StyleSk8r At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

Fleur Actress is magnificent and exudes a hypnotic screen presence in this affecting drama.

Dana An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

Billy Ollie Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

Horst in Translation ([email protected]) This is an 80-year-old cartoon (so the turtle may very well still be alive today!) from Walt Disney that won him his 3rd Academy Award. Sports have not really been frequent in these early cartoon movies, but this one here is proof that Disney can also deliver in that area. And there is not only the race in here, but also all the different ways in which the rabbit impresses the female rabbits. Too bad that he is not as smart as he is fast. Or as smart as he is boastful, which would make him probably the smartest animal on the planet then. Anyway, this is a very enjoyable short film. Of course, it is never really in doubt that the tortoise is going to win, but that's not a problem at all. I was delighted to see that hard-fighting, kind and forgiving turtle win in the end. Or was I delighted to see the arrogant hare lose? Maybe a bit of both. In any case, this was a great watch. The raccoon firing at the turtle to get going was as funny as everybody moving away from the skunks in the audience. I absolutely enjoyed these 8 minutes. Highly recommended and there is a sequel for this one which is pretty decent as well. Good job from Holden, Norton and Wilfred Jackson of course, a really great mind in the world of early animation and cartoons.

TheLittleSongbird What can I say, brilliant! It is funny, original and fast paced. Adapted from the Aesop fable, it deals with overconfidence and perseverance in the way only Disney can do, and at no time does it preach. The Technicolour animation is very very good, and the music was just wonderful. The little rabbits were adorable, and both the tortoise and the hare(who I admit is a bit of a jerk) are great with great personalities that positively shine through here. There is an irreverent script, and although the pace is very fast, it is a hugely enjoyable silly symphony, that keeps true to the original fable, and in the meantime putting its own irreverent spin on it. Time to give it the standing ovation it deserves. 10/10 Bethany Cox

MartinHafer If you are looking for edgy humor, the 1930s are NOT the era to search. Very often, the cartoons of the era featured lots of singing and nice, cute characters. The more irreverent style of Tex Avery with MGM and the Looney Tunes bunch (Bugs, Daffy and the gang) were still to be developed in the 1940s. So, although THE TORTOISE AND THE HARE definitely lacks a comedic edge and is a bit on the cutesy-cutesy side, it's head and shoulders better than the typical product of the age. Why was is Oscar-worthy? Well, it's because the animation quality was simply amazing. The colors were very, very vibrant, the backgrounds were amazing and the character animation was smooth. During the 30s, it's hard to find cartoons that look better than this. My only regret is that the more mainstream cartoons like Mickey Mouse were not seriously considered. Perhaps they lacked the snob appeal, but GULLIVER MICKEY or TWO-GUN MICKEY would have been better choices--having both the great animation and a more enjoyable and less predictable story.

Ron Oliver A Walt Disney SILLY SYMPHONY Cartoon Short.THE TORTOISE AND THE HARE compete in a foot race. While Max Hare struts & smirks & shows off, Toby Tortoise keeps plodding right along...Aesop's Fables provided the inspiration for this Academy Award winning cartoon. Max is rather insufferable, but Toby's gentle good nature provides the core of the story. This little film was followed by a sequel, TOBY TORTOISE RETURNS (1936).The SILLY SYMPHONIES, which Walt Disney produced for a ten year period beginning in 1929, are among the most fascinating of all animated series. Unlike the Mickey Mouse cartoons in which action was paramount, with the Symphonies the action was made to fit the music. There was little plot in the early Symphonies, which featured lively inanimate objects and anthropomorphic plants & animals, all moving frantically to the soundtrack. Gradually, however, the Symphonies became the school where Walt's animators learned to work with color and began to experiment with plot, characterization & photographic special effects. The pages of Fable & Fairy Tale, Myth & Mother Goose were all mined to provide story lines and even Hollywood's musicals & celebrities were effectively spoofed. It was from this rich soil that Disney's feature-length animation was to spring. In 1939, with SNOW WHITE successfully behind him and PINOCCHIO & FANTASIA on the near horizon, Walt phased out the SILLY SYMPHONIES; they had run their course & served their purpose.