Rainbow Brite
and the Star Stealer

(1985, U.S. Japan) 97 minutes
DiC Enterprises / Hallmark Properties / Warner Bros.
Story: Howard R. Cohen
Screenplay: Jean Chalopin, Howard R. Cohen
Music: Shuki Levy, Haim Saban
Produced by Jean Chalopin, Andy Heyward, Victor Villegas
Directed by Bernard Deyriès, Kimio Yabuki

Voices: Bettina (Rainbow Brite/Wisp), Pat Fraley (Lurkey/On-Buddy/Blue/Dog/Guard/Spectran/Slurthic/Glitterbot), Charles Adler (Popo), Rhonda Aldrich (Princess/Creature), Jonathan Harris (Count Blogg), Robbie Lee (Twink/Shy Violet/Indigo/La La/Orange/Spectran/Sprites), Mona Marshall (Red Butler/Witch/Spectran/Castle/Creature/Patty O'Green/Canary Yellow)

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Plot Outline (IMDb): The universe is growing dark and on Earth it is eternal winter all because a selfish princess is trying to keep the diamond like planet Spectra to herself. Rainbow Brite, a girl in charge of changing the seasons and keeping the universe colorful, steps up to stop the princess. All of her friends help, including a brash, overconfident new aquaintance called Krys. If Rainbow does not free Spectra (and if she and Krys don't stop arguing) everything will turn gray and die.

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Based on the popular Saturday morning kiddie cartoon series, RAINBOW BRITE AND THE STAR STEALER is a decidedly unusual Japan/U.S. cartoon hybrid. With its dazzling visuals, occult overtones, grating dubbed voices, snappy theme song and the best apocalyptic subplot since GULLIVER'S TRAVELS BEYOND THE MOON, RAINBOW... embodies the best elements of the Japanese science fiction animation feature in a film designed, curiously, for young females.

For our money, you just can't beat that chintzy, gaudy Japanimation of the "Golden Age" (circa 1960-1980), before the dreaded second-generation "anime" revolution ruined the form, by taking itself way too seriously (as well as grafting adult themes onto inherently adolescent storylines). Anyhoo, RAINBOW... is a stone cold delight, aided and abetted by some rather crass, showtune-like songs.

Heroine Rainbow Brite is a most odd kiddie icon, sort of Pia Zadora as a Munchkin Sun Goddess. (Don't forget, she's in charge of the Spring). In essence, Rainbow is a white witch, empowering the elements with magical rainbows which sprout from her little paws. She also boasts a cryptic pink star, tatooed on her left cheek. (Mark of the Beast?).

Rainbow's Pagan Universe is threatened by a spoiled-brat teenage princess, who, like, wants the brightest diamond in the world for her collection, which is, like, the sun, DUH!

And then you have all these wonderful cliche sci-fi elements thrown in, almost willy-nilly: robot horses, giant killer robots, munchkin zombies, bizarre gumdrop demons, a black hole in space, and a real live space boy, all done in Japan's best mock-Caucasian style.

There is a plethora of sublime visual f/x, including a marvelous rainbow montage, sure to dazzle very small girls... and us! RAINBOW BRITE AND THE STAR STEALER is a gem of preschool psychedelia.

Music composers Shuki Levy and Haim Saban soon hit the big time as producers of the wildly successful POWER RANGERS TV series.

Video/DVD availability: VHS (Warner Home Video, oop),
DVD (Warner Home Video, to be released November 2004!)