Bernard-Lee Movie Reviews

Finally! A gritty, gutty portrayal of the most integral (and expendable) piece in the Cold War match: the spy. The Spy Who Came In From the Cold abandons the glitz and gadgets of the James Bond genre in favor of gray, minimalist trappings. The result is one of the best, if underrated, dramas of the 1960's. Richard Burton should have won Best Actor Oscar for his role as the burned out spy Alec Leemas, whose initial bitter denial that he's too old to work as a field agent gets him into the biggest jam of his career. The script is excellent, relying largely on metaphors and terse, but profound, arguments to define its characters instead of guns and special effects. The plot's pace is adult and intricately woven, not wasting a moment. But overall, the use of black and white film (and the minimalistic atmosphere it envokes) is perhaps the biggest asset. The viewer gets a sense that there is really little difference between the hunted and the hunter, between East and West. That in the end, as the saying goes, "we've seen the enemy and he is us."

Ritt's masterpiece is a movie about British agent Alec Leamas who gets called back from the field when too many of the double agents under his care are killed by the East Germans. Leamas is directed by British intelligence to appear as an agent who is slipping into alcoholic decadence. He assaults an innocent grocer and is sent to prison. After his release he is recruited by the Soviets.

Before going to prison Leamas meets an attractive girl who is a British communist. She becomes the only person he really cares for while his work as a spy forces him to become increasingly cynical.

As often pointed out the film lacks the gadgetry and magic of other spy movies from its era. Instead the emphasis is on reality and negative human emotions such as despair, self-loathing, greed and fear. The plot becomes quite intricate especially after Leamas returns to the field posing as a paid defector.

The cast is superb. Richard Burton stars as Alec Leamas. Clair Bloom is his girl friend Nan Perry and Oskar Werner excells as a crafty communist agent.

The film received Oscar nominations in 1965 for Best Actor (Richard Burton) and B&W Art Direction. Martin Ritt directed many other good movies in his career including THE MOLLY MAGUIRES.

The best spy film ever from the best spy novel ever. London's bloodiest plan. Spies are not moral philosophers talking about God and Karl Marx.

thank ye thank ye Richard Curtis for writing yet again another
film we can all enjoy!!!!It is one of the best christmas flicks I have ever seen in the whole of my life. Lenny and Alan and of course Rowan are fab actors!!Of course I wish lenny henry's wife dawn french had a part in this but oh well....
But what I really wish (aside from world peace) is that the BBC would get off their bums and get this on DVD!
(as well as others like the CHEF)
We enjoyed this movie and the music they included like this song by Slade
"So it will be a Merry Christmas everybody's having fun.....
look to the future, yeah, its only just begun......"

I have had this film since Christmas of '92. Everyone should see this movie twice! Lenny Henry is at his best and the gags just do not stop! If you know of anyone who needs a good laugh and a Great holiday film - recommend this one to them! If you enjoy subtle humor and outrageous sight gags you will love this film!

This is my all time favorite and I think it should be shown on tv every Christmas. The story is good but the actors really make this movie a joy. This one can pick up your spirits any time of year. A must for the video library.

There are no villians or heroes in this movie, just people bumbleing around being people. Just poetic pathos.
Very believable childs eye view.

Carol Reed was perhaps even more famous in his day for coaxing superb performances out of children than Steven Spielberg is today... and much of it is due to the astonishing performance in this marvelous film by Bobby Henrey as Phillipe, the son of the French Ambassador to the UK. Henrey delivers what must be one of the greatest child's performances ever on screen (right up there with little Victoire Thivisol in PONETTE). Phile idolizes the butler at the embassy, the sweet but very ordinary Baines (Ralph Richardson), and when his hero becomes accused of murder in the death of his wife young Phile becomes wrapped up in the police investigation. The film does a superb job switching back and forth from a child's to an adult's register--we see things both from Phile's limited child's point of view (and understand his inability to put things together given his naievete), and we also see from an adult perspective how his attempts to help his idol only make things worse and worse. The film is beautifully shot--the embassy itself is something of a marble and tile wonder--and Henrey's frantic need for attention and his jumpy manner (and endearing lisp: "He PUTHED her...") make him seem as real a small child as you can imagine.

Carol Reed, one of Britain's most masterly directors, handled this gem with consummate grace. This was Reed's final film prior to his masterpiece, "The Third Man."

What makes this film so rare is that it is seen through the eyes of a young boy, played by Bobby Hendry. Most of the action takes place in a South London mansion in fashionable Chelsea, which serves as the French Embassy. The youngster's parents are away in France when the wife of his hero, played by Ralph Richardson, slips and falls down the second floor staircase, plunging to her death. Richardson, the Embassy's caretaker, was caught in a loveless marriage with a difficult woman. He is having an affair with Michele Morgan at the time of his wife's death.

A young child's imagination goes to work. Hendry imagines that Richardson actually killed his wife and, when investigating police officers Jack Hawkins and Bernard Lee arrive, he engages in conduct in which, while seeking to help his hero Richardson, mistakenly implicates him.

By the film's conclusion Richardson is finally cleared, but Hendry's activities make things more difficult for him. The imagination of a youngster seeking to help Richardson almost leads to his downfall.

Reed's deft handling of Hendry was reflective of his ability to work with children. It was further demonstrated in "A Kid for Two Farthings" and in the brilliant musical "Oliver!", which resulted in an Academy Award for Reed.

There are no villians or heroes in this movie, just people bumbleing around being people. Just poetic pathos.
Very believable childs eye view.

Carol Reed was perhaps even more famous in his day for coaxing superb performances out of children than Steven Spielberg is today... and much of it is due to the astonishing performance in this marvelous film by Bobby Henrey as Phillipe, the son of the French Ambassador to the UK. Henrey delivers what must be one of the greatest child's performances ever on screen (right up there with little Victoire Thivisol in PONETTE). Phile idolizes the butler at the embassy, the sweet but very ordinary Baines (Ralph Richardson), and when his hero becomes accused of murder in the death of his wife young Phile becomes wrapped up in the police investigation. The film does a superb job switching back and forth from a child's to an adult's register--we see things both from Phile's limited child's point of view (and understand his inability to put things together given his naievete), and we also see from an adult perspective how his attempts to help his idol only make things worse and worse. The film is beautifully shot--the embassy itself is something of a marble and tile wonder--and Henrey's frantic need for attention and his jumpy manner (and endearing lisp: "He PUTHED her...") make him seem as real a small child as you can imagine.

Carol Reed, one of Britain's most masterly directors, handled this gem with consummate grace. This was Reed's final film prior to his masterpiece, "The Third Man."

What makes this film so rare is that it is seen through the eyes of a young boy, played by Bobby Hendry. Most of the action takes place in a South London mansion in fashionable Chelsea, which serves as the French Embassy. The youngster's parents are away in France when the wife of his hero, played by Ralph Richardson, slips and falls down the second floor staircase, plunging to her death. Richardson, the Embassy's caretaker, was caught in a loveless marriage with a difficult woman. He is having an affair with Michele Morgan at the time of his wife's death.

A young child's imagination goes to work. Hendry imagines that Richardson actually killed his wife and, when investigating police officers Jack Hawkins and Bernard Lee arrive, he engages in conduct in which, while seeking to help his hero Richardson, mistakenly implicates him.

By the film's conclusion Richardson is finally cleared, but Hendry's activities make things more difficult for him. The imagination of a youngster seeking to help Richardson almost leads to his downfall.

Reed's deft handling of Hendry was reflective of his ability to work with children. It was further demonstrated in "A Kid for Two Farthings" and in the brilliant musical "Oliver!", which resulted in an Academy Award for Reed.

At times a taut and effective thriller that seems the pattern for much of Tom Clancy's books, "Ice Station Zebra" has a fairly simple plot: a space capsule with top secret photographs crashes, prompting a race between the Soviets and Americans to recover it from the polar icecap. Yet, the tension is kept reasonably high, even as much of the movie is spent aboard the U.S. submarine carrying the recovery team. Rock Hudson is, well, rock solid as the submarine captain--cool, thoughtful, and easy-going, he plays well against the skulking but ironic British spy (a teriffic Patrick MacGoohan, essentially playing the same part he always does in the way only he seems able to) that may or may not be a saboteur. Viewers will recognize other familiar faces--Jim Brown and Ernest Borgnine among them--that root the film in the 60s, and the whole production--including the cinematography, special effects, and score by Maurice Jarre--are topnotch. The only real weaknesses to the film are the mystery of who is the double agent and an action ending that seems almost anticlimactic when compared to the genuine tension in the rest of the story. Still, it's a better espionage thriller than most of those found in theaters today.

Ice Station Zebra is one of my favorite flims next Where Eagles Dare, The Green Berets, and The Great Escape. I.S.Z. begins when Navy submarine commander James Farraday (Rock Hudson) is asked to take a British agent (Patrick McGoohan) to a remote outpost known as Ice Station Zebra to find a downed Russian satilite that contain top secret photos of Western missile installations. Tagging along with Farraday is a tough no-nonsense Marine captain, brilliantly acted by Jim Brown, fresh from his role as a prisoner turned soldier in Dirty Dozen. Also tagging along is a defecting Russian played by Oscar-winner Ernest Borgnine. And starring in a cameo in this picture is war movie veteran Lloyd Nolan who plays a U.S. admiral. This movie should have been nominated for Best Special Effects, Best Picture, Best Cinematgraphy, and for Best Sound Effects. I hope that this "lost" gem of a movie is released on DVD format. I wish they would release it in DVD. If you love action movies about the cold war, give this movie a try, I recemend it.

1968 was indeed a very busy year in terms of classic films. Films such as 2001:A Space Odyssey, Planet Of The Apes, Thunderbird 6, Romeo and Juliet, The Lost Continent, among the many. However, they were not as powerful as this Cinerama release. One that made reclusive billionaire Howard Hughes watch this movie over and over, without ever becoming bored. It is easy to understand why. Ice Station Zebra is also a favorite movie of mine, too.

Based on British novelist Alistar MacLean's classic Cold War action adventure/political thriller, the box office smash hit MGM film focuses on a downed Russian satellite in the Artic Circle region. A satellite that crashes near a British civilian weather research station known as Ice Station Zebra. The English scientists discover that the satellite contains film of Western power missile sites and other defense instillations. At the same time of the discovery, disaster hits the station in the form of explosive sabotage. Enter into the picture Captain James Ferraday and the crew of the United States Naval Submarine U.S.S. Tigerfish. Ferraday is given orders to bring British intelligence agent David Jones, former Russian agent turned defector Boris Vaslov, U.S. Marine Captain Leslie Anders and a platoon squad of Marine sharpshooters. While officially their mission is to rescue the scientists in the North Pole, unofficially, they are ordered to recover the satellite, obtain the film, and prevent it from falling into the hands of the Union Of The Soviet Socialistic Republic.

Not everything is all that it seems to be on the "rescue mission." The submarine is nearly destroyed by sabotage. When the Tigerfish arrives at Ice Station Zebra, it is soon discovered that there is a double agent among the crew and scientists. And this double agent is a madman who will stop at nothing to obtain the film and kill those who get in the way.

When both Anders and Vaslov are accidentally killed and a squad of Russian paratroopers arrive on the scene, it soon becomes a struggle to maintain the balance of world power, and prevent the Cold War from becoming a thermonuclear war between the United States of America and Soviet Russia.

Like The Guns Of Navarone, Force 10 From Navarone, and Bear Island, Ice Station Zebra is shockingly timely as tomorrow's headlines. The movie truly reflects the Cold War period of the late Sixties with powerful results. From the cold, deadly beauty of the world under the ice to the howling fury of an artic blizzard, the 1968 MGM film painstakingly records every twist and turn with upmost realism. It perfectly demonstrates how complex world politics and the balance of power can be, but most of all, it can demonstrate how something mass produced by either side can literally change the structure of our world.

If you enjoy action and adventure, as well technothrillers, cold war classics, science fiction, or just war movies in general, then you will not be disappointed by this classic form of entertainment. The race is on, so join the fun at Ice Station Zebra.

The film stars the late Rock Hudson, Ernest Borgnine, British actor Patrick McGoohan, Jim Brown, Tony Bill, Michael Rougas, Alf Kjellin, Ron Masak, William O'Connell, Jim Goodwin, Michael Mikler, Gerald S. O'Laughlin, Ted Hartley, Lloyd Haynes, and the late Lloyd Nolan.

Without going too much into detail about plot, characters, story line (there are plenty of people who have supplied reviews), i'll just say that this is one of the most enjoyable of the Bond films. It has a certain degree of realism that was lacking from later films, as well; Bond doesn't rely on hoaky gadgets to get past an obstacle every 10 minutes, and his 'swinging' life is kept to a moderate level. The fights, as well as the traps from which Bond must find a way out, are not silly at all...this is a REAL spy movie.

Sean Connery gives an excellent performance in this movie, playing a more serious and focused character than you'll find from "Diamonds are Forever" and onward. As you well know, James Bond movies are often the brunt of jokes, due to the sexual promiscuity and lack of inhibition, as well as the goofy, easily escapable traps that the villians place him in (Austin Powers films owe their success to the fallacies of later Bond flicks). Not so with "From Russia With Love". Ian Fleming's novel was done great justice here. Let me just say as much. One aspect that interests me is that the films have a sort of chronology (Dr. No is mentioned in this film, and Blofeld is introduced, although you never see his face).

One little bit of trivia. During the film, you see a billboard for a Bob Hope movie named "Call me Bwana" that is utilitized within the film, yet is more of an advert/promotional tool than anything. The reason that the board is in the film is that the producers worked on that film as well. Thanks to the individual who reviewed the Hope film for pointing that out.

Finally, as it has been mentioned, this was Desmond Llewelyn's first time as Q. He hadn't yet come into contact with Bond, and so the humor and repore that these guys have in future films is not quite there. Still, a great entrace into the series....that briefcase is very cool.

If you like your Bond films to be silly, contrived, and somewhat ridiculous, you can always watch your Roger Moore renditions of Bond. Although Pierce Brosnan has brought things back to the Ian Fleming standards, you can't beat Connery. The first three Bond films are the best.

From Russia With Love ranks among the top three films in the durable James Bond series. As in many of the best films in the series, the tone is relatively serious. Rather than the fantastic schemes of some of the later Bond films, the plot is a fairly straightforward espionage story, dealing with Bond's attempts to get his hands on the obligatory MacGuffin, a coding machine. The story is believable and there is an atmosphere of genuine tension throughout the film.

From Russia With Love's greatest strength is its superb cast. Sean Connery, in his second outing as Bond, is very good, handling both dialogue and action adeptly. Daniela Bianchi is a beautiful heroine, and her onscreen relationship with Bond is very plausible. Other roles are also cast from strength--Lotte Lenya and Robert Shaw, as the principal villains, and Pedro Armendariz, as Bond's fellow MI-6 agent, are the most notable performances.

While From Russia With Love cannot be considered a classic movie--it owes too much to North By Northwest for that--it is a very enjoyable movie to view again and again. I watch it several times a year.

From Russia With Love is one of my favorite Bond films. FRWL is said to be the biggest Bond film ever made. Bond has just been given another assignment, he must find a Russian decoding device called a Lektor and a defecting Russian girl called Tonya(Daniela Bianchi), but someone else also wants to get their hands on the Lektor too...Spectre!..the secret international crime orgazation that wants nothing better than to see Bond eliminated. Spectre then sends a ruthless woman named Col. Klebb a.k.a. Number 3 and a cunning, but crazed killer called Donald 'Red' Grant to kill Bond and get the Lektor, in revenge of Bond killing Dr.No and destroying his island complex of Crabkey. Bond will need all of his wit, ablitiy, charm, courage, and a few gadgets to win over the evil forces that want him dead. Give this movie a try I recemend it to all Bond and Sean Connery fans. I hope to get the DVD soon.

Without going too much into detail about plot, characters, story line (there are plenty of people who have supplied reviews), i'll just say that this is one of the most enjoyable of the Bond films. It has a certain degree of realism that was lacking from later films, as well; Bond doesn't rely on hoaky gadgets to get past an obstacle every 10 minutes, and his 'swinging' life is kept to a moderate level. The fights, as well as the traps from which Bond must find a way out, are not silly at all...this is a REAL spy movie.

Sean Connery gives an excellent performance in this movie, playing a more serious and focused character than you'll find from "Diamonds are Forever" and onward. As you well know, James Bond movies are often the brunt of jokes, due to the sexual promiscuity and lack of inhibition, as well as the goofy, easily escapable traps that the villians place him in (Austin Powers films owe their success to the fallacies of later Bond flicks). Not so with "From Russia With Love". Ian Fleming's novel was done great justice here. Let me just say as much. One aspect that interests me is that the films have a sort of chronology (Dr. No is mentioned in this film, and Blofeld is introduced, although you never see his face).

One little bit of trivia. During the film, you see a billboard for a Bob Hope movie named "Call me Bwana" that is utilitized within the film, yet is more of an advert/promotional tool than anything. The reason that the board is in the film is that the producers worked on that film as well. Thanks to the individual who reviewed the Hope film for pointing that out.

Finally, as it has been mentioned, this was Desmond Llewelyn's first time as Q. He hadn't yet come into contact with Bond, and so the humor and repore that these guys have in future films is not quite there. Still, a great entrace into the series....that briefcase is very cool.

If you like your Bond films to be silly, contrived, and somewhat ridiculous, you can always watch your Roger Moore renditions of Bond. Although Pierce Brosnan has brought things back to the Ian Fleming standards, you can't beat Connery. The first three Bond films are the best.

From Russia With Love ranks among the top three films in the durable James Bond series. As in many of the best films in the series, the tone is relatively serious. Rather than the fantastic schemes of some of the later Bond films, the plot is a fairly straightforward espionage story, dealing with Bond's attempts to get his hands on the obligatory MacGuffin, a coding machine. The story is believable and there is an atmosphere of genuine tension throughout the film.

From Russia With Love's greatest strength is its superb cast. Sean Connery, in his second outing as Bond, is very good, handling both dialogue and action adeptly. Daniela Bianchi is a beautiful heroine, and her onscreen relationship with Bond is very plausible. Other roles are also cast from strength--Lotte Lenya and Robert Shaw, as the principal villains, and Pedro Armendariz, as Bond's fellow MI-6 agent, are the most notable performances.

While From Russia With Love cannot be considered a classic movie--it owes too much to North By Northwest for that--it is a very enjoyable movie to view again and again. I watch it several times a year.

From Russia With Love is one of my favorite Bond films. FRWL is said to be the biggest Bond film ever made. Bond has just been given another assignment, he must find a Russian decoding device called a Lektor and a defecting Russian girl called Tonya(Daniela Bianchi), but someone else also wants to get their hands on the Lektor too...Spectre!..the secret international crime orgazation that wants nothing better than to see Bond eliminated. Spectre then sends a ruthless woman named Col. Klebb a.k.a. Number 3 and a cunning, but crazed killer called Donald 'Red' Grant to kill Bond and get the Lektor, in revenge of Bond killing Dr.No and destroying his island complex of Crabkey. Bond will need all of his wit, ablitiy, charm, courage, and a few gadgets to win over the evil forces that want him dead. Give this movie a try I recemend it to all Bond and Sean Connery fans. I hope to get the DVD soon.

I'll Make this short and sweet to the point; This movie does very poorly and it's no wonder why people {excluding critics} think that this is boring right up there with Citizen Kane. I'm sorry for other people that feel differnt, but that's just my opinon and I tell it like it is.

Adapted from Graham Greene's book which was written with a film in mind, Carol Reed did a masterful job of directing this 1949 film which won Academy Awards for film editing, black and white photography, and directing. It's a bit of a masterpiece and holds the viewer in a suspended state of suspense, heightening the tensions as it moves swiftly along.

Starring Joseph Cotton as Holly Martin, an American who comes to Vienna at the request of an old college chum, Harry Lime, played by Orson Wells, the scene is set for intrigue from the very beginning. Martins is immediately told that Harry Lime has been killed in an accident and that his funeral is in progress. The plot thickens as he encounters a British policeman and learns that Harry might not have been such a nice guy after all. Martin suspects murder and goes about investigating on his own, finding himself attracted to Lime's girlfriend, played by Alida Valli.

Orson Wells doesn't appear until more than half the film is over, and only appears in three major scenes. But these scenes will be remembered forever especially the one where he and Joseph Cotton confront each other on a moving Ferris Wheel.

Wells and Cotton are the stars of this film but the there's another star as well. And that's the City of Vienna in all its wartime devastation. There is real rubble everywhere and the oblique angled shots, distorted wide angles and stark black and white photography create a surreal and bleak landscape. And then there is the haunting original zither music by Anton Karas, which became a top hit in 1950.

I recently read the book by Graham Greene and therefore knew the plot. In a way this spoiled the suspense for me. Freed from that however, I was able to concentrate on the details of the directional techniques and the cinematography. There's no doubt about it. This film is a winner.

Two things transform "The Third Man" from just a great movie to the greatest. The first is the zither music, which would seem (to most) to be completely wrong for a nihilistic story based in post-WW2, occupied Vienna. The incongruity is perfect counter-point to the moody, skewed cinematography and complex set of characters that occupy this movie.

The second is a scene in a Ferris Wheel, full of under-stated menance and unspoken betrayals. To my taste, Harry Lime is the definitive Orson Welles character--much more than Charles Kane-- and he imbues the movie with such charismatic danger, despite being in only a few scenes. Which brings us back to the Ferris Wheel: his speech connecting the Borgias and cuckoo clocks is itself worth the time invested in this film.

Experience "The Third Man" today!

I'll Make this short and sweet to the point; This movie does very poorly and it's no wonder why people {excluding critics} think that this is boring right up there with Citizen Kane. I'm sorry for other people that feel differnt, but that's just my opinon and I tell it like it is.

Adapted from Graham Greene's book which was written with a film in mind, Carol Reed did a masterful job of directing this 1949 film which won Academy Awards for film editing, black and white photography, and directing. It's a bit of a masterpiece and holds the viewer in a suspended state of suspense, heightening the tensions as it moves swiftly along.

Starring Joseph Cotton as Holly Martin, an American who comes to Vienna at the request of an old college chum, Harry Lime, played by Orson Wells, the scene is set for intrigue from the very beginning. Martins is immediately told that Harry Lime has been killed in an accident and that his funeral is in progress. The plot thickens as he encounters a British policeman and learns that Harry might not have been such a nice guy after all. Martin suspects murder and goes about investigating on his own, finding himself attracted to Lime's girlfriend, played by Alida Valli.

Orson Wells doesn't appear until more than half the film is over, and only appears in three major scenes. But these scenes will be remembered forever especially the one where he and Joseph Cotton confront each other on a moving Ferris Wheel.

Wells and Cotton are the stars of this film but the there's another star as well. And that's the City of Vienna in all its wartime devastation. There is real rubble everywhere and the oblique angled shots, distorted wide angles and stark black and white photography create a surreal and bleak landscape. And then there is the haunting original zither music by Anton Karas, which became a top hit in 1950.

I recently read the book by Graham Greene and therefore knew the plot. In a way this spoiled the suspense for me. Freed from that however, I was able to concentrate on the details of the directional techniques and the cinematography. There's no doubt about it. This film is a winner.

Two things transform "The Third Man" from just a great movie to the greatest. The first is the zither music, which would seem (to most) to be completely wrong for a nihilistic story based in post-WW2, occupied Vienna. The incongruity is perfect counter-point to the moody, skewed cinematography and complex set of characters that occupy this movie.

The second is a scene in a Ferris Wheel, full of under-stated menance and unspoken betrayals. To my taste, Harry Lime is the definitive Orson Welles character--much more than Charles Kane-- and he imbues the movie with such charismatic danger, despite being in only a few scenes. Which brings us back to the Ferris Wheel: his speech connecting the Borgias and cuckoo clocks is itself worth the time invested in this film.

Experience "The Third Man" today!

Rainbow Brite was one of many 80's toy fads to make it to the big screen alongside such diverse franchises as Care Bears, My Little Pony, Transformers, He-Man, and G.I. Joe. Although other films may have been more commercially successful, Rainbow Brite was certainly one of the better done ones.

The story is that a spoiled Princess wants the biggest diamond in the universe--through which all light must pass. Her efforts to encricle it with nets are blotting out light on Earth, leading to a long, depressing winter whereupon people everywhere are simply giving up. Though impossibly implausible--every kid old enough to watch the film already knows that light comes from the sun--the story is no more silly than anything else having to do with a girl who creates rainbows. Just accept it and you'll enjoy the film.

One problem filmmakers have always faced with television adpations of toy lines has been the number of characters present. Toy makers want to maximize the number of different toys they can sell, whereas good stories necessitate smaller casts. The film focuses on Rainbow Brite, her horse, the villians (with Murky & Lurky playing second fiddle to the Princess), and a headstrong boy & his robotic horse as Rainbow's allies, which works rather well even if neglecting those who may favor a character besides Rainbow.

The movie mostly appeals to girls (as did the toys), and its heroine and the motifs present reflect that audience. However, I did enjoy this movie along with most other cartoon toy adaptations as a youngster. If you enjoy 80's cartoons, toy adaptations, or are just a fan of Rainbow Brite, you'll enjoy this movie, too.

My Goodness! Just when I thought that this movie was out of print I come across this wonderful link at Amazon.com! Oh, how I could kiss them!

If you are looking for an 80s cartoon to bring back the good ol' days in animation you can stop here and click the "Add to Shopping Cart" button, because you have found THE most perfect 80s cartoon of all time. People of all ages, male or female will love this movie! Rainbow Brite and the Star Stealer is full of colorful animation (excuse the pun) and great songs that just make you want to get up and dance like it's the 80s all over again.

Rainbow Brite must deal with her greatest adversary yet: an evil Princess who wants to take the greatest light in the world and keep it to herself, thus causing all of the color to disappear from the world. (no light = no colors!) This is an even bigger job than trying to fight Murky or Lurky! Along the way, Rainbow Brite meets a new friend and she learns that working together really does help. Only friendship and unselfishness can save the day!

This is a rare treat to find on the web, so if you really must have an 80s cartoon to keep you going, THIS IS A MUST HAVE! It definitely made my day (as it will over and over on my television set for years to come ^_~)!!

I don't think there can be any doubt that this movie perfectly captures the essence of what it means to have been a child of the eighties. Here in abundance are the spunky characters, the bright colours, the deliciously cheezy music and the bright-eyed idealism that characterized so many eighties cartoons.
Adorable heroine Rainbow Brite is on a mission- to defeat the Dark Princess (a villainess characterized by her terrible vanity and selfishness, as well as a dislike for children), who is out to steal the diamond-planet Spectra, the very light of the universe. The resulting adventure is a cheery, kid-friendly version of the classic fantasy- the quest, the small-but-determined heroes, the wise mentor, the struggle of good versus evil- that crosses the universe and brings together an impressive array of heroes and villains, both big and small.
All of the well-loved characters from the television series are here, from Rainbow's faithful horse Starlite to lovable bumbling badguys Murky and Lurky, as well as all of the colour kids, Twink the sprite and Earth-boy Brian, plus an assortment of terrific new characters.
An old favourite of all eighties children, the re-release of this movie couldn't have been timed better. We're all on the verge of being grownups now, and hungry for reaffirmation of the things we once believed, the things that, somewhere inside, we believe still- that we really can defeat evil with only imagination and teamwork as our weapons, and that we can deal with anything in the world, so long as we have light and beauty around us.
Not only a nostalgia piece, Rainbow Brite and the Star Stealer is filled with all of the adventure, music, and imagination that make a great children's movie- even for those who are too young to remember the cartoon.