The Water Babies [1978] (1 disc)

Director:	Lionel Jeffries
Writer:	Michael Robson
Composer:	Phil Coulter
Songs:	Bill Martin

Length:	105 minutes (1 hour 45 minutes)
MPAA Rating:	G
Sorting Category:	Fantasy

IMDB Rating:	6.2/10
Amazon Rating:	4.5/5 stars
User rating sites like above are subject to change
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Classifications:

Fantasy
Kids
Cartoon
Action

Available Formats:

VHS	DVD
HD DVD	Blu-ray
3D Blu-ray	Digital

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Synopsis: This children's fantasy tells the story of a 12-year-old boy who discovers a complex underwater world where young children are held prisoner by an evil shark and an eel.

Reaction: Imaginative and great for kids. A few issues with storytelling and pacing, but otherwise a fine movie.

Personal Rating: 6/10

Select Cast and Crew

Lionel Jeffries	=>	Director
Michael Robson	=>	Writer
Phil Coulter	=>	Composer
Bill Martin	=>	Songs
Charles Kingsley	=>	Book
Bernard Cribbins	=>	Voice of Eel / Mr. Masterman

Billie Whitelaw	=>	Old Crone / Mrs. Doasyouwouldbedoneby / Water Babies 'Gate Keeper' / Woman in Black / Mrs. Tripp

David Jason	=>	Cyril the Walrus ^(voice)
David Tomlinson	=>	Sir John / Voice of Polar Bear

James Mason	=>	Voice of Killer Shark / Mr. Grimes

Joan Greenwood	=>	Lady Harriet
Jon Pertwee	=>	Kraken ^(voice) / Salmon / Jock the Lobster

Lance Percival	=>	Terence the Sea Horse ^(voice)
Paul Luty	=>	Voice of Claude the Swordfish / Sladd
Samantha Gates	=>	Elly / Voice of Ariadne the Water Baby

Tommy Pender	=>	Tom
Una Stubbs	=>	Misc. ^(voice)

Random Trivia For This Title:

Many of the filming locations were places where James Mason had played as a child.
One of a small batch of live-action animated movies made and released during the mid late 1970s, others being Pete's Dragon (1977) and Dot and the Kangaroo (1977).
Though many of the source children's' novel's story elements were incorporated into this feature film version, the picture somewhat deviated from the original book by adding the sub-plot with the shark and kraken.
Charles Kingsley wrote "The Water Babies" book for his son, it being a children's fairytale novel, in the vein of Charles Dickens and a part satire supporting ^[?] Charles Darwin's "The Origin of the Species".