The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore (2011) User Reviews

A 6.8?? Seriously?

[MissSimonetta · 9/10 · 24 January 2012]

Charming, humorous, and poignant is the best way to describe The Fantastic Flying Books of Morris Lessmore, a little piece about the power of stories and how they can positively affect our lives. The art style itself is reminiscent of a book illustration with its rounded characters, soft colors, and warm lighting. The animation utilizes a variety of techniques from CG to stop motion, and, combined with the great background and character designs, makes for pure eye candy.

However, the real reason to check out Morris Lessmore is for the story. It tells the story of a young man in love with books and writing who comes across a library full of living, flying books after his city is destroyed by a hurricane. The books bring liveliness and joy back into his life, and in turn, he takes care of them. More happens after that, but I won't dare spoil it for you, as you have to see it in order to really enjoy it.

It's a brief piece at only fifteen minutes, but I assure you it's worth every second. The ending had me uplifted and actually shedding tears. Thus I'm baffled at the current score-- I'm not saying I was expecting a 10 or even an 8, but not even a 7 seems too low a score for one of the best animated short films of the past year.

William Joyce Tells Us the Joy of Reading in This Beautiful, Poignant and Thought Provoking Short

[sashank_kini-1 · 8/10 · 21 July 2012]

Like most other teenage bookworms in the 2000s decade, my first love was Harry Potter, not a guy named Harry Potter (!) but JK Rowling's literary magnum opus. I must have read the longest part Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (almost eight hundred pages in length) not less than seven times. For any normal teen like me, fantasy was a wonderful diversion from the usual drab studies. It was the first time I had begun really caring for a character, and not just caring, but supporting, emphasizing and rooting for him. Later, my mind opened by itself and I penned a novella in my little diary at the age of thirteen which unfortunately was misplaced. I remember being disappointed with the way I ended it abruptly, but that isn't the point. The point is that I wrote something original and I am absolutely proud of it, and what brought this creative drive in me were the precious Harry Potter books.

The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore is a luminous display of the director's personal vision – to show how integral books are in developing a person's life. Our protagonist, Mr. Morris Lessmore is a bibliophile who enjoys writing in his diary while sitting cozily in the balcony with just books surrounding him. Suddenly, a mighty hurricane wrecks the entire town and all the material possessions of Mr. Morris and the other citizens are destroyed. What our leading man has is just the diary in his hand but the words have been rubbed out. In this dark period, Morris wanders miserably till he is captivated by a beautiful lady who is soaring high in the air with flapping books around her. Her dress has words written all over it and she looks exultant. A Humpty Dumpty book leads Mr. Morris to a huge library filled with books, and not plain books, but living and breathing ones. Mr. Morris, who has lost nearly everything in the hurricane, now devotes all his time to books. In this process, not only is he able to bring back happiness and a true sense of satisfaction in his life, but he also starts penning a novel and pledges to help the lives of other unfortunate souls by lending them books.

What makes Fantastic Flying Books such a joyous watch is the beautiful manner in which director William Joyce brings books to life. The entire story itself feels like a tale said by a mother to her young child at night – the opening scene takes us into a book with the film's title. The contrast before and after the natural calamity is shown colors – while the initial scene is in color, the latter moment is shown in black and white. Also, colors begin reentering Mr. Morris' life only with the arrival of the books; his life comes alive after this. An ironic thing to be noted is that the same books that infuse life in its readers are typed in black and white.

Even with the advancing technology and changing cultures, our books are trying hard to stay relevant. We have book readers, IPads and software to read online. Also, many classics like Romeo and Juliet, Wuthering Heights, Gone with the Wind etc are getting a makeover with bolder covers to appeal to this generation. I say it's a good thing but it is only in our hands to include or reject books from our lives. But everyone should give this short film a chance – its beautiful, poignant and thought provoking.

Probably the best of the nominees, it's the film most likely to receive the Oscar next week...

[planktonrules · 9/10 · 19 February 2012]

For the last several years I have gone to see the Academy Award nominated shorts--both live action and animated. This year is a first for the animated category in that as we sat watching, I overheard a lot of murmurs about how bad the nominees were. The folks watching seemed, at times, genuinely mad at the choices. Fortunately, after three very sub-par films, the final three were excellent and it seems pretty clear that the race is between "La Luna" and "The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore". And, like the last couple years, following these nominees, they showed some animated shorts that were not nominees but were sort of like runners up--and the folks I talked to preferred these films to several of the nominees.

"The Fantastic Flying Books" is a very, very good film. Even without some poor nominees against it, it would still be a film that is Oscar-worthy. While not perfect, it is my favorite of the films. It is interesting because the film was made in Louisiana and they were sure to show scenes of New Orleans ('NOLA') when the film begins. However, a tornado comes through town and carries away a bibliophile (book lover) and his book. When they land, things are VERY different. His book now is blank--all the words were blown off by the storm! And, soon he encounters a strange woman who, along with her books, is flying by--literally! Where it all goes from there is a nice little metaphor about the love of reading but I won't say more--partly because it's hard to describe and partly because I don't want to spoil it. Suffice to say, it's a lovely story with excellent CGI and a nice gentle spirit. Sweet and enjoyable.

The Love for Books and the Way Books Return Your Love

[p_radulescu · 10/10 · 24 March 2012]

I found this 15 minutes movie totally by chance, as I was browsing the blog of a Portuguese books lover. I started watching the movie and I was immediately charmed. An old friend of mine came to my mind: a friendship of some sixty years.

I was five or six, he was fifteen or sixteen by that time. An aunt of him was living together with us and he was visiting her very often. I was just opening my eyes to the world, and the world was immense and full of unknowns, so no wonder I had lots of questions. He was taking time to listen to my questions and to give answers. It was about anything one could imagine, about pirates and about explorers, about the North Pole and the South Pole, and about seas and oceans, about hunting exotic animals, and about what job to take when I would grow up.

After two years or so I started going to school, and he entered the University. He began to pass some books of him to me, as I remember it was firstly The Wizard of Oz, then some books by Jules Verne and Nikolay Nosov. A book about volcanoes followed, and then a book written by Sven Hedin about his travels all over the world.

Years have passed, each of us was following his ways, while both sharing the passion for books. Sometimes we were meeting in a used books store, each browsing some old French book, or some album of old photos. Sometimes I was visiting him, some other times he was returning the visit. Each time it was a book that was coming in our discussion. When I left for America we met and he showed me three books he was reading somehow in parallel, about the American ways and about immigrant experience there.

After many years I came back and our friendship was no more the same. Maybe because both of us were old now, maybe because of lack of time, or because of lack of enthusiasm, or a bit of all these. Anyway our last meeting brought the subject of books again, only this time to punctuate disagreements. I was now using intensively the web and the electronic books, while for him only the printed books had sense, nothing else.

This was a couple of years ago. We tried to meet again, but each time it was something impeding it. We called each other by phone several times, then this stopped too. Life went on and electronic books became more and more sophisticated, advancing from desktops and laptops to tablets, while printed books remained the same, more and more forgotten on shabby shelves.

I called him again today, after watching the movie: The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore tells a story about printed books, about their pages, full of words and images, about living surrounded by books, dreaming while browsing the pages till you get lost in their stories. It's about love for the printed word, and about the way the printed word returns your love. A movie about the aggressiveness of electronic books, acting like a hurricane, destroying the spirit of words and of images, and about the way to reconstruct the lost spirit. All this in an animation, in the form of a story for kids, a fantasy taking place in an atmosphere reminding sometimes The Wizard of Oz , maybe also a bit Le Ballon Rouge (while the hero somehow resembles Buster Keaton).

Ironically, the story is based on a book that can be read now on laptops and on tablets, browsing the electronic pages and inviting the reader to play interactively.

And I called my friend to tell him about all this, and I said that I would dedicate this text to him and to his love for the printed book, only he wouldn't be able to read it: the text is on the web.

15 minutes I'll never regret.

[Ryan_MYeah · 10/10 · 13 March 2012]

After it won the Academy Award for Best Animated Short, I felt compelled to give The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore a watch. Time well spent! The movie is a product of such sheer ingenuity that it could have only come from the whimsical mind of filmmaker and author William Joyce. He infuses delightful imagination into every second of the film. The whimsical animation is a great visual factor, and the story takes influence from The Wizard of Oz in more ways than one. It's a labor of love for Joyce, and one that flourishes with an unashamed love for the magic of literature. It's hard not to be charmed by all the creativity, and despite a generously short running time, the film still manages to give a strong emotional punch. I'd love to see something like this get a full length feature of its own, if it weren't for the fact that it would require way too much padding. In the end, 15 minutes is the perfect mark for this unmistakable gem.

2012 Oscar winner for Best Animated Short, and it was well deserved

[BikeBill · 10/10 · 4 March 2012]

This is a simple story, told without spoken word but rather by pictures and music. I wasn't sure what I was seeing at first, but was willing to give fifteen minutes. At the end, there were no reasons for regret, and I was in full agreement with the Academy for acknowledging this work with the Oscar for Best Animated Short.

*** WARNING: Possible spoilers ahead ***

Is this film a sort-of sideways slap at technology, such as e-books and devices like the Kindle or Nook? Perhaps, especially as the main character performs "surgery" on the old bedraggled tome rather than merely scanning it into a database. But the point I took away from this scene was that books live only so long as they are read, and to stop reading them is to kill them. The other thing to remember is that while e-books offer a way to put the printed word in front of more people more economically, not everybody, especially in developing countries or following natural disasters, will have access to the needed technology or infrastructure to fully take advantage of e-books. Not to mention that sometimes curling up with an actual physical book, turning the pages and idly wondering who else might have held this volume transcends the convenience of glowing letters on a glass screen.

Librarians and bibliophiles will be drawn to this, of course, but one can only hope that ordinary people will also see this. One hopes that they will take away the underlying lesson — that books and stories live on, but only so long as people continue to read, write, and tell them.

A worthy winner

[matjpi · 9/10 · 11 March 2012]

A splendid film with many layered metaphors. Engaging and moving, well executed and paced. This film could be a precursor to some new and interesting talent in this genre, I certainly hope we hear more from the large team involved.

The trailer for this short wasn't adequate but I wonder if any trailer could have been. To sum up any elements in this film would miss several others and render the point confusing at best.

Books are our children, but unlike people they never die which means they can go on delighting us and our human children many years after their authors are dust. They can take us back in time to days of different ideas and different beliefs, they can transport us into the minds and hearts of others giving us a wide range of experience. In short, they're the Gutenberg version of the tribal tales that kept tradition and legend alive.

That's the core I got but there's a great deal more in this little gem of a short. Really worth seeing.

A contrary view

[rgcustomer · 7/10 · 12 February 2012]

In comparison, Dimanche (2011) currently has a score of 6.3, a point and a half less than this one's 7.8. I give this 7, and Dimanche 8. Anything less than 7 is quite harsh for either one.

(I'm not saying Dimanche should win the Oscar... just that I reviewed it here first, before coming to this one, and was shocked at the difference.)

This is a good film, to be sure. It's seemingly simple, straightforward, and computer-animated. It has references to the The Wizard of Oz (1939). It has all the bells and whistles.

But when you get right down to it, there's really not a whole lot there. It reminds me of Hugo (2011) in that respect, which I thought was also good, but the people who hand out awards seem to think is some kind of masterpiece.

It's immediately out of date. Books don't come on paper so much any more. They fly on electromagnetic waves from router to tablet. Even the fax or modem connection sound at the beginning is out-of-date. The internet is always on, and it's silent.

Flying books? Isn't that from the intro to "Amazing Stories" (1985)? And we've seen the idea that reading things keeps stories alive in Die Unendliche Geschichte (1984).

Is a life lived without leaving a book implied to be worthless?

I think I know what this short wants to be telling me, but what it actually is telling me is not real clear.

My Favorite Animated Short

[gort-8 · 10/10 · 21 July 2013]

I have seen some spectacular animation over the years. I love good animation. I'm crazy about great animation. But I can safely say that The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore is the only animated short that I have ever seen that made me cry. If you have lived your life with books, as I have, you will be drawn into this world. In fact if you are a book person this IS your world.

The protagonist, Morris Lessmore, is heavily influenced by Buster Keaton. The scenes of the storm were a combination of the storm sequences of Steamboat Bill jr. and the 1939 Wizard of Oz and the all too real hurricane Katrina (the story opens in Louisiana and the studio that shot it, Moonbot, is located there). After the remarkable devastation Lessmore is saddened to witness the devastation around him. One of the great tragedies is that the storm swept the letters off the pages. Wandering along Lessmore spots a beautiful woman carried aloft on flying books tethered with ribbons. She casts one to Lessmore. The animated Humpty Dumpty pulls the protagonist into a world of enchanted books.

Anyone who loves books can tell you there's nothing fanciful here. Of course books have wings! Of course they enable us to fly. If you don't believe me then shut off your computer now and grab a book. And when you meet Mr. Morris Lessmore give him my regards.

magnificent

[Kirpianuscus · 11 April 2020]

I saw it many times. And each time was the first and it remains the one. Because it is real, real, real ic or magnificent are fair terms about it. Because the stories , from so many sources, so well crafted one bz one are the precious gift of an remarkable director and his admirable team. special animation. Because it is soft, delicate, gentle and wise definition of life. Because it is the poem and refuge and tea cup who zou deserve in profound sense. So, mag

If life is enjoyed, does it have to make sense?

[Horst_In_Translation · 6/10 · 7 September 2013]

I wish there was more in the first 10 minutes of this short film that could have drawn the viewer in and guided him to the above profound question. For the first two thirds, there's really not much substance to this little short movie. It thrives beautifully on the animation and effects side, especially the books flying like butterflies, but beyond that, it falls kinda short to raise any true emotions. And these days, great animation simply isn't enough anymore as there's hardly an animated movie, even when it comes to shorts, that doesn't captivate you with its craft. A fun little version of "Pop Goes the Weasel" isn't enough anymore to cut the cake.

I will raise my rating a bit though for the ending. The crew really did a good job on that one as they managed to make it sad and funny at the same time. The last bit is very frequently what makes a film rise or fall in the viewer's memory and I'm pretty certain the excellent closure they gave it was one of the main reasons behind this one winning the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film.

Fantastic, indeed

[Rectangular_businessman · 10/10 · 26 August 2012]

What a wonderful short animation this was.

Taking cues from fairy tales and silent comedy films, The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore it's a very heartwarming and whimsical story about the love for reading and books, resulting in one of the most satisfying viewing experiences that I've ever had in my life.

Not only was the animation of this short film wonderfully made (Having the same level of quality than some of best films from Pixar) but also, the plot was very inspirational, moving and subtle, having an unique charm that not many other movies (animated or not) had. The final result is pretty, rewarding and moving, being able to express in a very sensitive way all the joy, sadness and hope that any story could contain. And the most amazing thing is that it is able to do it in only 15 minutes.

A must-see.

10/10

Lovely Animation, But Not Much Else

[ihazhart · 5/10 · 27 February 2012]

The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore is visually appealing but not much else. The story could have been fleshed out a bit more, and for me, it didn't truly capture the joy that books bring. It did try, however, and A for Effort. It was a bit too expressionist and symbolic for me, but that aside the animation was gorgeous. I'll probably never watch this short again, however, unless it's randomly playing in a room I happen to be in. If beautiful, stunning visuals are all that you need, then you'll love The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore. But if you're more story-driven (like me) you will find that this short could use a bit of work.

An utterly charming and poignant short well worth seeing

[llltdesq · 10/10 · 7 February 2013]

First I feel I must say that, having more than 3000 books in my library and a lifelong fascination with animation, that I would be predisposed to like this short is almost a given. That said, when a short is good enough for me to watch it half a dozen times in ten days, there's something more there than just personal inclinations would indicate. Because it would be difficult to discuss this without some details from the short, from this point on, some spoilers will be present.

The short starts with Lessmore writing in a journal. A hurricane sweeps in and takes Lessmore and the house where he lives into the air. There are nods to the Wizard of OZ, Buster Keaton and movies in general throughout the short. Lessmore is deposited in a scene reminiscent of one of Keaton's more memorable screen moments and he seems cast adrift and abandoned until a series of events makes him the caretaker of an animated library of flying books. The inference is that caretakers take turns stewarding the books, passing along a book of their adventures for future caretakers to enjoy. The animation throughout is a mix of techniques which meld pretty much seamlessly and effectively. It's a very visually effective short.

Time passes companionably for Lessmore and his charges until, as he must, Lessmore finally takes his leave of of his idylls here and be replaced in turn by another. It's a tender and bittersweet departure and the ending of the short is perfect. This deservedly won the Oscar for Animated Short amidst some fairly strong competition and is well worth seeing. Most highly recommended.

Best Short Ever - Do not miss this one

[ecrashe-541-936793 · 10/10 · 28 November 2012]

Recently I was at the local kids bookstore in my hometown. I happened upon the best book called "The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore." I don't know why this book grabbed my attention as it was sitting in the middle of a bookshelf between tons of other books. I picked it up and opened it and wow my new favorite book. I brought it home (yes I paid for the hard cover version) and read the whole thing. I realized after reading the book that this was a short film as well. Not just any short film but an academy award winning short film. I decided to look it up. GREAT GREAT GREAT film. Super imaginative with outstanding animation. A must see. Its only 15 minutes long. You should totally watch (and possibly with a box of Kleenex). My mom read the book before she watched the film and she cried. This is not only my new favorite book but now its my new favorite short animation. This is a must watch for everyone including the kids out there and those of us who are young at heart.

And ode to books

[Imdbidia · 8/10 · 8 January 2017]

This is a beautiful film about the power of the written word, with no words being uttered in the film. The animation is excellent, and most of the music score is the perfect accompaniment.

The central theme in the short is the magic of books. Books bring magic worlds to life. Books accompany you through life and influence your life and your writing. Books can be your best companions in life. Books cheer you up, feed your soul, and bright your life especially when everything around your world is gray.

There are a few cinematic elements in the film. The main character is a mix of a young Buster Keaton and Chaplin; the end of the introductory part is definitely Dorothy being transported to the world of the Wizard of Oz; and one of the main books shows a classic character of Alice in Wonderland. Those winks are to adults, because small children will probably not get them.

This is quite a long short animated film, and I thought it was unnecessarily so. The first part about the cyclone was irrelevant and didn't add much to the message or the story so, personally, I would have chopped it off and replaced it with a simpler more cohesive introduction to what follows.

Prejudiced Reader

[Hitchcoc · 10/10 · 5 April 2019]

Even if I weren't a bibliophile, I would find this a beautiful animated film. It has everything. An incredibly positive theme, an original set of characters (mostly books), a really sweet protagonist, and a kindness and gentleness that is seldom seen. I understand this won an Oscar. Well deserved. Excellent animation and a worthy story to go with it.

the magic is in the reading

[lee_eisenberg · 10/10 · 29 January 2018]

You wouldn't think that Hurricane Katrina would inspire a fantasy, but the Academy Award-winning short "The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore" is just that. This 15-minute cartoon is a look at the power of literature. After seeing his memoirs destroyed by a hurricane, the titular character goes to a library where the books come to life.

Books coming to life was an occasional theme in the early Merrie Melodies cartoons - usually involving puns - but here it takes on a more mystifying character. The books are become a new part of the protagonist's existence. It's one of the most impressive pieces of work that I've seen. I understand that director William Joyce worked on "Toy Story". I hope that he turns out more productions like this one. Good one.

The story begins, as it began with the opening of a book.

[fostrhod · 8/10 · 5 October 2023]

The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore." 2011, Animation of a children's book written by William Joyce.

Having discovered the story via a chance encounter in a Edinburgh Charity Shop in late October November 2020, which I purchased for my then 4 years old grandson. It introduced the world of Morris Lessmore and his love of books and of words and of storytelling. It captivated me and also Leonard's my grandson's imagination. The book would be read principally by me whilst it was bath time for Leonard, he in turn asking for it to be read and slowly but surely he began reading along with it. Of course he would often say "not Morris Lessmore" when I would ask what he wanted to read. Knowing that his smile was telling me that he knows that that book is OUR book, for OUR time and we didn't always need to read it.

What of the animation, on searching for it on YouTube we found it and again it it lovingly recreates Lessmore's world and his love of books. The animation does and can stand alone away from the book, it uses the same lovingly drawn illustrations throughout and is a delight. For me it will always be a loving time capsule of Friday night bath time for Leonard on his sleep overs.

On a personal I identify with Morris Lessmore, for him it is books, but for me it is CDs and the slowly disappearing world of the record shop or in my case the compact disc shop. I can recall each and every CD I've bought & recall the shops and holidays I've spent searching for some obscure title, each disc in turn transporting me to some far away place in time or distance within the music held within.

A near perfect children's story and if it introduces one child to reading it is worth a 10/10 rating. For a casual viewer I'd give it a 8/10 for sheer enjoyment.