The Princess and the Goblin (film)
Encyclopedia
The Princess and the Goblin is a 1992 European
animated fantasy film
directed by József Gémes. It is an adaptation of 1872 novel
of the same name
by George MacDonald
.
When a peaceful kingdom is menaced by an army of monstrous goblins, a brave and beautiful princess joins forces with a resourceful peasant boy to rescue the noble king and all his people. The lucky pair must battle the evil power of the wicked goblin prince armed only with the gift of song, the miracle of love, and a magical shimmering thread.
At the end of the VHS release, a public service announcement
would play, with Claire Bloom (as Great Great Grandmother Irene) talking about a support hotline, where lonely children could talk to her, Princess Irene, or Curdie.
, and the 25th full-length cartoon from Hungary
. The film was produced by the Welsh television station S4C
, and the Cardiff
-based Siriol studio, along with Hungary's Pannonia
and Japan's NHK
. Costing $10 million, the film teamed producer/screenwriter Robin Lyons with director József Gémes (from 1982's Heroic Times
). Most of the principal animation was produced at the Siriol facilities.
for a summer release in 1994. The film was a critical and commercial disappointment there, only grossing US$2.1 million from 795 venues.
The staff of Halliwell's Film Guide deemed it an "Uninteresting animated feature, with a dull fairy-tale plot dully executed."
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.
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.
Hemdale Home Video premiered the movie on VHS some time after its theatrical outing. It was released on DVD in 2003 by Allumination FilmWorks
.
Cinema of Europe
Cinema of Europe refers to the film industries and films produced in the continent of Europe. Some notable European film movements include German Expressionism, French Impressionist Cinema, Poetic realism, Italian neorealism, French New Wave, Polish Film School, New German Cinema, Portuguese Cinema...
animated fantasy film
Fantasy film
Fantasy films are films with fantastic themes, usually involving magic, supernatural events, make-believe creatures, or exotic fantasy worlds. The genre is considered to be distinct from science fiction film and horror film, although the genres do overlap...
directed by József Gémes. It is an adaptation of 1872 novel
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
of the same name
The Princess and the Goblin
The Princess and the Goblin is a children's fantasy novel by George MacDonald. It was published in 1872 by Strahan & Co.The sequel to this book is The Princess and Curdie....
by George MacDonald
George MacDonald
George MacDonald was a Scottish author, poet, and Christian minister.Known particularly for his poignant fairy tales and fantasy novels, George MacDonald inspired many authors, such as W. H. Auden, J. R. R. Tolkien, C. S. Lewis, E. Nesbit and Madeleine L'Engle. It was C.S...
.
When a peaceful kingdom is menaced by an army of monstrous goblins, a brave and beautiful princess joins forces with a resourceful peasant boy to rescue the noble king and all his people. The lucky pair must battle the evil power of the wicked goblin prince armed only with the gift of song, the miracle of love, and a magical shimmering thread.
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, the people fight the goblins off and save the kingdom.At the end of the VHS release, a public service announcement
Public service announcement
A public service announcement or public service ad is a type of advertisement featured on television, radio, print or other media...
would play, with Claire Bloom (as Great Great Grandmother Irene) talking about a support hotline, where lonely children could talk to her, Princess Irene, or Curdie.
Cast
- Joss AcklandJoss AcklandSidney Edmond Jocelyn Ackland CBE , known as Joss Ackland, is an English actor who has appeared in more than 130 films and numerous television roles.-Early life:...
- King Papa, Irene's father - Claire BloomClaire BloomClaire Bloom is an English film and stage actress.-Early life:Bloom was born in the North London suburb of Finchley, the daughter of Elizabeth and Edward Max Blume, who worked in sales...
- Great Great Grandmother Irene - Roy KinnearRoy KinnearRoy Mitchell Kinnear was an English character actor. He is best remembered for playing Veruca Salt's father, Mr. Salt, in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.-Early life:...
- Mump. This was Kinnear's final role after his death on September 20, 1988. - Sally Ann MarshSally Ann MarshSally Ann Marsh is a British singer and actress who came to fame originally as a member of a short lived girlband with Diana Barrand and Dani Behr called Faith Hope & Charity, .-Performing career:...
- Princess Irene, the princess of the castle and the main protagonist - Rik MayallRik MayallRichard Michael "Rik" Mayall is an English comedian, writer, and actor. He is known for his comedy partnership with Ade Edmondson, his over-the-top, energetic portrayal of characters, and as a pioneer of alternative comedy in the early 1980s...
- Prince Froglip, the Goblin Prince and the main antagonist - Peggy MountPeggy MountMargaret Rose "Peggy" Mount OBE, was an English actress of stage and screen. She was perhaps best known for playing battleaxe characters, though her real personality was said to have been far removed from such roles. She was also well-known for her distinctive voice.- Early life :Mount was born in...
- Goblin Queen, Froglip's mother and the secondary antagonist. This was Mount's final film role. - Peter Murray - Curdie, a mining warrior boy and the secondary protagonist. (Paul KeatingPaul KeatingPaul John Keating was the 24th Prime Minister of Australia, serving from 1991 to 1996. Keating was elected as the federal Labor member for Blaxland in 1969 and came to prominence as the reformist treasurer of the Hawke Labor government, which came to power at the 1983 election...
did his singing voice.) - Victor SpinettiVictor SpinettiVictor Spinetti is a Welsh comic actor.-Early life:Spinetti was born in Cwm, Ebbw Vale, Wales of Welsh and Italian heritage from a grandfather who was said to have walked from Italy to Wales to work as a coal miner...
- Glump - Mollie SugdenMollie SugdenIsobel Mary 'Mollie' Sugden was an English comedy actress best known for portraying the saleswoman Mrs. Slocombe in the British sitcom Are You Being Served? from 1972 to 1985. She later reprised this role in Grace & Favour, which ran from 1992 to 1993...
- Looti, Irene's nanny - Robin Lyons - Goblin King, Froglip's father
Differences from the book
- Irene's meeting with her grandmother took place before meeting with Curdie. In the movie, Irene met Curdie before her grandmother.
- Irene's cut came from handling a brooch in the book. She got scratched by a goblin creature in the movie
- Great-Great Grandmother Irene had the ability to change her appearance depending on how old she feels. In the movie, it wasn't shown she can.
- In the book where Irene took Curdie to see her grandmother, Curdie wasn't able to see Grandmother Irene because he still doubted even though Irene can. In the movie, Grandmother Irene wasn't in her room when Irene and Curdie came in.
- The confrontation against Prince Froglip wasn't in the book.
- In the book, the goblin prince was named Harelip. In the movie, it was Froglip.
Production
The Princess and the Goblin was the first animated feature from WalesCinema of Wales
The Cinema of Wales comprises the art of film and creative movies made in Wales or by Welsh filmmakers abroad. Welsh cinema began in the late-19th century, led by Welsh-based director William Haggar...
, and the 25th full-length cartoon from Hungary
Cinema of Hungary
Hungary has had a notable cinema industry from the beginning of the 20th century, with Hungarians who affected the world of motion picture both inside and outside the borders...
. The film was produced by the Welsh television station S4C
S4C
S4C , currently branded as S4/C, is a Welsh television channel broadcast from the capital, Cardiff. The first television channel to be aimed specifically at a Welsh-speaking audience, it is the fifth oldest British television channel .The channel - initially broadcast on...
, and the Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
-based Siriol studio, along with Hungary's Pannonia
PannóniaFilm
Pannonia Film Studio is the largest animation studio in Hungary, based in the capital of Budapest.-History:...
and Japan's NHK
NHK
NHK is Japan's national public broadcasting organization. NHK, which has always identified itself to its audiences by the English pronunciation of its initials, is a publicly owned corporation funded by viewers' payments of a television license fee....
. Costing $10 million, the film teamed producer/screenwriter Robin Lyons with director József Gémes (from 1982's Heroic Times
Heroic Times
Heroic Times is a 1984 Hungarian animated fantasy-adventure film directed by József Gémes. It is an adaptation of the Toldi trilogy, a 19th century epic poem in three parts by János Arany. The film was produced through Pannonia Film Studio and is notable for its visual style, which resembles oil...
). Most of the principal animation was produced at the Siriol facilities.
Release and reception
Originally released in 1992 and 1993 across Europe, The Princess and the Goblin was picked up for North American release by Hemdale ReleasingHemdale Film Corporation
Hemdale Film Corporation, known as Hemdale Communications after 1993, was an independent film production company and distributor founded in London in 1967 as the Hemdale Company by actor David Hemmings and his manager, John Daly. Hemdale was initially founded as a talent agency that helped launch...
for a summer release in 1994. The film was a critical and commercial disappointment there, only grossing US$2.1 million from 795 venues.
The staff of Halliwell's Film Guide deemed it an "Uninteresting animated feature, with a dull fairy-tale plot dully executed."
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
Michael Medved
Michael Medved is an American radio host, author, political commentator and film critic. His Seattle, Washington-based nationally syndicated talk show, The Michael Medved Show, airs throughout the U.S...
'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.
The Princess and the Goblin received a Seal of Approval from the Dove Foundation
Dove Foundation
rightThe Dove Foundation is a registered United States tax deductible non-profit organization based in Grand Rapids, Michigan known among other programs for its activities of rating, reviewing and endorsing films and for campaigning against the portrayal of sexual activity and violence in Hollywood...
, and the Film Advisory Board
Film Advisory Board
The Film Advisory Board, Inc. is a member-supported organization founded in 1975 by Elayne Blythe . The FAB's "Award of Excellence" was developed to award quality family-oriented and children's entertainment in both print and electronic media.The second division of FAB is the FAB Ratings System...
's Award of Excellence. Moreover, it won the Best Children's Film Award at the Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival.
Hemdale Home Video premiered the movie on VHS some time after its theatrical outing. It was released on DVD in 2003 by Allumination FilmWorks
Allumination FilmWorks
Allumination FilmWorks is a distributor of home entertainment products. It was founded in 2002 as Ardustry Entertainment but renamed to Allumination FilmWorks sometime in late 2005/early 2006. Allumination is headquartered in Woodland Hills, CA, and also has a facility in Fort Mill, SC...
.