Comet in Moominland (film)

Comet in Moominland ムーミン谷の彗星
The cover of film's Japanese DVD release.
Directed by	Hiroshi Saitô
Produced by	Kazuo Tabata
Written by	Akira Miyazaki
Based on	Kometjakten by Tove Jansson
Starring	Minami Takayama Ryûsei Nakao Rei Sakuma Takehito Koyasu Akio Ôtsuka Ikuko Tani Mika Kanai
Music by	Sumio Shiratori (Japanese version) Pierre Kartner (International version)
Edited by	Seiji Morita
Production company	Telescreen Japan Inc. Telecable Benelux B.V.
Release dates	August 8, 1992 (1992-08-08) (Japan)
Running time	68 minutes
Country	Japan Finland Netherlands
Language	Japanese

Comet in Moominland (Japanese: ムーミン谷の彗星, Hepburn: Mūmindani no Suisei) is an anime film by Telecable Benelux B.V.. The film is based on the novel of the same name by Finnish illustrator and writer Tove Jansson, originally published in Swedish.^[1] It was the first full-length Moomin film.^[2] It was released in Japan first theatrically in August 8, 1992 as a triple-feature with two unrelated shorter films and later released on video with 10 minutes of extra footage.^[1] It was never released for English, but has been dubbed to several European languages. It was the seventh most watched film in Finland in the season 1992/1993 with 166,738 viewers.^[3]

As the original novel introduces many recurring characters who appear in later Moomin novels, the film similarly works as a prequel to the 1990 anime series Moomin. International version of the film features a new musical score composed by Pierre Kartner whereas the original, Japanese release of the film mainly recycles Sumio Shiratori's score from the anime series. Japanese version, however, has new opening and ending songs "Shiawase no morugaane" and "Kono uchuu he, tsutae tai", both sung by Emiko Shiratori.

Plot

The plot takes place before the events of the Moomin TV series. Before the events of the film, Moomin and his parents Moominpappa and Moominmamma had moved to Moominvalley and finished building Moomin House.

Moomin, Little My and Sniff go to the beach to find shells for Moomimamma who wants them to adorn her flowerbeds. During the trip Sniff finds a cave. On the same evening it is raining, and Moomin gives Moominmamma a pearl he has found from the sea. Moominmamma suggests he gives it to a girl he likes, but Moomin doesn't believe such thing will happen. Suddenly the Muskrat appears on the front door and asks for a place to stay because his home on the riverbank has been destroyed when Moominpappa build a bridge there earlier on the same day. Muskrat, a philosopher, tells he has smelled something strange recently, and argues that the current rain is unnatural. The next day, Muskrat's words come true, because the rain has changed everything black and according to Muskrat it is soot from outer space. To the entire people of the Moominvalley, he notes that the Final Judgment will fall upon them on. Later on the same day at the dinner table, he tells the Moomins about galaxies, their homeworld, and its fate. He believes that a threat is coming from space and nothing can be done.

Moominpappa gets the idea about the astronomical observatory in the Lonely mountains, where a telescope can see far into space. The next morning, Moomin, Little My and Sniff leave the valley toward the Lonely mountains. On the way they meet Snufkin for the first time when he plays the harmonica in a tent close to the river. Snufkin has heard about a comet which could crush to earth at any time, and joins the group. On the way he also tells of an old crater that is filled with garnets. Sniff visits the crater trying to get garnets for himself. However, a large monster-like lizard attacks him, and while Sniff narrowly escapes he loses all the garnets he managed to collect. After that they climb the steep mountains towards the observatory, while Moomin finds a golden anklet. Snufkin knows that the anklet belongs to the Snorkmaiden, who was probably also traveling to the observatory with her brother Snork who is interested about the comet.

Moomin and his friends arrive at the observatory, where they find out that the comet will be colliding in two days. On the way back to home, Moomin saves the Snorkmaiden from a giant carnivorous plant, and they immediately fall in love with each other. Both Snork Maiden and Snork join the group while they try to reach Moominvalley before the comet. On the way they cross the bottom of the sea, which has dried completely because of the heat of the closing comet. Sniff finds an old pocket knife near and old sunken ship and the others climb in to find more treasures. Snorkmaiden saves Moomin and Snufkin from a giant octopus inside the shipwreck. On the last day the group eventually reaches Moominvalley where all residents except Moomin's parents are fleeing because of the comet. After that Moomin and friends meet Hemulen who is a philatelist and unaware of the impending doom. A hurricane strikes them but they use the wind to their advantage by flying to the Moominhouse with Snufkin's tent. Hemulen loses his stamp collection in the hurricane but later regains it. Back home, Moominpappa and Moominmamma are waiting for their son, because it happens to be Moomin's birthday. After eating dinner they all decide to move to Sniff's cave for shelter and take the furnitures with them. Sniff is lost during the move when he sees a kitten and begins to follow it with a piece of cake. When there are only minutes left to the expected moment of the comet impact, Moomin and Snufkin find Sniff, who is paralysed from fear, and they carry him into the cave in the last minute. The comet almost crashes the earth, but suddenly changes its course and turns away. The valley is saved.

On the next morning, the sea comes back and the Moomin family and their friends celebrate it on the beach. Moomin gives Snorkmaiden the pearl which he found at the beginning of the film.

Cast

References

1. 1 2 Jonathan Clements, Helen McCarthy. The anime encyclopedia. Stone Bridge Press, 2006. ISBN 9781933330105. 
2. ↑ Pentti Kejonen (April 6, 2011). "Muumipeikko ja pyrstötähti". Kaleva. 
3. ↑ Mitä missä milloin. Otava, 1995. p. 419. 

External links

• Comet in Moominland at the Internet Movie Database
• Comet in Moominland (anime) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia
• Moomin MXTV Japan