Gulliver's Travels (1977) User Reviews

Strange and largely forgotten version of the famous book

[Red-Barracuda · 6/10 · 24 January 2016]

This is the famous tale of a man called Gulliver who is shipwrecked on an island inhabited by tiny people from a land called Lilliput. Before long he finds himself caught between two warring kingdoms.

This version of Gulliver's Travels has to count as being something of a curious obscurity. It was obviously a film that came and went quite quickly at the time and has consequently become largely forgotten. It stars Richard Harris pretty much on his own, owing to the fact that this is one of the earliest films to attempt a live-action/animation hybrid, with Harris playing the part of Gulliver and all the Lilliputians being cartoon characters. I think for this reason it remains quite interesting. The animation is pretty basic, although quite a lot of 70's cartoons were generally, so it isn't alone in this. But it's pleasingly unusual to see Harris interacting with these animated characters and towering over the models of the little city. It's certainly a film aimed squarely at kids though, with the people of Lilliput coming across like creations from a Hanna-Barbera cartoon. There were also a few songs as well, which only added further to the genre mash-up that this movie constitutes. It's a pretty ropey effort to be absolutely honest but it also has a charm and earnest endeavour about it which ensured that it was quite an enjoyable watch.

Dated and boring animated version based on Jonathan Swift's classic novel about the adventures of Gulliver

[ma-cortes · 5/10 · 16 August 2022]

Fun and attractive family tale starred by Gulliver : Richard Harris who during a storm he's washed ashore and discovers a fantasy land of small inhabitants called Lilliput .¨Gulliver's travels¨(1977) by Peter Hunt boasts a fine cast such as Richard Harris , Catherine Schell , including voices by Michael Bates , Julian Glover , David Prowse , Graham Stark , in which real life and cartoon mix in a three-dimensional tale . Concerning the animated version of Jonathan Swift's classic tale about a sailor who falls among tiny people . As Lemuel Gulliver washes ashore on Lilliput and attempts to prevent war between that tiny kingdom and its equally minuscule rival Blefuscu. Later on , he managed to convince them he's harmless and is accepted as one of their villagers , but the king wants to utilize him in war against other enemies . An exciting story of a man caught in a world of little people filled with giant adventures !. The Giant magical adventure! A happy event for the whole family !. The Amazing Characters in Jonathan Swift's Immortal Fantasy Come To Life !. Out of the Book...On to the Screen . Nothing less than a miracle in motion pictures!. A world of tiny Lilliputans..... A world of real romance and adventure... A Merry, Mirthful Musical Miracle . The screen's mightiest musical entertainment! 25,000 lovable, laughable Lilliputians.. smash song hits...and a million laughs!

This Gulliver's Travels (1977) being an animated and musical retelling about an English sailor who is washed ashore in the land of Liliput in the East Indies where everyone is about two inches tall . This mixture of animation and live-action results to be a charming and colorful family rendition of Jonathan Swift's classic as well as satiric novel written in 1726 . This is an entertaining tale with adequate and spectacular art direction , but old animation style , as well as spectacular and fantastic scenarios . Adding sentimental and evocative score by Michael Legrand , including a number of maudlin songs . Professional though uneven direction Peter H. Hunt , turning out to be just so-so and really average rendition loosely based of the famous Jonathan Swift satire . Hunt had a long career as a cinematic editor . Having started out in the film industry as a clapper boy , by the 40's he was working in the editing department and by the 50's he was an assistant editor then a fully fledged editor. And in 1962 worked as an editor on the first James Bond film , Dr No . Subsequently , he directed one of the best Bond films : ¨On her majestic's secret service¨with George Lazenby , furthermore ,¨Death hunt¨with Charles Bronson and ¨Shout the devil¨ with Roger Moore. Although the authentic filmmaker was producer Raymond Leblanc who created the animated images . Leblanc was a Belgian publisher who started the weekly magazine in 1946 with the participation of Georges Rémi ("Hergé") . Under Leblanc's guidance, the boy reporter ¨Tintin¨ became the hero of a weekly children's magazine, with Hergé as the artistic director and magnificent creator of the immortal personage . Later on , Leblanc produced the following films : Iznogoud ,1972 Lucky Luke el intrepid ,1970 Tintín in the temple of the sun ,1968 Astérix y Cleopatra and 1967 Astérix the Gaul and this Gulliver's Travels . Rating : 5/10 .

Other versions about this immortal novel are the following ones : classic cartoon¨Gulliver's travels¨(1939) by Max and Dave Fleischer¨ ; ¨The 3 Worlds of Gulliver¨ (1960) by Jack Sher with Kerwin Mathews , Lee Patterson , Grégoire Aslan ; TV adaptation ¨Gulliver's travels¨(1995) by Charles Sturridge with Ted Danson, Mary Steenburgen , Edward Fox , Peter O'Toole , Edward Woodward , Ned Beatty , in which Gulliver is confined in Bedlam insane asylum after being lost at sea for eight years and he relates his odd adventures in the tiny land and among the giants and the silly and impractical intellectual of Laputa . And contemporary comical recounting ¨Gulliver's Travels¨(2010) by Rob Letterman with Jack Black , Jason Segel , Emily Blunt and Amanda Peet .

Half-live action/half-animated version of the Jonathan Swift novel.... it looked dated even when it was brand new!

[barnabyrudge · 4/10 · 21 November 2006]

Peter Hunt started out as a very gifted film editor and got his first stab at directing when he helmed the James Bond film "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" (considered by many Bond fans to be the best of the series). Other titles in his filmography include epic scale adventure movies like "Gold" and "Shout At The Devil", both adapted from Wilbur Smith novels. "Gulliver's Travels" is an odd one on his list of films; it seems strange that a director of Hunt's style and expertise would choose to direct a film of this kind. A half-live action/half-animated retelling of Jonathan Swift's classic satire, the film looked twenty years out of date even when it was made, and in all honesty it simply doesn't work. And there's not a damn thing that Hunt (with his usual eye for fast-paced action), or star Richard Harris (who can usually enliven the most stilted of roles) can do to rescue this one.

Lemuel Gulliver (Richard Harris) is a brilliant medical student living in 17th Century Bristol. His father (Norman Shelley) wants him to go to London to make his fortune; but Gulliver prefers the idea of receiving rather less pay but a heck of a lot more adventure as a ship's surgeon aboard a ship called the 'Antelope'. During a voyage, the 'Antelope' is blown off course during a storm and hits a reef. The ship sinks and everyone is lost, apart from Gulliver…. who finds himself washed ashore in the kingdom of Lilliput. When he comes round, Gulliver finds that the strange land where he has washed ashore is populated by incredibly small humans, no taller than his toe. To them, he looks like a giant. They persuade Gulliver to help them in a war against another race of tiny people who live on an adjacent island. But Gulliver doesn't like being manipulated for purposes of war and devastation, so he makes plans to escape….

Harris is left to carry the entire film here. His first couple of scenes involve other actors, but once he is shipwrecked in Lilliput he spends the rest of the film striding over knee-high sets and acting alongside his animated counterparts. The idea of mixing live action and animation was not new at the time, but it certainly hadn't been done a lot. A few Disney movies like Song Of The South, So Dear To My Heart and Pete's Dragon had tampered with the idea, but it was still pretty much in its infancy. "Gulliver's Travels" is not an especially well-animated film, but the scenes showing interaction between Harris and his cartoon co-stars are at least competently done. Occasionally the film tries to be true to its satirical origins (there's one scene where we learn that Lilliput has gone to war with its neighbour because of eggs !?! - and the point seems to be that wars can begin over the most ridiculous of things). But at its heart, this is very much a kids' film and the satirical overtones are barely dwelled upon. Everyone involved has done better things during their career – "Gulliver's Travels" might fill an otherwise empty afternoon, but apart from that it is a forgettable and underwhelming experience.

It's not that bad

[goldilox369 · 25 October 2003]

Only covers Gulliver's time in Lilliput. My brother and i first saw this on TV as a Nickelodeon Special Delivery. Luckily we had it recorded, and we watched it many times over the years. However, on review, it had it's moments even if it got a little tedious at times. BUT, there are cute little songs that are not in any other versions of Gulliver. That's what will stick with you. the song "Politics" is really funny. Such a great commentary on how arbitrary the art of politics really is. But, if you want a good representation of the book, i would suggest another version. Kids would be amused though.

Looking older than its years

[djjimmyvespa · 2/10 · 3 April 2006]

This was painful! Recently given away as a free DVD with a British newspaper, this British-Belgian co-production from 1977 (could've fooled me, it looks ten years older than that at least) is quite deservedly obscure and if you make it past the half-hour mark, consider yourself a trouper. The combining of animation and live action is ropey at best and downright dreadful at worst, which makes you wonder why it was decided to even attempt making the film in this manner when clearly the technology wasn't really there. Harris is no more than a human prop and the animation is some of the most flat and lifeless I've seen, with the obligatory 'trippy' moments (especially where the animation of the brainiac-type Subtracto character is involved) that rendered countless cartoon features from the late sixties onward instantly dated. The screenplay by Don Black provides a convincing argument for the usually resilient lyricist to stick to what he does best, and the pace is so slow that even the very young will be bored. As for adults, stick to Jonathan Swift's original novel.

Quaint, English movie.. but slow for grown-ups

[paulgeaf · 7/10 · 22 November 2005]

I have to disagree with the only comment listed. This movie is not the best adaptation of the novel by any means though it is significant in that it was one of the early movies to use animation to the effect seen in this move; that is, mixing real life actors with animated characters. It pulls this off spectacularly. The problem is more to do with the dialogue and pace which is, at times, tiring. I watched this as a child and always had a soft spot for it, as I now know other children to have the same. This isn't a horrible movie, it should certainly not be overlooked in my opinion. It certainly should be bought at a car-boot sale though!

GULLIVER'S TRAVELS (Peter Hunt, 1977) **

[Bunuel1976 · 4/10 · 3 January 2008]

I had watched this on Italian TV as a kid and recall being fond of it – in view of its mixing live-action with animation; however, it was universally panned at the time…and, catching up with it again after all these years, I have to admit that the critics were right!

What must have seemed wondrous to a child's eyes is actually very poorly done, not to mention boring for a fantasy-adventure; fatally, both star (ex-'Angry Young Man' Richard Harris) and director (action expert Hunt) are ill-suited to the material! At least, Michel Legrand's score (with lyrics provided by scriptwriter Don Black) is serviceable – if not exactly inspired. By the way, a number of well-known personalities are featured among the voice artists on this British-Belgian co-production (Julian Glover, Bessie Love, Murray Melvin, Robert Rietty, Vladek Sheybal, Graham Stark and, this being his last film work, Michael Bates).

While the essential plot points of Jonathan Swift's classic novel ('giant' Gulliver becomes the pawn in a war between the little people of two neighboring countries and, on escaping, ends up in a land of real giants) do emerge here, it's done on a strictly kiddie level (with stereotyped characters though, thankfully, little intrusion of the comic/romantic variety) – which renders the whole venture somewhat pointless, outside of its intrinsically experimental nature, since Max and Dave Fleischer had already done a splendid feature-length cartoon version of the book way back in 1939!

Intelligent and beautiful mix of live action and animation. Those songs, though. (Holds nose....)

[mark.waltz · 7/10 · 29 July 2022]

Definitely a product of its time, this film obviously made for children's matinees may be tedious to some adults, and I did enjoy it more than the more well known 1939 film. My preference though goes to the 60's film with special effects by Ray Harryhausen starring Kerwin Matthews. But Richard Harris, singing again after a decade, is charming as Gulliver, and after a slow beginning, this film begins to take off.

Gulliver's nap is interrupted by the presence of the Liliputions who somehow manage to get enough twine and thread and logs to tie him up, and through the very funny voiceover of someone indicating exactly what they need, they're able to move him to the center of town so he can be presented safely to the emperor. The theories of engineering I guess don't matter on this island.

Originally a book that was considered children's literature for adults, the film doesn't really have that element although through the songs, certain political science theories are explored, and thanks to manipulation by supporting characters, he goes from friend to foe even though it's obvious that he's quite peaceful. This is fairly short and not at all tedious, but the songs are often cringe-worthy and certainly nothing to sing along with. Worth a one shot viewing, especially for students of animation.

A genuinely strange movie

[gridoon2024 · 6/10 · 29 November 2017]

This genuinely strange endeavor is a minor technical achievement for its time, but suffers from an unexciting, talky script. Richard Harris does an admirable job reacting to people that aren't really there. Recommended mostly to kids with warped tastes, or adults in need of a weird trip (the fact that "real" miniatures and animated things seem to be interchangeable in Lilliput only enhances the weirdness). **1/2 out of 4.

Great for kids only.. I guess

[aebny · 9/10 · 1 October 2021]

I don't know why and what everyone is complaining about in here.. Personally as a child i loved it so much i still remember some of it and want to watch again now as an adult but of course adults would have another point of view now for a 1977 children's movie.

If you've read the book... don't see it.

[Film_Man · 23 October 1999]

The originality, strangeness, and mild humor that turned Jonathan Swift's novel, Gulliver's Travels into a classic is not captured at all in this poorly made adaptation of the novel. Please, save the risk of runing the book, and avoid watching this film. Trust me.