Kid-appropriate movie adaptions of The Tempest?

[Mystie]

Any recommendations?

 

We'll be reading The Tempest after we're done with Julius Caesar (here's the plan I'm using: http://www.simplyconvivial.com/2016/shakespeare-kids-julius-caesar)and I haven't yet seen a movie version of The Tempest that sounds like it will be appropriate, but I haven't previewed anything yet - I'm just going on reviews. 

Does anyone have first-hand knowledge of The Tempest movies? I'd appreciate recommendations! I'm in the "Shakespeare was meant to be seen" camp, so I think seeing it performed should come before reading the text (we read a children's adaption first).

 

Thanks! 

[Lori D.]

Okay, it's NOT the words of the play, or a close rendition of the story, but a movie that is extremely loosely based on a few characters and ideas in The Tempest is the 1950s sci-fi film Forbidden Planet. It's a bit slow and drags in a few parts, but when I did a film class with my high school co-op class a few years back, the kids loved discussing that one. The cover art for the DVD (fainted scantily clad blonde bombshell in the arms of a glowing-eyed robot) *completely* cracks me up, because it has NOTHING to do with the actual story, and the heroine, while wearing a short-skirted dress, is far more clothed that the artwork. In other words, the film is very clean for young kids.

 

I've seen several BBC TV movie Shakespeare plays that were filmed back around 1980 (part of the BBC's The Shakespeare Collection), and they were all appropriate for kids -- they are done on a rather minimalist TV soundstage and videotaped almost like a live performance, so they are not the most visually exciting version, but neither do they contain gore or s*x that is found in some film versions of some Shakespeare plays...

Edited January 26, 2016 by Lori D.

[justasque]

Wikipedia has a nice list of movie versions and adaptations.

 

I've only seen the Molly Ringwald / John Cassavetes / Susan Sarandon / Raul Julia / Gena Rowlands one, and that was long enough ago that I don't remember how appropriate it may have been for kids.  

 

I wonder if the Hallmark Hall of Fame TV version would be any good?

[arliemaria]

For a very young kid version we watched an old episode of PBS's Wishbone on youtube.  :)

[MeaganS]

There's a BBC Animated Shakespeare tales version of it of you can find it.

[arliemaria]

There's a BBC Animated Shakespeare tales version of it of you can find it.

 

Those look great!

 

Here is the link to Midsummer Night's Dream http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x272crc_shakespeare-the-animated-tales-01x01-a-midsummer-night-s-dream-eng-subs_shortfilms

 

I am trying to find a full video of The Tempest.