Here's another mini-masterpiece from the animated versions of the Bard's plays. Not many of the historical tragedies have been included, but this, perhaps the most accessible of the Roman works, in the cartoon format which I generally prefer, proves thoroughly suitable for such treatment. We enjoy remarkably fine acting, thrilling images, stirring music with the usual deft abbreviation by Leon Garfield which leaves the basic plot and argument intact. Caesar himself (voiced by Joss Ackland) is particularly impressive, and Peter Woodthorpe is a relishably wry and witty Casca. David Robb and Jim Carter speak well for Brutus and Marc Antony, and Royal Shakespeare Company veteran Hugh Quarshie is a spirited, malign yet vulnerable Cassius. Visually, the storm before he Ides of March and Caesar's ghostly appearance before Phillipi are especially exciting. What a great little series this has been!
2 Reviews
Have come to praise Caesar, not to bury him
TheLittleSongbird6 August 2018
As said many times, have always had a lifelong love of animation, old and new. Disney, Studio Ghibli, Hanna Barbera, Tom and Jerry, Hanna Barbera, Looney Tunes and also the works of Tex Avery and Fleischer. With a broader knowledge of animation styles, directors, studios and how it was all done actually love it even more now.
Have also loved William Shakespeare's work from an early age, remember very fondly reading various parts aloud in primary and secondary school English classes when studying the likes of 'Macbeth', 'Much Ado About Nothing' and 'Twelfth Night' and various film adaptations such as Kenneth Branagh's 'Much Ado About Nothing' and Roman Polanski's 'Macbeth'. So a large part of me was hugely intrigued by 'Shakespeare: The Animated Tales', with such a high appreciation of both animation and Shakespeare. There was also the worry of whether Shakespeare would work as short animated adaptations compressed and condensed, when some much longer adaptations have suffered.
It was wonderful that 'Shakespeare: The Animated Tales' not only lived up to expectations but exceeded them. All my worries of whether it would work quickly evaporated when it absolutely did work and brilliantly.
Even with the short length, the essence and spirit of 'Julius Caesar' in one of the finest episodes of the series is maintained. It doesn't suffer from the condensation, even when everything is not there, nothing is incoherent which is a big achievement.
Shakespeare's colourful and thought-provoking language is as colourful and thought-provoking as one would hope, so many recognisable moments with all their impact. All in a way to appeal and be understandable to a wide audience, being easy to understand for younger audiences (of which the series is a perfect introduction of Shakespeare to), with such complex text and story elements a lot of credit is due. Adults will relish how the text is delivered, the many quotable lines and how well the essence of is captured.
Younger audiences and adults alike will marvel and laugh out loud at the humour and be entranced by the strange darkness of the atmosphere. There shouldn't be any confusion and there is nothing to scare youngsters. The characters are true to personality.
The visuals are very appealing to look at, colourful, meticulously detailed, nicely rendered and atmospheric and perfectly suited to the various characters and tone of the play. The storm and Caesar's ghost are as said. particularly impressive visually. The music is never inappropriate, the narration is never over-explanatory or annoying, actually helping with making things clear, and always sincerely delivered.
Joss Ackland is a noble Caesar, and also standing out are agreed Peter Woodthorpe's wry Casca and Hugh Quarshie's remarkably multi-faceted Cassius.
Overall, brilliant and one of the best of the series. 10/10 Bethany Cox
Have also loved William Shakespeare's work from an early age, remember very fondly reading various parts aloud in primary and secondary school English classes when studying the likes of 'Macbeth', 'Much Ado About Nothing' and 'Twelfth Night' and various film adaptations such as Kenneth Branagh's 'Much Ado About Nothing' and Roman Polanski's 'Macbeth'. So a large part of me was hugely intrigued by 'Shakespeare: The Animated Tales', with such a high appreciation of both animation and Shakespeare. There was also the worry of whether Shakespeare would work as short animated adaptations compressed and condensed, when some much longer adaptations have suffered.
It was wonderful that 'Shakespeare: The Animated Tales' not only lived up to expectations but exceeded them. All my worries of whether it would work quickly evaporated when it absolutely did work and brilliantly.
Even with the short length, the essence and spirit of 'Julius Caesar' in one of the finest episodes of the series is maintained. It doesn't suffer from the condensation, even when everything is not there, nothing is incoherent which is a big achievement.
Shakespeare's colourful and thought-provoking language is as colourful and thought-provoking as one would hope, so many recognisable moments with all their impact. All in a way to appeal and be understandable to a wide audience, being easy to understand for younger audiences (of which the series is a perfect introduction of Shakespeare to), with such complex text and story elements a lot of credit is due. Adults will relish how the text is delivered, the many quotable lines and how well the essence of is captured.
Younger audiences and adults alike will marvel and laugh out loud at the humour and be entranced by the strange darkness of the atmosphere. There shouldn't be any confusion and there is nothing to scare youngsters. The characters are true to personality.
The visuals are very appealing to look at, colourful, meticulously detailed, nicely rendered and atmospheric and perfectly suited to the various characters and tone of the play. The storm and Caesar's ghost are as said. particularly impressive visually. The music is never inappropriate, the narration is never over-explanatory or annoying, actually helping with making things clear, and always sincerely delivered.
Joss Ackland is a noble Caesar, and also standing out are agreed Peter Woodthorpe's wry Casca and Hugh Quarshie's remarkably multi-faceted Cassius.
Overall, brilliant and one of the best of the series. 10/10 Bethany Cox
See also
Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews
