Ranma ½ (1997, Hollywood Pictures)

**Donkey Kong Country** is a 1997 action-adventure comedy film based on the popular Donkey Kong Country franchise. The film was directed and written by Stephen Sommers, produced by Roger Birnbaum and Jordan Kerner and released on October 31, 1997 by Walt Disney Pictures.

The film concerns Donkey Kong and the Kong Clan getting inadvertently transported to New York City, where they help a boy find a missing stone artifact stolen from an ancestor of his grandfather's friend.

Combining live-action, animatronics and computer-generated visual effects, the film was criticized by fans of Donkey Kong Country for its outlandish plot and creepy animatronics.

## **Plot**

King K. Rool plans to destroy DK Island if Cranky Kong does not tell him the whereabouts of a mystical stone artifact known as the Stone Primate. When he refuses, King K. Rool tries to have them captured, but while the Kong Clan hides in a cave to plot a new strategy, they accidentally stumble into a hidden portal that transports them to New York City, where they meet Sam, a boy living with his grandfather's friend Shigeru. Shigeru tells them that a stone artifact, the same one that King K. Rool is after, was stolen from one of his ancestors and they go on a quest to find it, unaware that King K. Rool is following them.

## **Release dates**

October 31 1997 (USA & Canada)
***Ranma ½*** is a 1997 film directed by Christophe Gans and written by John Hughes and Karey Kirkpatrick with creative input from Rumiko Takahashi, the creator of the manga/anime on which the film is based. The film is a co-production between Golden Harvest (Hong Kong), Fuji TV, Viz Communications, Shogakukan and Toho-Towa Company, and distributed by Hollywood Pictures.

The film revolves around plans by a multinational conglomerate to destroy Jusenkyo. The conglomerate's president, when accosted by the protagonists, then abducts some of them, leaving Ranma and some of his friends to unleash a secret power to win back Jusenkyo and make peace with the foreigners.

The film was released in the USA and Canada on January 24, 1997, the UK and Ireland on February 14, 1997, Japan on March 8, 1997 and in France on October 22, 1997 among other release dates.

The film was rated PG-13 by the MPAA for brief sensuality, language and comic violence.

## Summary

While Ranma attempts to search for a cure in Jusenkyo, he finds the cursed springs closed off for demolition. It turns out that Jusenkyo is about to be torn down by a foreign conglomerate and all affected by the curses will have to be captured. Only Ranma himself can evade them and save the cursed springs.

## Reception

Since its release in 1997, film was criticized by fans of the franchise for its somewhat childish plot and use of animatronics and puppets for P-chan and Genma's panda form etc. but praised its message and gave the filmmakers credit for casting Asian actors as the protagonists.

A review written by a member of the Anime News Network stated, "While the casting of Asians as protagonists is a very acknowledged and respectable choice on the director's part, the use of somewhat archaic special effects, slapstick humor and ludicrous plot might come off as a nuisance to fans."

Because it opened shortly before the re-mastered edition of *Star Wars* and *Dante's Peak*, it managed to gross around $51.4 million in North America and $16.5 million internationally out of a $33 million budget, the film was a moderate success.

## Video games

To promote the movie, a few video games were released.

A 2D-fighting game based on the film was developed and published by Midway Games (known for *Mortal Kombat*) for the arcade, SNES, Sega Genesis, Game Boy, PlayStation, Sega Saturn, PC/Mac and Sega Game Gear (one of the last games for the system). Despite the fact that it is based on the film, it uses the same art style as the anime, even for the film's original characters who are playable.

A 2.5D side-scrolling beat 'em up was released for the PlayStation, Sega Saturn, Nintendo 64, Game Boy, Game Gear and PC/Mac by Acclaim and developed by Probe Software.

## Home media

The film was later released on VHS and laserdisc by Buena Vista Home Video on July 22, 1997 in North America. The film's VHS release was available in either fullscreen or widescreen editions, with the only other difference (apart from format) being a short explanation of widescreen by Disney before the movie. The laserdisc, however, was released only in widescreen with the film's theatrical trailer as an extra.

## Cast

Kevin Bacon - Donkey Kong
John Leguizamo - Diddy Kong
Sarah Jessica Parker - Dixie Kong
Tone Lōc - Funky Kong
Christopher Lloyd - King K. Rook
George Takei - Shigeru
(MORE TBA)

**Home media**

The film was released on VHS and laserdisc on April 7, 1998 by Walt Disney Home Video and later in 1999 on DVD.