I was so ecstatic when Yellow Submarine was released on DVD. I pre-ordered it so that it arrived on the day it was to be released in stores. I couldn't wait to sit down and watch it with my kids.
As the movie began, I got lost in remembering my childhood - a time before VCRs when I would wait anxiously for this to be shown on a Sunday afternoon.
The animation was better than I remembered, thanks to it being digitized. The images were wonderful reminders of a time when the pop-art of Andy Warhol dominated the landscape. The bright colors and deep contrasts aren't seen in the current "realistic" animation of Disney. Birds have long beaks which look like horns, flowers are all sorts of different colors and shapes, butterflies are brightly striped. Even the Lord Mayor's quartet is made up of men with bright pink complexions. There is no desire for the characters to seem lifelike. The only exception is The Beatles, and even they are quite obviously cartoons of themselves.
The music is incredible. I had grown tired of hearing the Beatles overplayed on the radio, but this refreshed all of their songs for me. Eleanor Rigby takes on a new meaning here, with a visual sequence I can't believe was done before the advent of computerized animation.
Suitable for any age
It was nice to be able to sit down and watch what I considered an "adult" movie with my kids without having to worry about what was said or shown. I enjoyed seeing this for the first time in years, finally "getting" a lot of the cliches which had previously gone right over my head. My kids enjoyed the colors and imagery, and the basic story of good Beatles vs. Blue Meanies.
So now when I call them a "Blue Meanie" they know what I'm talking about.
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