There were quite a few reasons for wanting to see 'King Midas and the Golden Touch'. One was my love for illustrations. One was that King Midas is an interesting character as is his story. One was its universal and relevant moral. One was that it was one of the Rabbit Ears Productions animated adaptations of children's stories, tales from around the world, american heroes and legends and biblical stories. Quite a number of examples of each throughout the series.
1991's 'King Midas and the Golden Touch' is one of the tales from around the world type of stories from Rabbit Ears Productions and it's another great one. It is not actually one of my favourite Rabbit Ears Productions adaptations (so many wonderful ones they did though) and of the company's "We All Have Tales" series it doesn't quite have the extra something that for instance 'The Fool and the Flying Ship' has. It is still incredibly well made in all regards and does a great job with the moral.
For me, there is next to nothing is wrong with 'King Midas and the Golden Touch'. Everything is done very well to brilliantly, just that there is a little more of an emotional connection and entertainment value with other Rabbit Ears Productions efforts and this is just being said in comparison.
'King Midas and the Golden Touch' is beautiful in visuals for one thing, then again one wouldn't expect anything less (on the most part that is) from Rabbit Ears Productions. It doesn't try to do too much. Nor does it look under-budgeted, looking instead very vibrantly coloured and with meticulous background detail. Even little things such as the daughter's hair impresses.
Ellis Marsalis' music really adds to the mood chosen and enhances it. It is a fine story told gently without getting too calm, so the sympathetic scoring suited the atmosphere just right. It really helps from the music is well performed, and it is that and more by one of today's finest cellists Yo-Yo Ma who makes the music so elegant and subtly emotional.
Michael Caine is a perfect choice for narrator. Calm and distinguished, in the appropriate bedtime story like fashion, and the dialogue itself that he breathes to life so well is never juvenile or over-complicated. The story is very charming and engages, other adaptations from the series have more energy but the more gentle pace is just fine here.
The moral of how money is not everything is a universal one that is still relevant today and it's not laid on too thick here. Midas is an interesting character that progresses and learns from past mistakes and in a way that doesn't feel rushed or out of the blue.
Overall, great if not one of my favourite Rabbit Ears Productions adaptations. 9/10.
1991's 'King Midas and the Golden Touch' is one of the tales from around the world type of stories from Rabbit Ears Productions and it's another great one. It is not actually one of my favourite Rabbit Ears Productions adaptations (so many wonderful ones they did though) and of the company's "We All Have Tales" series it doesn't quite have the extra something that for instance 'The Fool and the Flying Ship' has. It is still incredibly well made in all regards and does a great job with the moral.
For me, there is next to nothing is wrong with 'King Midas and the Golden Touch'. Everything is done very well to brilliantly, just that there is a little more of an emotional connection and entertainment value with other Rabbit Ears Productions efforts and this is just being said in comparison.
'King Midas and the Golden Touch' is beautiful in visuals for one thing, then again one wouldn't expect anything less (on the most part that is) from Rabbit Ears Productions. It doesn't try to do too much. Nor does it look under-budgeted, looking instead very vibrantly coloured and with meticulous background detail. Even little things such as the daughter's hair impresses.
Ellis Marsalis' music really adds to the mood chosen and enhances it. It is a fine story told gently without getting too calm, so the sympathetic scoring suited the atmosphere just right. It really helps from the music is well performed, and it is that and more by one of today's finest cellists Yo-Yo Ma who makes the music so elegant and subtly emotional.
Michael Caine is a perfect choice for narrator. Calm and distinguished, in the appropriate bedtime story like fashion, and the dialogue itself that he breathes to life so well is never juvenile or over-complicated. The story is very charming and engages, other adaptations from the series have more energy but the more gentle pace is just fine here.
The moral of how money is not everything is a universal one that is still relevant today and it's not laid on too thick here. Midas is an interesting character that progresses and learns from past mistakes and in a way that doesn't feel rushed or out of the blue.
Overall, great if not one of my favourite Rabbit Ears Productions adaptations. 9/10.
