Strawberry Shortcake: The Sweet Dreams Movie
Encyclopedia
Strawberry Shortcake: The Sweet Dreams Movie is a 2006 computer-animated film produced by DIC Entertainment
, and released theatrically in select cities in October 2006 by Kidtoon Films
. It is the first feature-length film to feature the eponymous American Greetings
property
, and stars the voices of Sarah Heinke
, Rachel Ware, Nils Haaland and Bridget Robbins. The film also includes the first appearance of the villain, the Peculiar Pie Man, since Nelvana
's Strawberry Shortcake specials from more than twenty years ago.
This marks the fourth time DiC has ever released an animated film in theaters, following their efforts with Here Come the Littles
, Rainbow Brite and the Star Stealer
and Heathcliff: The Movie
from the mid-1980s. Fox Home Entertainment premiered The Sweet Dreams Movie on DVD on February 6, 2007.
sequels Return to Never Land
and The Jungle Book 2
.
During the film’s production, storyboards were drawn by DiC crew members in Los Angeles and shipped to Omaha, Nebraska
’s Ware House Productions. A line-up of young actors, mostly from Omaha, recorded their lines in four days. Another two were spent on the score, composed by Los Angeles musician Andy Street.
sponsored the event. Special showings of the film took place at Cleveland’s Toonaloo event on October 1, at the Los Angeles International Children’s Film Festival on October 8, and at the Avalon Theatre in Washington, D.C.
on January 27, 2007.
Sweet Dreams was released as part of Kidtoon Films' monthly program on October 6, 2006, during weekend matinees in select venues. The film was only shown digitally, and not printed on traditional 35mm stock; had no major press reviews during its stay in theaters; and was designated as a direct-to-DVD feature in the first place. Hence, as with all of Kidtoon's past movies, it is not considered a legitimate theatrical release, according to animation expert Jerry Beck
on his Cartoon Research site.
In a January 2007 interview with Animation Magazine, Leslie Nelson, a member of DiC's European unit, said that Sweet Dreams was the biggest success for the Kidtoon program, beating the sales for an undisclosed record holder by 20%. During its October release, over two million tickets were sold.
The Sweet Dreams Movie debuted on DVD in North America on February 6, 2007, courtesy of Fox Home Entertainment. Although there are no special features on the disc itself, every copy includes a special package of organic strawberry seeds.
The movie has its first known international appearance when Disney Channel Asia picked it up for its "The Wonderful World of Disney" movie slot in March 2007. Disney Channel Asia has since repeated screenings of the movie several times. However, the movie was not released onto VideoCDs in the Asian region until December 2007, well over 10 months after the February 2007 North American DVD release and over a year after its US theatrical début.
DVD animated adventures of late, and you'll be in the right ballpark."
Some days later, Mike Long of DVD Talk
expressed disappointment over the film's story, design and ending, as well as its songs, and rated it one star out of five. He commented, "[It] damages the reputation of a solid line of kid-friendly videos."
has published at least three books based on the film, all of which contain actual stills from the production. They are The Sweet Dreams Movie Storybook by Megan E. Bryant (ISBN 0-448-44423-2), Dream Big! by Sierra Harimann (ISBN 0-448-44425-9), and a sticker book entitled A Berry Big Adventure, edited by Molly Kempf (ISBN 0-448-44424-0).
On September 19, 2006, Koch Records
released a soundtrack album of the film. Nine songs were featured on the album, including "Sweet Dreams" and "All It Takes". Additionally, two songs unrelated to the movie, "You’re my Berry Best Friend" (from the regular episode Peppermint's Pet Peeve) and "Tell Me A Story" (A bonus music video from the Adventures in Ice-cream Island DVD), was included.
On September 30, 2006, Majesco Entertainment
released the video game Strawberry Shortcake: Sweet Dreams for the Game Boy Advance
. It was developed by Gorilla Games, and incorporated stills of actual scenes from the film. IGN
reviewer Ed Lewis gave it a rating of 5.1/10, starting his critique thus: "It's charming, but too many sweets may give you cavities." Another game based on the film, Adventures in the Land of Dreams, was released by Game Factory
for the PlayStation 2
console on January 10, 2007. A port for the PC
was to be released in Q4 2007. However as of December 2008 the PC version still cannot be found
in stores and online, and no news on the release of the port have been heard since its initial announcement.
Unusually, both Strawberry Shortcake: Sweet Dreams for the GBA and Strawberry Shortcake: Adventure in the Land of Dreams for the PS2 were launched with the title Strawberry Shortcake: The Sweet Dreams Game in the North American market.
DiC Entertainment
DIC Entertainment was an international film and television production company. In addition to animated television shows such as Ulysses 31 , Inspector Gadget , The Littles , The Real Ghostbusters , Captain Planet and the Planeteers , and the first two seasons of the English adaptation of...
, and released theatrically in select cities in October 2006 by Kidtoon Films
Kidtoon Films
Kidtoon Films is a distributor of children's animated films in the United States. The company is a subsidiary of The Bigger Picture, a Cinedigm company. Formerly owned by SD Entertainment, which produces many of its releases...
. It is the first feature-length film to feature the eponymous American Greetings
American Greetings
American Greetings Corporation, Inc. is the world's largest publicly-traded greeting card company. It is based in Brooklyn, Ohio and sells paper greeting cards, electronic greeting cards, party products , and electronic expressive content...
property
Strawberry Shortcake
Strawberry Shortcake is a licensed character owned by American Greetings, originally used in greeting cards and expanded to include dolls, posters, and other products...
, and stars the voices of Sarah Heinke
Sarah Heinke
Sarah Kathleen Heinke is an American voice actress, best known for her vocal role as Strawberry Shortcake, the title character of the DiC animated series. She was born in Omaha, Nebraska. She also has two older brothers, Ben and Josh Heinke, and is also the sister of Ryan Heinke. The family now...
, Rachel Ware, Nils Haaland and Bridget Robbins. The film also includes the first appearance of the villain, the Peculiar Pie Man, since Nelvana
Nelvana
Nelvana Limited is a Canadian entertainment company founded in 1971 known for its work in children's animation. It was named by founders Michael Hirsh, Patrick Loubert and Clive A. Smith after a Canadian comic book superheroine created by Adrian Dingle in the 1940s...
's Strawberry Shortcake specials from more than twenty years ago.
This marks the fourth time DiC has ever released an animated film in theaters, following their efforts with Here Come the Littles
Here Come the Littles
Here Come the Littles is a 1985 children's animated film, produced in Luxembourg by DIC Entertainment and distributed by Atlantic Releasing...
, Rainbow Brite and the Star Stealer
Rainbow Brite and the Star Stealer
Rainbow Brite and the Star Stealer is an animated film released on November 15, 1985 by Warner Bros., and produced by DiC Entertainment and Hallmark Cards...
and Heathcliff: The Movie
Heathcliff: The Movie
Heathcliff: The Movie is a 1986 low budget animated film from DiC Entertainment, released by Atlantic Releasing under their Clubhouse Pictures label. Paramount Home Video released Heathcliff: The Movie on VHS in 1988...
from the mid-1980s. Fox Home Entertainment premiered The Sweet Dreams Movie on DVD on February 6, 2007.
Plot
Strawberry Shortcake is dreaming of a world filled with berry plants that she and her friends can share. But when the Peculiar Pie Man comes to Strawberry Land, her dreams and friendships begin dying, leading to a crop whose stock has been devoured by "Berry Birds". After arranging a sleepover with her friends, Strawberry and the rest travel to the Land of Dreams on a Dreamboat that Ginger Snap has built, in order to stop the Pie Man from taking over their residence.Production
DiC Entertainment announced the first news of The Sweet Dreams Movie on June 1, 2005, as the Strawberry Shortcake franchise was celebrating its 25th anniversary. The script was written by Carter Crocker, whose previous credits included the DisneyWalt Disney Pictures
Walt Disney Pictures is an American film studio owned by The Walt Disney Company. Walt Disney Pictures and Television, a subsidiary of the Walt Disney Studios and the main production company for live-action feature films within the Walt Disney Motion Pictures Group, based at the Walt Disney...
sequels Return to Never Land
Return to Never Land
Return to Never Land is a 2002 American animated film produced by DisneyToon Studios in Sydney, Australia and released by Walt Disney Pictures. The film is a sequel to the 1953 film Peter Pan, based on J.M...
and The Jungle Book 2
The Jungle Book 2
The Jungle Book 2 is a 2003 American animated film produced by the DisneyToons studio in Sydney, Australia and released by Walt Disney Pictures and Buena Vista Distribution. The theatrical version of the film was released in France on February 5, 2003, and released in the United States on February...
.
During the film’s production, storyboards were drawn by DiC crew members in Los Angeles and shipped to Omaha, Nebraska
Omaha, Nebraska
Omaha is the largest city in the state of Nebraska, United States, and is the county seat of Douglas County. It is located in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about 20 miles north of the mouth of the Platte River...
’s Ware House Productions. A line-up of young actors, mostly from Omaha, recorded their lines in four days. Another two were spent on the score, composed by Los Angeles musician Andy Street.
Release
On September 30, 2006, The Sweet Dreams Movie received its world première at Omaha’s Rose Theater for the Performing Arts. American Greetings, DiC, the local Children’s Hospital (where it was also screened) and Radio DisneyRadio Disney
Radio Disney is a radio network based in Burbank, California and headquartered out of the Disney Channel headquarters on West Alameda Ave., from where it has been based since November 2008. Prior to that, the network was based in Dallas, Texas...
sponsored the event. Special showings of the film took place at Cleveland’s Toonaloo event on October 1, at the Los Angeles International Children’s Film Festival on October 8, and at the Avalon Theatre in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
on January 27, 2007.
Sweet Dreams was released as part of Kidtoon Films' monthly program on October 6, 2006, during weekend matinees in select venues. The film was only shown digitally, and not printed on traditional 35mm stock; had no major press reviews during its stay in theaters; and was designated as a direct-to-DVD feature in the first place. Hence, as with all of Kidtoon's past movies, it is not considered a legitimate theatrical release, according to animation expert Jerry Beck
Jerry Beck
Jerry Beck is a well-known animation historian, with ten books and numerous articles to his credit. He is also an animation producer, an industry consultant to Warner Bros., and has been an executive with Nickelodeon and Disney....
on his Cartoon Research site.
In a January 2007 interview with Animation Magazine, Leslie Nelson, a member of DiC's European unit, said that Sweet Dreams was the biggest success for the Kidtoon program, beating the sales for an undisclosed record holder by 20%. During its October release, over two million tickets were sold.
The Sweet Dreams Movie debuted on DVD in North America on February 6, 2007, courtesy of Fox Home Entertainment. Although there are no special features on the disc itself, every copy includes a special package of organic strawberry seeds.
The movie has its first known international appearance when Disney Channel Asia picked it up for its "The Wonderful World of Disney" movie slot in March 2007. Disney Channel Asia has since repeated screenings of the movie several times. However, the movie was not released onto VideoCDs in the Asian region until December 2007, well over 10 months after the February 2007 North American DVD release and over a year after its US theatrical début.
Reception
The day before its DVD premiere, R.J. Carter of the home entertainment site, The Trades, gave The Sweet Dreams Movie a B- grade. "It's not exactly [compelling]," he commented on the storyline. "It's silly, and simple, and syrupy sweet—which is all that's called for in a Strawberry Shortcake adventure." On the computer animation, he went on to say: "It is not done so with an attempt to go for realism, however, as the finished product looks more like a cast of plastic moulded [dolls from the franchise] than little girls. Think of any of the BarbieBarbie
Barbie is a fashion doll manufactured by the American toy-company Mattel, Inc. and launched in March 1959. American businesswoman Ruth Handler is credited with the creation of the doll using a German doll called Bild Lilli as her inspiration....
DVD animated adventures of late, and you'll be in the right ballpark."
Some days later, Mike Long of DVD Talk
DVD Talk
DVD Talk is a website for DVD enthusiasts founded in January 1999 by Geoffrey Kleinman when DVDs and DVD players were first beginning to hit the market.The site started as an online forum, an email newsletter, and a page of DVD news and reviews...
expressed disappointment over the film's story, design and ending, as well as its songs, and rated it one star out of five. He commented, "[It] damages the reputation of a solid line of kid-friendly videos."
Merchandise
Grosset & DunlapGrosset & Dunlap
Grosset & Dunlap is a United States book publisher founded in 1898.The company was purchased by G. P. Putnam's Sons in 1982 and today is part of the British publishing conglomerate, Pearson PLC through its American subsidiary Penguin Group....
has published at least three books based on the film, all of which contain actual stills from the production. They are The Sweet Dreams Movie Storybook by Megan E. Bryant (ISBN 0-448-44423-2), Dream Big! by Sierra Harimann (ISBN 0-448-44425-9), and a sticker book entitled A Berry Big Adventure, edited by Molly Kempf (ISBN 0-448-44424-0).
On September 19, 2006, Koch Records
Koch Records
E1 Music , the primary subsidiary of E1 Entertainment LP, is the largest independent record label in the United States. It is also distributed by the Universal Music Group in Europe under the name E1 Universal...
released a soundtrack album of the film. Nine songs were featured on the album, including "Sweet Dreams" and "All It Takes". Additionally, two songs unrelated to the movie, "You’re my Berry Best Friend" (from the regular episode Peppermint's Pet Peeve) and "Tell Me A Story" (A bonus music video from the Adventures in Ice-cream Island DVD), was included.
On September 30, 2006, Majesco Entertainment
Majesco Entertainment
Majesco Entertainment is a video game publisher founded in 1986.-History:Majesco first made a name as a reissuer of old titles that had been abandoned by their original publisher. By cutting the prices dramatically and, eventually, arranging the rights to self-manufacture games for both Nintendo...
released the video game Strawberry Shortcake: Sweet Dreams for the Game Boy Advance
Game Boy Advance
The is a 32-bit handheld video game console developed, manufactured, and marketed by Nintendo. It is the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001; in North America on June 11, 2001; in Australia and Europe on June 22, 2001; and in the People's Republic of China...
. It was developed by Gorilla Games, and incorporated stills of actual scenes from the film. IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
reviewer Ed Lewis gave it a rating of 5.1/10, starting his critique thus: "It's charming, but too many sweets may give you cavities." Another game based on the film, Adventures in the Land of Dreams, was released by Game Factory
Game Factory
The Game Factory is a European video game publisher operating in Europe and North America. The Game Factory was founded in 2004, and is fully owned by K.E. Mathiasen A/S with headquarters situated just outside Aarhus, Denmark. Its titles are distributed either by the company's own sales force in...
for the PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
console on January 10, 2007. A port for the PC
Personal computer
A personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end-user with no intervening computer operator...
was to be released in Q4 2007. However as of December 2008 the PC version still cannot be found
Vaporware
Vaporware is a term in the computer industry that describes a product, typically computer hardware or software, that is announced to the general public but is never actually released nor officially canceled. Vaporware is also a term sometimes used to describe events that are announced or predicted,...
in stores and online, and no news on the release of the port have been heard since its initial announcement.
Unusually, both Strawberry Shortcake: Sweet Dreams for the GBA and Strawberry Shortcake: Adventure in the Land of Dreams for the PS2 were launched with the title Strawberry Shortcake: The Sweet Dreams Game in the North American market.
Cast members
- Sarah HeinkeSarah HeinkeSarah Kathleen Heinke is an American voice actress, best known for her vocal role as Strawberry Shortcake, the title character of the DiC animated series. She was born in Omaha, Nebraska. She also has two older brothers, Ben and Josh Heinke, and is also the sister of Ryan Heinke. The family now...
– Strawberry Shortcake - Rachel Ware – Angel Cake
- Samantha Triba – Ginger Snap/Female Dreambuilder#1
- DeJare Barfield – Orange Blossom
- Greer McKain – Raspberry Torte
- Mary WaltmanMary WaltmanMary Waltman is the voice of the character Lemon Meringue in the series Strawberry Shortcake . In 2006 she debuted in the movie Strawberry Shortcake: The Sweet Dreams Movie as Lemon Meringue. In 2007 she was in Berry Blossom Festival and Let's Dance, also as Lemon Meringue. In 2008 she was in...
– Lemon Meringue - Anna Jordan – Custard
- Nils Haaland – Pupcake / Sleepbug/Berry Birds/Dobbin
- Cork Ramer – Purple Pie Man
- Bridget Robbins – Sour Grapes
- Kim Jubenville Carlson – P.J.
- John Michael Lee – Sandman
- Gianno Maliani - Charlie/Male Dreambuilders/Citizens