Welcome back to Classic Shorts Showcase. Last time, we looked at a Silly Symphony that was a retelling of Noah's Ark that I found rather lackluster but today, we will be looking at another short that told the same story but was so much better. Now, it is only fair to warn you that this short is not done in the style of most Disney shorts. Instead of hand drawn animation, this short uses stop motion. Not like The Nightmare Before Christmas but more along the lines of The Parent Trap's (1961) opening.
Which isn't too surprising, when you learn the man behind this, Bill Justice also worked on the opening for The Parent Trap. I think in my personal opinion of the biggest things that you'll take away from this short is seeing the animals are made out of everyday objects, you'd find lying around the house such as a spork is used for moose antlers and I should also mention that Noah does let the skunks on the ship in this short, so that's a plus for me right there.
The Plot
The plot for this short no matter how small it may be is actually engaging and we do see things happen and this short does include God as it opens on Noah getting instructions from God on building the ark. Look, God may be a touchy subject for some but I truly believe it aids in telling this story if you include him. Sure, it was minor but it helped to set up the story. It also led to one of my favorite moments when God showed Noah, a blue print of what the ark should look like. And there are hardships albeit minor that our characters face such as the animals getting cabin fever and getting sick of each other and Noah and his three sons had to find a solution and thanks to Mrs. Noah, music brought the animals together and then we also see a female hippo when she sees her husband dancing with every other female and ignoring her. Noah through conservation finds a way to get them back together.
Also, I like the fact that with this short, we aren't thrown right into the middle of the action and instead we get to see everything from the beginning to the end. That is another thing that this short does right as it takes the audience on the entire ride as we are there when Noah is given instructions by God to build the ark to the ark's landing and seeing the animals go their separate ways. Now the plot may be seem a bit thin but it is so much fun and stuff actually happens.
Narration
Narrator - Jerome Courtland
If you know me, I love good narration and here it works. Just like a good score in the film, it aids in telling the story. It is very quiet and doesn't feel out of place. It is very simple as it works well and I enjoyed and it never bombarded or overpowered the short.
Characters
Now there is no need for break down the characters any further. With that out of the way, let's go.
Noah voiced by Paul Frees
Noah in this short was very likable and seemed like a guy that only wanted to the right thing and knew that he needed help and that's why he gathered his three sons together to not only build the ark but to also get them to gather or in this case invite the animals on the maiden voyage of Noah's Ark. He is a simple character but I've said before, he does a lot of things that make him a very likable character. He's a fun little character.
God also voiced by Paul Frees
Now as I said above, I feel that God is very crucial in telling this story. As I feel that having God give Noah the instructions, puts more weight into the story. I feel that having God give Noah the instructions to build the ark. To me, it just seems to make the story work more.
Noah's Three Sons - Voice Unlisted
Now I do apologize but I cannot recall the names of Noah's three sons and even though, they aren't as prominent as Noah, they do serve their purpose. For example, they are the ones that got the animals to calm down with music. While they aren't memorable, they were still good characters.
The Animals
Oh, you guys aren't getting the full beauty of the animals from this picture. The animals had to be one of the most creative things in this stop motion short. The concept of using regular household supplies is such a great idea and after a while, you forget about the supplies and just see them as animals. To me that is a great sign of how good this short is.
My Final Thoughts
This is not a short to miss. You really need to check it out as it is so much fun to look at. Besides being fun to look at, the story is good and it actually feels as though the people behind this short actually understood the story of Noah's Ark. We still aren't done with Noah. Join me next time for a Classic Shorts Showcase Special as I look at...
Pomp and Circumstance from Fantasia 2000
Which isn't too surprising, when you learn the man behind this, Bill Justice also worked on the opening for The Parent Trap. I think in my personal opinion of the biggest things that you'll take away from this short is seeing the animals are made out of everyday objects, you'd find lying around the house such as a spork is used for moose antlers and I should also mention that Noah does let the skunks on the ship in this short, so that's a plus for me right there.
The Plot
Also, I like the fact that with this short, we aren't thrown right into the middle of the action and instead we get to see everything from the beginning to the end. That is another thing that this short does right as it takes the audience on the entire ride as we are there when Noah is given instructions by God to build the ark to the ark's landing and seeing the animals go their separate ways. Now the plot may be seem a bit thin but it is so much fun and stuff actually happens.
Narration
Narrator - Jerome Courtland
If you know me, I love good narration and here it works. Just like a good score in the film, it aids in telling the story. It is very quiet and doesn't feel out of place. It is very simple as it works well and I enjoyed and it never bombarded or overpowered the short.
Characters
Now there is no need for break down the characters any further. With that out of the way, let's go.
Noah voiced by Paul Frees
Noah in this short was very likable and seemed like a guy that only wanted to the right thing and knew that he needed help and that's why he gathered his three sons together to not only build the ark but to also get them to gather or in this case invite the animals on the maiden voyage of Noah's Ark. He is a simple character but I've said before, he does a lot of things that make him a very likable character. He's a fun little character.
God also voiced by Paul Frees
Now as I said above, I feel that God is very crucial in telling this story. As I feel that having God give Noah the instructions, puts more weight into the story. I feel that having God give Noah the instructions to build the ark. To me, it just seems to make the story work more.
Noah's Three Sons - Voice Unlisted
Now I do apologize but I cannot recall the names of Noah's three sons and even though, they aren't as prominent as Noah, they do serve their purpose. For example, they are the ones that got the animals to calm down with music. While they aren't memorable, they were still good characters.
The Animals
Oh, you guys aren't getting the full beauty of the animals from this picture. The animals had to be one of the most creative things in this stop motion short. The concept of using regular household supplies is such a great idea and after a while, you forget about the supplies and just see them as animals. To me that is a great sign of how good this short is.
My Final Thoughts
This is not a short to miss. You really need to check it out as it is so much fun to look at. Besides being fun to look at, the story is good and it actually feels as though the people behind this short actually understood the story of Noah's Ark. We still aren't done with Noah. Join me next time for a Classic Shorts Showcase Special as I look at...
Pomp and Circumstance from Fantasia 2000
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