I'm a fan of Mark Twain as well as of claymation, so it's a given I like this feature! Will Vinton is not a household name any longer but the impact he had on the field can not be overrated (he even coined the term "claymation"). In the 80s, he was still a big name and had already done tons of animation, yet the production of "The Adventures of Mark Twain" must have been a real adventure. This is not easy stuff, it's not targeting children, and animation for adults has always been - and will propably always be - a big financial risk. Still, "Don't be such a sissy in face of a real adventure!" as he lets his main character say to himself.
Basically, we have a frame story (M.T. chasing the comet where he plans to end his earthly life, with Huck Finn, Tom Sawyer and Becky as stowaways on board) framing several episodes from his writings, most of them from his more cynical works. Not every episode works equally well but overall the quality is OK and there's a certain momentum built up towards the conclusion. The gags are rarely laugh-out-loud but mostly hit the spot, and the outstanding thing is the animation - the quirky sets, the lively faces, the colours! There may be more creative animation out there, but never in a 90 minute feature. It's a feast for claymation fans (and should be for every cinephile but still animation carries that birthmark of childishness).
Is this film perfect? No, and I guess no work which ventures that far from the trodden path can ever be. Some episodes rather stop than advance the story; the faces of the children look too grown-up; sometimes the dialogue feels pretty forced just to prompt one of M.T.'s aphorisms; and some of the visual gags seem targeted at children while the story as a whole is certainly not for them. But the wonderful animation and philosophical depth make up for such shortcomings - while by now Aardman or Laika have surpassed this film from the technical POV, it still remains one of the most grown-up claymation features I know.
Basically, we have a frame story (M.T. chasing the comet where he plans to end his earthly life, with Huck Finn, Tom Sawyer and Becky as stowaways on board) framing several episodes from his writings, most of them from his more cynical works. Not every episode works equally well but overall the quality is OK and there's a certain momentum built up towards the conclusion. The gags are rarely laugh-out-loud but mostly hit the spot, and the outstanding thing is the animation - the quirky sets, the lively faces, the colours! There may be more creative animation out there, but never in a 90 minute feature. It's a feast for claymation fans (and should be for every cinephile but still animation carries that birthmark of childishness).
Is this film perfect? No, and I guess no work which ventures that far from the trodden path can ever be. Some episodes rather stop than advance the story; the faces of the children look too grown-up; sometimes the dialogue feels pretty forced just to prompt one of M.T.'s aphorisms; and some of the visual gags seem targeted at children while the story as a whole is certainly not for them. But the wonderful animation and philosophical depth make up for such shortcomings - while by now Aardman or Laika have surpassed this film from the technical POV, it still remains one of the most grown-up claymation features I know.