Tales of the Night

This film is a continuation of Michel Ocelot's "Princes et Princesses". Both offer a selection of six short, brilliantly colored fairy tales in the style of The Brothers Grimm or Hans Christian Andersen. The tales share a theme where the obvious choice of the hero or heroine is not the correct one...instead the right choice must be made from the heart, wisdom, and compassion.It is a matter of taste, but the story set in Africa was the most unusually beautiful and the one set in Tibet was the most conventionally pretty. I found no appreciable difference in visual quality between the Blu Ray and the DVD. What I have to discuss is the choice of voice options. There are three - English dubbed, French original, and French with subtitles. My strong recommendation is French WITHOUT subtitles...even for younger children. Why so? The English version is spoken by untalented actors - like most dubbed films. And the subtitles for the French version interfere with the visuals. This leaves only the French stand alone option. Lest one think this is unacceptable...the stories are simple enough to understand in a foreign language with the help of the animation...and the French is spoken beautifully. After all, when I was young, I went to the opera and listened to the music without worrying so much about plot. Michel Ocelot - as an inventor of stunning cartoons - is all about the VISUALS - as no animator has ever reproduced the kind of bold color designs he delights in.Recommended, yes...but oddly enough, this movie does not even come close to the first full length animation film ever made. That movie (almost 90 years old) is a must see - it's titled "The Adventures of Prince Achmed." Both use clever silhouettes against multi-colored backgrounds. But the imperfections of the cut-outs in the older film give it a greater earthiness.

Loving movie just wish the rental lasted longer

Michel Ocelot has done it again. Following the pattern of 2000's  Princes And Princesses , he delivers a stunning half-dozen short animations. Each one capture some myth or folk tale (or maybe a new story in the classic style), and plays it out against a background set in Tibet, African Aztec Mexico, or some other corner of the world. Although meant for children, there's enough adventure and depth to hold an adult viewer easily.On top of wonderful stories, Ocelot presents animation in a wonderful and distinctive style. In an open tribute to the first  feature-length animation , Ocelot updates Lotte Reiniger's shadow-puppet style of animation - black silhouettes against gloriously colored but generally static backgrounds. But, rather than pure shadow figures, he adorns them with spot colors for eyes, jewels, or other significant features. It adds beautifully to the tradition that was already millenia old when Reiniger adapted it to a new medium in the 1920s.Good story-telling and brilliant artwork, with a real sense of culture and history. This collection truly stands out.-- wiredwerid

Each story told is told through stunning shadow puppet-like animation, but the stories and morals tend to get a bit repetitive with almost all but two ending in a romance of some kind. I still enjoyed it, though!

being a GKIDS movie there was nothing not to like. I used it for entertainment

The production & tales are timeless for my kids. Perfect before a nap; because the characters are done in shadows, my kids were able to watch without being too stimulated just before naps. Also, the connection to the sounds & tales of community & Africa are enchanting. Priceless!

Great, visually stunning film. Thank you!

Tales Of The Night (written and directed by Michel Ocelot) feature six animated stories passed down from different cultures. Each one of the tales are fascinating to watch and contain meaningful themes and messages. My favorite tale was The Doe Girl and The Architect’s Son, however the other five tales will also appeal to the many who watch this series: The Werewolf, Tijean and Belle-Sans-Connaitre, The Chosen One And The City of Gold,The Boy Tam Tam, and The Boy Who Never Lied Are also featured in Tales Of TheNight.

Wonderful, engaging and inspiring work which has captivated my family.

Wonderful film. received with thanks.

Quite nice.Light entertainment.

This is an amazing collection of stories. All three of my children were all glued to this DVD ( ages 2-8).This is beautifully made, we love it!!

Very nice film. Nice and colourful to watch on a miserable day.