I thought I ought to see at least one Korean animation as part of the recent film festival, so I took pot luck with the one that best fitted my Saturday schedule and ended up watching Pororo to the Cookie Castle.
In the foyer of the Odeon Covent Garden was a 4-foot high penguin (left), beside which Korean kiddies were having their photos taken. Cute.
A little bit of searching on the internet reveals that Pororo is quite an institution. It’s a children’s TV programme, lasting about 7 minutes, a sort of Magic Roundabout or Captain Pugwash but without, on the evidence of this feature-length Christmas special, the undertones of drugs and obscure sexual practices which give those latter programmes a bit of adult interest. Pororo’s had 2 series made, but at 52 episodes per series the Korean 3D animators are certainly kept busy.
To be honest, I was rather wary of going to this film. Unlike the proper films in this festival, the animations were dubbed. I wasn’t looking forward to the corny American voices the like of which completely ruin the Studio Ghibli dubbed versions. Fortunately though the voices seemed very unobtrusive, and I could enjoy the film without squirming.
Pororo wears the flying hat and goggles, I think, because he wishes he could fly, and he lives with his chums in the snowy wastes (though maybe it was only snowy because this is a Christmas special). His chums include a polar bear, a beaver, a fox, and something which initially looks like a hippo but is in fact a dragon. Anyway, you get the picture. The plot involves the gallant crew helping Father Christmas to get his Christmas Cookies ready for delivery on Christmas Eve, without the stock being substituted by a wicked chocolate-maker who wants to take over the world. Or something.
It’s a harmless (and actually rather fun) 70 minutes. There’s nothing particularly Korean about it: in fact it seems aimed squarely at the international market, and there’s nothing wrong with that. It deserves to succeed. It would make a nice occasional change from The Snowman for family viewing during the festive season. Good luck to Pororo and his plucky friends.
7 Comments
Pororo: had been waking /met an which(who turned poby into a doll)/and got a topping Crong:fired chocolate Eddy:got the castle map/escapte with Loopy
my lil bro loves pororo! he’d sit there for a whole day watching it without moving a finger! i really want to get him the cookie castle movie for his second birthday
Hello from the former colony.
Does anyone have a clue where I might acquire a DVD of either or both of Pororo’s TV seasons, or the Sing-along show, for that matter? Our Granddaughter is over there, loves him, but doesn’t speak Korean.
Any help would be appreciated. (She already owns The Cookie Castle)
Hi Michael
As I note in today’s post, I’m afraid I can only find English-dubbed versions of the film. The TV series available at YesAsia are Korean-only
Maybe others might know better.
Philip
cookie castle was on in the UK on Cartoonito over Xmas 07, much to my wee son’s joy!
Sorry I missed it. It would have been fun to see it again
Hi..you can contact me at iconsultancy@pacific.net.sg, if you would like to purchase the DVDs.
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