Napoleon Review (Australia Day 2015)

Napoleon


Release Date: 26th December 1996 - Australia


Production Companies
Adelaide Motion Picture Company
Australia Film Finance Corporation
Film Australia
Fuji Television Network (in association with)
Furry Feature Films
Herald Ace
Nippon Herald Films (in association with)
Pacific Link Communications Japan

(produced with the participation of)
Pony Canyon (in association with)
The Samuel Goldwyn Company

Distribution
Sony Pictures Australia


Genre: Family

Rating: G

Runtime: 81 minutes


Budget: A$4,300,000

Box Office Gross: A$2,051,855 (Australia)


Plot Summary
A young pup named Napoleon

has often dreamed of adventure

and imagines himself as a

conquering hero. One day, he

hears the call of the wild and

yearns to roam free in the great outdoors. Napoleon gets more than he has bargained for when he gets into a basket with air

balloons, and it takes him to

the sky. The wind carries him

to an island, where he lands

and embarks on a journey

where no pup has gone,

trekking across the barren

landscapes of the outback,

facing deadly enemies,

discovering unknown

territories and meeting all

kinds of animals. En route,

he makes some new friends.

Voice Cast

Jamie Croft - Napoleon
Phillip Quast - Birdo
Carole Skinner - Cat
Olivia Hack - Nancy
Frank Whitten - Koala
Brenton Whittle - Owl/Frog/

Wombat/Other Wallaby/

Desert Mouse

Anne Louise-Lambert - Spider/

Earless Wallaby/Desert Mouse
David Argue - Frill Necked

Lizard/Galah
Steven Vidler - Snake/Galah/

Desert Mouse/Turtle

Susan Lyons - Napoleon's Mum/

Other Wallaby

Lucia Mastratone - Lone Lorikeet

Catherine Lambert - Lorikeet/

Rabbit

Tracey Canini - Lorikeet/Rabbit

Annabel Sims - Lorikeet/Rabbit

Neusa Timms - Lorikeet/Rabbit

Debbie Horn - Lorikeet/Rabbit

Edward McQueen-Mason - Echidna
Stuart Pankin - Perenti Lizard/

Father Penguin
Mignon Kent - Nancy
Michael Wilkop - Sid
Fiona Press - Mother Dingo/

Other Wallaby/Galah
Barry Humphries - Kangaroo
Casey Siemaszko - Conan
Joan Rivers - Mother Penguin

Stuart Zagnit - Penguin

Carolyn Sloan - Penguin

Crew

Writer/Producer/Director -

Mario Andreacchio

Writer/Producer - Michael Bourchier
Writer/Producer: The Samuel Goldwyn
Company/Lyrics: Songs - Mark Saltzman
Additional Written Material - Steve J. Spears

and Ivan Menchell

Executive Producers - Masato Hara

and Ron Saunders
Producer: Herald Ace - Naonori Kawamura

Casting Directors - Brian Chavanne

and Marion Levine
Dog & Bird Handler/Trainer -
The Cuong Truong

Diego Sequence Trainer - Luke Hera

Animal Consultant - Evanne Cheeson
Dog Consultant - Barbara Moore
Production Designer - Vicki Niehus

Art Director - Ian Jobson
Director of Photography - Roger Dowling

Additional Director of Photography -

Nino Gaetano Martinetti

Sound Designer/Effects/Dialogue Editor/

Foley Performer - Craig Carter

Sound Designer/Chief Mixer - James Currie

Chief Mixer/Foley Recordist - Tony Young

Editor/Post-Production Supervisor -
Edward McQueen-Mason

Music - Bill Conti

Music Supervisor - John Boylan


Review

Another obscure movie I saw in my childhood, I decided to revisit the Aussie family-oriented adventure NAPOLEON. After seeing this old feature about a young pup journeying through adventure and peril, my impression was its cinematography, filmed in most Australian landscapes in South Australia, Tasmania and the Northern Territory. Sadly, this direction sophisticatedly captured the local scenery and setting, which could have been more worthy if it was a nature film. The film gets weakened by low production values and the inability to match the standards of its rival movies, such as Babe. It is unlike the two Babe films because it did not need lip-syncing movements through mechanical and CGI effects, which is just simplistic old-fashioned filmmaking.

The songs have little meaning because the lyrics only appeal to child audiences rather than adults. I did enjoy a few of its numbers, which feel like a breath of fresh air, "How High I'll Fly" and "My Hills to Climb". Then comes its unresolved cliffhanger ending, which is a bit nightmarish for children who aren't ready. It surprises me that the film's ending has left an opportunity for a sequel. It never happened and might have been due to the low grossing at the box office. I was delighted that Barry Humphries was one of the voices as he used his Dame Edna Everage impression as a kangaroo.

NAPOLEON is an obscure movie that is decent enough to watch despite having the most obvious deficiencies. It would be my advice for some parents to skip the last scene.

Star rating: (6/10) Fair Movie

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