This Movie is a Cartoon Lover's Fantasy

"The Princess and The Goblin" was a 1991 animated movie from Wales based on the classic 1872 story of the same name.
The film tells the story of a young princess and her friend who discover a malicious plot by underground goblins to take over her kingdom.
Although a box office bomb, its lack of success isn't a reflection of how truly wonderful this movie is. Featuring instances of beautiful art and rousing adventure, it possessed everything needed to become a beloved children's classic. What kept it from gaining this status?
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Music:
All Music by teodholina on PixBay

[@amandasmith593]

I had this movie on VHS, and I still clearly remember one of the previews. It was a woman dressed as Irinie's grandmother advertising a phone card for kids to use.

[@ItsTheGooseItsTheGoose]

Such an odd service to be tied in with the movie!

[@chiknfriends]

You unlocked a memory for me. Damn. I watched the VHS so many times and now that you mention this specifically I can picture it.

[@ladydomiollo]

Childhood memory unlocked 😮

[@JackiePearl]

🤯 I had completely forgotten about that!

[@anacsadder]

"So if you're lost, or if you need help, all you need is your magic phone card."

[@julesrules7297]

I miss the Don Bluth era. Such a fluid, graceful animation and delicate color palette on those films.

[@ItsTheGooseItsTheGoose]

At points, this movie rivals the best of Don Bluth and Disney. Sadly, those moments are sporadic. Just on visuals alone I think the film would be more popular if it maintained its best work throughout!

[@julesrules7297]

@ItsTheGooseItsTheGoose I want to give this one a go! I've never heard of it but I'm very intrigued by overall quality and craftsmanship.

[@ItsTheGooseItsTheGoose]

Let us know what you think when you get around to watching it!

[@danielramsey6141]

I miss how Don Bluth at one Point didn’t care about making his films musicals. Films like Secret of NIMH, And American Tale, even the first Land Before Time had powerful Stories that didn’t need play into any singing. Had Don Bluth continued along this path, he would’ve been Slightly more successful. I won’t lie, Diseny managed to get their act together and make some solid films in Beauty and the Beast, Lion King, Mulan, Toy Story, Hercules, and many others during the 90s into 2000s. But I feel Don Bluth would’ve had more original Tales and stories. And honestly, I do love his film “All Dogs Go To Heaven”. As that was a meaningful movie to me, with a hopeful, yet dark, atmospheric, and Bleak tone.

[@wesmcinerny4524]

Did you know that he came back recently with Tapper World Tour and Yuki, Star of the Sea?

[@VtubingFurryHuskyThatDoodles]

I dunno but seeing Irinie's grandmother made me feel safe as a child I had this movie on VHS as a child

[@ItsTheGooseItsTheGoose]

I like her as well, she's just so mysterious! And there's the tiniest bit of malevolence to her, I can't quite put my finger on it...

[@love-giftofafairytale3849]

I bet it's the commercial they had before the movie where Grandmother talks about the themed phone card. The actress seems so genuinely kind, it left an impression on me too. Wish I had that phone card (and a chance to use it!)

[@Tibor0803]

Irene's grandmother is a very good character to the roots. She feels like a metaphysical and a fantasy-like being at the same time. Like a good witch she is similar to the Witch of the North from the Wizard of Oz classic film, who kinda feels like only exist within Irene's mind, except she can appear anywhere without the condition of her mind's summoning to anyone she desires, but unlike the Witch of the North, instead of water bubbles she uses transportation or teleportation (probably transfiguration) magic via pigeons and light. On top of that she is a pretty sage woman radiating with high energy toward anyone who meets her. Not to mention, apparently she could maintain her youth for a way longer period of time than an average human being. Oh god, we all wish were having such a valuable individual as our grandmother. I'd be happy to learn from someone like her.

[@ClarkyWarky]

​@@love-giftofafairytale3849😂 I forgot all about that phone card!!!!

[@negirno]

Hungarian here. This movie, called _A hercegnő és a kobold_ (The Princess and the Kobold) was the last theatrical animated film before Pannónia studio the place this was mainly made, fell on hard times due to the general lack of money in the post-communist years (which it never really recovered, sadly). Some of the animation was also outsourced to a Japanese studio, hence the difference in quality. As you said in the video, the Hungarian premiere was in late 1991, so it didn't really stood a chance against Disney's _The Rescuers Down Under_ , but thanks to it being aired on many TV channels in the nineties, it was remembered fondly by some of us, although the original source material is basically unknown to us.

[@ItsTheGooseItsTheGoose]

I'm glad it was able to find a second life on tv and video. I wish it had found mainstream success but it seems to have found a nice little following in the years since!

[@LowellLucasJr.]

I'm not going to lie, I always looked at the Princesses of the Goblin as the true vision of The Black cauldron that Disney should have done! Their characters(primarily The Princess and the pauper) were way more fleshed out than Tarn and their Princess ! All they needed was The Horned King with the Goblin prince as his cleverer subordinate! Had not someone else talked about it and it would be a lost, forgotten title! THANK YOU for breathing life back into it! You'd think with all these KZbin channels talking about obscure cartoons, this will be one of them!

[@marcusblackwell2372]

Oh, believe me, my friend, The Black Cauldron is VERY fleshed out in the source material. In the very first chapter of the first book, even. Far more fleshed out than the film

[@ItsTheGooseItsTheGoose]

I'm absolutely STUNNED that there isn't more general fanfare for this movie. I agree that it's baffling there hasn't been a serious flood of people making videos on it either. This is one of the best obscure cartoons I've had the pleasure bringing to light, and hopefully people enjoy it as much as I did!

[@Shadowthevampire]

Wen I saw the thumbnail I legit tought it was the black cauldron...

[@iso-didact789]

@@ItsTheGooseItsTheGoose Imagine this twist in the scene where curdy is cornered and starts to sing: He stops a a thought occurs to him and asks why they hate music. Gobbies respond that it's not music in general, it's just human music cuz it sucks. Curdy asks what music they have and froglip and his dad look at each other and one says "Well, he asked for it." Cut to curdy watching slack-jawed as the goblins perform this: m.kzbin.info/www/bejne/mYC5Xmivp7FjrLM

[@nicholasmorgan7609]

Careful about asking for a remake, sometimes it happens and it's usually never as good as the original. I don't trust anyone to remake anything anymore.

[@ItsTheGooseItsTheGoose]

True, but I want to so badly for its full potential to be realized! I'm sure the story alone will be re-adapted at some point in the future.

[@iso-didact789]

Or at least not shitsney.😡

[@AshThePosessed]

so happy seeing someone talk about this movie - i adored it when i was younger. i still find myself singing "a spark inside us" often even so many years later. thank you for this video!

[@ItsTheGooseItsTheGoose]

Thank you for watching it! It's a secret classic that I feel only a few people know about.

[@fishapiller]

The ghost woman all ways made me feel better inside ❤

[@ItsTheGooseItsTheGoose]

She's a very protective figure, whatever she is!

[@Drakin292]

One thing you kinda missed here that I remember from watching the film, was the Goblins did not intend to flood the castle. The plan was to use the flood to drown the miners in the caves, but Curdy warned them and they were able to build a wall in the cave to divert the flood. This unintentionally sent it down the tunnel the Goblins had dug into the castle, which Curdy only realizes during the castle invasion minutes before the water gushes from the tunnel just as Froglip was about to drag the princess back into the depths.

[@rosemartasgaminghoard]

You are correct. That's what I remember too, I watched this movie a lot.

[@fairyofhopeva]

I adored this movie as a child (i grew up in the mid-2000s). I had this movie on VHS however and I watched it all the time. The music was always a favorite part of this movie for me. I think this movie was a production directed toward kids, that wasn't afraid to be a little dark. To be a little scary. But you also have to love the princess's great great-great-grandmother as well. she was warm, kind, and caring. the kind of grandmother you'd want to have. the attention to detail in this movie was fantastic. thank you so much for talking about this movie. for bringing life to it again

[@ItsTheGooseItsTheGoose]

There really is so much to like about this film. I think it would've been a great pilot for an animated series, too!

[@iso-didact789]

@@ItsTheGooseItsTheGoose ​​⁠ Imagine this twist in the scene where curdy is cornered and starts to sing: He stops a a thought occurs to him and asks why they hate music. Gobbies respond that it's not music in general, it's just human music cuz it sucks. Curdy asks what music they have and froglip and his dad look at each other and one says "Well, he asked for it." Cut to curdy watching slack-jawed as the goblins perform this: m.kzbin.info/www/bejne/mYC5Xmivp7FjrLM

[@SailorMya]

I also owned it on VHS as it was one of my favorites! Did your's also have the ad at the start with a lady dressed as her grandmother IRL? I will forever think of that lady when I think about this movie! (Whoever she was she was wonderful at the part!)

[@iso-didact789]

@@SailorMya Yeah that magic phone card shit.

[@EBThisThat]

Songs as protection or weaponry is one of my absolute favorite tropes. I’ve seen Macross do this as well as Young David (in this case, it’s used more as a prayer and brings me to tears), but you’re right, I wish it was used more in this way.

[@ItsTheGooseItsTheGoose]

There could have been so many memorable songs. At least we got one!

[@lunaamore2713]

I think the encouragement of going back and watching older films is necessary. Not too many People have the talent to remake these classics And still makes them good. These films do Deserve a come back.❤

[@ItsTheGooseItsTheGoose]

This one deserves to be rewatched, but also to have a new set of hands work on it with love and care!

[@dejahdanger]

I love that you have this movie a genuine analysis. I grew up in the 80s and these types of movies remain a favorite. I only vaguely remember this one and your video was a lovely bit of nostalgia.

[@ItsTheGooseItsTheGoose]

Thank you! This movie is so memorable. It's a shame more people don't know about it!

[@jordanmcelhinney]

I can nearly recite this film word for word. It was an absolute favourite in our home and we watched it to death! Named cats after Irene and Curdie!!

[@ItsTheGooseItsTheGoose]

That's adorable! You need one more and to name it Turnip!

[@highfae]

I had a Turnip! 🥰😺

[@TheMimic12]

This was a deep cut. My grandparents had this on tape and it scared the crap out of me but i loved it.

[@ItsTheGooseItsTheGoose]

I could definitely see it being scary for kids!

[@hameley12]

Fun fact, some of us found Princess and the Goblin fun while The NeverEnding Story was strangely directed, edited and written and the early basic visual effects looked like a nightmarish type of film, which some of us avoided. Lol! I guess it depends on the child's mind and views on whether they think its scarier.

[@suitman]

Rik mayall did a wonderful voice job as the goblin prince. Rip you legend.

[@ItsTheGooseItsTheGoose]

I ADORE the performance done for Princess Irene as well!

[@elijahbrown3551]

Oh yeah. Drop Dead Fred.

[@mercuropheliac]

I wouldn’t discuss the colour of orange juice with you, princess!

[@suitman]

And dont forget richie rich from bottom.

[@quadeadzone]

Woof.

[@koskazoli2841]

The animation director for this movie, József Gémes is one of my favourite directors from Hungary. For the time and era, he had a pretty innovative and experimental way of moving the camera that you can see at the beginning of this feature too, but sadly I can agree the quality dropped at the second half for some reason. His other two animated features, Heroic Times (Daliás idők) and Willy the Sparrow (Vili, a veréb) may be his stronger and more consistent works.

[@ItsTheGooseItsTheGoose]

I'll have to give those a watch. Thank you!

[@jamesshipley9164]

I vaguely recall scenes from this movie, but I definitely remember Willy the Sparrow and looked it up a few years back off some obscure childhood nostalgia trip. No clue how I saw these as a kid in a remote spot of the midwest USA in the early 90s unless they were widely dubbed and distributed, but I know I saw that one and a Belgian (?) animation called John the Fearless that also stuck out for some memorably spooky imagery with a swamp monster. Pretty sure we rented all of these from a grocery store video section. Small world haha.

[@herstoryanimated]

Another point, Disney and Don Bluth used rotoscoping techniques (filming an actor doing the scene then drawing over/using that as a base to animate on top of) to get their fluidity and accuracy of animation. This film clearly didn’t, but still achieves some really beautiful animation! I think it deserves some credit for that, particularly with those difficult/unusual angles and 'camera movements'

[@arjunarman5814]

Others commented this, but my clearest memory of the film is the commercial proceeding the film where a live-action actress playing the Great Grandmother advertised a phone card as a tie in with the story being about kids being kidnapped. Back then kidnapping always seemed to be on the news and warnings about strangers too. I didn't love the movie but it looked somewhat similar to Don Bluth's stuff and the Rankin-Bass animated stuff from the 70's and 80's (Arthur Rackham derived watercolors and beasts) so I did watch it a handful of times. Agree that it had a lot of potential and need to see it again for the first time in closed to 30 years. Strange getting old. These things age along with us.

[@catelynh1020]

When i tell you that i grew up on a farm and had to sometimes go to the end of the driveway in the dark and i legit _sang the song the boy sang_ to feel safer at night up to my mid 20's, you know this movie had an impact on me. It was also the reason i associated spinning wheels with calmness and strength and even got into spinning myself when i was an adult. I rented the movie a number of times from our video store in town before they went out of business and forgot all about the movie as the source of random quotes from like middle school to college when i found it on yt for free. Same with Thief and the Cobbler, which i didn't realize was also very ingrained in my psyche

[@hameley12]

That's wonderful! The one song stuck in my head forever has been Once Upon A December by Anastasia released by 20th Century Studios. Every time I felt or feel sad, stressed out or feel like giving up. This song comes into my head. It wasn't until after 2010 that people began playing it on media or "trending it".

[@mandiemills88]

I would not be mad at a live action movie of this. I loved this movie growing up and the last unicorn was a good one to.

[@ItsTheGooseItsTheGoose]

I would love that, too!

[@karinlinero4579]

Yesssssss

[@Cecona]

I love this movie so, so, so much, and I adore A Spark Inside Us.If they were to remake this movie, I hope it's done with love

[@ItsTheGooseItsTheGoose]

I'd love to see it as an animated series of they decided not to directly remake it!

[@rileynelson6624]

My grandma had this and Rugrats in Paris on VHS in the 2000’s. I was 7 around that time. There was also a book sequel called The Princess and Curdie. I still have to read it.

[@ItsTheGooseItsTheGoose]

It would be neat for them to make a sequel...

[@Fluffymonkeyem]

Oh my goshhh the Princess and the Goblin! I watched that and the Swan Princess over and over as a kid. Curdie was my favorite. I just read the book for the first time in years and the sequel for the first time. The books are....very different from the movie in a lot of ways, but still manages to retain certain elements. The movie still holds a very special place in my heart. Thank you for the great video. ❤

[@ItsTheGooseItsTheGoose]

It's such a special little movie. I wish there was a sequel! And thank you for watching the video. I''m glad you enjoyed it!

[@mylohudson2196]

2 of my favorites as well! Beautifully done!

[@araneljones]

And the anime Swan Lake. I drew so many goblins, princesses, and swans in that time.

[@WeaponsRemorse]

Yoooo that unbroken shot to over the shoulder is INSANE This is the level of quality I want for, when I eventually make my comic into an anime

[@ItsTheGooseItsTheGoose]

The first time I saw it, I had to rewind and watch it again because I was caught so off guard at how unexpected it was. I'm glad I'm not the only one who appreciates it!

[@WeaponsRemorse]

@@ItsTheGooseItsTheGoose oh for sure!

[@iso-didact789]

@@WeaponsRemorse ​​⁠ Imagine this twist in the scene where curdy is cornered and starts to sing: He stops a a thought occurs to him and asks why they hate music. Gobbies respond that it's not music in general, it's just human music cuz it sucks. Curdy asks what music they have and froglip and his dad look at each other and one says "Well, he asked for it." Cut to curdy watching slack-jawed as the goblins perform this: m.kzbin.info/www/bejne/mYC5Xmivp7FjrLM

[@WeaponsRemorse]

@@iso-didact789 lmaoootruuuu

[@jokerlyzermedia6603]

A golden jewel of beauty that stands the test of time. Love this film still so much. I need a blu-ray remaster

[@cassandralyris4918]

Holy crap, I thought I might've imagined this movie when I was a kid. What a nostalgia bomb.

[@ItsTheGooseItsTheGoose]

It's one of those ones you can't remember but can never forget. I'm glad you were able to relive it!

[@CriellaChant]

Not going to lie, I thought this was a fever dream! I used to own this film on vhs and it keeps popping into my head every now and then, and could never remember the name of the film!! Thank you for a great video into my childhood!!

[@ItsTheGooseItsTheGoose]

I hope you get to watch it again and it's as enjoyable as you remember!

[@victoriapride7575]

My local movie rental store had this on vhs and I ADORED watching it, so much that as a teenager searched and bought the dvd so I could watch it again. I loved how the magical thread glittered

[@ItsTheGooseItsTheGoose]

This movie would be a great prequel to an animated series!

[@cryptidsprinkles]

A remake of this film would be a great opportunity to revive old animation style, process and techniques. Trying to CGI this would ruin any kind of reiteration or even remaster. I realize it’s more costly, but believe people are hungering for it, I know I am. And some truly magical projects could come of it.

[@ItsTheGooseItsTheGoose]

I would love more hand drawn animation! Maybe someday the process will be revitalized.

[@madamkoifish]

This movie was a childhood favorite of mine.

[@ItsTheGooseItsTheGoose]

It's so enchanting!

[@madamkoifish]

I honestly wouldn’t mind seeing a remake of this movie.

[@iso-didact789]

@@madamkoifish ​​⁠ Imagine this twist in the scene where curdy is cornered and starts to sing: He stops a a thought occurs to him and asks why they hate music. Gobbies respond that it's not music in general, it's just human music cuz it sucks. Curdy asks what music they have and froglip and his dad look at each other and one says "Well, he asked for it." Cut to curdy watching slack-jawed as the goblins perform this: m.kzbin.info/www/bejne/mYC5Xmivp7FjrLM

[@kokocrispies]

I saw some clips of this a few years ago and felt a bunch of memories flooding back. I scrubbed through it and really didn't remember much - but there are certain scenes and feelings that are so visceral. The pebbles at the beginning. The grandmother's hair. The magic flower petals. The ring and the glimmering thread. The terror of Froglip when she gets back into her room. I must have seen it only in daycare or something because we didn't own it, and I don't have strong memories of the plot or story. But it definitely had some really distinct visuals and evoked some strong feelings for these small things to stay with me in some deep part of my brain.

[@ItsTheGooseItsTheGoose]

Hopefully someday you'll watch it again!

[@starry-p]

No they would never be able to remake this movie in a good way!!

[@ItsTheGooseItsTheGoose]

Even if it's not a remake, I hope someday takes another swing at adapting the source material to the screen. It's too good not to!

[@kyonkochan]

I think I remember we got this movie on a VHS tape from a McDonalds promotion or something. One thing I've come to really like about it as I got older is that the armor and weapons in the movie are pretty accurate to real medieval weaponry which is a nice touch they usually skip over in animated movies. It's also one of the rare Hungarian animated movies and Hungary has a very interesting and enthusiastic history of animation. There's a video here on youtube discussing it and I highly recommend anyone who saw this movie as a kid to check it out.

[@ItsTheGooseItsTheGoose]

It treads a line between total fantasy with the magical grandma and goblins, but if you took those things out, it would feel grounded. Such a fun little movie!

[@simsgirlgem]

Hungarian folk tales on KZbin is wild

[@hameley12]

Thank you, I will check it out. 💙💙❤❤

[@anonview]

The waterfall scene is my favorite. The moonlight reflecting on the water, and the way her dress floats on top... chef's kiss! Also, I'm not afraid to admit that I ship Irinie and Curdy hard. The squeals I made during their scenes, lmao.

[@ItsTheGooseItsTheGoose]

They are definitely an adorable duo!

[@sailor_gaia]

Me too but no need to ship them, they're meant to be. It was the whole reason I took the time to read MacDonald's "Princess and the Goblin" and "The Princeess and Curdie" just to find out! LOL! Both of the tales are lovely and wonderful to know that they inspired writers like Tolkien and Carroll in their own great works.

[@ItsTheGooseItsTheGoose]

@@sailor_gaia I wish they would have been able to have made a sequel to the movie!

[@bloodmooncomics2249]

I remember loving this movie as a kid. I rented it a lot at my local video store.

[@ItsTheGooseItsTheGoose]

Video stores always had the best movies!

[@the-nina-beans88]

I wonder… Who ever designed the goblins…. Were they the same people who designed the trolls from Kings Quest 7?

[@marcusblackwell2372]

What's that?

[@Dumbledoresarmy13]

This studio was clearly on a tighter budget than Bluth, but you can tell they drew a lot of inspiration from them. The goblin character designs and the tone, the way some sfx are done. It's not the quality of a theatrical release but it is on par with TV shows of the time, so its still totally watchable for a home movie. Kid me absolutely wore out that tape.

[@ItsTheGooseItsTheGoose]

I definitely would not have noticed, nor cared about any of the shortcomings as a kid. Even now, I still love the movie. And what it gets right, it really gets right!

[@doefarris2189]

This movie has the BEST sound effects for rocks in a cave, and I will die on that hill.

[@hameley12]

@@doefarris2189 💯% Yes! I am down for early 1990s no-nonsense movies that entertain and inspire and also have excellent animation, cell separation, music, and special effects unlike the billion-dollar movies at that time!

[@jneeni]

This was one of my favorite cartoon films growing up and is actually a comfort movie for me to this day! I think I was 10 or so when I picked up the VHS on a whim while browsing the movie section at Tower Records with my mom because the cover looked so different from all the Disney movies we had. I watched it almost daily back then and now, 30 years later, I still pop in my DVD copy every once in a while. Such a great, underrated film that did not receive enough attention back in the 90's.

[@ItsTheGooseItsTheGoose]

It's one of the great, non-Disney animations of the 90s!

[@chrisn8349]

Looking at wiki, the movie actually came out in 1991 and the US release was 1994. I loved this movie as a kid, and I have parts of it embedded in my brain. Especially scenes with Grandmother.

[@ItsTheGooseItsTheGoose]

The grandmother is such an ethereal character. I wish they went into her character more!

[@bananaspliitz9136]

This movie was part of my top 10 movie rotation. Along w troll in Central Park, we’re back, pebble n the penguin, ever after, American tale 2, pagemaster, fern gully, once upon a forest, and rock a doodle.

[@ItsTheGooseItsTheGoose]

That's a great stable of movies!

[@mylohudson2196]

You are an absolute rockstar!! Omg ive never seen so many of my favorites in one list before!! ESPECIALLY a troll in central park and rock-a-doodle we LOVED don bluth in my house when we were growing up ❤

[@jamesshipley9164]

Woah. Throw Brave Little Toaster, Land Before Time, and Little Nemo in there and you nailed my early childhood monthly video rental checklist

[@bananaspliitz9136]

@@jamesshipley9164 land before time just barely missed my top ten. Brave little toaster scared the shit outta me and the only reason Nemo wasn’t in the roster was bc I didn’t have the movie at home but it is now one of my go to sleep movies 🤣💜💜

[@mylohudson2196]

@jamesshipley9164 omg someone else who remembers little Nemo!! Don't get me wrong, the fishy was cute, but I hate that it completely wiped away the boy Nemo! Did you see the Netflix remake called slumberland? Very different movie, meant for a much older audience, but just enough similarities to bring back all the feels ❤️

[@nl396]

I am so happy to know there are others who remember this! The Princess and the Goblin is an overlooked gem with some flaws in it, but it's still so unique. Did anyone else notice there were three doors in the tower where Irene's grandmother was? Three doors for the three times she saw her.

[@ItsTheGooseItsTheGoose]

It's a genuinely great cartoon movie. I hope more people get to discover it!

[@bloodrunsclear]

I LOVED this book as a kid and I still have that little song in my head. A very pivotal moment in my childhood.

[@ItsTheGooseItsTheGoose]

You were a lucky kid to have read the book and watched the movie! Classics!

[@DragonKingX78]

I wish Don Bluth did more movies like The Secret of NIMH.

[@Som2106]

Nice to see someone making a video about this movie ❤ Stumbled over it as a kid when it was running on TV. It didn’t overwhelm me to be honest but it was interesting enough to stay in my memory after all these years. It had a nice level of thrill, creepiness, mystery and fantasy. I truly agree this motion picture has potential.

[@kingkenno8803]

Finally someone talks about this movie. That song and Rik Mayall's voice acting have long stuck in my head since I saw it as a kid.

[@ItsTheGooseItsTheGoose]

I couldn't believe there wasn't a huge discussion about this movie online! Hopefully that changes!

[@Chosenviper]

One of my favorite animated films!!!

[@ItsTheGooseItsTheGoose]

It's definitely that good!

[@CrimHawkins]

I remember bits and pieces of this movie and at times thought it was the product of some fever dream. Really pleased to have found this review!

[@ItsTheGooseItsTheGoose]

Nope, it's real and it's good! Glad to have helped you rediscover it!

[@Fluffy-Rose1993]

You may have just unlocked a memory for me. As I started watching your review, I kept thinking how this movie looked and felt familiar but I am positive I did watch this when I was very young. I remember the ghostly grandmother, the goblin toe beatings and the gold thread from the princesses ring.

[@ItsTheGooseItsTheGoose]

It's hard to recall at first, but unforgettable once you remember!

[@Fluffy-Rose1993]

@@ItsTheGooseItsTheGoose Oh for sure. I'm gonna have to look it up to watch it again now.

[@Swaggerbobable]

There's not even enough covers of Spark Inside us out there. It's a travesty. And the little magic phone card PSA was the icing on the cake at the end.

[@ItsTheGooseItsTheGoose]

That would be a fun song to hear covered!

[@KyleRDent]

Heard about this film years ago, decided to watch it last week, and then you drop a video on it. Timing!

[@ItsTheGooseItsTheGoose]

It's such an enjoyable movie. Despite the few shortcomings I feel it has, this is one I definitely see myself coming back to revisit!

[@danielfarkasatzel1952]

I'm hungarian and I had the great luck to to see some animation cels from this film in an animation summer camp (or something like that) when the last day an animator came to talk about animation

[@ItsTheGooseItsTheGoose]

So lucky! I would love to have even just one!

[@highfae]

Thank you for appreciating this wonderful film, and bringing more positive awareness to it! I can't recommend the origin story by George MacDonald (and anything by him, A Double Story is my favorite!) enough!!

[@ItsTheGooseItsTheGoose]

Thank you! A great film based off a great story was long overdue in being appreciated!

[@snbsixteen6stars201]

I always loved this movie The creature designs The cave village of the trolls Every single comforting scene with the grandmother The magic items, like for real i wanted that silk ring as a kid cus i was always scared of being lost This movie and the crystal cave level in donkey kong made me really fasinated with caves

[@ItsTheGooseItsTheGoose]

A toy version of the magic ring would have been fun to have! I never thought of caves in that way before, that's an interesting take!

[@sboinkthelegday3892]

Check out Danish movie Valhalla from 1986

[@ItsTheGooseItsTheGoose]

@@sboinkthelegday3892 Thanks for the recommendation!

[@CTSael]

I loved this movie as a kid! I would watch it and The Last Unicorn on repeat. I don’t want to sound repetitive of other comments saying that the song is their standout memory of this film, despite it being mine as well, so I’ll give mention to the other scene that was seared into my mind. The tower ambush scene always unsettled me as a kid, but not to the point of being unable to repeatedly rewatch it. The uncertainty of the soldiers who have been told to guard against an unseen, unknown foe, which leads to the goblins’ cat being able to slip effortlessly past them and stalk into Irene’s bedroom as she slept… everything about that scenario creeped me out as a kid. Had that mouse not been present, the situation would have likely turned out a very different result.

[@morgantino6507]

I grew up with this film not sure when my grandma got it but it was one of those films that was always in the house and reachable on the movie shelf.

[@ItsTheGooseItsTheGoose]

Hopefully you and your grandma shared some good memories over it!

[@MauriceBear]

I remember this movie like 20 years ago on a VHS, now with an understanding to a degree of animated features this one is the most intriguing one not well known but should be.

[@ItsTheGooseItsTheGoose]

Hopefully people will be inspired to seek it out for themselves now!

[@Runeinc]

I loved this movie as a kid, went to see it in the cinema when I was little.

[@ItsTheGooseItsTheGoose]

Lucky! I would love to have seen this in theaters!

[@love-giftofafairytale3849]

Lucky 😂

[@Runeinc]

@@ItsTheGooseItsTheGoose Lucky? It makes feel so old... This was back in 1992 when it was released in the UK, but yes I was lucky and it's one of the most enduring memories from my childhood.

[@NeroStreetArt]

I had this on VHS when I was a wee thing. It's always been one of my "I swear this movie exists" but no one else had heard of it. I can still hear the song from the movie in my head, it's stuck with my well into my 30's. I also remember there was an advertisement on the VHS for a phone card with a woman dressed up as the great-great grandmother that we could use if kids ever got lost and we could also talk to the characters from the movie. I was way too young to understand what a phone card was LOL.

[@ItsTheGooseItsTheGoose]

It's one of those movies where I can't understand how nobody has heard of it, yet at the same time, completely see why!

[@KumoriShichiyou]

Oh wow, this is a blast from the past! My grandma had this movie on VHS, so i watched it a lot as a kid. I honestly wasn't sure if other people knew about it.

[@ItsTheGooseItsTheGoose]

I am surprised by how many people have seen it! It's definitely nostalgic!

[@TheMimic12]

Omg same! My cousins are all older than me so my grandparents had their stack of kids media from when they were younger that I otherwise wouldn't have been exposed to. I'm better off having seen it.

[@Solsamsa]

A childhood favorite of mine, and a wonderful nostalgia trip.

[@ItsTheGooseItsTheGoose]

It's a perfect time capsule for animated movies of the early 90's!

[@twilightguardian]

I absolutely adored this movie as a kid. I have a huge collection of VHS tapes. Hundreds of clamshells and twice as many slideboxes currently in storage. While I don't think I ever owned this one in particular I remember renting it often enough to have very vivid memories and it has influenced my writing and storytelling as I grew older.

[@ItsTheGooseItsTheGoose]

It may have to be one to add to the collection!

[@Vosia71]

Man i haven't seen this in years!! I was born in 93 and we had it on VHS. I think i seen it at least 4 times a year from 96-2000 since it eas one of my favorites.

[@ItsTheGooseItsTheGoose]

Everyone has those movies that were in their regular rotation. Precious memories!

[@samanthamarkle6923]

Saw this first on KZbin years ago! I was so happy to find a kindle copy of the original novel on Amazon and the film on Internet Archive!

[@ItsTheGooseItsTheGoose]

It might be time to do a reread and a rewatch!

[@viruschris3160]

I have this movie on DVD. I’ve seen this movie as a kid years ago and got it on DVD years later. I really love this movie.

[@ItsTheGooseItsTheGoose]

It's a great one!

[@mmgringoire2]

I loved this movie as a kid. It still has a soft spot in my heart now as a 34 year old. The songs still make me smile and I catch myself humming them to myself sometimes. The 80's may be regarded as the "Dark Ages" for animation, but they played such a vital part in my life, as well as the lives of friends I've talked to and people on social media. I love Renaissance Disney and early Dreamworks, but we need creative diversity and movies that go off the beaten path just as much as the big budget animated films.

[@iamSketchH]

I had this on VHS in the 90s--where it opened before the movie with a woman dressed as Irene's grandmother telling kids how not to get lost, and to have their very own identification card or something. I loved this movie as a kid. It felt so spooky, beautiful, and different (It has that similar vibe that movies like Labyrinth have--and I love it). I really do remember liking the scene where the camera is outside the castle, following them through the castle as she tries to explain what happened to her nanny. It made the castle feel real, like it had real paths and such. (And for some reason, that sparkling ball of yarn of her grandmother's was just fascinating. For some reason, I thought it was a bouncing ball and wanted one. 🤣 )

[@isabelamontgomery9182]

I watched this movie so many times. It’s seriously such a great movie ❤

[@ItsTheGooseItsTheGoose]

it really is!

[@strawberry0sunset]

Before I hear the rest of the video, I want to say this was absolutely one of my favorite movies as a child. I loved every piece of it.

[@ItsTheGooseItsTheGoose]

It really is charming and criminally unknown!

[@Liliadruida]

Ooooh, hardcore childhood nostalgia, I think we had this on VHS - the golden era of Hungarian animation made such awesome animations like 'Szaffi', 'Ludasmatyi', 'Sárkány és papucs' and of course this gem. I will need to rewatch it with my daughter :)

[@ItsTheGooseItsTheGoose]

I hope she enjoys it!

[@crescentlady]

I'm glad is you are giving this older "classic" (to me anyway) a review. All of your comments I agree with and there's such potential to do the animated film again with modern technology. Fun fact the book also had a sequel written

[@ItsTheGooseItsTheGoose]

I'd love to see this come back as an animated series. There's so much material to draw from!

[@CattCreature]

Loved this movie as a kid. Often rented the vhs from my local video rental shop. I have to admit the concept of a song being used as a defense/weapon certainly stuck with me. :).

[@ItsTheGooseItsTheGoose]

It's such a neat premise! I would love to see it used again.

[@CattCreature]

@@ItsTheGooseItsTheGoose I think the only other movies I've seen that sort of use it is the Zulu movie and Tale of a bunnie picnic.

[@iso-didact789]

@@CattCreature ​​⁠ Imagine this twist in the scene where curdy is cornered and starts to sing: He stops a a thought occurs to him and asks why they hate music. Gobbies respond that it's not music in general, it's just human music cuz it sucks. Curdy asks what music they have and froglip and his dad look at each other and one says "Well, he asked for it." Cut to curdy watching slack-jawed as the goblins perform this: m.kzbin.info/www/bejne/mYC5Xmivp7FjrLM

[@iso-didact789]

@@ItsTheGooseItsTheGoose ​​⁠ Imagine this twist in the scene where curdy is cornered and starts to sing: He stops a a thought occurs to him and asks why they hate music. Gobbies respond that it's not music in general, it's just human music cuz it sucks. Curdy asks what music they have and froglip and his dad look at each other and one says "Well, he asked for it." Cut to curdy watching slack-jawed as the goblins perform this: m.kzbin.info/www/bejne/mYC5Xmivp7FjrLM

[@professorlizzard2509]

I have been thinking a lot about this movie last week, so I am glad I have stumbled upon this video about it! Thank you for covering this gem. Also, apparently the original book from 1872 is in public domain. I took some glances in it, and to my surprise, a lot of things that I thought were invented by the studio was there, like the stone shoes, or the singing. I should spend a day reading it all.

[@ItsTheGooseItsTheGoose]

There's so much from the books that could be adapted, it really should be a miniseries or a trilogy of movies!

[@shardinhand1243]

i recomend this movie, its solid it really calls to mind a classic simpler time. and its animation is top quality, the backgrounds are all art gallery worthy.

[@ItsTheGooseItsTheGoose]

It's an undeniably beautiful movie, at times!

[@devonakimmer9402]

The song still sticks with me to this very day

[@ItsTheGooseItsTheGoose]

It's a good one!

[@Emarella]

It has for me too! It's so exciting seeing someone giving some love and appreciation to this film that was so core to my childhood. I never knew it was a foreign film!

[@ItsTheGooseItsTheGoose]

The dubbing is excellent! I wish we could see the characters again!

[@sweetnotes]

I remember this NOT from the movie itself but from the book which I found first. Thanks for sharing this

[@Mehetabelable]

Agreed I adored this movie a thousand times

[@ItsTheGooseItsTheGoose]

I hope this leads people to discovering or remembering it ans giving it a watch!

[@DeathLadyShinigami]

I LOVED this movie as a child and I still like its single song it sings over and over 😅

[@ItsTheGooseItsTheGoose]

Even though it's the only song it's still a good one!

[@ThatRandomEncounterGuy]

I only saw this movie one time at a brick-and-mortar video store (it was either a little Mom-and-Pop place or a Family Video), and for the longest time I only had the vaguest of memories of it. Now it seems like so many other people are talking about how great it is and how much they remember and I’m so excited to share this deeply memory. I didn’t realize until I tracked the movie down again but most of the few details I had of this movie were mostly mixed with Don Bluth’s Thumbelina.

[@ItsTheGooseItsTheGoose]

I'm shocked at how many people have seen and remember it. It's nice to know this movie hasn't been totally lost to time!

[@JaceySpacey]

Omg I loovedd this movie as a kid

[@ItsTheGooseItsTheGoose]

I love it as an adult, too!

[@dentxhead]

i'm so happy the algorithm blessed me with your video! this was my favorite movie as a kid, i watched it so much the tape started wearing through and the visuals were too distorted to make out. i scoured the internet while i watched this and found a rare English copy of the DVD on ebay. i'm so stoked to have my favorite childhood movie back! THANK YOU SO MUCH for the nostalgia trip, i can't overstate how appreciative i am 💖

[@joyyoung3108]

I had this movie on VHS as a kid. I loved this movie. It was beautiful to watch and the characters were unique. At the beginning of the video Irinie's grandmother had a hotline # you could call if you were lost or needed help. This movie was truly magically and made me feel safe and comforted as a kid.

[@DreamsOfFire]

Thank you for introducing me to this movie! I can't believe I never heard of it before.

[@ItsTheGooseItsTheGoose]

It's a fun one! If you end up watching it, let us know what you thought of it!

[@cinnamonsugarcourtney6073]

I have this on VHS, I can actually see it right there, on my VHS bookshelf. Lol right before the vid there was a commercial for a phone card, so that if you got lost you could use it for Payphones and call for help. There was a woman dressed up as Irene's great great grandmother, who was the one talking to the kids and asking them to talk to their parents about calling the number. I got really tempted to see what the number connected to the last time I watched it a few years ago. What I love is that only people outside of the castle knew about the singing, and that it was seen as nonsense to the people safe within the castle, which is probably partially why there was only one song, it was a mining/night traveling song that only the peasants really knew to keep themselves safe... Doesn't really explain how the knights knew the song at the end though XD

[@anarkiddo333]

I saw this in Icelandic dub "Prinsessan og durtarnir", also the cat's named "Gosi" it's Icleandic name for "Pinocchio"

[@ItsTheGooseItsTheGoose]

That's adorable. I love it!

[@bitterflywing]

this was my favorite movie when I was seven but I thought i imagined it it disappeared

[@ItsTheGooseItsTheGoose]

It's real and it's fantastic!

[@MrDj232]

I'm glad someone else remembers this movie exists.

[@ItsTheGooseItsTheGoose]

I didn't realize so many people knew about this movie!

[@MrDj232]

​@@ItsTheGooseItsTheGoose The creature sound effects for this movie have been living in my head rent free since the 90s. I also liked the chemistry between the two main characters, despite hating romance subplots in other stories because they always felt shoehorned in just to appeal to girls. And, as someone who hated that most kid's movies were musicals to bank on Disney's success, I sympathized with the goblins whenever they reacted to music.

[@ViolentRainbow]

I rented this movie a thousand times on VHS in the 90s, I remember the whole spark inside us song, I sing it in my head all the time

[@DMobi]

I remember this movie, saw it on Encore right after watching Pokemon Heroes. Both good movies.

[@ItsTheGooseItsTheGoose]

That's quite the double feature!

[@UniqueMysteryUnknown]

The Princess and the Goblin-I had this film on VHS and DVD.

[@ItsTheGooseItsTheGoose]

A great one to have in the collection!

[@PrimeParadiso]

gave it a rewatch for the first time since I was like 7 last month, while it's rough around the edges - I really admire how much heart the movie has. The actors deliver what they can with the script given. My real praise goes to the background art though, which holds up to this day imo! Both protagonists also get their moment to shine - it's not as simple as a damsel in distress this kinda fairy tale would often be. My headcanon was always Irinie's grandmother is actually her from the future, teaching herself magic or something. Maybe I'd already played too many video games by that age :')

[@strawberry0sunset]

I dont think I ever "noticed" the art style changes. I think I always felt that the art styles fit the mood of the scene they were in so it "made sense". I adored the Grandmother. I loved that she was this loving sweet ghost in the attic. I liked that in the VHS she has a special message for children watching about some help line if you were ever in trouble and apparently the vhs came with a calling card preloaded with money so you could use it at any call box to get help. I don't recall ever seeing the card though. I liked that they used the same song over and over. It was comforting knowing all the words and the song became powerful in my little brain. Also, in the scenes where they are sneaking into the goblins' tunnels, I felt that the lack of music helped build the tension as a child. Because there isn't background music in real life tense moments so I really felt like I was there with them. I was 5 when the movie came out in the US and I've watched it many times since

[@fatalrob0t]

I remember seeing this movie in theater when I was a kid! I loved the grandma. I thought shes was lovely!

[@ItsTheGooseItsTheGoose]

This seems like it would have been a great watch in a theater!

[@syenite]

My grandmother had a copy of this and I loved watching it when I went to her house.

[@ItsTheGooseItsTheGoose]

Precious memories!

[@andersdenkend]

Oh dang, this looks pretty cool indeed. I have never heard of this movie before, even though I once googled "underrated animated movies" for some days! Looks really great, with some pretty unique shots in the movie.

[@parkerlamarre4530]

I loved this movie as a kid and obsessively watched it in so glad someone is talking about it. I was starting to think I imagined it and was just thinking about the black cauldron.

[@marcusblackwell2372]

I think that the film was ignored for two reasons: Most foreigners (except for the rest of the UK, especially Britain) haven't seen or heard much from Wales, save for, to my knowledge, the music of Tom Jones, Princess Diana on TV, and Fireman Sam. Also, I think it was ignored because it came out at the very start of the Disney Renaissance, which already had 2 classic stories (though not novels) under their belt, and people were finally re-embracing Disney movies

[@ItsTheGooseItsTheGoose]

A foreign animated film that went up against 'The Lion King' is all you need to hear to understand why it didn't catch on!

[@marcusblackwell2372]

​@ItsTheGooseItsTheGoose I think you mean "Beauty & The Beast". Lion King was 1994 and this released in 1991. Unless you mean the American release

[@ItsTheGooseItsTheGoose]

@@marcusblackwell2372 The American release, yes!

[@sboinkthelegday3892]

I was wagering more on the whole thing having been made ten days ago with AI, including this review.

[@iso-didact789]

@@marcusblackwell2372 Diana? Seriously? Why'd you even mention that shit? It has nothing to do with anything else. Not to mention it was a better fate than she deserved. Filthy royals.😡

[@serenitymeyer461]

I remember LOVING this movie as a kid. But I couldn't find it for years! For a while I thought it was a dream.

[@ItsTheGooseItsTheGoose]

It's real! I hope it brings back fond memories for you!

[@sereiatiger]

This came out when I was a little kid. I remember going to a restaurant and they had a coloring contest for the movie poster (coloring book style). I didn’t win, but coloring the picture made me want to see the movie, and I loved it. Also, because of how the grandmother was presented, my kid brain automatically assumed she was a ghost watching over the little girl.

[@ItsTheGooseItsTheGoose]

That's what I thought too, but she's "magic", whatever that means. I adore that cloud staircase though. I wish there were an animated series, too!

[@thetruefeatherqueen]

I..... i cant believe the vhs that I regretted not grabbing when I was 14 came back to haunt me in longform youtube video format---

[@ItsTheGooseItsTheGoose]

There's still time to get a copy!