''The Magic Voyage'' (german: Die Abenteuer von Pico & Columbus, lit=The Adventures of Pico and Columbus) is a 1992 German

animated Animation is a method by which still figures are manipulated to appear as moving images. In traditional animation, images are drawn or painted by hand on transparent celluloid sheets to be photographed and exhibited on film. Today, most ani ...

fantasy film Fantasy films are films that belong to the fantasy genre with fantastic themes, usually magic, supernatural events, mythology, folklore, or exotic fantasy worlds. The genre is considered a form of speculative fiction alongside science fiction ...

produced and directed by Michael Schoemann. It was released in

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwee ...

Bavaria Film Bavaria Film is a German film production and distribution company. It is one of Europe's largest film production companies, with some 30 subsidiaries. History The studios were founded in 1919, when Munich-raised film producer Peter Ostermayr ...

on 14 February 1992. The film was later dubbed in English and 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 Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...

and

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by to ...

: two English dubs were actually produced. The first one was a rare English dub released by Atlas Film, while the second English dub was produced by

Hemdale Film Corporation Hemdale Film Corporation, known as Hemdale Communications after 1992, was an independent American-British film production company and distributor. The company was founded in London in 1967 as the Hemdale Company by actor David Hemmings and John D ...

, released as ''The Magic Voyage'' on 23 April 1993 with a new and more well-known voice cast. The latter dub had a different music soundtrack, and both English dubs had different translations.

Plot

In 1492, many believe that the Earth is flat and that ships could fall over the planet's edge; the dangers of the ocean have thus far prevented the extensive travel that would disprove this belief. However, Italian navigator

Christopher Columbus Christopher Columbus * lij, Cristoffa C(or)ombo * es, link=no, Cristóbal Colón * pt, Cristóvão Colombo * ca, Cristòfor (or ) * la, Christophorus Columbus. (; born between 25 August and 31 October 1451, died 20 May 1506) was a ...

theorizes that the Earth is a cube, which negatively affects his cartography. An adventuring

woodworm A woodworm is the wood-eating larva of many species of beetle. It is also a generic description given to the infestation of a wooden item (normally part of a dwelling or the furniture in it) by these larvae. Types of woodworm Woodboring beetle ...

named Pico eats away the corners of Columbus' cube globe, which convinces him that the Earth is round. With the prospect of falling off the Earth eliminated, Columbus concludes that he could reach the

Indies The East Indies (or simply the Indies), is a term used in historical narratives of the Age of Discovery. The Indies refers to various lands in the East or the Eastern hemisphere, particularly the islands and mainlands found in and around ...

faster by sea travel than

Marco Polo Marco Polo (, , ; 8 January 1324) was a Venetian merchant, explorer and writer who travelled through Asia along the Silk Road between 1271 and 1295. His travels are recorded in '' The Travels of Marco Polo'' (also known as ''Book of the Marv ...

had done by land, and he goes to present his theory to King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain in the hope of receiving funding for an expedition. Columbus' proposal outrages King Ferdinand, but Queen Isabella is won over by her own attraction to Columbus as well as his promise of spices, gold and jewelry, and she grants his request for three ships. King Ferdinand, not expecting Columbus to return, agrees to the voyage, but tells Columbus that if he does not return with gold, he will be executed. Meanwhile, Pico snoops around the castle and meets Marilyn, the princess of the moon sprites. Marilyn's land was invaded by the Swarm Lord, and she had been kept prisoner in the castle's

chandelier A chandelier (; also known as girandole, candelabra lamp, or least commonly suspended lights) is a branched ornamental light fixture designed to be mounted on ceilings or walls. Chandeliers are often ornate, and normally use incandescent ...

until she reveals the secret of her powers to him. Pico and Marilyn attempt to escape, but the Swarm Lord returns and takes Marilyn to his kingdom in the still-undiscovered New World. The next day, Columbus is about to set sail on the ''Santa Maria'' to discover the New World. Pico rushes to the ship, but is stopped by a trio of rats, who plan to eat him. Pico informs the rats of a food supply on Columbus' ship, but they leave Pico behind, and he narrowly reaches the ship by hitching a ride on a passing seagull. The rats, having learned that the ship is sailing to the supposed end of the world, attempt to steal Columbus' lifeboat and flee, but Pico dissuades them from the theft by convincing them that the New World is a land of cheese. Pico reunites with Columbus and explains that he needs to save Marilyn. Columbus' crewmates overhear their captain talking to Pico and come to the conclusion that Columbus is crazy. That night, Pico overhears the crew plotting to kill Columbus to avoid sailing off the Earth's edge. Columbus, upon Pico's warning, placates the crew with a song about heroic sailors. The next day, the crew's morale drops once more when a supposed island turns out to be a deserted Viking ship. As the crew try to hang Columbus, he sees the New World from the mast. The Swarm Lord appears and attempts to destroy the ship, but it manages to make it ashore. Pico, Columbus, a beaver and two surviving rats venture through the island's jungle and reach the Swarm Lord's

Aztec The Aztecs () were a Mesoamerican culture that flourished in central Mexico in the post-classic period from 1300 to 1521. The Aztec people included different ethnic groups of central Mexico, particularly those groups who spoke the Nahuatl ...

temple. As the Swarm Lord attempts to steal Marilyn's powers, Pico rescues her while Columbus climbs to the top of the Swarm Lord's giant

honeycomb A honeycomb is a mass of hexagonal prismatic wax cells built by honey bees in their nests to contain their larvae and stores of honey and pollen. Beekeepers may remove the entire honeycomb to harvest honey. Honey bees consume about of honey ...

and takes a golden

idol Idol or Idols may refer to: Religion and philosophy * Cult image, a neutral term for a man-made object that is worshipped or venerated for the deity, spirit or demon that it embodies or represents * Murti, a point of focus for devotion or medit ...

. Columbus uses the idol to squash the Swarm Lord, and the beaver destroys the temple by chewing through the honeycomb. The team escapes, but Marilyn drowns in a waterfall and is found lifeless on a floating flower. Once the sun rises, she comes back to life and Pico and Marilyn kiss. The natives of the island thank Columbus for destroying the Swarm Lord. The group sail off back to Spain, and Columbus is happy knowing that he discovered the

New World The term ''New World'' is often used to mean the majority of Earth's Western Hemisphere, specifically the Americas."America." ''The Oxford Companion to the English Language'' (). McArthur, Tom, ed., 1992. New York: Oxford University Press, p. ...

and proved that the world is round.

Cast

Daran Norris Daran Morrison Nordland (born ), known professionally as Daran Norris, is an American actor. He has appeared or voiced characters in more than 400 films, video games, and television programs, including: Gordy in ''Ned's Declassified School Surviv ...

, Henry Crowell Jr., James Knapp, Brett Baxter Clark, Ted Prior and Rosemary Alexander provide additional voices in the Hemdale dub. Marshall Raynor, Marcus Calvin, David Creedon, Nick Lloyd, Helena Jungwirth, Dilys Goggins, Elmore James, J. Drew Lucas, David Kehoe,

Phil Nibbelink Phil Nibbelink (born June 3, 1955) is an American animator and film director as well as comic book writer and illustrator known for his work on films as the Academy Award-winning ''Who Framed Roger Rabbit'' and the 1991 cult animated sequel '' An ...

, Deborah Norris, Jack Luceno, Marian Schikorn, Ron Williams, Osman Ragheb, Ziad Ragheb, Elisabeth Von Molo, and David Williamson provide additional voices in the Atlas dub, though many of their roles are unidentified since they weren't given specific credits.

Songs

The songs are written by Scott Santoro, except "Heaven Is" written by Harald Kloser, Tommy Schobel,

Al Jarreau Alwin Lopez Jarreau (March 12, 1940 – February 12, 2017) was an American singer and musician. His 1981 album '' Breakin' Away'' spent two years on the ''Billboard'' 200 and is considered one of the finest examples of the Los Angeles pop and R ...

and Robby Scharf * Christopher Columbus – Instrumental * Pico the Adventurer – Pico (

Corey Feldman Corey Scott Feldman (born July 16, 1971) is an American actor and musician. As a youth, he became well known for roles in the 1980s in films such as '' Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter'' (1984), ''Gremlins'' (1984), ''The Goonies'' (1985), a ...

) * A Fellow Like You – Pico and

(Corey Feldman and Dom DeLuise) * The World of Magic – Marilyn (

Irene Cara Irene Cara Escalera (March 18, 1959 – November 25, 2022) was an American singer, songwriter and actress of Black, Puerto Rican and Cuban descent. Cara rose to prominence for her role as Coco Hernandez in the 1980 musical film '' Fame'', and f ...

) * The Life of the Sea – Christopher Columbus (Dom DeLuise) * We'll Always Be Together – Pico and Marilyn (Corey Feldman and Irene Cara) * Heaven Is –

Production

The film was originally released Germany in 1992, the year when America celebrated the 500th anniversary of the famous voyage of

. Other films released during this time of year include '' 1492: Conquest of Paradise'', '' Carry On Columbus'' and '' Christopher Columbus: The Discovery''. At the time, the film was the most-expensive animated production in Germany, costing $14.5 million. During the film's release in German theaters, director Schoemann stated that the film was intended to be a film about the discovery of America "from a more satirical view in order to differentiate ourselves clearly from the lofty views of history so we can present Columbus as a lovable, charming and befuddled scholar". During initial stages of the film's production, the film would star the woodworm from ''

Stowaways on the Ark ''Stowaways on the Ark'' is a 1988 German animated adventure film, released theatrically in Germany as ''In der Arche ist der Wurm drin'' ( ''The Worm Is in the Ark'') by United International Pictures on 24 March 1988. It's inspired by the story ...

'' (another German animated film produced by MS-Film), as well as a modest Columbus. However, the film was altered once American partners started investing on it, and it saw potential for an international market.

was the animation director, while American animators Stanley Green, Kevin Richardson, Rick Morrison and George Singer assisted the animation department. Production lasted for three years. There are two English dubbed versions of the film produced; the first dubbed version including the voices of Donald Arthur as Christopher Columbus, as well as Phil Nibbelink and several German voice actors playing miscellaneous roles. The availability of this version is rare, but it can be obtained through

Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federal constitutional monarchy consists of thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two regions: Peninsular Malaysia and Borneo's East Mal ...

VCD Video CD (abbreviated as VCD, and also known as Compact Disc Digital Video) is a home video format and the first format for distributing films on standard optical discs. The format was widely adopted in Southeast Asia, Central Asia and the ...

releases distributed by Berjaya HVN Sdn Bhd and

Croatia , image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg , anthem = " Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland") , image_map = , map_caption = , capi ...

n VHS ones with subtitles. The second English dub was recorded for the North American home-video release with a more well-known cast, including Dom DeLuise as Christopher Columbus,

as Pico,

as Marilyn and

Mickey Rooney Mickey Rooney (born Joseph Yule Jr.; other pseudonym Mickey Maguire; September 23, 1920 – April 6, 2014) was an American actor. In a career spanning nine decades, he appeared in more than 300 films and was among the last surviving stars of the ...

as the Narrator. Particularly notable in this dub is an abundance of ad-libbing. The U.S. dub was written by David T. Reilly and Visual Effects supervisor Scott Santoro.

Home media

The film was released under its original German version by Warner Bros. in home media, in France and Germany. Specifically,

Warner Home Video Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Inc. (formerly known as Warner Home Video and WCI Home Video and sometimes credited as Warner Home Entertainment) is the home video distribution division of Warner Bros. It was founded in 1978 as WCI Home Vide ...

released the film in Germany on VHS and LaserDisc, and

Warner Vision Hachette Book Group (HBG) is a publishing company owned by Hachette Livre, the largest publishing company in France, and the third largest trade and educational publisher in the world. Hachette Livre is a wholly owned subsidiary of Lagardère Grou ...

on DVD in France, in co-operation with the Jean-Paul Bretagnolle Group (which would previously release it on VHS), in November 1999. In

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and th ...

, the second English dubbed version came out on Hemdale Home Video on 3 December 1993.

Image Entertainment RLJ Entertainment (formerly Image Entertainment) is an American film production company and home video distributor, distributing film and television productions in North America, with approximately 3,200 exclusive DVD titles and approximately 34 ...

and Faber International Films has carried over the Hemdale English dub onto the DVD release, which came out on 28 September 1999. In the

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

, this version was dubbed in Dutch and released on VCD and VHS in 1995 by CNR Film & Video, and on DVD by First Look. Its title is ''Pico en het geheim van de gouden tempel'' (English: ''Pico and the Secret of the Golden Temple''). An Italian dub of it, starring

Tullio Solenghi Tullio Alberto Gianfranco Solenghi (born 21 March 1948) is an Italian actor, voice actor, director, comedian, television personality and impressionist. Together with fellow actors Anna Marchesini and Massimo Lopez, he has been a member of the ...

as Columbus and

Mino Caprio Guglielmo "Mino" Caprio (born 17 November 1955) is an Italian actor and voice actor. Biography Caprio is typically known for dubbing voices of celebrities and cartoon characters. He is the official Italian dub voice for celebrities like Seth M ...

as Pico, was released on VHS.

Merchandise

A book titled ''Pico & Columbus'', written by Anna Benthin, was released in Germany in 1991 by Loewe Bindlach, prior the film's release. It was re-released in 1993 by Habel.

References

External links

* * *
''The Magic Voyage''
at

New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

''Die Abenteuer von Pico und Columbus'' at moviemeter.nl (Dutch)

''Die Abenteuer von Pico und Columbus'' at filmportal.de (German)

''Die Abenteuer von Pico und Columbus'' at csfd.cz (Slovakia)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Magic Voyage 1992 films 1993 films 1992 animated films 1993 animated films German animated fantasy films German children's films 1990s German-language films German independent films 1990s children's fantasy films Cultural depictions of Christopher Columbus Films set in the 1490s Fiction set in 1492 Age of Discovery films Films set in Spain Films set in Central America Animated films set in New York City 1990s children's films Films scored by Harald Kloser 1990s children's animated films 1990s German films