Pluk, naufragé de l'espace

Wow. I've been searching for this title for a very long time. Every time I did a search either here on this site, or via an engine like Google, all I got were references to Hanna Barbara's "The Jetsons." And yet this title was in no way affiliated with an American animation studio, much less "The Jetsons" production.

I first saw this little animated gem one afternoon on HBO. I don't know what the original French dialog said in the film, but I found the American English translation (or transliteration) full of wit and humor; a very subtle yet very clever kind of wit.

In fact I liked it so much that I taped it. Regrettably I taped it using my now antiquated and outdated Betamax, and so the only copy I have will probably never see the light of day again.

I wish I could write more about this little piece, but it's been so long that I'm having a hard time recollecting much. I do remember that it's a three part story revolving around a young tycoon, his spaceship and his girlfriend and dog, and how they go on many adventures into the great unknown of outer space. :) I do remember the animation not being the best, but being passable. The stories themselves were rather fun, and the caricatures rather clever. I sincerely doubt this production will ever see another airing to an English speaking audience, but if for some odd reason you catch it watch it. It's not the funniest thing around, but it's rather smart, entertaining, and kid-friendly :)

Little Orbit the Astrodog and the Screechers from Outer Space

I remember this cartoon from HBO back in the day. You can find an English translation by placing this after the main youtube URL /watch?v=7IRxtfQBELs or by searching for the English name: Little Orbit the Astrodog and the Screechers from Outer Space

It came from a tape so there are some glitches, but the quality is probably as good as it gets at this point. I liked the video. I just watched it lately. At first I had associated it with another cartoon or two as it has been a long time since viewing it on HBO. It's pretty good for a lower budget cartoon movie from the late 1970's through early 1980's. The studio did some other cartoons that you can find on youtube as well.

This is the first movie that I have any recollection of ever watching! I must have been 4 or 5 years old when my parents rented this on Betamax. And I can still remember being blown away by it!

The story's about a young couple and their zany dog, who are asked by a robot from another planet to help him find his way back home. They take off in a flying saucer and run into many a challenge. The dog is completely neurotic, while the robot is coolly rational and has drawers on his chest, which seem to have an infinite amount of space in which to keep all sorts of practical tools (much like Felix The Cat's magic bag of tricks).

I re-watched this decades after my first viewing and found that I was still amused by much of it. Many of the jokes still made me laugh. This said, some of the humor is dated and politically incorrect. For example, there are some aliens who are referred to in the English version of the cartoon as "gringos", in reference to their green color. When the robot uses his translator machine to understand what they're saying in their strange language, they sound like Mexicans speaking English. And the leader of the green aliens is called The Big Enchilada, ha ha... (THAT made me laugh.) Other aliens are referred to as "rednecks", only because of their red color. It's all extremely goofy and nonsensical, but offensive terms like 'gringo' or 'redneck' wouldn't be used in today's cartoons and I doubt aliens would be made to sound like Mexicans. Another detail that caught my eye is that only the boy gets a medal in the end, even though his girlfriend participates in the same adventures. That would be unthinkable these days.

Again, I'm describing the English version. I'm very curious to know what the original script in French is like. I'd imagine in the French version the young couple isn't from Miami nor is there any talk of enchiladas. Maybe the green aliens speak with a German accent? After all, some of them carry spiked helmets like those worn by German soldiers during World War I. In English, the best line is the robot's recurrent "Yeah, man!" I can only wonder what he says in French!

If, like me, you have vague memories of having watched this as a kid and are curious to see what it was all about, you can find the entire film on YouTube. It will feel like traveling through time!