Babar: The Movie
| Babar: The Movie | |
|---|---|
Theatrical release poster
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| Directed by | Alan Bunce |
| Produced by |
Michael Hirsh Patrick Loubert Clive A. Smith |
| Written by |
Original Babar characters: Jean and Laurent de Brunhoff Story: Peter Sauder Michael Hirsh Patrick Loubert Screenplay: Peter Sauder J.D. Smith John de Klein Raymond Jafelice Alan Bunce |
| Music by | Milan Kymlicka |
| Edited by | Evan Landis |
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Production
company |
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| Distributed by |
United States: New Line Cinema Canada: Astral Films |
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Release date
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28 July 1989 |
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Running time
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76 minutes |
| Country | Canada France |
| Language | English French |
| Box office | $1,305,187 |
Babar: The Movie is a 1989 Canadian-French traditional animated film made by Canada's Nelvana Limited and France's Ellipse Programmé, and distributed by New Line Cinema. It is based on the characters of Jean de Brunhoff's eponymous children's books, and was a follow-up to the first season of the TV series.
On the night of Elephantland's Victory Parade, Babar tells his four children the story of his first days as King of the elephants.
On his first day as king, he is asked to choose a name for Elephantland's Annual Parade. Babar promptly selects one, but is informed by the bureaucratic-minded lords that the matter must be thoroughly examined by committee. Babar's cousin, Celeste, then interrupts to tell Babar that her home has been attacked by Rataxes, the rhinoceros lord, and his horde. The chancellors scoff and rubuff her, but Babar orders an elephant army to be called up immediately to defeat the rhinos, if partly because he wants to impress Celeste.
But, due to the heel-dragging of his ultra-conservative ministers, Babar learns that the muster will take at least three days. Not willing to wait any longer, Babar tells his cousin Arthur, Celeste's brother, to take care of his job as King while he ventures off on his own to help their mother, amid dangerous jungle. He finds Celeste's village aflame; the rhinos are taking the adult elephants as slaves so that they can work on building a rhino city. Babar tries to intervene, but is knocked senseless for his trouble.
When he comes to, Babar rescues Celeste out of the town well, and they set off to rescue her mother, and the other pachyderms, from Rataxes' wrath. Along the way, they meet a monkey named Zephir, who gives them the location of the rhinos' base. The two come face to face with Rataxes himself, who plans to invade Babar's kingdom by twilight, and are put in jail, but they both escape along with Zephir, and race back to Elephantland to save it.
Heading into the rhinos' tents, they disguise themselves as one of the warriors, asking for "special detail" of their plans for attack, but to no avail. They get away from Rataxes quickly, launching from a catapult and landing in a fountain, much to the surprise of Babar's advisors.
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