happened years after the race is incredibly entertaining to watch and being that it’s a Jim Henson gig certainly doesn’t hurt. His production team serves his name well. This feature is funny, entertaining, and is definitely something that you could see Henson’s name attached to.

One of the best things about this film is that it’s suitable for the entire family. Parents tend to get stuck watching the cartoons of today, which can at times be monotonous and boring. However, this will take parents back just a bit while providing an excellent time for the kids, as well.

Parents and kids will both notice some pretty big names in the voice talent pool used for the film. The voices of people like Drake Bell, which the kids will probably recognize. Meanwhile, the parents will hear Jay Leno and Danny Glover among others. The writing here is excellent so the voice talent had plenty to work with. The writing is one of the most important parts of an animated feature so it’s a good sign when the audience watching the film is unable to contain their laughter, like I was when I watched this.

The Unstable Fables: Tortoise vs. Hare Plot
Everyone knows the story behind the Tortoise and the Hare. On race day the fast talking Hare gains a lead and takes a nap, allowing the slow and steady tortoise to take the lead and win the race. What we don’t know is anything that happened after the race.

Now it’s 15 years after the big race that Walter Tortoise (Danny Glover) was able to beat Murray Hare (Jay Leno) in their foot race. Despite it being nearly two decades later, both sides are still harboring some issues and refuse to stop talking about that race.

Poor Murray wants to throw up every time he hears that old phrase “slow and steady wins the race,” and Walter says that as much as he possibly can. Both animals think they are good parents, but do everything they can to get their kids to live the lives they want them to lead without thinking of their interests. Walter thinks that his daughter Crystal (Keke Palmer) should become a lawyer. That would be nice, but she wants to be a dancer. On the other hand, Murray thinks that his son Butch (Drake Bell) should become a track star even though he is more interested in Science.

When Murray hears about the Mount Impossible team race he is psyched. He gets his son to compete with him and then he challenges Walter and his daughter to a rematch of sorts. Now it’s up the younger generation to teach the older one some things that they apparently have forgotten over the years, but will they be able to do it?

Storyline/Plot:
Replayability:
Acting:
Directing:

Audio/Visual:
A nice job was provided on both the animation and the visual quality of the DVD. A wide ranging color palette is used thanks to the wilderness setting and everything looks lush and beautiful for the most part. I had absolutely no complaints with the visual quality. The aspect ratio of 1.85:1 with anamorphic widescreen allowed for a crisp and nearly flawless picture, free of compression artifacts, noise, and grain.

The audio comes courtesy of Dolby Digital 5.1. You receive a clear sound that is complimented by the voice talents of some well known actors. The sound remains clear and consistent throughout. No volume toggling is needed and the levels remain sound through dialogue and through various sound effects whenever they are used. A good job was done handling both audio and video qualities.

Visual:
Audio:

Bonus Features:
Unstable Fables: Tortoise vs. Hare features a couple of decent bonuses and a few previews for anyone interested enough to watch them. All things considered, this is not a bad set of bonuses. The kids probably won’t be too interested in them, but if they are curious about the animation process they will love these.

In addition to the previews there are two featurettes. One of them is mainly interviews with Howard E. Baker, Lisa Henson, and the two younger actors Keke Palmer and Drake Bell. The other is with Baker, featuring the designs of the characters. The main preview is for one of the other Unstable Fables. This one, Goldilocks and the Three Bears Show features the voice talents of Jamie Lynn Spears and Tom Arnold.

Bonus Features:

Bottom Line:
If you’re looking for some fun, family entertainment that is nothing like the same old stuff that you’ll find on television, you will adore Unstable Fables. This is one of those shows that both parents and children can enjoy, which makes it highly worthwhile. If you have not seen this yet, I highly recommend you either rent it at the local video store or you go ahead and purchase it at your earliest convenience. The kids will love it and you will find yourself laughing out loud right alongside them.

Overall Rating:

Technorati Tags: DVD Review, Weinstein, Family Movie, Animated Feature, Cartoon, Unstable Fable, Jay Leno, Tortoise vs. Hare

Written by Ashtyn Evans - Visit Website
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Ashtyn is in her early 30s. She is a mother, writer, college student, and music lover. Ashtyn has had a successful career as a writer since 2003. She turned to blogging in 2005. Ashtyn attends Wright State where she is getting a degree in Psychology. She has extensive knowledge in SEO and Social Media Development.