Toad Of Toad Hall should be up there with Hamlet every actor wants a crack at it, but the role is deceptively difficult and easy to overplay. Though Terry Jones and Rik Mayall both had a go, none have bettered David Jasons sublime voicing of the 1983 animated release.
This time, Matt Lucas warts up to play the obnoxious amphibian, and succeeds handsomely for part of the time; elsewhere, his performance is overbearing. Hes accompanied by a fine supporting cast in Bob Hoskins (Badger), Mark Gatiss (Ratty) and Lee Ingleby (Mole), but the modest TV budget is evident in some of the sets, while the Weasels have nothing to work with. Still, itll work for kids.