I've just heard of this film recently, but I came across a DVD that has only the English dub. I usually try to watch films in their original language, but if the dub is okay I'll stick with it. Is the English version of this film roughly the same quality as the original Hungarian, or is it sub-par?
shareI've only seen the English version of this film, and I can tell you it is absolute garbage. Don't waste your time, don't waste your money.
Here's the lowdown. Hopefully after you read this, you'll reconsider buying that movie and invest in something else. ANYTHING ELSE.
Willy is an obnoxious little boy who has way too much time on his hands. He's home sick from school on the day that he decides to take a few shots at some sparrows in the park with a BB gun. What he doesn't know, however, is that the little old woman sitting on the bench is actually the "Sparrow Guardian". When she breaks into his room and confronts him, there's a lousy exchange of dialogue that isn't worth repeating here. She pulls out her "Dream Mist", which is really just magic hair spray, and turns him into a bird who can't fly.
His adventures from this point on are mediocre and craptacular. He has to flee from his home because his pet cat, which he once enjoyed throwing in the dryer just for the hell of it (psycho!) now sees him as a meal and begins stalking him. He makes friends with a local flock of birds who take him to Cipur, the old sparrow who has a fascination with humans. He says he'll teach Willy to fly, but only if Willy teaches him to read.
Most of the sequences from that point on involve Willy either flying, learning to fly, or hanging out with the other birds. Cipur goes off and gets drunk with some bar rats who tell him that liquor is an elixir that will fill his head with all the knowledge that humans have. In reality, he just gets plastered.
The climax of the film involves Willy's new bird friends, a couple of hungry cats, and a barn. The barn's resident cat, a large mofo named Blackie, is a great example of why you should never hire children or drunks as animators. If you must watch this film, keep an eye on him as his head gradually gets smaller and his body gradually gets bigger. It's absurd.
I can think of very few things that are worse than this movie. I think I'd let somebody drive nails into my foot using a sledgehammer before I'd ever KNOWINGLY spend money on a DVD of this garbage.
The only saving grace I think this film might possibly have doesn't even involve the English version. I read on Wikipedia that in the original Hungarian, Cipur isn't drinking an "Elixir of Human Knowledge"; he's well aware that he's drinking alcohol. I don't know how valid this claim is, but if it's true...well, it's still not enough to save this film from the trash bin, but it makes it seem at least a minute fraction (like 1/1000000000) less childish and campy.
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Ia ora te natura
E mea arofa teie ao nei
It sounds like your kid decided to grab your liquor and get drunk like Cipur did. If you're judging it based off some of the questionable material provided in this Hungarian children's cartoon, then you aren't giving it a fair trial.
I watched this while growing up. I just happened to stumble upon it while building a list of movies I still want to buy and I'm really excited that I found it.
I'm in my mid-20's now and I've never shot a bird, never sprayed hairspray at anyone, and I have an alcoholic beverage maybe once or twice a month.
I have watched the English version and o recommend it.
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the dub isnt horrible i enjoyed it. it is cut a bit from the orginal for only scene whice was shorten due to it being thought to scary for younger kids, storywist the only differece is the cat sissy reason for wanting to eat willy which is the orginal just because she is a cat and he is a bird to her wanting to teach willy a lession for torrmenting her so much. ive had the movie since 91 or 92 i highly recommend it as a great family film it is short though.
Portia Perez Fan