Creature Comforts (1990) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Being a "Wallace and Gromit" fan I recently bought this video, since Nick Park's first Oscar winner, "Creature Comforts," is featured. That 5 min skit focuses on interviews with claymation animals in a zoo about their impressions of zoo life. A creative and entertaining offering. It's easy to see why it was a winner. Younger children may not appreciate the extremely dry British humor of "Creature Comforts" though. It's still 5 stars in my book. "Creature Comforts" is, by the way, the only Nick Park offering on the tape.
The next offering, "Wat's Pig," is a nearly silent story of royalty, a stolen twin heir to the throne, and what happens to each of the twins as they grow. This is probably the piece that is most entertaining to viewers of all ages, though it lacks some of the fundamental charm of characters like "Wallace and Gromit." A 4 star offering in my book. Good but not fabulous.
The third offering, "Not Without My Handbag," is a dark claymation offering, featuring the devil who recruits new inhabitants of hell by having them sign incredibly complicated lease agreements for appliances. This is a rather grizzly flick that is not at all suitable for younger children (maybe younger than 10 yrs or so), even though it is filmed in a medium typically earmarked for them. The story is interesting, but I don't plan to watch it many if any more times. It probably does deserve some critical acclaim, but this is NOT a film for children...I can alreay hear the wailing from bad dreams in the middle of the night if my children were to watch it.
The fourth flick, "Adam," is a somewhat comical silent film depicting the creation of a being on a small planet. It does have some good sight gags, and Adam -- the main character -- has a personality that you soon get to know. I have to admit that I wasn't too jazzed to see that the animator chose to make Adam anatomically correct (though not overtly so). If that had not been the case, I would say that this film is fair game for the younger set. But, as it stands, we chose not to show this one to our kids either. It is, nevertheless, still an entertaining offering, especially as Adam interacts with his small planet.
I'd say that the first show is definitely 5 stars, while the others are in the 3.5 to 4 star range, for an overall rating of 4 stars for the entire tape.
This tape is best reserved for the adult claymation fan, rather than for viewing by younger children.
4 stars.
Alan Holyoak

Click Here to see more reviews about: Creature Comforts (1990)

From the creators of the box office smash "Chicken Run" and "Wallace and Gromit" comes "Creature Comforts," an amazing collection of clay-animation shorts from world-famous Aardman Animations. It's a Zoo's-Who of fun! Clay animation animals comment on life at the zoological gardens in "Creature Comforts," winner of the 1990 Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film. Then meet "Wat's Pig," the 1996 Oscar-nominated tale of knights and daze involving two brothers one raised in royal splendor, the other by a kindly pig. In the darkly hilarious "Not Without My Handbag," a dear, deceased Auntie makes the ultimate fashion statement she won't stay in Hell without a proper handbag. And lastly there's the story of "Adam" (1992 Oscar-nominee for Best Animated Short Film), a whimsical in-the-beginning tale about a little clay and a lot of imagination.

Click here for more information about Creature Comforts (1990)