Review: 'Gumby: The Movie' is wacky fun on DVD
Posted Saturday, April 12, 2008 at 10:15 PM Central
by Tim Briscoe
Gumby has had a long, but not exactly illustrious, history in stop-motion animation. The little green clay figure created by Art Clokey got his start in the late '50s. Over the years, Gumby and his pals have steadily entertained children in numerous TV shorts. Despite this longevity they've never received the cultural success of characters from a similar age like The Flintstones.
When Gumby turned 40 in 1995, Clokey brought him to the big screen for Gumby: The Movie. The film used the same claymation production method Clokey and crew had employed since the beginning. The movie didn't really find an audience at the box office. It was released on VHS less than a month after its theatrical debut.
With the character now more than a half century old, Gumby: The Movie finally makes it to DVD in the form of a Director's Cut. This is an extended version of the movie in widescreen format. The DVD contains lots of deleted scenes and even four bonus episodes of the show.
The movie features Gumby and his rock band The Clayboys. They've arranged a benefit concert to save small family farmers from losing their homes. To help in the fundraising, Gumby discovers his loyal dog Lowbell cries pearls. Yes, that's right -- his pearls come out of the dog's tear ducts rather than tears.
When Gumby's enemies the Blockheads discover this, they abduct the dog and replace him with a "cloned" robo-dog. All is going well for the mute Blockheads until they realize Lowbelly will only cry to Gumby's music -- played live, and by Gumby himself. These evil-doers set out to create robo-clones of Gumby and his band mates.
Yes, it's all a little kooky. But really that's the appeal of it. It's utterly innocent but at the same time it's got a weird, eccentric quality to it. Did I mention that Gumby and gang traditionally walk into books and become part of the books' subject and events? Gumby even enters into a light saber battle with the evil version of himself. I compare Gumby with other wildly imaginative kids shows like H.R. Pufnstuf.
The movie has a number of funny scenes -- and even a few unintentionally hilarious events. Goo's line of "You better start believing it 'cause I'm uncomfortable!" has already become a catch phrase around my family's house.
My kids (ages seven and five) were already fans of Gumby from watching various episodes and the VHS version of the movie. They were thoroughly excited when I brought home this new DVD version -- especially when they discovered it included a small Gumby figurine in the case.
They had the one-up on me as I had never really watched the show as a kid or adult. I hadn't watched the movie with them until our viewing last night.
The one thing that struck me most was the timeless, almost retro, feel to the movie. Had it not been for the Star Wars reference, I would have guessed the movie was from 1965 or 1975. I was shocked to learn of its 1995 production year.
1995 was the year of Pixar's first triumph, Toy Story, as well as Aardman's Oscar-winning claymation short Wallace and Gromit in A Close Shave. Gumby: The Movie looks like it's a millennium way in technical achievement.
But somehow, it works. The quaintness of it allows it to stand up with these other works. No, it's not the storytelling masterpiece of Toy Story or the comedy brilliance of W&G but that's not what Gumby is about. Creating a computer-animated or flashy Gumby would be like colorizing the classic film Citizen Kane.
You have to admire Clokey for keeping the character so consistent for over 50 years. One must also recognize the significance of the character in animation and claymation. If it were not for Gumby there probably wouldn't be a Wallace & Gromit.
The movie does seem to drag on near the end. It would've worked better for me minus 20 minutes or so. (I will note that the original release was 88 minutes while this expanded Director's Cut comes in at 117 minutes.) Also, I really wished there was some sort of feature or documentary about Art Clokey on this DVD -- or at least a look inside his animation process. Alas, there is neither.
Regardless, my kids enjoyed this latest viewing of Gumby as much their first viewing several years ago. I'm sure they'll be revisiting Gumby: The Movie on DVD once again in the coming days and weeks.
