The Adventures of the American Rabbit
Encyclopedia
The Adventures of the American Rabbit (released in the UK as simply The American Rabbit) is an animated film released in 1986 by Clubhouse Pictures, and subsequently on DVD by MGM.
, and the old rabbit shows up a few times to inquire about Rob's talents and attitude before disappearing. One day, when his parents become endangered by a falling boulder, Rob sprints towards them and changes into a striped and star-spangled superhero
on golden rollerskates. The old rabbit reappears and tells Rob that he is the American Rabbit, capable of changing into superhero form when he sprints and changing back to normal when he says his own name.
As Rob moves to the big city, he decides to keep his secret identity hidden. He finds a job as a piano player in the Panda Monium, a nightclub
run by a panda
named Teddy and a female rabbit named Bunny O'Hare. The club is harassed by a gang of jackals who run a Mafia
-style protection racket. When Teddy refuses to buy insurance from the Jackals, they return on their motorcycles and wreck the club during a White Brothers show, while Rob is too focused on his playing to drive them off as the American Rabbit. Bunny O'Hare and Teddy organize a march and rally the next day. Walt, the Jackals' well-dressed boss, orders them to ride their motorcycles in the march. They cause a distraction while Walt's buzzard
destroys the cables that support the bridge, but are thwarted by the American Rabbit. Teddy then announces his plans to do a cross-country tour with the White Brothers, which will allow him to raise enough money to rebuild the Panda Monium.
An irritated Walt orders the Jackals to kidnap a gorilla
(Lorenzo Music
) named Ping Pong and turn him against the American Rabbit. They take him to a secret lair in the Grand Canyon
and threaten to drown him if he refuses to help, but Rob discovers that Ping Pong is missing. He sends Teddy, Bunny, and the White Brothers rafting down the river and is captured by the Jackals, but manages to turn into the American Rabbit and rescue Ping Pong. Rob and the gang decide to go to New Orleans to play at The Hog and Frog, but find that it has been burnt down. O'Hare sees an advertisement for a band to play at the Paradise club. They end up with the club until Rob realizes that the manager is part of the Jackal gang.
Rob and his friends board a boat, where they are trapped inside while Walt and his crew engulf the boat in flames. Rob becomes the American Rabbit and manages to get everybody off the boat before it explodes. Bunny O'Hare starts to worry about Rob, but the American Rabbit assures her that he's fine. He promises to search for Rob and learn more about the mysterious fire, and overhears Walt and the Jackals planning to head to New York
, where their master plan is afoot. The American Rabbit heads back into the water, where he transforms back into Rob and swims to shore. He suggests to Teddy that they should go to New York. Worried that they do not have instruments, Teddy tells them that he's got connections (who turn out to be penguins).
Meanwhile, Walt and the Jackals kidnap a chocolate-making moose
and his son and rent the Statue of Liberty
for a day. They rig it with dynamite, and Walt threatens to blow up the visiting public if they refuse to serve him. The American Rabbit discovers the dynamite, follows Walt's voice to his hiding place, and clobbers him. Walt's clothes are the only thing that remain; it is revealed that "Walt" is actually the buzzard, Vultor. Perching on the detonator for the dynamite, he forces the Rabbit to deliver an announcement to the public: Vultor and the Jackals are in total control of the city, those who oppose them will be killed, and those who obey them will be rewarded with chocolate. Greatly ashamed by his failure to defeat Vultor and protect his friends, Rob disappears into the city.
With the American Rabbit out of the picture, Vultor and the Jackals begin to enact their laws upon the city. However, the people soon turn on the Jackals, and Teddy, Bunny, Ping Pong, and the White Brothers free the moose and his son. Vultor curses the Jackals, dismissing them as traitors for sympathizing with the people, and swears to destroy the American Rabbit (and the city) with his doomsday switch.
Humiliated and defeated, Rob catches a taxi and tells the driver that he's a failure. The taxi driver turns out to be the elderly rabbit from the beginning of the film, who advises Rob that he "can't win 'em all," but he can make "a power play of his own." Rob notices a poster for Niagara Falls, which spurs him back to action. He uses his telekinetic abilities to stop the flow of the water, cutting the power supply to the city and deactivating the doomsday switch. A furious Vultor faces the American Rabbit for a final showdown, but the Rabbit chases him into a blizzard and refuses his offer to join forces. Vultor makes one last attempt to kill the American Rabbit by diving at him, but misses and plunges to his death.
The American Rabbit returns as Rob to rescue his friends, and gets a kiss from Bunny O'Hare.
) and Toei Animation
, The Adventures of the American Rabbit was based upon the poster character of the same name created by pop artist Stewart Moskowitz. The artist's characters were adopted as the mascots for many major Japanese companies, hence the film's backing by Japanese investors and the participation of the aforementioned Toei Animation
. Legendary animator Shingo Araki
was among the animation staff working on the film. The screenplay was written by Norman Lenzer, from the ABC
television movie The Point!
. It was co-directed by Fred Wolf
, and longtime Toei Animation director Nobutaka Nishizawa.
, which specialized in children's entertainment. It was not well-received by critics or audiences through its original run. The film made $291,126 during it opening weekend from 242 screens and ran for two months, grossing $1,268,443.
As proclaimed The Los Angeles Times' Charles Solomon
: "Both the writing and the animation in The Adventures of the American Rabbit are so inept that the viewer expects the governor to interrupt the film and declare the theater a disaster area!"
MGM Home Entertainment released American Rabbit on DVD in February 2005. It was presented in fullscreen (as opposed to its original widescreen release), and contained no extras.
Plot
The story begins just after the birth of Robert Rabbit. As his parents and friends welcome him into the world, a mysterious old rabbit who walks with a cane greets young Rob and disappears. Neither parent knows who he is, each assuming that he was from the opposite side of the family. Rob grows up as a normal child, skilled at sports and playing the pianoPiano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
, and the old rabbit shows up a few times to inquire about Rob's talents and attitude before disappearing. One day, when his parents become endangered by a falling boulder, Rob sprints towards them and changes into a striped and star-spangled superhero
Superhero
A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
on golden rollerskates. The old rabbit reappears and tells Rob that he is the American Rabbit, capable of changing into superhero form when he sprints and changing back to normal when he says his own name.
As Rob moves to the big city, he decides to keep his secret identity hidden. He finds a job as a piano player in the Panda Monium, a nightclub
Nightclub
A nightclub is an entertainment venue which usually operates late into the night...
run by a panda
Panda
Panda or Panda bear most often refers to:*Giant panda, an animal in the Bear familyPanda may also refer to:*Red panda, the only living member in the Ailuridae family-In biology:* Species related to the Giant panda...
named Teddy and a female rabbit named Bunny O'Hare. The club is harassed by a gang of jackals who run a Mafia
Mafia
The Mafia is a criminal syndicate that emerged in the mid-nineteenth century in Sicily, Italy. It is a loose association of criminal groups that share a common organizational structure and code of conduct, and whose common enterprise is protection racketeering...
-style protection racket. When Teddy refuses to buy insurance from the Jackals, they return on their motorcycles and wreck the club during a White Brothers show, while Rob is too focused on his playing to drive them off as the American Rabbit. Bunny O'Hare and Teddy organize a march and rally the next day. Walt, the Jackals' well-dressed boss, orders them to ride their motorcycles in the march. They cause a distraction while Walt's buzzard
Buzzard
A buzzard is one of several large birds, but there are a number of meanings as detailed below.-Old World:In the Old World Buzzard can mean:* One of several medium-sized, wide-ranging raptors with a robust body and broad wings....
destroys the cables that support the bridge, but are thwarted by the American Rabbit. Teddy then announces his plans to do a cross-country tour with the White Brothers, which will allow him to raise enough money to rebuild the Panda Monium.
An irritated Walt orders the Jackals to kidnap a gorilla
Gorilla
Gorillas are the largest extant species of primates. They are ground-dwelling, predominantly herbivorous apes that inhabit the forests of central Africa. Gorillas are divided into two species and either four or five subspecies...
(Lorenzo Music
Lorenzo Music
Lorenzo Music was an American actor, voice actor, writer, television producer and musician. His best-known roles include voicing the animated cartoon cat Garfield, and Carlton the doorman on the CBS sitcom Rhoda...
) named Ping Pong and turn him against the American Rabbit. They take him to a secret lair in the Grand Canyon
Grand Canyon
The Grand Canyon is a steep-sided canyon carved by the Colorado River in the United States in the state of Arizona. It is largely contained within the Grand Canyon National Park, the 15th national park in the United States...
and threaten to drown him if he refuses to help, but Rob discovers that Ping Pong is missing. He sends Teddy, Bunny, and the White Brothers rafting down the river and is captured by the Jackals, but manages to turn into the American Rabbit and rescue Ping Pong. Rob and the gang decide to go to New Orleans to play at The Hog and Frog, but find that it has been burnt down. O'Hare sees an advertisement for a band to play at the Paradise club. They end up with the club until Rob realizes that the manager is part of the Jackal gang.
Rob and his friends board a boat, where they are trapped inside while Walt and his crew engulf the boat in flames. Rob becomes the American Rabbit and manages to get everybody off the boat before it explodes. Bunny O'Hare starts to worry about Rob, but the American Rabbit assures her that he's fine. He promises to search for Rob and learn more about the mysterious fire, and overhears Walt and the Jackals planning to head to New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, where their master plan is afoot. The American Rabbit heads back into the water, where he transforms back into Rob and swims to shore. He suggests to Teddy that they should go to New York. Worried that they do not have instruments, Teddy tells them that he's got connections (who turn out to be penguins).
Meanwhile, Walt and the Jackals kidnap a chocolate-making moose
Moose
The moose or Eurasian elk is the largest extant species in the deer family. Moose are distinguished by the palmate antlers of the males; other members of the family have antlers with a dendritic configuration...
and his son and rent the Statue of Liberty
Statue of Liberty
The Statue of Liberty is a colossal neoclassical sculpture on Liberty Island in New York Harbor, designed by Frédéric Bartholdi and dedicated on October 28, 1886...
for a day. They rig it with dynamite, and Walt threatens to blow up the visiting public if they refuse to serve him. The American Rabbit discovers the dynamite, follows Walt's voice to his hiding place, and clobbers him. Walt's clothes are the only thing that remain; it is revealed that "Walt" is actually the buzzard, Vultor. Perching on the detonator for the dynamite, he forces the Rabbit to deliver an announcement to the public: Vultor and the Jackals are in total control of the city, those who oppose them will be killed, and those who obey them will be rewarded with chocolate. Greatly ashamed by his failure to defeat Vultor and protect his friends, Rob disappears into the city.
With the American Rabbit out of the picture, Vultor and the Jackals begin to enact their laws upon the city. However, the people soon turn on the Jackals, and Teddy, Bunny, Ping Pong, and the White Brothers free the moose and his son. Vultor curses the Jackals, dismissing them as traitors for sympathizing with the people, and swears to destroy the American Rabbit (and the city) with his doomsday switch.
Humiliated and defeated, Rob catches a taxi and tells the driver that he's a failure. The taxi driver turns out to be the elderly rabbit from the beginning of the film, who advises Rob that he "can't win 'em all," but he can make "a power play of his own." Rob notices a poster for Niagara Falls, which spurs him back to action. He uses his telekinetic abilities to stop the flow of the water, cutting the power supply to the city and deactivating the doomsday switch. A furious Vultor faces the American Rabbit for a final showdown, but the Rabbit chases him into a blizzard and refuses his offer to join forces. Vultor makes one last attempt to kill the American Rabbit by diving at him, but misses and plunges to his death.
The American Rabbit returns as Rob to rescue his friends, and gets a kiss from Bunny O'Hare.
Partial Voice cast
- Barry GordonBarry GordonBarry Gordon is an American film, television and voice actor and political talk show host and producer. He was the longest-serving president of the Screen Actors Guild, having served from 1988 to 1995.-Biography:...
as Rob/American Rabbit - Kenneth MarsKenneth MarsKenneth Mars was an American television, movie, and voice actor. He may be best-remembered for his roles in several Mel Brooks films: the insane Nazi playwright Franz Liebkind in 1968's The Producers, and the relentless Police Inspector Hans Wilhelm Fredrich Kemp in 1974's Young Frankenstein...
as Walt/Vultor the Buzzard - Lorenzo MusicLorenzo MusicLorenzo Music was an American actor, voice actor, writer, television producer and musician. His best-known roles include voicing the animated cartoon cat Garfield, and Carlton the doorman on the CBS sitcom Rhoda...
as Ping Pong - Hal SmithHal SmithHal Smith may refer to:* Hal Smith , American actor* Hal Smith , American baseball player * Hal Smith , American baseball player [catcher/third baseman]...
as Mentor
Production
An American/Japanese co-production between Murakami-Wolf-Swenson (now Fred Wolf Films DublinFred Wolf Films Dublin
Fred Wolf Films Dublin is an animation studio in Dublin, Ireland founded by Fred Wolf, and Jimmy Murakami . It was originally founded as MW . The studio produced The Point, the first U.S. animated special to air in prime time...
) and Toei Animation
Toei Animation
Toei Animation Co., Ltd. is a Japanese animation studio owned by Toei Co., Ltd. The studio was founded in 1948 as Japan Animated Films . In 1956, Toei purchased the studio and it was reincorporated under its current name...
, The Adventures of the American Rabbit was based upon the poster character of the same name created by pop artist Stewart Moskowitz. The artist's characters were adopted as the mascots for many major Japanese companies, hence the film's backing by Japanese investors and the participation of the aforementioned Toei Animation
Toei Animation
Toei Animation Co., Ltd. is a Japanese animation studio owned by Toei Co., Ltd. The studio was founded in 1948 as Japan Animated Films . In 1956, Toei purchased the studio and it was reincorporated under its current name...
. Legendary animator Shingo Araki
Shingo Araki
was a Japanese animation artist and character designer. He developed an interest for drawing at age five. He graduated in Aichi Prefecture. In 1955, at age eighteen, he debuted as a cartoonist in the "Machi" magazine. He then joined Mushi Production as animator in 1965 and later founded Studio...
was among the animation staff working on the film. The screenplay was written by Norman Lenzer, from the ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
television movie The Point!
The Point!
- Musical play :In 1975, Esquire Jauchem, Artistic Director of the Boston Repertory Theater, approached Harry Nilsson about creating a stage musical of "The Point!" Although Nilsson said he had been asked many times and had always turned down the request, this time he granted his permission...
. It was co-directed by Fred Wolf
Fred Wolf
Fred Wolf is an American animator. His works include the 1967 short subject The Box, for which he won an Academy Award; television specials such as The Point! and Free to Be... You and Me, and television series such as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, James Bond Jr., and Sarah Ferguson's Budgie the...
, and longtime Toei Animation director Nobutaka Nishizawa.
Reception and release
The film was among the first to be released by Clubhouse Pictures, a division of independent distributor, Atlantic ReleasingAtlantic Releasing
Atlantic Entertainment Group, also known as Atlantic Releasing Corporation was an independent film production and distribution company founded by Tom Coleman and Michael Rosenblatt in 1974...
, which specialized in children's entertainment. It was not well-received by critics or audiences through its original run. The film made $291,126 during it opening weekend from 242 screens and ran for two months, grossing $1,268,443.
As proclaimed The Los Angeles Times
Charles Solomon
Charles "King" Solomon was a Jewish-American mob boss who controlled Boston's bootlegging, narcotics and illegal gambling during Prohibition.-Biography:...
: "Both the writing and the animation in The Adventures of the American Rabbit are so inept that the viewer expects the governor to interrupt the film and declare the theater a disaster area!"
MGM Home Entertainment released American Rabbit on DVD in February 2005. It was presented in fullscreen (as opposed to its original widescreen release), and contained no extras.
Sources
- Beck, Jerry (2005). The Animated Movie Guide. ISBN 1-55652-591-5. Chicago Reader Press. Retrieved April 7, 2007.