Bedknobs and Broomsticks

Viewed: television

For some strange reason, I had an interest in watching this old Disney movie. I remember seeing and loving it as a kid, and I was just in the mood to revisit it. It’s a cute movie, but several things about it make me wonder how I could have understood it as a child.

To start with, the British accents are very thick. Even now, as an adult, I found it difficult to understand some things the kids said. And to make it worse, some of the things they said are very British, making context difficult. I would imagine that half of what the kids in the movie say are completely unintelligible to the average American child.

But then, what the heck do kids care about what’s being said when there’s totally cool stuff like flying beds, turning people into rabbits, cartoon talking animals, and walking and fighting museum exhibits? The special effects are great: the integration of live action and animation is very well done, and the live action animation of the museum armor and uniforms is downright spooky.

Overall, it’s an amazing fantasy romp with a climax pitting good magic against bad Nazis. Maybe kids don’t need to understand the grand backdrop of World War II, or what in the world the Cockney kids are saying to enjoy this adventure. I didn’t as a kid, and I didn’t as an adult.

Bullgrit
bullgrit@totalbullgrit.com