Zodiac: The Race Begins
Encyclopedia
Zodiac: The Race Begins is a CGI film
produced by Singapore
's Cubix Pictures. The film was released in the city state on January 26, 2006.
It is Singapore's first 3D animated film and recounts the legend behind the ancient Chinese zodiac
on how 12 animal
s came to be chosen as its symbols. Its script, researched by Singapore-based freelance playwright
and former cross-talk celebrity
Zhao Jin, incorporates eight myths.
In 2007, it was released in Malaysia on Disney Channel Asia
in English.
gave the eminent Jade Emperor
the task of ruling the celestial and mortal worlds. However, mortal human beings
did not have an awareness of time, which spelt calamity. To avert this, the Jade Emperor gave a celestial order: "Let it be known in the mortal world, that I, the Imperial Jade Emperor, shall appoint 12 animals to ascend to the celestial world. These 12 species of animals shall represent a cycle of 12 years with each animal representing a year. Any humans born in a particular animal's year shall bear that animal's mark and his strength. This representation shall be known as the Zodiac."
But deep in the dark swamps, the thousand year old tree spirit, determined to thwart the plans of her long-time enemy, the Jade Emperor, sets forth to prevent the success of the Race by impeding the 12 chosen ones.
, who did voiceover recordings for the characters of the snake
and the cat
. Popular radio DJ Dennis Chew did a voiceover for the rooster
, the rat
and an evil court official.
Animal Names (editing):
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
produced by Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
's Cubix Pictures. The film was released in the city state on January 26, 2006.
It is Singapore's first 3D animated film and recounts the legend behind the ancient Chinese zodiac
Chinese zodiac
The Shēngxiào , better known in English as the Chinese Zodiac, is a scheme that relates each year to an animal and its reputed attributes, according to a 12-year mathematical cycle...
on how 12 animal
Animal
Animals are a major group of multicellular, eukaryotic organisms of the kingdom Animalia or Metazoa. Their body plan eventually becomes fixed as they develop, although some undergo a process of metamorphosis later on in their life. Most animals are motile, meaning they can move spontaneously and...
s came to be chosen as its symbols. Its script, researched by Singapore-based freelance playwright
Playwright
A playwright, also called a dramatist, is a person who writes plays.The term is not a variant spelling of "playwrite", but something quite distinct: the word wright is an archaic English term for a craftsman or builder...
and former cross-talk celebrity
Celebrity
A celebrity, also referred to as a celeb in popular culture, is a person who has a prominent profile and commands a great degree of public fascination and influence in day-to-day media...
Zhao Jin, incorporates eight myths.
In 2007, it was released in Malaysia on Disney Channel Asia
Disney Channel Asia
Disney Channel Asia, a franchise of Disney Channel, airs in most parts of Southeast Asia.- Programming :Disney Channel Asia airs a variety of shows, aimed particularly at children and teenagers. Most of the programming is similar to the American counterpart with some shows exclusive to the Asian...
in English.
Plot
The great BuddhaGautama Buddha
Siddhārtha Gautama was a spiritual teacher from the Indian subcontinent, on whose teachings Buddhism was founded. In most Buddhist traditions, he is regarded as the Supreme Buddha Siddhārtha Gautama (Sanskrit: सिद्धार्थ गौतम; Pali: Siddhattha Gotama) was a spiritual teacher from the Indian...
gave the eminent Jade Emperor
Jade Emperor
The Jade Emperor in Chinese folk culture, is the ruler of Heaven and all realms of existence below including that of Man and Hell, according to a version of Taoist mythology. He is one of the most important gods of the Chinese traditional religion pantheon...
the task of ruling the celestial and mortal worlds. However, mortal human beings
Human
Humans are the only living species in the Homo genus...
did not have an awareness of time, which spelt calamity. To avert this, the Jade Emperor gave a celestial order: "Let it be known in the mortal world, that I, the Imperial Jade Emperor, shall appoint 12 animals to ascend to the celestial world. These 12 species of animals shall represent a cycle of 12 years with each animal representing a year. Any humans born in a particular animal's year shall bear that animal's mark and his strength. This representation shall be known as the Zodiac."
But deep in the dark swamps, the thousand year old tree spirit, determined to thwart the plans of her long-time enemy, the Jade Emperor, sets forth to prevent the success of the Race by impeding the 12 chosen ones.
Cast
35 artists were cast in the voiceovers for the show. This includes prominent Singaporean actress Fann WongFann Wong
Fann Woon Fong , better known by her stage name Fann Wong, is a Singaporean actress, singer and model.At Singapore's Star Awards 1995, Fann became the first actress to win both the Best Actress and Best Newcomer awards in the same year...
, who did voiceover recordings for the characters of the snake
Snake
Snakes are elongate, legless, carnivorous reptiles of the suborder Serpentes that can be distinguished from legless lizards by their lack of eyelids and external ears. Like all squamates, snakes are ectothermic, amniote vertebrates covered in overlapping scales...
and the cat
Cat
The cat , also known as the domestic cat or housecat to distinguish it from other felids and felines, is a small, usually furry, domesticated, carnivorous mammal that is valued by humans for its companionship and for its ability to hunt vermin and household pests...
. Popular radio DJ Dennis Chew did a voiceover for the rooster
Rooster
A rooster, also known as a cockerel, cock or chanticleer, is a male chicken with the female being called a hen. Immature male chickens of less than a year's age are called cockerels...
, the rat
Rat
Rats are various medium-sized, long-tailed rodents of the superfamily Muroidea. "True rats" are members of the genus Rattus, the most important of which to humans are the black rat, Rattus rattus, and the brown rat, Rattus norvegicus...
and an evil court official.
Animal Names (editing):
- Peggy the Pig
- Draco the Dragon
- Oreo/Oroe the Ox
- Scarlett the Snake
- Titus the Tiger
- Relly the Rabbit
- Dicy the Dog
- Rocket the Rooster
- Harold the Horse
- Rico the Rat
- Goby the Goat
- Molly the Monkey