6.6/10
Senior Film Conservator

A definitive 6.6/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. Babes in the Woods remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
If you have eight minutes to spare, you should probably watch this. It is great for people who like old-school animation or just want to see a scary witch get what is coming to her. If you hate high-pitched singing or cartoons that feel like a fever dream, you might want to skip it.
It starts with these two kids wandering into the woods. They look like they are made of dough because they are so round and bouncy.
The birds in this movie are incredibly organized. They follow the kids around like a tiny feathered army, and honestly, it is a bit much. 🐦
Then they find the house. It is made of candy and looks like it would be very sticky in real life.
I love the part where the little boy just starts ripping shingles off the roof. He doesn't even look for a door first, he just starts eating the house. 🍭
The witch shows up on a broomstick and she is actually kind of creepy. She has a huge nose and a laugh that sounds like someone rubbing sandpaper together.
She invites them in for lunch, which is the oldest trick in the book. You would think kids in 1932 would know better, but I guess not.
Inside, the house is full of kids she has turned into lizards and spiders. It is a bit dark for a Silly Symphony, if I am being honest.
It reminds me a bit of the strange logic you see in Ko-Ko's Magic. Things just happen because they look cool, not because they make sense.
The witch tries to turn the boy into a spider, but the birds come to the rescue. The birds are the real heroes here, even if they are annoying.
The ending is pretty wild. The witch falls into her own cauldron and turns into a stone statue. 🗿
It is a very sudden way to die. One minute you are a witch, the next you are a lawn ornament.
Unlike something like The Coward, there is no deep character study here. It is just a simple story about not eating a stranger's house.
I noticed a small detail where the witch's cat looks like it is judging her the whole time. The cat is definitely the smartest person in the room.
The animation is very fluid for the time. You can see how Disney was getting ready for bigger things like Snow White.
If you like this vibe, you might also dig One Dark Night for more spooky elements. This cartoon is just a fun, quick watch that feels like a time capsule.
It is not perfect, and the singing gets stuck in your head in a bad way. But the colors are nice and the witch is a classic villain. 🧹
Overall, it is a solid 8 minutes of weirdness. Definitely worth a look if you are bored.

IMDb 5.4
1924
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