The Classic Tales of Mr. Toad & the Headless Horseman Suck in 2023

I’d be lying to you if I wasn’t eager to get through the last of the wartime section of The 100 Years of Disney list. Though great for the history of animation, these movies have a certain air about them that makes me cringe and laugh in the same breath. I’ve watched The Adventures of Ichabod & Mr. Toad once back in 2019 and it was a strange movie, to say the least. Two separate tales blended into one masterpiece. Let’s get started.

The Tale of Psychopath Mr. Toad

Ah, nothing says nostalgia like a library of large, old books with leather-bound covers. Though I’ve never read The Wind in the Willows, it gives me the vibes of this fat, purple book I read as a kid that held all sorts of stories by Beatrice Potter. The narrated introductions of these stories are always so whimsical and really set the stage for the story as it unfolds.

This spoiled little rich toad is insane. His closest friends are literally trying to save him from bankrupting himself with his insane ideas. He ends up getting arrested for stealing a motor car and doesn’t even care. He’s just waiting on trial, waiving at his friends. The fact that he has no regard for anyone but himself is a bit disturbing. He sees life as a game and the way they deal with his case is how I imagine the American government to work on their own trails. Sneaky, sketchy, and overall, a joke.

Even after all the shenanigans, Toad’s friends still tried to help him. But Toad was destined to rot in jail, and he found repentance in solitude for about five minutes before his sketchy partner in crime busts him out. He never learns his lesson or feels like he did anything to the people he’s hurt. Even if he is innocent of his crime, it doesn’t make him any more of a likable character. Even when his friends risk their lives to prove his innocence, Thaddeus Toad still acts like a brat. He doesn’t deserve the friends he has and he does nothing to keep them. Not the best guy to get moral advice from, in my humble opinion.

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

It’s really an English-American collaboration for this kind of movie. While they highlighted the English side of things with the last story, this one takes place in New York City. I didn’t even know that Sleepy Hollow was a real village with a strong hero named Brom Bones a.k.a. the blueprint for Gaston. I can’t believe they made a whole song about making fun of Ichabod Crane’s look. He was new to town and they made fun of him on sight. Well, Ichabod is getting the last laugh because he’s lying with all the ladies of the town while their husbands are away. Getting fed with food and more. Teaching them how to “sing at the top of their lungs” and “in harmony” if you catch my drift.

He’s always being made fun of by the other guys in town but is unconcerned because he’s still a ladies' man. Then Katrina comes to town looking like a Dutch Cinderella. An only child, rich with her father’s money. You know that Ichabod has to see what that’s all about and soon spends his time daydreaming about how he's going to woo her and get all that land from her father. They cover the men’s lust for her buns and her money with “the look of love” and proceed to fight over the fair Katrina. Brawn vs brains. And all for the chance to wed a rich babe. Brom doesn't hesitate to shame a shorter, rounder woman that can't compare to Katrina at a dance and the rest is annoyingly comical at best.

I’m not sure who wrote this script but both Thaddeus and Ichabod are despicable characters. Both exemplify greed masked in lighthearted fun. They don’t really think about others as people, but as objects that they can obtain for their own personal gain. It’s probably one of the lowest-ranking movies that I’ll find on this long list of Disney classics. If you like masculinity strewn about in a haphazard way, then I recommend this movie. Personally, I’m glad it was only an hour because any longer would be a crime.

I look forward to seeing you in whatever form I appear. Until next time!

About the Author

Crystal Cabrae is a storyteller who specializes in writing dystopian, romantic, and adventurous worlds for animation and fantastical fiction. She is a proud graduate of Full Sail University, AMDA, and New World School of the Arts. Her six years of acting training in both New York and Miami gives her a unique perspective when approaching her characters. She has a passion for sharing how to create stories with the world and inspiring the storyteller that lives within all of us. Follow her on IG or Pinterest to know the latest.