The Adventures of Mark Twain

Attempting to describe The Adventures of Mark Twain in any sane fashion is probably an exercise in futility. But what the heck, we'll give it a shot.

First of all, discard any historical knowledge you might have of Samuel Clemens, because in this world, he doesn't exist. But his nom de plume, Mark Twain, is real, and so are Tom Sawyer, Huck Finn, and Becky Thatcher. Yeah, we know. Just roll with it. In this world, Mark Twain also has a Cool Steampunk Airship, which he intends to ride into outer space to chase Halley's comet. Tom, Huck, and Becky catch word of his balloon and sneak onboard, joining Mr. Twain on a journey beyond the stratosphere to chase the comet. How do they pass time onboard the airship? By telling (and living) stories, of course. Famous Mark Twain stories. Like The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. (We know. Again.) And The Diary of Adam and Eve. And The Mysterious Stranger.

This 1985 movie is known for being absolutely gorgeously rendered in Claymation, and for being creepy as hell. Literally. It's sometimes considered a "children's movie," but this isn't strictly the case—it's probably too scary for some kids, but anyone who likes animation will probably enjoy the lush visuals. All in all, it's a fascinating and loving Deconstruction of the man and a number of his stories—particularly his later ones which caused many to label him a Nietzsche Wannabe.


Tropes used in The Adventures of Mark Twain include:

Captain Stormfield: "I begin to see that a man's got to be in his own Heaven to be happy."

Huck: That's a really sorry name for an angel.
(Satan beckons to his miniature world)
Tom: C'mon, you guys!

  • Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: Nice job sabotaging it, Tom Sawyer.
  • Non-Human Sidekick: Huck's frog, Homer.
  • Only Sane Man: Poor Becky Thatcher...
  • Real Life Writes the Plot: Some details of Samuel Clemens' historical life do make it in to the film, and there is one scene in which he quietly mourns for his departed wife.

Becky Thatcher: "That's really why you want to meet up with the comet, isn't it, Mr. Twain?"

    • A portrait of Twain and his wife shown just after the poignant ending of the "Diary of Adam and Eve" segment adds additional poignancy by revealing Twain's wife is a dead ringer for the elderly Eve.
    • Samuel Clemens was born in the Halley's Comet year 1835, and died in the Halley's Comet year 1910. This film was released in the next Halley's Comet year 1985, when Clemens would have been 150 years old. In the film's story, Mark Twain said that if he missed Halley's Comet, he'd have to wait until he was 150 (in 1985) to catch the comet again.
  • Satan is The Mysterious Stranger.
  • Sealed Room in the Middle of Nowhere: the world of The Mysterious Stranger aka Satan.
  • Steampunk: The airship.
  • Sugar Bowl: The Garden of Eden in the "Diary of Adam and Eve" segments.
  • Tagalong Kid: All three of the kids sneak aboard the airship.
  • That Reminds Me Of A Story
  • Verbal Tic: Tom keeps saying "aeronort" instead of "aeronaut".
  • What Do You Mean It's Not for Kids?: Much like Watership Down, children who aren't easily disturbed will find a lot to like here. However, attempt to show it to most kids, and you'd better be prepared to pay for those therapy bills later in life.
  • What The Hell Angel?: During The Mysterious Stranger sequence, Huck's not afraid to call it as he sees it.
  • The Wonka: Mark Twain
    • Also, Mark Twain opening the gate to Injun Joe's lair and almost gets Huck killed by him, but closes the door in time for Joes knife to get stuck in it, seemingly just to torture the kids. Its Dark Twain, not the real Twain
    This article is issued from Allthetropes. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.