The Magic Voyage
Encyclopedia
The Magic Voyage is a German
animated film, released theatrically in Germany
as Die Abenteuer von Pico und Columbus (English
: The Adventures of Pico and Columbus) by Bavaria Film in 1992
. It was released on VHS
in Germany by Warner Home Video
. The film was later dubbed in English and released direct-to-video
in the United States
and Canada
. The first one was a rare English dub, while the second English dub was released by Hemdale Home Video
as The Magic Voyage on February 23, 1994
.
named Christopher Columbus
had a revolutionary idea - he thought that the world was square. That is, until a small woodworm
named Pico overhears him and convinces Columbus that the world is really round by eating up the edges of his square globe, making it look round. Finally realizing that the world is round, Columbus decides to take his discovery to King Ferdinand
and his wife Queen Isabella
. Pico joins him, and the duo instantly become friends.
As Columbus shows the King that the world is round and not flat, the King is outraged by this theory and has his guards throw Columbus out. But before they even get his hands on him, Isabella barges in and is instantly lovestruck by Columbus. Columbus explains his voyage that'll prove his newly-discovered theory to Isabella, and she decides to finance Columbus's voyage to prove that the world is round. The King agrees to do this as well, but he tells Columbus that if he doesn't return with gold, he will be executed. As the three have a feast that night, Pico decides to leave them and snoop around the castle. He climbs a large tower and hops across from the window onto a chandelier
, where he meets Marilyn, the fairy princess of a faraway land. All was well with her land until the evil Swarm Lord took her away and keeps her prisoner inside the chandelier until she tells him the secret of her powers, which don't work on the forces of evil. Pico and Marilyn try to escape, but the Swarm Lord returns and takes Marilyn away to his lair in the still-undiscovered new world of America
. As the Swarm Lord flies away, Pico determines to get Marilyn back.
The next day, Columbus is about to set sail on the Santa Maria
to discover the new world. Pico rushes to the ship, but is stopped by a trio of rats, who plan to eat him. Pico manages to escape, but the rats follow him, hopefully to get a free ride to the new world. Pico gets on board Columbus's ship. The two friends reunite, and Pico explains that he needs to save Marilyn. Columbus's shipmates overhear their captain talking to Pico, and come to the conclusion that Columbus is crazy. As the ships continue on their voyage, Pico bumps into the rats again. They want to leave the ship on one of the lifeboats, because they overheard that the ship is heading to the supposed "edge of the earth". Pico needs them to stay, in case if the shipmates want to plan a mutiny
on Columbus, and the lifeboat is his only chance. Pico convinces the rats to stay with his lie that there's giant amounts of cheese at the new world.
As day fades into night, Pico overhears that the shipmates really plan to kill Columbus and turn back in order to stay away from the edge of the earth. Pico tells this to Columbus, and Columbus is worried. However, he distracts his crew by singing a song to them about life on the sea and other leaders from other time periods, including Ulysses
, the Romans
and the Vikings. Though he gets carried away with the final lyrics to the song that insults the crew (I heard a tale of travelers who feared they'd reach the edge / But long before, a serpent came and ate them up instead), they let Columbus live. The next day, Columbus and the crew think they see land, but it's actually a deserted Viking ship. The crew is angry at Columbus once more and try to hang him. As he's hanging, Columbus sees the new world. Just then, the Swarm Lord flies over the ship and tries to kill everyone on the ship. The ship manages to get away, and lands on The New World by crashing into a dam made by a beaver
named Bob. While the crew stays behind, Pico, Columbus, Bob, and two of the rats (one of them didn't survive the Swarm Lord's wrath) go through the jungles of the island to the Swarm Lord's Aztec
temple
.
Meanwhile, the Swarm Lord still wants Marilyn's powers, but Pico and his friends come in and save the day. Columbus climbs up to the top of the Swarm's giant honeycomb
and takes a golden idol
while Pico saves Marilyn. Columbus uses the idol to squash the Swarm Lord, and Bob has finished chewing through the honeycomb, which causes it crumble. The temple starts to crumble as well. The team escapes, but Marliyn drowns in a waterfall and is found lifeless on a floating flower. Once the sun rises, she comes back to life and Pico and Marliyn kiss. Afterward, they encounter the island's natives, who thank Columbus for destroying the Swarm Lord. The group sail off back to Spain
, and Columbus is happy knowing that he discovered the new world and proved that the world is round.
The film ends with Columbus imaging what America will be like many years later, to the song "Heaven Is" by Al Jarreau
.
in 1992, the year when America celebrated the 500th anniversary of the famous voyage of Christopher Columbus. Other films released during this time of year include 1492: Conquest of Paradise
, Carry on Columbus
and Christopher Columbus: The Discovery
.
At the time, the film was the most expensive animated production in Germany, costing $14.5 million. During the film's release in German theaters, director Schoemann stated that the film was intended to be a film about the discovery of America "from a more satirical view in order to differentiate ourselves clearly from the lofty views of history so we can present Columbus as a lovable, charming, and befuddled scholar".
Phil Nibbelink
was the animation director, while American animators Stanley Green, Kevin Richardson, Rick Morrison and George Singer assisted the animation department. Production lasted for three years.
There are two English versions of the film; the first version including the voices of Donald Arthur as Christopher Columbus, as well as Phil Nibbelink and several German voice actors playing miscellaneous roles. http://www.trickfilmstimmen.de/features/others3/pico.htm The availability of this version is unknown. The second dub was recorded for the North American home video release with a more well-known cast, including Dom De Luise as Christopher Columbus, Corey Feldman
as Pico, Irene Cara
as Marilyn and Mickey Rooney
as the Narrator. Particularly notable in this dub is an abundance of ad-libbing. The US dub was written by David T. Reilly and Visual Effects supervisor Scott Santoro.
, with clumsy animation and forgettable songs."
Reviews
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
animated film, released theatrically in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
as Die Abenteuer von Pico und Columbus (English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
: The Adventures of Pico and Columbus) by Bavaria Film in 1992
1992 in film
The year 1992 in film involved many significant films. -Top grossing films:-Awards:Academy AwardsGolden Globe AwardsNational Film Awards...
. It was released on VHS
VHS
The Video Home System is a consumer-level analog recording videocassette standard developed by Victor Company of Japan ....
in Germany by Warner Home Video
Warner Home Video
Warner Home Video is the home video unit of Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., itself part of Time Warner. It was founded in 1978 as WCI Home Video . The company launched in the United States with twenty films on VHS and Betamax videocassettes in late 1979...
. The film was later dubbed in English and released direct-to-video
Direct-to-video
Direct-to-video is a term used to describe a film that has been released to the public on home video formats without being released in film theaters or broadcast on television...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. The first one was a rare English dub, while the second English dub was released by Hemdale Home Video
Hemdale 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...
as The Magic Voyage on February 23, 1994
1994 in film
1994 was a significant year in film.The top grosser worldwide was The Lion King, which to date stands as the highest-grossing traditionally-animated film of all time...
.
Synopsis
The year is 1492. Many people believed that the world was flat, and that ships would fall off the edge of the earth and float off into space. However, an Italian navigatorNavigator
A navigator is the person on board a ship or aircraft responsible for its navigation. The navigator's primary responsibility is to be aware of ship or aircraft position at all times. Responsibilities include planning the journey, advising the Captain or aircraft Commander of estimated timing to...
named Christopher Columbus
Christopher Columbus
Christopher Columbus was an explorer, colonizer, and navigator, born in the Republic of Genoa, in northwestern Italy. Under the auspices of the Catholic Monarchs of Spain, he completed four voyages across the Atlantic Ocean that led to general European awareness of the American continents in the...
had a revolutionary idea - he thought that the world was square. That is, until a small woodworm
Woodworm
A woodworm is not a specific species. It is the larval stage of certain woodboring beetles including:*Ambrosia beetles *Bark borer beetle / Waney edge borer *Common furniture beetle...
named Pico overhears him and convinces Columbus that the world is really round by eating up the edges of his square globe, making it look round. Finally realizing that the world is round, Columbus decides to take his discovery to King Ferdinand
Ferdinand II of Aragon
Ferdinand the Catholic was King of Aragon , Sicily , Naples , Valencia, Sardinia, and Navarre, Count of Barcelona, jure uxoris King of Castile and then regent of that country also from 1508 to his death, in the name of...
and his wife Queen Isabella
Isabella I of Castile
Isabella I was Queen of Castile and León. She and her husband Ferdinand II of Aragon brought stability to both kingdoms that became the basis for the unification of Spain. Later the two laid the foundations for the political unification of Spain under their grandson, Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor...
. Pico joins him, and the duo instantly become friends.
As Columbus shows the King that the world is round and not flat, the King is outraged by this theory and has his guards throw Columbus out. But before they even get his hands on him, Isabella barges in and is instantly lovestruck by Columbus. Columbus explains his voyage that'll prove his newly-discovered theory to Isabella, and she decides to finance Columbus's voyage to prove that the world is round. The King agrees to do this as well, but he tells Columbus that if he doesn't return with gold, he will be executed. As the three have a feast that night, Pico decides to leave them and snoop around the castle. He climbs a large tower and hops across from the window onto a chandelier
Chandelier
A chandelier is a branched decorative ceiling-mounted light fixture with two or more arms bearing lights. Chandeliers are often ornate, containing dozens of lamps and complex arrays of glass or crystal prisms to illuminate a room with refracted light...
, where he meets Marilyn, the fairy princess of a faraway land. All was well with her land until the evil Swarm Lord took her away and keeps her prisoner inside the chandelier until she tells him the secret of her powers, which don't work on the forces of evil. Pico and Marilyn try to escape, but the Swarm Lord returns and takes Marilyn away to his lair in the still-undiscovered new world of America
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. As the Swarm Lord flies away, Pico determines to get Marilyn back.
The next day, Columbus is about to set sail on the Santa Maria
Santa María (ship)
La Santa María de la Inmaculada Concepción , was the largest of the three ships used by Christopher Columbus in his first voyage. Her master and owner was Juan de la Cosa.-History:...
to discover the new world. Pico rushes to the ship, but is stopped by a trio of rats, who plan to eat him. Pico manages to escape, but the rats follow him, hopefully to get a free ride to the new world. Pico gets on board Columbus's ship. The two friends reunite, and Pico explains that he needs to save Marilyn. Columbus's shipmates overhear their captain talking to Pico, and come to the conclusion that Columbus is crazy. As the ships continue on their voyage, Pico bumps into the rats again. They want to leave the ship on one of the lifeboats, because they overheard that the ship is heading to the supposed "edge of the earth". Pico needs them to stay, in case if the shipmates want to plan a mutiny
Mutiny
Mutiny is a conspiracy among members of a group of similarly situated individuals to openly oppose, change or overthrow an authority to which they are subject...
on Columbus, and the lifeboat is his only chance. Pico convinces the rats to stay with his lie that there's giant amounts of cheese at the new world.
As day fades into night, Pico overhears that the shipmates really plan to kill Columbus and turn back in order to stay away from the edge of the earth. Pico tells this to Columbus, and Columbus is worried. However, he distracts his crew by singing a song to them about life on the sea and other leaders from other time periods, including Ulysses
Odysseus
Odysseus or Ulysses was a legendary Greek king of Ithaca and the hero of Homer's epic poem the Odyssey. Odysseus also plays a key role in Homer's Iliad and other works in the Epic Cycle....
, the Romans
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
and the Vikings. Though he gets carried away with the final lyrics to the song that insults the crew (I heard a tale of travelers who feared they'd reach the edge / But long before, a serpent came and ate them up instead), they let Columbus live. The next day, Columbus and the crew think they see land, but it's actually a deserted Viking ship. The crew is angry at Columbus once more and try to hang him. As he's hanging, Columbus sees the new world. Just then, the Swarm Lord flies over the ship and tries to kill everyone on the ship. The ship manages to get away, and lands on The New World by crashing into a dam made by a beaver
Beaver
The beaver is a primarily nocturnal, large, semi-aquatic rodent. Castor includes two extant species, North American Beaver and Eurasian Beaver . Beavers are known for building dams, canals, and lodges . They are the second-largest rodent in the world...
named Bob. While the crew stays behind, Pico, Columbus, Bob, and two of the rats (one of them didn't survive the Swarm Lord's wrath) go through the jungles of the island to the Swarm Lord's Aztec
Aztec
The Aztec people were certain ethnic groups of central Mexico, particularly those groups who spoke the Nahuatl language and who dominated large parts of Mesoamerica in the 14th, 15th and 16th centuries, a period referred to as the late post-classic period in Mesoamerican chronology.Aztec is the...
temple
Temple
A temple is a structure reserved for religious or spiritual activities, such as prayer and sacrifice, or analogous rites. A templum constituted a sacred precinct as defined by a priest, or augur. It has the same root as the word "template," a plan in preparation of the building that was marked out...
.
Meanwhile, the Swarm Lord still wants Marilyn's powers, but Pico and his friends come in and save the day. Columbus climbs up to the top of the Swarm's giant honeycomb
Honeycomb
A honeycomb is a mass of hexagonal waxcells built by honey bees in their nests to contain their larvae and stores of honey and pollen.Beekeepers may remove the entire honeycomb to harvest honey...
and takes a golden idol
Cult image
In the practice of religion, a cult image is a human-made object that is venerated for the deity, spirit or daemon that it embodies or represents...
while Pico saves Marilyn. Columbus uses the idol to squash the Swarm Lord, and Bob has finished chewing through the honeycomb, which causes it crumble. The temple starts to crumble as well. The team escapes, but Marliyn drowns in a waterfall and is found lifeless on a floating flower. Once the sun rises, she comes back to life and Pico and Marliyn kiss. Afterward, they encounter the island's natives, who thank Columbus for destroying the Swarm Lord. The group sail off back to Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, and Columbus is happy knowing that he discovered the new world and proved that the world is round.
The film ends with Columbus imaging what America will be like many years later, to the song "Heaven Is" by Al Jarreau
Al Jarreau
Alwin "Al" Lopez Jarreau is a seven-time Grammy Award winning jazz singer.- Background :Jarreau was born in Milwaukee, the fifth of six children. His web site refers to Reservoir, Inc., the name of the street where he lived. His father was a Seventh-Day Adventist Church minister and singer, and...
.
Original German Version
- Michael HabeckMichael HabeckMichael Habeck was a German actor who was best known for providing the German dubbing for Oliver Hardy after Bruno W. Pantel died....
- Christopher Columbus - Jens Wawrczeck - Pico The Woodworm
- Katja Nottke - Marilyn The Moonsprite
- Beate Hasenau - Queen Isabella
- Christian Schult - King Ferdinand IV / Sailor
- Eric Vaessen - The Swarm Lord / Diego / Native Chief
- Lutz Mackensy - Bob The Beaver
- Thomas Karallus - HeraldHeraldA herald, or, more correctly, a herald of arms, is an officer of arms, ranking between pursuivant and king of arms. The title is often applied erroneously to all officers of arms....
- Hans PaetschHans PaetschHans Paetsch was a German film actor. He appeared in 52 films between 1939 and 2002.He was born in Altmünsterol, Germany and died in Hamburg, Germany.-Selected filmography:...
- Narrator
Original Engilsh Version
- Donald Arthur - Christopher Columbus
- Osman Ragheb - Native Chief
- Phil NibbelinkPhil NibbelinkPhil Nibbelink is an American animator and film director as well as comic book writer and illustrator.He is a former member of Walt Disney Animation Studios...
- Marcus Calvin
- David Creedon
- Dilys Goggins
- Elmore JamesElmore JamesElmore James was an American blues guitarist, singer, songwriter and band leader. He was known as "the King of the Slide Guitar" and had a unique guitar style, noted for his use of loud amplification and his stirring voice.-Biography:James was born Elmore Brooks in the old Richland community in...
- Helena Jungwirth
- David Kehoe
- Herbert Kraus
- Drew Lucas
- Nick Lloyd
- Jack Luceno
- Deborah Norris
- Elisabeth Von Molo
- Ziad Ragheb
- Marshall Raynor
- Marian Schikora
- Ron Williams
- David Williamson
1994 English Dub
- Dom DeLuiseDom DeLuiseDominick "Dom" DeLuise was an American actor, comedian, film director, television producer, chef, and author. He was the husband of actress Carol Arthur from 1965 until his death and the father of: actor, director, pianist, and writer Peter DeLuise; actor David DeLuise; and actor Michael DeLuise...
- Christopher Columbus - Corey FeldmanCorey FeldmanCorey Scott Feldman is an American film and television actor. He became known during the 1980s, with roles in the Hollywood films Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter, The Goonies, Stand by Me, The Lost Boys, License to Drive, Dream a Little Dream, Gremlins and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles...
- Pico The Woodworm - Irene CaraIrene CaraIrene Cara is an American singer and actress. Cara won an Academy Award in 1984 in the category of Best Original Song for co-writing "Flashdance... What a Feeling." She is also known for her recording of the song "Fame", and she also starred in the 1980 film Fame.She married Hollywood stuntman...
- Marilyn The Moonsprite - Dan HaggertyDan HaggertyDan Haggerty is an American actor, best known for the title role in The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams....
- The Swarm Lord / King Ferdinand IV - Samantha EggarSamantha EggarSamantha Eggar is an English film, television and voice actress.-Early life:She was born Victoria Louise Samantha Marie Elizabeth Therese Eggar in Hampstead, London to an Anglo-Irish father and a mother of Dutch and Portuguese descent...
- Queen Isabella - Mickey RooneyMickey RooneyMickey Rooney is an American film actor and entertainer whose film, television, and stage appearances span nearly his entire lifetime. He has won multiple awards, including an Honorary Academy Award, a Golden Globe and an Emmy Award...
- Narrator - Daran NorrisDaran NorrisDaran Morrison Nordland , usually credited as Daran Norris, is an American film and television actor and voice artist. Since 1977 he has participated in more than 400 films, video games, and television projects. He is best known as Gordy from Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide, the voice of...
- Rat #2 - Eric Parkinson - Native Chief (uncredited)
- Brett Baxter Clark - Additional Voices
- Henry Crowell, Jr. - Additional Voices
- James Knapp - Additional Voices
- Ted PriorTed Prior (actor)Born in Newark, New Jersey, Ted Prior, sometimes credited as Ted Pryor, is an American action actor who has starred in numerous films directed by his brother David A...
- Additional Voices - Gino ConfortiGino ConfortiGino Conforti is an American actor best known for his television roles.-Life and career:From 1962 to 1971, Conforti appeared in several Broadway musicals, including the role of the fiddler in the original production of Fiddler on the Roof with Zero Mostel. Beginning in the late 1960s, he appeared...
- Additional Voices
Production
The film was originally released GermanyGermany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
in 1992, the year when America celebrated the 500th anniversary of the famous voyage of Christopher Columbus. Other films released during this time of year include 1492: Conquest of Paradise
1492: Conquest of Paradise
1492: Conquest of Paradise is an epic 1992 European adventure/drama film directed by Ridley Scott and written by Roselyne Bosch, which tells the story of the discovery of the New World by Christopher Columbus and the effect this had on the indigenous people...
, Carry on Columbus
Carry On Columbus
Carry On Columbus is the 31st and last film in the Carry On series, following 1978's Carry On Emmannuelle. The only main series regulars present are Jim Dale , Bernard Cribbins , Leslie Phillips , Jon Pertwee and June Whitfield...
and Christopher Columbus: The Discovery
Christopher Columbus: The Discovery
Christopher Columbus: The Discovery, a 1992 film directed by James Bond alumnus John Glen, was the last project developed by the father and son production team of Alexander and Ilya Salkind. It follows the events leading up to and including the voyage of Columbus to the New World in 1492...
.
At the time, the film was the most expensive animated production in Germany, costing $14.5 million. During the film's release in German theaters, director Schoemann stated that the film was intended to be a film about the discovery of America "from a more satirical view in order to differentiate ourselves clearly from the lofty views of history so we can present Columbus as a lovable, charming, and befuddled scholar".
Phil Nibbelink
Phil Nibbelink
Phil Nibbelink is an American animator and film director as well as comic book writer and illustrator.He is a former member of Walt Disney Animation Studios...
was the animation director, while American animators Stanley Green, Kevin Richardson, Rick Morrison and George Singer assisted the animation department. Production lasted for three years.
There are two English versions of the film; the first version including the voices of Donald Arthur as Christopher Columbus, as well as Phil Nibbelink and several German voice actors playing miscellaneous roles. http://www.trickfilmstimmen.de/features/others3/pico.htm The availability of this version is unknown. The second dub was recorded for the North American home video release with a more well-known cast, including Dom De Luise as Christopher Columbus, Corey Feldman
Corey Feldman
Corey Scott Feldman is an American film and television actor. He became known during the 1980s, with roles in the Hollywood films Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter, The Goonies, Stand by Me, The Lost Boys, License to Drive, Dream a Little Dream, Gremlins and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles...
as Pico, Irene Cara
Irene Cara
Irene Cara is an American singer and actress. Cara won an Academy Award in 1984 in the category of Best Original Song for co-writing "Flashdance... What a Feeling." She is also known for her recording of the song "Fame", and she also starred in the 1980 film Fame.She married Hollywood stuntman...
as Marilyn and Mickey Rooney
Mickey Rooney
Mickey Rooney is an American film actor and entertainer whose film, television, and stage appearances span nearly his entire lifetime. He has won multiple awards, including an Honorary Academy Award, a Golden Globe and an Emmy Award...
as the Narrator. Particularly notable in this dub is an abundance of ad-libbing. The US dub was written by David T. Reilly and Visual Effects supervisor Scott Santoro.
Reception
Both the original German version and the 1994 English version released by Hemdale Home Video received mixed to negative reviews. Animation historian Charles Soloman called the film "A clumsy copy of Disney's Ben & MeBen and Me
Ben and Me was Disney's first animated two-reel short subject and released theatrically on November 10, 1953. It was adapted from the children's book written by author/illustrator Robert Lawson and first published in 1939...
, with clumsy animation and forgettable songs."
External links
- Die Abenteuer von Pico und Columbus at Big Cartoon DatabaseBig Cartoon DataBaseThe Big Cartoon DataBase is an online database of information about animated cartoons, animated feature films, animated television shows and cartoon shorts....
- Frank's Spoiled Movie Endings
- The Magic Voyage at Allmovie
- The Magic Voyage at New York Times
- Die Abenteuer von Pico und Columbus at moviemeter.nl (Dutch)
- Die Abenteuer von Pico und Columbus at filmportal.de (German)
- Die Abenteuer von Pico und Columbus at csfd.cz (Slovakia)
Reviews