Too much of everything

Simply Perfect

One of the most extraordinary films you will see this year. Take that as you want.

The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

Overlong family film starring Don Knotts as the mild-mannered title character who wishes himself into a fish. An animated fish, to be exact. Then he goes on to have adventures fighting Nazi's in WW2. Live action parts are dullsville but the animated parts are enjoyable and endearing. Not sure why the subplot involving the wife and the best friend was included. It's like somewhere along the way they thought about making it something other than a family movie but wound up backing off of that a little. Still seems out of place. It's charming enough but don't expect much in the comedy department, despite Knotts' presence. It's much more of a "this makes me smile" type of movie than "this makes me laugh." See it for Ladyfish and Crusty the crab. They're the best parts.

1st watched 6/28/2009 - 4 out of 10 (Dir-Arthur Lubin): Harmless and silly fantasy about a man who turns into a fish and accomplishes more in this state than as a human. Don Knotts, plays Mr. Limpet -- the weakly accountant who pays more attention to his fishtank than anything else in life, including his wife, and dreams of becoming a fish. On a trip to Coney Island, he falls into the water and magically becomes one through the power of animation -- with glasses and all!! As a human he wanted to be in the navy but couldn't because of his health, so as a fish he uses his ability to see Nazi subs underwater and his loud sonar-like acquired voice to help the U.S. military. Kind of fishy, huh?? Well, anyway the navy uses his services and along with silly songs and OK animation we get another fish out of water tale,, ha!! ha!! But seriously, this is a likable enough story but Knott's comic abilities are not used and the story is pretty silly even for kids. Nice attempt, but just falls short.

This INCREDIBLE MR. LIMPET (1964) could be described as a throwback, a beautiful anachronism and living relic of a previous era. It could be classified as mixed Animation-Live Action mixed media motion picture. In the final analysis, we could consider this to be a tailor made starring vehicle, designed and personally fit to the very popular 'Barney Fife' of "THE ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW", character actor/comedian, Mr. Don Knotts.The film was moderately successful at the Box Office and did both exploit the popularity of Mr. Don Knotts; adding to his renown and fans at the same time. The Comedy-Fantasy blend, which included some neat musical overture, score and incidental musical cues by Frank Perkins (Composer & Conductor) and Carl Brandt (Orchestrations).OUR STORY……….he time was the present day, 1964. The place was the Pentagon, where an urgent emergency, clarion call was put out for those members of the Armed Forces who were involved in the Top Secret operation that involved the military action of a Mr. Henry Limpet, a human fish lover, who had mysteriously and magically been transformed into a fish himself. It seemed that Uncle Sam needed someone to use as a go-between in their research about the porpoise using its shrill, high pitched vocalizations as communications.We are quickly whisked back in time to World War II and we meet Mr. Henry Limpet, a sort of Walter Middy type who works in an office for a living, but lives to raise more and more aquarium fish, of all kinds. He appears to lead a cuckolded life as His wife, Bessie Limpet (Carole Cook) is definitely too cozily involved with Seaman F.C. George Stickel (Jack Weston) of the U.S. Navy. Limpet wishes and wishes to become a Fish and miraculously, he does just that. He becomes a Fish of unknown Species, who still wears glasses and still looks like Barney Fife.Limpet and new found Love, Ladyfish (Elizabeth Mac Rae-voice), soon have settled down to a new life, when it is found that a high pitched sound that Limpet makes is a great deterrent to the Nazi German U Boats and their deadly cargo of torpedoes. War over, everybody lives happily ever after.That is until at the closing of the story we see George Stickel, now an Officer, in a large boat, attempting to make contact in the waters near Florida."THE INCREDIBLE MR. LIMPET" gave the public in the middle '60's a little escapism, a few laughs and a reason to watch animation outside of Disney's. It served as an excellent Old School Animation project as well as a Starring Vehicle for Don Knotts. And it was a "G" Rated film to be enjoyed by all; the Kids for the Story Book-Like tall Tale and the Adults for the Humor.

Well, the agenda on this kids' film was more-than-apparent, right from the start. Kiddies, we are going to tell you how man was created: from fish, not from God!Yup, here's another evolution plug, as espoused by the lead character voiced by none other than Don Knotts. "Mr. Limpet" explains that human life began with fish. He then turns to a book called "Reverse Evolution" and then literally wills himself into transforming into a fish. At that point, I saw away in disgust. Man, if they talked about God creating human life, the critics would have lambasted this movie. Instead, the love it and cite its wonderful heroics in fighting the Nazis. Well, being a WWII hero is fine. Who can argue with that? Everyone roots for Knotts the man and the fish in that category. It's too bad they had to be in our face with their secular evolution agenda, too, and didn't keep it just to a straight war-hero story.