''Little Eggs: An African Rescue'' (released in Mexico, Latin America and the United States as ''Un rescate de huevitos''; formerly ''Huevitos en fuga''
) is a 2021 Mexican
computer-animated adventure
An adventure is an exciting experience or undertaking that is typically bold, sometimes risky. Adventures may be activities with danger such as traveling, exploring, skydiving, mountain climbing, scuba diving, river rafting, or other extreme ...
comedy film
A comedy film is a category of film which emphasizes humor. These films are designed to make the audience laugh through amusement. Films in this style traditionally have a happy ending (black comedy being an exception). Comedy is one of the ol ...
produced by
Huevocartoon Producciones.
The Spanish voice cast returned to reprise their respective roles, joined by new cast members including
Jesús Ochoa,
Mauricio Barrientos,
Mara Escalante, and comedian duo Freddy and Germán Ortega.
The fourth film in the ''
Huevos'' franchise, as well the second CG installment following ''
Un gallo con muchos huevos'', it was released in Mexico on August 12, 2021.
[ Upload date: July 23, 2021.] It was followed by a limited theatrical release in the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
a few weeks later on August 27, 2021 by
Pantelion Films
Pantelion Films is an American film production company that was created in 2010 and based in Santa Monica, California. The studio's goal is to bring wider theatrical distribution of movies aimed at Latino audiences. It is backed by TelevisaUnivisi ...
.
Upon its release, the film received acclaim, with praise towards the animation and positive messages, with many favorable comparisons to
DreamWorks Animation.
It grossed $50 million
pesos
The peso is the monetary unit of several countries in the Americas, and the Philippines. Originating in the Spanish Empire, the word translates to "weight". In most countries the peso uses the same sign, "$", as many currencies named "dollar" ...
(US$2.43 million) in its theatrical run in Mexico.
Plot
On a peaceful morning at the "Granjas el Pollon", Toto is starting his morning routine when Tocino informs him that Di has
given birth to their new eggs, Max and Uly. Their golden appearance leads La Abuelita to submit them for a ranch contest, catching the attention of La Duchess, a
Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eig ...
n egg collector. At first, Toto is excited until the children express desire to play in the outdoors, causing Toto to worry and immediately become over protective. He eventually allows them to play under Bibi's supervision, but uses many protective procedures along the way. Just then, two
opossums Tlacua and Cuache, disguised as chickens, sneak into the farm in an attempt to eat chickens when Perro Fidencio locks them up in an empty farmhouse. This causes more concern for Toto, but after Di's advice, he promises his children playtime after the contest.
The following day, Max and Uly are declared winners at the egg contest for their golden appearance, as Duquesa offers Abuelita $200
dollars
Dollar is the name of more than 20 currencies. They include the Australian dollar, Brunei dollar, Canadian dollar, Hong Kong dollar, Jamaican dollar, Liberian dollar, Namibian dollar, New Taiwan dollar, New Zealand dollar, Singapore dollar, U ...
but refuses and pays her back instead. Outraged, she orders the two bandit brothers, Panzovich and Gordimitri to track the "Granjas el Pollon" farm. Meanwhile, on the way home, Toto once again becomes worried for his children after Duquesa's encounter and tears up their winning ribbons, making them afraid of him. Later that night, the remorseful Toto sits by the pond when the Russian collectors send hunting
moles Moles can refer to:
* Moles de Xert, a mountain range in the Baix Maestrat comarca, Valencian Community, Spain
* The Moles (Australian band)
*The Moles, alter ego of Scottish band Simon Dupree and the Big Sound
People
*Abraham Moles, French engin ...
in mind-controlled helmets to track and kidnap Max and Uly. Bibi and Willy track down one of the moles, named Toporocho, who thanks them for freeing him from the helmet. In return, he helps Toto and his family board the cargo plane to
Congo. They track the plane down and board inside.
Inside the plane, the egg children meet a variety of fellow-snatched eggs inside named jars, including those of a
peacock
Peafowl is a common name for three bird species in the genera '' Pavo'' and '' Afropavo'' within the tribe Pavonini of the family Phasianidae, the pheasants and their allies. Male peafowl are referred to as peacocks, and female peafowl are r ...
, an
Golden eagle
The golden eagle (''Aquila chrysaetos'') is a bird of prey living in the Northern Hemisphere. It is the most widely distributed species of eagle. Like all eagles, it belongs to the family Accipitridae. They are one of the best-known birds of ...
, a
parrot
Parrots, also known as psittacines (), are birds of the roughly 398 species in 92 genera comprising the order Psittaciformes (), found mostly in tropical and subtropical regions. The order is subdivided into three superfamilies: the Psittacoide ...
, a
roadrunner
The roadrunners (genus ''Geococcyx''), also known as chaparral birds or chaparral cocks, are two species of fast-running ground cuckoos with long tails and crests. They are found in the southwestern and south-central United States and Mexico, us ...
, a
quail
Quail is a collective name for several genera of mid-sized birds generally placed in the order Galliformes. The collective noun for a group of quail is a flock, covey, or bevy.
Old World quail are placed in the family Phasianidae, and New ...
, and returning characters including Coco, Iguano, Serp, Torti, Lagartijo, Manotas, and Huevo de Halcón. Toto and company then make it into the cargo room when a fight between the bandit brothers breaks out. Toto and Di were eventually thrown off the plane, and Willy, Bibi, Bacon, and Toporocho saved them with a
parachute. As Duquesa and the bandit brothers drive off, Toto and his company were underground, splashed to river where a group of
hippos
A hippo or hippopotamus is either of two species of large African mammal which live mainly in and near water:
* Hippopotamus
* Pygmy hippopotamus
Hippo or Hippos may also refer to:
Toponymy
* The ancient city of Hippo Regius (modern Annaba, Al ...
give them a ride.
Upon arrival at Barón's mansion, Duquesa presented Max and Uly to the Master Chef, which he ordered all the eggs be refrigerated for two days. After introducing themselves to one another, the eggs get into an argument when Max and Uly, thanks to Di's loosening of their jar, freed them all. They then find a way to control the temperature, at which Manotas only lowered it further. This led to Serp being used to open the lock with his rattle.
Meanwhile, as Toto's group were riding on the hippos, two
vervet monkey
The vervet monkey (''Chlorocebus pygerythrus''), or simply vervet, is an Old World monkey of the family Cercopithecidae native to Africa. The term "vervet" is also used to refer to all the members of the genus ''Chlorocebus''. The five distinct ...
s take them to a
talent show
A talent show is an event in which participants perform the arts of singing, dancing, lip-syncing, acting, martial arts, playing an instrument, poetry, comedy or other activities to showcase skills. Many talent shows are performances rather ...
audition. Back at Barón's mansion, the escaping eggs finally unlocked the cage and the roadrunner egg raised the temperature up again. Afterwards, the eggs make up a plan to hide as plant rocks. At the talent show, many performing animals led by the
lion king "Leonidas I". Toto dressed as a clown, and Di were locked up in cages before the next performance. Toto was downed when Di encouraged him to perform and stand up to Leonidas.
Barón Roncovich later arrived at his mansion, and the Master Chef's crew take the plants to the dining hall where Duquesa hosted a dinner auction. The Chef's crew later discover the eggs' disappearance; however, he found them on the plants they were hiding and ordered the crew to gather them. Just then, Toto and his crew, along with animals he recruited, battle against the guests and the bandits. After claiming victory and rescuing the eggs, Toto and Di were finally reunited with Max and Uly, where Toto apologized to his children for the ribbon incident. Suddenly, a huge
gas leak
A gas leak refers to a leak of natural gas or another gaseous product from a pipeline or other containment into any area where the gas should not be present. Gas leaks can be hazardous to health as well as the environment. Even a small leak in ...
-triggered fire broke out and Toto and Di managed to escape alive with their eggs.
They board on a plane back home after bidding goodbye to their animal friends. However, Duquesa found her way inside and locked all the doors, in attempt to steal back the eggs for her own plans. An idea came to Max and Uly and they tried to enter the cargo room when Toto briefly held them back before agreeing to trust them. As they fought back against Duquesa, Huevo de Águila Real hatched into a newborn eagle and sent her flying out of the plane with a parachute. Following another victory, the entire crew sang and danced. Meanwhile, Duquesa complained about studying as she landed at a river. Toto's family and friends finally made it back with Max and Uly to the "Granjas", continuing the dance party as the roadrunner egg ends the film.
In the
mid-credits scene
A post-credits scene (commonly referred to as a stinger or credit cookie) or mid-credits scene is a short clip that appears after all or some of the closing credits have rolled and sometimes after a production logo of a film, TV series, or video g ...
, Tlacua and Cuache were paddling from inside their cage when they fall down a
waterfall
A waterfall is a point in a river or stream where water flows over a vertical drop or a series of steep drops. Waterfalls also occur where meltwater drops over the edge of a tabular iceberg or ice shelf.
Waterfalls can be formed in severa ...
.
Voice cast
Spanish cast
*
Bruno Bichir
Bruno Bichir Nájera (born 6 October 1967) is a Mexican actor and one of the members of the Bichir family.
Biography
Bichir was born in Mexico City. He started his acting career at the age of five in several theater, film and television series. ...
as Toto, a rooster and Di's husband and Willy's best friend. He becomes overprotective over the safety of his new children, Max and Uly, but learns how to be a real father through advice, experience, and adventure.
[ Date: 10 August 2021.]
*
Maite Perroni
Maite Perroni Beorlegui (born 9 March 1983) is a Mexican actress, singer, songwriter and producer.
Perroni gained international fame in 2004 as a member of the Latin Grammy-nominated Latin pop group RBD.
As an actress, Perroni's career began ...
as Di, Toto's supportive wife, and Bibi's best friend. She helps Toto with advice in caring for their newborn egg children. She goes along with Toto and their egg friends to save their children.
*
Carlos Espejel
Carlos Espejel Leguizano (born April 21, 1972) is a Mexican telenovela actor and comedian, best known for his roles as "Chiquidrácula" (1982–1987) and "Carlinflas" (1982–2006).
Biography
Espejel started his acting career at an early age. ...
as Willy, a chicken egg and ex-sergeant who is Toto's best friend and Bibi's boyfriend.
*
Angélica Vale
Angélica María Vale Hartman (born November 11, 1975), known professionally as Angélica Vale, is a Mexican-American actress, singer, impersonator, comedian, and radio personality, known also as the daughter of Angélica María, "La Novia de Me ...
as Bibi, a chicken egg and Willy's girlfriend and one of Toto's friends.
*
Mayra Rojas as La Duchess, a leader of the Russian egg collector for Africa's food event.
*Oliver Flores as Max, a newborn golden egg who is Uly's twin brother and Toto and Di's son.
*Dione Riva Palacio Santacruz as Uly, a newborn golden egg. She's Max' twin sister and Toto and Di's daughter.
*Ariel Miramontes as
Master Chef
*Héctor Lee as Panzovich
*Juan Frese as Gordimitri
*
Jesús Ochoa as Rey León "Leonidas I", a wise
lion that rules the jungle.
*Freddy Ortega and Germán Ortega as El Chango Bananero and El Chango Petacón,
[ Published: August 8, 2021.] two dim-witted
vervet monkey
The vervet monkey (''Chlorocebus pygerythrus''), or simply vervet, is an Old World monkey of the family Cercopithecidae native to Africa. The term "vervet" is also used to refer to all the members of the genus ''Chlorocebus''. The five distinct ...
s who acts as a comic reliefs.
*
Humberto Vélez
Francisco Humberto Vélez Montiel (born March 30, 1955) is a Mexican actor who is most widely known for dubbing the voice of Homer Simpson for the first 15 seasons of the Latin American dub of ''The Simpsons''. In 2005, the dub voice cast of ...
as Barón Roncovich
*Claudio Herrera as:
**Toporocho, a
mole
Mole (or Molé) may refer to:
Animals
* Mole (animal) or "true mole", mammals in the family Talpidae, found in Eurasia and North America
* Golden moles, southern African mammals in the family Chrysochloridae, similar to but unrelated to Talpida ...
who helped Toto and his friends to find their children after being freed by Willy and Bibi from a mind-controlling helmet.
**Herrera also voiced El Presentador.
*Gabriel Riva Palacio as:
**Confi, a
Cascarón
A cascarón (plural cascarones, without accent mark; from Spanish ''cascarón'', "eggshell", the augmentative form of ''cáscara'', "shell") is a hollowed-out chicken egg filled with confetti or small toys. Cascarones are common throughout Mexic ...
goofball egg.
**Torti, a slow-speaking
turtle
Turtles are an order of reptiles known as Testudines, characterized by a special shell developed mainly from their ribs. Modern turtles are divided into two major groups, the Pleurodira (side necked turtles) and Cryptodira (hidden necked t ...
egg.
**Serp, a short-tempered
rattlesnake egg.
*Rodolfo Riva Palacio as:
**Coco, a
crocodile egg.
**Cuache, an easy-going opossum.
**Don Fidencio, the ranch's blind
Bloodhound
The bloodhound is a large scent hound, originally bred for hunting deer, wild boar and, since the Middle Ages, for tracking people. Believed to be descended from hounds once kept at the Abbey of Saint-Hubert, Belgium, in French it is called, ...
.
**Iguano, an
iguana
''Iguana'' (, ) is a genus of herbivorous lizards that are native to tropical areas of Mexico, Central America, South America, and the Caribbean. The genus was first described in 1768 by Austrian naturalist Josephus Nicolaus Laurenti in his ...
egg and Coco's second-in-command.
*
Mauricio Barrientos as El Huevo de Águila Real, a sophisticated but hearty
Golden eagle
The golden eagle (''Aquila chrysaetos'') is a bird of prey living in the Northern Hemisphere. It is the most widely distributed species of eagle. Like all eagles, it belongs to the family Accipitridae. They are one of the best-known birds of ...
egg who is among the eggs captured. He later hatches and becomes a newborn eagle.
*Mónica Santacruz as Pavi, a pretty
peacock
Peafowl is a common name for three bird species in the genera '' Pavo'' and '' Afropavo'' within the tribe Pavonini of the family Phasianidae, the pheasants and their allies. Male peafowl are referred to as peacocks, and female peafowl are r ...
egg.
*Ximena de Anda as Huevo de Codorniz, a famine
quail
Quail is a collective name for several genera of mid-sized birds generally placed in the order Galliformes. The collective noun for a group of quail is a flock, covey, or bevy.
Old World quail are placed in the family Phasianidae, and New ...
egg.
*
Pepe Lavat as Don Poncho, Di's father, Toto's father-in-law, and Max and Uly's grandfather.
[ Published: June 17, 2020.] Lavat, along with Morán, were later dedicated in memory at the end credits.
*Lulú Morán as Mama Gallina, Toto's mother hen.
Morán, along with Lavat, were dedicated in memory at the end credits.
*Rubén Moya as
Gorilla
Gorillas are herbivorous, predominantly ground-dwelling great apes that inhabit the tropical forests of equatorial Africa. The genus ''Gorilla'' is divided into two species: the eastern gorilla and the western gorilla, and either four or fi ...
Host.
*
María Alicia Delgado as Abuelita Guadalupe, an elderly woman who is the owner of the "Granjas el Pollon" farm.
Production
The film utilized full
computer-generated imagery animation for the second time, following ''
Un gallo con muchos huevos'' with about an expected overall increase of fifteen percent of image quality up to the fifth installment, which is currently in development. Like ''Un gallo'', while being produced in
Mexico
Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...
, the film is intended for an international outreach. "We wanted to make this film very international, without losing the Mexican identity. It has jokes and positive messages," said co-producer Ignacio Casares. The film has been in development during the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...
in which many crew members, around 80 people, are working remotely from their homes.
A total of 350 people from all departments have worked on the film, with an average worktime taking one month per minute.
The film's
overprotective
A helicopter parent (also called a cosseting parent or simply a cosseter) is a parent who pays extremely close attention to a child's or children's experiences and problems, particularly at educational institutions. Helicopter parents are so named ...
theme for Toto's father character came from co-director Rodolfo Riva Palacio Alatriste's own parenting experience with his daughter, Dione, who voiced Uli in the film.
Rodolfo also explained that the theme of collecting eggs and endangered animal species for expensive food served as the basis for the screenplay, after he and his brother Gabriel read articles on the topic.
Casting
Before the animation process, much of the actors had recorded their lines for adaptation.
Music
Zacarías M. de la Riva, a Spanish composer who previously worked on ''
Un gallo con muchos huevos'', has returned to compose this film with a 75-piece orchestra performance in
Bratislava.
As with ''Un gallo'', Zacarías has faced challenges in composing music in animated films, as it required the balancing of adventure, drama and comedy. Despite this, he called it "a great joy" and "truly
arvelousto
e workingagain with directors Gabriel and Rodolfo Riva-Palacio." The composer added that the film reused some music pieces from his work in ''Un gallo''.
Soundtrack
The film's score soundtrack album was released digitally by MovieScore Media on August 13, 2021.
Release
The film was originally planned for a 2019 release in
Mexico
Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...
, and then August 2020, but has been postponed due to the ongoing
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...
.
The film's first poster was released in March 2020, followed by teaser trailer was released on 10 April later that year.
It was officially released in theaters in Mexico on 12 August 2021.
Co-director and co-writer Rodolfo Riva Palacio Alatriste told an interviewer at M2 that being able to make four films is a "surprise", reflecting on the release of the franchise's
first film released in 2006.
The film was later released in the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
in limited release on 27 August 2021 through
Pantelion Films
Pantelion Films is an American film production company that was created in 2010 and based in Santa Monica, California. The studio's goal is to bring wider theatrical distribution of movies aimed at Latino audiences. It is backed by TelevisaUnivisi ...
.
The film's directors Gabriel and Rodolfo Riva have expressed that they will "compete against the United States" and are "capable".
The film was dedicated in memory of voice actors
Pepe Lavat and Lulu Morán, who died in 2018 and 2019 respectively.
Internationally, the film was released as ''Little Eggs: An African Rescue''.
Critical reception
The film opened mixed to favorable reviews in Mexico, with many praising its improving animation, humor, faithfulness to the franchise, and its messages. On
Tomatazos, it has a 100% rating of positive critic reviews.
It currently has no score on the mainline
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wang ...
.
Monique Jones of
Common Sense Media
Common Sense Media (CSM) is an organization that reviews and provides ratings for media and technology with the goal of providing information on their suitability for children. rated the film 3 out of 5 stars, praising the film's story and themes behind it, calling it "well made", while divided over its humor.
Cath Clarke of ''
The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'' rated the film 1 out of 5 stars, calling it "a dismal film full of garish visuals and unfunny gags".
Box office
Upon its release in
Mexico
Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...
, the film debuted in #3 at the box-office, grossing around
MX$15 million (US$0.75 million) with an audience count of 239,400. In its second weekend, it dropped to the #4 position, earning an additional MX$8.6 million (US$0.4 million) and 147,600 audience count. Its ticket sales have made the ''
Huevos'' franchise
Mexico
Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...
's highest-viewed film series in the national industry, surpassing the numbers of the ''
No Manches Frida
''No Manches Frida'' (also known as ''El profesor sustituto'') is a 2016 comedy film, a remake of the German film ''Fack ju Göhte''. The film stars Omar Chaparro and Martha Higareda in the lead roles. It was produced by Lionsgate and released in ...
'' films with 11.75 million at the time.
The film remained successful at its third weekend, grossing MX$5.6 million (US$0.28 million) at its #5 position and 100,200 viewers.
In September, the film earned MX$3.4 million with 60,600 audiences, remaining at #4.
On its fifth weekend, the film grossed MX$2.5 million pesos (US$0.12 million) with an audience count of 43,900.
On its sixth, it has grossed MX$1.1 million pesos (US$0.05 million) at the #10 place, with an audience count of 41,200. To date, it has grossed MX$50 million pesos ($2.43 million) and had an audience count of over 900,000.
In the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
, the film has grossed $430,000 on its opening weekend with an average gross of $1,300 per screening in 320 locations at the time.
Accolades
Awards and nominations
Sequel
A fifth installment, titled ''
Huevitos congelados'', was released on December 14, 2022 on
Vix+
Vix is a given name. It can refer to a shortened version of Victoria or Victor or variations thereof. Vix may also refer to:
Places
* Vix, Côte-d'Or
** Vix Grave of the Lady of Vix
* Vix, Vendée
Others
* VIX, ticker symbol for the Chicag ...
.
See also
*''
Una película de huevos''
*''
Otra película de huevos y un pollo
The Otra is the largest river in the Sørlandet region of Norway. It begins in Setesdalsheiene mountains at the lake Breidvatnet in Bykle municipality in Agder county, just south of the border with Vinje municipality in Vestfold og Telemark coun ...
''
*''
Un gallo con muchos huevos''
*''
Marcianos vs. Mexicanos''
References
External links
Official website*
*
IMCINE profileVideocine page
{{DEFAULTSORT:rescate de huevitos, Un
2021 films
2021 computer-animated films
2021 adventure films
2021 comedy films
2021 fantasy films
2020s Mexican films
2020s children's adventure films
2020s children's comedy films
2020s children's fantasy films
2020s children's animated films
2020s adventure comedy films
2020s fantasy comedy films
2020s Spanish-language films
Mexican animated feature films
Mexican children's films
Mexican adventure comedy films
Mexican fantasy comedy films
Mexican sequel films
Animated adventure films
Animated comedy films
Animated fantasy films
Animated films about chickens
Films about food and drink
Animated films set in Mexico
Animated films about lions
Animated films set on farms
Animated films set in Africa
Films set in 2021
Animated films about monkeys
Films postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic
Films impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic
Films scored by Zacarías M. de la Riva
Eggs in culture
Films set in the Republic of the Congo
Animated films set in the 2020s