Dusk and Dawn

***Dusk and Dawn*** is a 2005 American computer-animated fantasy comedy film produced by Pixar Animation Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Pictures. It was directed by Phil Nibbelink and Steve Odekerk from a screenplay written by Bob Peterson, based on an original story by Phil Nibbelink, and stars the voices of Josh Peck, Zooey Deschanel, Anthony Hopkins, Christine Baranski, and Dan Aykroyd. The film follows two individuals, a boy named Dusk (Peck) and a girl named Dawn (Deschanel), who encounter each other for the first time and discover their abilities to the world but must save Dawn's home from a dangerous threat.

*Dusk and Dawn* was released into theaters on June 17, 2005 in the United States, to mostly positive reviews from critics who commended its animation, script, characterizations, and voice acting, while the simple character designs were mostly criticized. It grossed $351 million over a $100 million budget, making it the third highest-grossing animated film of 2005 and the tenth highest-grossing film of the year overall next to *Madagascar* and *Chicken Little*. The film was nominated for Best Animated Feature at the 78th Academy Awards (losing to Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit), and, through home video releases and television syndication, gathered a cult following. It has since been expanded into a franchise with a sequel titled *Dusk and Dawn 2: The Belt of Venus* released on June 20, 2014, three short films, a television special titled *Dusk and Dawn's Holiday*, and two television series. Another sequel, titled *Dusk and Dawn: A Zodiacal Night*, was released on March 9, 2018.

## Plot

In a world where parts of a day are depicted as beings, Twilight creates his darker stage Dusk in order to collect times and stages for Twilight so that he can grain his energy after sunset. Elsewhere, Sun creates Dawn, the first appearance of light in the sky before sunrise.

One day, a battle ensues at Sun's palace where a couple of Twilight's tribe breaks in to imprison their rivals Sun and her people except Dawn who is separated from everyone else and crashes onto Twilight's palace, where she meets Dusk, and the two begin to connect and spend time with each other, as well as showing off their special abilities. However, Dawn later becomes desperate and worried about her home, so she convinces Dusk to make a deal to help her return. The pair leave Dusk's home for Dawn's. Meanwhile, Sun instructs her loyal friend Light to find and rescue Dawn from Twilight's side upon learning of her predicament.

Dusk and Dawn stumble upon a tribe of humanoid creatures including the leader Keeper who reveal that they know the way to Dawn's home, leading them across a bridge to the palace. However, things go wrong as when the pair almost reach the end, the bridge snaps, causing them to fall into a river where they are thrown off a waterfall. Exhausted, Dusk decides to give up but Dawn realizes that she and Dusk are almost near her home. On the way, Light arrives and becomes thrilled when he eventually finds the pair, whom he helps them reach the palace.

The pair enter the entrance of Sun's palace where they find a book about the history of parts of a day, containing "the dusk till dawn" moral which acknowledges the relationship of the two. But learning of their appearances, Dawn realizes she is home and bids farewell to Dusk while Light takes her back. However, Twilight's army captures Dawn and Light, but Dawn interferes long enough for Light to escape and ends up being captured instead. Twilight's army takes Dawn to the main room where Sun and her tribe were imprisoned. There, she discovers Twilight, who reveals that he is planning to capture all the lights around the world, making it all dark and night forever.

Meanwhile, Light comes back to Dusk and tells him that Dawn has been captured. The two manage to rescue Dawn, Sun and their other people with the help of Keeper and his tribe and return to the palace where they defeat Twilight's army and free the imprisoned people including Dawn and Dusk before Twilight confronts them. When Dusk refuses Twilight's orders to transform Sun's people, citing Dawn's teachings, Twilight uses power to control Sun's people while making them transform into their night forms to attack Dusk. However, the sun rises which causes the possessed people to turn back to normal. Dawn confronts Twilight and his tribe that she and her people are harmless, making Twilight's army isolate him for tricking them. With Dusk encouraging him to have a change of heart, Twilight eventually apologizes to Sun's people for his misdeed; both sides make peace and become close allies rather than rivals. Dusk is praised for his heroism and lives happily ever after with Dawn, resuming their relationship.

## Cast

* Josh Peck as Dusk, a teenage boy who is a representation of the darkest stage of Twilight.

* Zooey Deschanel as Dawn, a teenage girl who is a representation of the first appearance of light in the sky before sunrise.
* Anthony Hopkins as Twilight, the creator of Dusk.
* Christine Baranski as Sun, the creator of Dawn.
* Dan Aykroyd as Light, a midget who is a close friend of Sun and Dawn.
* Pete Docter as Keeper, Judge, Tick-Tock Guy
* John Ratzenberger as Elder Jo
* Erika Thomas as Elder Ji
* Keith David as Elder Ja
* Brad Bird as Tio
* Joe Ranft as Mark, Guard #1, Billy, Teacher Ted
* Lee Unkrich as Sparkle, Guard #2
* Anne Lockhart as Miss Night
* Pete Docter and Andrew Stanton as Photogs
* Justin Shenkarow as Teen
* Nika Futterman as Shelly
* Donald Fullilove as Harry
* Guillaume Aretos as Grooming Critter