"Don't try to figure out a plan. You can't reason with a headless man." -Narrator (seems particularly relevant in 2020, btw)
Initial thoughts before viewing: As someone who has been on Mr. Toad's Wild Ride numerous times at Disneyland, I was looking forward to finally watching the movie that the ride is based on (more on that later). As for the Ichabod segment, I'm pretty sure I had already seen this at some point, but I was also looking forward to watching this in its entirety because I FREAKING LOVE HALLOWEEN. 👻
The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad has a run time of about 68 minutes and consists of 2 segments based on popular works of literature. If you've never seen this movie or need a refresher, here is a link to the movie's Disney Wiki page where you can read the entire plot summary.
The Adventures of Mr. Toad segment 🐸
This is the story of Mr. Toad, a rich and reckless adventure seeker who is prone to episodes of "mania" where he becomes obsessed with a new fun fad or hobby. His latest craze is motorcars, which leads him into trouble after his friends cut him off financially so he cannot continue to fuel his bad behavior. Mr. Toad seems like a character you shouldn't like given his carelessness and chronic disregard for his friends, but he ends up being fairly sympathetic in his cluelessness and happy-go-lucky attitude.
But is is the same as Mr. Toad's Wild Ride? 🤔
Yes and no. The ride loosely follows the basic plot points and scenes from the movie. Mr. Toad is obsessed with motor cars, is a crazy driver, etc. The major conflict in the movie, however, is that Mr. Toad is accused and (wrongly) convicted of stealing a motorcar. The main antagonists are the weasels gang and bartender named Mr. Winkie, all of which are present in the ride, but only minorly. In the ride, Mr. Toad is arrested and (rightly) convicted of reckless driving.
Oh, Hell no. 🔥
The ride ends with Mr. Toad (and the riders) being killed by a train and then infamously going to Hell. Literal Hell. BUT WHY? I was disappointed to learn that this is NOT in the movie or the original book, The Wind in the Willows. So where did the bizarre idea for the Hell scene finale come from? You can thank those kooky Disneyland Imagineers!
The Adventures of Ichabod segment 🎃
Inspired by The Legend of Sleep Hollow, this is the story of Ichabod Crane, an awkward looking but socially charming school master who is the talk of the town as the newest resident of Sleepy Hollow. Reminiscent of Belle's introductory scene in Beauty and Beast, Ichabod is introduced walking through town while reading a book, oblivious to the townsfolk singing about his remarkable looks and odd behavior. Another Beauty and the Beast link: the antagonist Brom Bones looks and acts just like town hero and resident pretty-boy Gaston.
Ichabod Crane = Ichabod Lame 😝
He's not exactly a likeable character. He uses the families of his students for free dinners, is obsessed with his social calendar, and is proudly the "town's ladies man, gets around like nobody can." 🙄 Once he eyes Katrina Van Tassel, the town's most eligible bachelorette, he is determined to steal her from Brom to secure her family's enormous wealth and farmland. By the end, you don't really blame Brom for taking advantage of Ichabod's superstitious nature, which leads me to...
Highlight: The Headless Horseman Sequence 💀
The climax and ending are the most action packed, visually impressive, and intriguing part of the whole movie. The viewer is left to wonder what happened to Ichabod and whether the appearance of Headless Horseman was fact or fiction. As a Halloween lover, I could watch this classic spooky story every year! Bonus: You can see Ichabod and the Headless Horseman in the flesh (sort of) at Disneyland right before the Frightfully Fun Parade during Halloween time. Check out the video from 2017's ride here.
Closing Thoughts: The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad is a fun, quick watch. It's not groundbreaking animation or storytelling, but it's a fun albeit sort of simplistic movie. There are no live-action integrations, super memorable songs, or established characters intermixed here. I'd guess that a big part of why it stays relevant is its enduring connection with Mr. Toad's Wile Ride and its Halloween theme. If you've never seen it, give it a watch during Halloween season!
My Rating: 4/10
🥳 WE DID IT. WE FINISHED ALL THE PACKAGE FILMS. 🎉
Next up, Cinderella and the start of Disney's Silver Age!
My Rating Scale/System:
10 - Masterpiece / Award Worthy 🤩
9 - Almost perfect / Exceptional 🥰
8 - Great / Well-crafted 😁
7 - Good / Noteworthy 😊
6 - Above average / Memorable 🙂
5 - Solidly average 😐
4 - Mixed feelings / Mediocre 😕
3 - Uninteresting / Struggle bus 🥱
2 - Barely watchable 😡
1 - Failure / Why is this a thing? 💩
