My goodness, human beings are odd! If you've ever read Kenneth Graham's classic The Wind In The Willows...it's quite obvious that sitting amongst the idyllic English countryside setting and some wonderful anthropo-morphosed characters is a dirty, great big wolf, ready to eat the whole beautiful scene up...and that wolf is Modern Culture, as epitomised by the motor car.

Toad is pulled to it, like a moth to flame...and chaos ensues.

Six years after the original book The Wind In The Willows was released, the First World War began and the lifestyle and beliefs that Graham wrote about were shattered. Of course, Life continued after the war and the world was unfortunately in no mood for Graham's caution, it wanted entertainment.

Seizing upon this opportunity, A.A. Milne's Toad Of Toad Hall adaptation of The Wind In The Willows was a smash, concentrating on the genuine laughs that were always in the original book. Unfortunately, the two pieces of work have now merged in the public's consciousness and The Wind In The Willows is often assumed to be a children's book. Well, it is...but it's sometimes a dark children's book, a book that looks at friendship, the power of friendship, honor, lying, deception and human weakness.

So, when Terry Jones created this wonderful, warm adaptation of Graham's classic, the public were left a little dumfounded.

Where were the cute and cuddly riverbank animals?
Why was Toad's vanity so grotesque?
Why were the weasels so vicious?

Well, the answers are all in the original book and Jones' script has done a marvellous job with only very minor modifications. Technically, this is also Jones' best film by far and he makes a reasonably modest budget make the eternal English countryside look sensational.

All the cast are terrific, with Eric Idle as Ratty, Steve Coogan as Mole & Anthony Sher as the chief weasel real standouts and John Cleese, Judith Swahla & Victoria Wood popping in for noteworth cameos.

If you're after a DVD to stick the kids in front of while you read the paper, I don't think The Wind In The Willows will do the trick but if you'd like a snappy piece of film-making by an always-interesting fim-maker, do check it out.

Mr. Toad's Wild Ride DVD

"...What makes this movie so special is the loving care Jones took establishing the look of the place and the fullness of the characters. If you pay attention, you'll see some gentle takes on:

• greed
• the legal system...
• ...1984
• the protection of our environment
• taking responsibility for our actions and
• friendship.

And the movie is not ponderous or preachy at all. It's great fun..." Amazon UK reviewer C.O. DeRiemer

N.B. In the USA, the movie was released for video (now DVD) as Mr. Toad's Wild Ride, to tie in with the then-Disney fun ride of the same name. 

Incidentally, Terry Jones' director's track on the DVD is, once more, an absolute pleasure to listen to. His genuine affection for and grace towards his production team and fellow actors prove, to me, that the motor car hasn't won, entirely.