Exoticalot
People are voting emotionally.
Libramedi
Intense, gripping, stylish and poignant
Dorathen
Better Late Then Never
Christopher Bubb
First of all, a disclaimer of sorts: I do remember reading the original E.B. White book for school as a child, but I'm fairly sure I saw the movie first. I haven't read the book recently enough to be able to comment on how faithful this animated adaptation is. So my review will focus on the movie's merits from a production standpoint. And it has many.As other commenters have pointed out, at first viewing it seems rather hard to believe that this film was made by the same company that produced "The Flintstones" and "Yogi Bear." The animation may look dated by today's standards, and the secondary characters do look like rush jobs, but the central characters - Wilbur, Charlotte, Templeton, Fern, et al. - are animated quite nicely in my opinion. There are moments of real beauty, such as the sequence during "Deep In The Dark/Charlotte's Lullaby" (the song probably known to most as "Charlotte's Web," sung by an all-male chorus). On the whole, the animation is very simple, but it is fluid and it gives the movie a simple, homey charm missing from the CG-heavy animated feature films of today. The songs seem to be quite a point of contention among those who have seen this movie. Some of them are cloying and syrupy, but even the worst songs in this film are good - they're catchy and very well sung. As with many others, Paul Lynde's hilarious reading of "A Veritable Smorgasbord" as Templeton the rat (also when sung as a duet with Agnes Moorehead as the Goose) is a highlight for me, as is "Chin Up," which is guaranteed to stick in your head for hours. "Mother Earth and Father Time" is touching, especially the reprise of the song coinciding with Charlotte's death. Pamelyn Ferdin (well known as Lucy Van Pelt in several "Peanuts" TV specials and movies) delights with her own singing abilities in "There Must Be Something More." I think I can understand why E.B. White didn't care for the songs, but they are well-crafted nevertheless, and kids should love them, especially the more upbeat songs like "I Can Talk" and "Chin Up." "Zuckerman's Famous Pig" and "Charlotte's Lullaby" would later be covered by The Brady Bunch.But the voice acting is what really MAKES the film. I do find Henry Gibson's (R.I.P.) Wilbur a little grating and overacted at times, but some might say he captures the essence of the character perfectly, as Wilbur does tend to be given over to histrionics, which even Charlotte recognizes ("Wilbur, I FORBID you to faint!"). Debbie Reynolds' Charlotte is perfectly cast - her voice is soft, gentle, and tender, yet doesn't detract from Charlotte's intelligence and craftiness. Pamelyn Ferdin as Fern impresses with the mature qualities of her voice and her great emotional range (she's become an animal rights activist since, which considering Fern's initial saving of Wilbur from the chopping block, is apropos). But it's "Bewitched" veterans Agnes Moorehead and Paul Lynde (R.I.P. to them both) who really steal the show as the Goose and Templeton respectively, with their hilarious deliveries of some rather catty lines. Paul Lynde in particular was well-cast as Wilbur's somewhat reluctant ally, Templeton, whose catty and sarcastic remarks are always a highlight. All in all, the 1973 "Charlotte's Web" is still a delight to watch years later. Kids (provided today's kids have the patience for something without Disney/Pixar's bells and whistles) will be delighted by the characters and the fun songs; adults will appreciate the message about the gullible side of human nature that they might have missed the first time around. I haven't seen the live-action 2006 remake or CW2: Wilbur's Great Adventure but I doubt they could be as magical. 9/10 stars.
OllieSuave-007
This is a wonderful animated film adaptation of my favorite children's novel by author E.B. White, a story about a lonely pig named Wilbur who befriended a barnyard spider named Charlotte. Realizing that his own life is in danger from the fate many pigs meet once they grow to a certain size, Wilbur turns to Charlotte, who vows to save his life.This movie follows the novel pretty closely, including in it many plot elements from the book and a majority of the original animal characters such as Wilbur, Charlotte, Templeton the Rat, the Goose and the Ram, and a majority of the human characters such as Fern, Avery, Mr. and Mrs. Arable, Mr. and Mrs. Zuckerman, Lurvy and Henry Fussy. Earl Hamner Jr. did great on the film story, making each scene and each character memorable. Incorporated in the movie are catchy and uplifting songs by brother songwriters Richard M. and Robert B. Sherman, followed by a terrific music score by composer Irwin Kostal.Charlotte's Web sends great messages of friendship, courage, childhood phases and moving-on - things that resonate in your mind about the cycles of life and something everyone, especially young children, could learn. Charles A. Nichols and Iwao Takamoto did a very nice job directing, providing us with a movie that is happy and sad, but uplifting and entertaining.While I enjoy seeing all the characters in the movie, I thought that Wilbur was portrayed as too whiny at times and I thought the Jeffrey (little gosling) character was unnecessary. He was not originally in the book, is out of place in the movie, and making him Wilbur's friend I think distracts from the friendship of Wilbur and Charlotte. Other than that, most of the characters were great - each portrayed in their own unique flavor. My favorite is Charlotte - strong, witty, kind and lovable; Debbie Reynolds was the perfect choice to voice the character - gentle and soothing. And, The Goose, voiced by Agnes Moorehead, was hilarious. I loved her stuttering and thought the scene where she argued with the Ram about spelling "Terrific" was classic! Charlotte's Web is one of my favorite animated movies and one of my favorite stories overall and is one of they perfect movies for the entire family.Grade A
adamukun
I am rating this 10/10 for the enjoyment it gave me as a kid. I recently learned that Hollywood had made a terrible-looking remake in 2006, so in protest I decided to try re-watching the original. I am sorry to report it did not hold up too well. The animation is cheap, the songs feel half-baked, and they kind of botched the close relationship between Wilbur and Charlotte that made the books so charming and heartbreaking. In case you are new to this story, it is about a pig who befriends a spider who saves him from the chopping block in a unique and creative way. It is an adorable concept but as I mentioned it is much better executed in the book by E.B. White. I would recommend showing this movie to little kids who won't notice the sad parts and then giving them the novel when they are old enough. It makes a good "first chapter book."
Syl
As a child, I fondly remembered Charlotte's Web, the animated version. I have no desire to see the live version. Debbie Reynolds will always be Charlotte, the creative brilliant spider, who befriends Wilbur. I remember Fern saving Wilbur from his own death and raising him as a baby. Once the runt grows a little, Fern is devastated to send him to a farm where he can with other animals. Although Fern does visit him, it's not the same as she cared for him like her baby. The animation is not brilliant because this film was done long before computers but it still holds up to the story and it always worth watching with young ones and even old ones. The animation is not first rate but it's not bad neither. It's not on par with animation today and don't expect it too. But it's not about how computers can brilliantly animate where we don't need live actors or actresses, the story here is faithful to the E.B. White's novel classic and it is respected here. You can't help but tear up at the end.
