YMMV / Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland

• All Animation Is Disney: Given how TMS Entertainment has worked on several of Disney's 80s animated TV shows (such as Adventures of the Gummi Bears, DuckTales, and The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh) and thus gave the movie a lush Disneyesque feel to the animation, and how The Sherman Brothers wrote the songs, this movie can somewhat be easily mistaken for a Disney production (though not as much as Don Bluth's work or other American-made animated films of the time). This is especially notable since the Nightmare King (who did not exist in the comic strip and was created for the film) looks like a Reused Character Design of Chernabog from Fantasia with horns given to him.
• Alternative Character Interpretation: Since no one in the real world comments on Icarus (a flying squirrel wearing airplane goggles that can almost speak English), but he plays a role in Nemo's dream, are we to believe he is a product of Nemo's overactive imagination? An Imaginary Friend? Or is he a resident of Slumberland that can somehow travel between the dream realm and the real world, who only Nemo can see?
• Awesome Art: It's widely agreed that the animation is one of the film's biggest assets. It's often been likened to "a good plate with nothing on it."
• Awesome Music: This IS The Sherman Brothers we're talking about.
  • "Oh, you've got to get some etiquette if you want to be a prince..."
• Base-Breaking Character: Flip. Some viewers find him to be a decent comic relief character while others cannot stand him.
• Big-Lipped Alligator Moment: The train scene in the beginning, after it, Nemo never mentions it again. Granted, it's somewhat justified being a dream. Perhaps he forgot it after waking up.
• Cross-Cultural Kerfluffle: Having been produced in Japan, the filmmakers clearly were clueless that the character Flip looking just like a black-faced minstrel (even though faithful to Winsor McCay's original work) would be extremely problematic for modern international audiences. They at least had the foresight not to include Imp, a much more blatant racial caricature from the comic, while Flip could at least be explained away as a clown or humanoid frog with his green skin.
• Ensemble Dark Horse:
  • Fun Personified Flip and Moe Bon Bon.
  • The Boomps are popular, especially the dog faced one.
• Hilarious in Hindsight: One of the voice actors, Danny Mann, plays a flying squirrel named Icarus. A couple decades later, he plays several characters in Kid Icarus Uprising. And as a bonus? Thanatos, one of said characters Mann plays in the game, bears a noticeable resemblance face-wise to Flip.
• So Okay, It's Average: The movie holds a special place for many of those who grew up with it, but the overall consensus is it's a mixed bag. Most of the criticism is directed at the Slow-Paced Beginning, which contains mostly childish and saccharine material. It is often agreed the movie would have been a lot better if the conflict was introduced much earlier rather than halfway through, as its best moments are all after the Nightmare King is released and everyone enters Nightmareland. The animation and music however are both unanimously considered incredible, even during the lackluster first half.
• They Wasted a Perfectly Good Plot: The beginning in the real world sets up Nemo's home life as his father being too busy to spend any time with his son and seemingly putting things off "until tomorrow". Come the end of the film and he's happily urging Nemo to get ready for the circus without any reason for the sudden change in tone being given.
• Ugly Cute: The Boomps, who are basically weird combinations of fur and blob with faces that vaguely resemble old men, but are so friendly and helpful that one's likely to find them endearing, nonetheless. The exceptions are Oompo (the biggest Boomp, who resembles a Big Friendly Dog), and Oompy (the smallest, who simply looks like a cuddly teddy bear) since it's obvious they were deliberately designed to be seen as cute.
• Unintentionally Sympathetic: While it's true that Nemo broke his promise by opening the door and could have ignored Flip's insistence, King Morpheus could have explained why Nemo shouldn't have opened the door.
• Visual Effects of Awesome: For all its faults, the animation is nothing short of pure eye candy and enjoys the quality that can match that of a Studio Ghibli film. The designs of Nightmare Land and the many nightmarish visions we see are especially striking.

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