Wombling Free
Time Out says
A bit late for TV's Womble-mania gravy train, this feature spin-off does itself no favours by leading its 4ft, fat, and furry heroes into close encounters with a (purportedly) human family to press home the simple ecological message, or by relegating Mike Batt's inventive lyrics and music to backing for a few variable set pieces. There's a certain perverse joy in watching the shaggy creatures in a pastiche of the Hollywood musical, but there's little more than sheer perversity involved in the casting of Bernard Spear as a Japanese car salesman whose genuinely Oriental wife never speaks a word of English. Frances de la Tour is great, and is given great lines, but they belong to a different movie; the rest of her family belong to Disneyland. Lionel Jeffries' previous kids' films promised much, but this unfortunately doesn't begin to deliver. Shame, 'cos Wombles definitely rule Muppets, OK?
Details
Release details
Duration:
96 mins
Cast and crew
Director:
Lionel Jeffries
Screenwriter:
Lionel Jeffries
Cast:
David Tomlinson
Frances de la Tour
Bonnie Langford
Bernard Spear
Yasuko Nagazumi
John Junkin
Reg Lye
Frances de la Tour
Bonnie Langford
Bernard Spear
Yasuko Nagazumi
John Junkin
Reg Lye