The Princess and the Goblin (Hungarian: A Hercegnö és a kobold) is a 1992 animated adaptation of George MacDonald's 1872 book of the same name. It was the first animated feature from Wales, and the 25th full-length cartoon from Hungary.[3] The film was produced by the Welsh television station S4C, and the Cardiff-based[1] Siriol studio,[4] along with Hungary's Pannonia and Japan's NHK.
Costing $10 million,[2] the film teamed producer/screenwriter Robert Lyons with director József Gémes (from 1982's Heroic Times).[2] Most of the principal animation was produced at the Siriol facilities.[5]
Originally released in 1992 and 1993 across Europe, The Princess and the Goblin was picked up for North American release by Hemdale Releasing for a summer release in 1994. The film was a critical and commercial disappointment there, only grossing US$2.1 million from 795 venues.[6]
In a desperate attempt to counter its bad reviews, Hemdale asked several movie critics to view the film with their children, and asked those children for their comments on the film; these were subsequently included in its newspaper promotion. Mentioned in the advertisements were Michael Medved's daughter, Sarah, and Bob Campbell's four-year-old daughter ("It gets 91 stars!"). The idea came from Hemdale executives who thought animated films from the Disney company were preferred over those from other studios.[2]
The Princess and the Goblin received a Seal of Approval from the Dove Foundation, and the Film Advisory Board's Award of Excellence. Moreover, it won the Best Children's Film Award at the Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival.[2]
Hemdale Home Video premiered the movie on VHS some time after its theatrical outing. It was released on DVD in 2003 by Allumination FilmWorks.
Synopsis
The story is about the adventurous Princess Irene. The princess is off playing in the woods when she is attacked by goblins pets. She is saved by a mining young warrior boy named Curdie. They quickly become friends and get into a lot of trouble. The goblins attack and Irene must rely on her own magic to save Curdie, and in turn the entire kingdom.[7]
Cast
- Joss Ackland - King Papa
- Great Great Grandmother Irene
- Roy Kinnear - Mump
- Sally Ann Marsh - Princess Irene, the protagonist of the film.
- Rik Mayall Prince Froglip, the Goblin Prince and the main antagonist of the film. He seeks to marry Princess Irene so that the sun people will have no choice but to accept the Goblins as their leaders.
- Peggy Mount - Goblin Queen, Froglip's mother
- Peter Murray - Curdie, a mining warrior boy who helps Irene defeat the foul and evil Goblins.
- Victor Spinetti - Glump
- Mollie Sugden - Looti
- Robin Lyons - Goblin King, Froglip's father
Plot
Princess Irene gets lost in the woods one night and encounters some goblin pets. A young boy, Curdie, finds her and manages to get her back to the castle. The King leaves for a short time, hoping that nothing will happen to his daughter while he is away. Irene goes off exploring in the castle and finds a tower where her great great grandmother Irene comes to her to help her. Meanwhile, Curdie is helping his father in the mines, when he finds himself overhearing the goblin's plot to overtake the "sun people" and regain their ability to live above ground. Part of Prince Froglip's plot is to marry Princess Irene, so that the sun people will have to accept the goblins as their rulers. Before Curdie can run and tell the others, the goblins find him and put in away in a dungeon, but Irene manages to find him with the help of magic string her great great grandmother Irene gave to her. The goblins finally manage to flood the mines and attack the castle, but with the help of Curdie and Irene, they fight them off and save the kingdom.
See also
References
(All retrieved February 15, 2008, unless otherwise noted.)
- ^ a b c The Princess and the Goblin at Variety.com.
- ^ a b c d e Beck (2005), p. 213-4.
- ^ Lendvai, Erzsi, n.d. Animated cartoons in Hungary. Filmkultura.
- ^ The Princess and the Goblin at Toonhound.
- ^ Review of The Princess and the Goblin at TV Guide site.
- ^ The Princess and the Goblin at Box Office Mojo.
- ^ "plot summary" at IMDB.com
Sources
- Beck, Jerry (2005). The Animated Movie Guide. ISBN 1-55652-591-5. Chicago Reader Press. Accessed February 15, 2008.
External links
