The Magic Roundabout is a British children's television show that originally aired from 1964 to 1977. It was an animated series that followed the adventures of a group of talking animal characters in a magical world. In 2006, a film adaptation of the show was released, simply titled "The Magic Roundabout." The film takes place in the same magical world as the TV show and follows the same lovable characters - Dougal the dog, Ermintrude the cow, Brian the snail, Zebedee the jack-in-the-box, and Florence the girl. The storyline revolves around a magic diamond that has been stolen by an evil sorcerer named Zeebad. The diamond has the power to freeze time and bring eternal winter to the land.
The Magic Roundabout (film)
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The Magic Roundabout (released in France as Pollux - Le manège enchanté) is a 2005 French-British computer-animated adventure fantasy comedy film based on the television series The Magic Roundabout.
The diamond has the power to freeze time and bring eternal winter to the land. Dougal, with the help of his friends, sets out on a journey to stop Zeebad and retrieve the magic diamond. Along the way, they encounter various obstacles and challenges.
Plot [ edit | edit source ]
The wizard Zebedee, a red jack-in-the-box-like creature, is having a nightmare about the ice villain named Zeebad. Dougal the well-meaning cheeky, slacker dog places a tack in the road to pop a sweet cart's tyre, hoping to be rewarded with sweets for watching the cart. After the driver goes for help, Dougal accidentally crashes the cart into the magic roundabout at the centre of the village. Zeebad, the evil blue ice jack in the box-like creature, emerges from the top and flies away, followed by a Foot Guard figurine thrown off the roundabout. The roundabout freezes over, trapping repairman Mr. Rusty, Dougal's young owner Florence, and two other children within an icy cell.
The horrified villagers, who are all animals, call upon Zebedee for help. He explains that the roundabout was a mystical prison for Zeebad. With it broken, Zeebad is free to work his magic on the world again as he once did before by starting the Ice Age. The only way to stop Zeebad freezing the world is by collecting three magic diamonds (one of which is supposed to be hidden on the roundabout, while the other two are hidden at separate locations far beyond the village). Slotting the diamonds onto the roundabout will re-imprison Zeebad and undo his magic, but if Zeebad retrieves them first then their power will allow him to freeze the Sun itself. Zebedee sends Dougal, Brian the cynical snail, Ermintrude the opera-singing cow and Dylan the hippie rabbit, to accomplish this mission along with a magic train. Meanwhile, Zeebad crash lands after escaping the roundabout, and animates the Foot Guard figurine, Sam the Soldier, to help him find the enchanted diamonds. Meanwhile, Zebedee's fellowship makes camp in the icy mountains. Dougal wanders off during the night and is captured by Zeebad. Ermintrude breaks him out of his prison. Zebedee then shows up to battle Zeebad but loses the battle with Zeebad freezing him and collapsing the cliff on which he stands.
Mourning for their friend, Dougal and his friends embark to recover the diamonds. This task takes them to a lava-bordered volcano and an ancient temple filled with booby-traps and evil skeleton guards, but Zeebad captures both the diamonds from these respective locations; leaving the only hope of stopping Zeebad by getting back to the roundabout and to the final diamond before Zeebad does. The gang are forced along the way to leave an injured Train behind, leaving them to return to the village on foot through the snowy barren wasteland the world is now freezing into. Zeebad, after having abandoned Sam the Soldier to die wounded in the snow, beats the gang to the now-frozen village, but is unable to find the third diamond anywhere. Sam then arrives on an elk, having realised his true duty is to protect the roundabout against Zeebad, he tries to make a stand but is easily defeated. Having learned Sam was in fact on the roundabout, Zeebad discovers that the third diamond is and always was hidden inside Sam, and removes it from him (ending Sam's life as a result).
Zeebad, with all three diamonds now in his possession, uses them to freeze the world by freezing the Sun. However, the gang finally reach the village, get to the diamonds, and put them into their places on the roundabout until only the third diamond is left. Though Zeebad beats the gang to the diamond and seemingly secures his victory, the timely arrival of a healed Train knocks the diamond out of Zeebad's reach and gives Dougal the chance to place it in the roundabout's final slot. Zeebad is now re-imprisoned, and the world is thawed, Zebedee is restored to his friends, and villagers are freed.
Of those trapped in the roundabout, a comatose Florence is revived by Dougal. As everyone goes for a ride on the roundabout, they discover it does not work because Sam is lifeless. At this point, Sam is restored and then reverted to his inanimate form, and placed back on the roundabout which functions once again. Dougal now realises the true value of his friends and the good qualities of selflessness, courage, and humility.
They meet new characters, such as the Iris flowers who can communicate through song, and encounter ancient mystical caves and forests. The film combines computer-generated animation with live-action elements, as the main characters are animated while the human characters are played by real actors. This blend of animation and live-action gives the film a unique and visually stunning look. The Magic Roundabout 2006 received mixed reviews from critics. Some praised its visually impressive animation and charming characters, while others felt that the story was lacking depth and originality. However, it was generally well-received by audiences, and it performed moderately well at the box office. Overall, The Magic Roundabout 2006 is a nostalgic and entertaining adaptation of the beloved children's TV show. It brings the magic and whimsy of the original series to the big screen and introduces new elements to captivate audiences of all ages..
Reviews for "The Timeless Appeal of The Magic Roundabout 2006: Why It Still Holds Up Today"
1. Mike - 2
I found "The Magic Roundabout 2006" to be quite disappointing. The animation was lackluster and the storyline felt disjointed. The attempt to modernize the classic characters fell flat, and the humor was forced and not as charming as the original. Overall, I didn't enjoy the film as much as I had hoped.
2. Sarah - 1
I was extremely disappointed with "The Magic Roundabout 2006". The animation seemed cheap and the character designs were unappealing. The voice acting felt flat and lacked emotion, making it hard to connect with the characters. The plot was convoluted and hard to follow, which made the overall viewing experience quite frustrating. I would not recommend this film to anyone.
3. John - 2
As a fan of the original "Magic Roundabout," I was excited to see the 2006 version. However, I was let down by the lack of charm and wit that made the original so beloved. The new animation style didn't capture the magic of the original, and the changes made to the characters felt forced and unnecessary. The overall storyline felt rushed and poorly executed, leaving me disappointed by the end of the film.
4. Emily - 2
"The Magic Roundabout 2006" did not live up to my expectations. The animation was subpar and lacked the detail and beauty of other animated films of that time. The plot was weak and felt like a series of random events strung together. The humor fell flat and didn't elicit much laughter. Overall, I found the film to be forgettable and not worth the watch.