If you look around on line this should be easy enough to find, but back in the late 80's this was one of those video tapes that stood out at the store; it wasn't a Disney movie, or something from Loony Tunes, and yet it had some cute woodland characters on the cover. Though it wasn't something that I rented a bunch of times, it did stick out in my memory - though I hadn't seen a lot of it, I knew just by the designs and the movement and tempo that it was *different*, and indeed it was as originally it was done in Japan and bought by Hi-Top video - and I have fond memories of this little movie about chipmunks who gather the courage to leave the city and find their way across the country and in the woods.
I didn't really know his name at the time, but it was also my first exposure to Orson Welles (I didn't come to the Transformers movie until... last year, actually). But I even knew then that this was a special actor with some force; he plays a pigeon, and yet he carries so much force and authority within just a handful of minutes (he's only in the first part of the film in the city). When I rewatched part of the film online, I was struck by how much fun Welles had with the role; it made me sad that he struggled through doing Unicron, when this was a better use of his talents for a children-movie voice-over. He's spirited, fun, engaging, and he gets the hero chipmunk on his way. It's also good animation, if not great, and it works for kids and maybe some adults can get into it as well who won't be TOO discerning.
Check it out if you can get it on VHS or online - it doesn't re-invent the wheel, but it has some goofy designs and passes the time with harmless joy.
