The Magic Crystal (2011 film) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids The Magic Crystal |
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DVD cover.
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| Directed by | Antti Haikala |
| Screenplay by | Antti Haikala Bob Swain Dan Wicksman Nuria Wicksman Alessandro Liggieri |
| Music by | Angelo Poggi |
| Studio | Epidem ZOT Belgian Aranéo Skyline Animation |
| Distributed by | Future Film |
| Release date(s) | 18 November 2011 |
| Running time | 78 minutes |
| Country | Finland Belgium |
| Language | Finnish |
| Budget | €5,074,000 ($6,001,019.8) |
| Money made | $340,836 |
The Magic Crystal (Finnish: Maaginen kristalli) is a 3D computer-animated Christmas movie from 2011. It was also known as Santa's Magic Crystal and The Elf that Rescued Christmas in the UK. The film was directed by Antti Haikala. He also helped write the story with Bob Swain, Dan Wicksman, Nuria Wicksman, and Alessandro Liggieri.
This movie features characters from the TV show Red Caps. It was made by two countries working together: Finland (Epidem ZOT) and Belgium (Aranéo and Skyline Animation). The film came out on November 18, 2011. It didn't make much money at the box office, earning $340,836 against a cost of over $6 million.
Contents
Story of the Movie
The movie is about a kind orphan boy named Yotan. He always tries to help others, even when his orphanage owner doesn't like it. One day, Yotan is late getting back because he helped a younger boy find his Christmas letter.
Suddenly, Santa's twin brother, Basil, and his helper, Grouch, appear outside Yotan's window! They ask Yotan to help them save Christmas. But the orphanage owner bursts in, scaring Yotan right out the window and into a garbage bin.
Inside the bin, Yotan meets a talking squirrel named Jiffy. The orphanage owner also falls into the bin after Basil steals his cane! Then, Santa's rocket-powered sleigh arrives. It's driven by a reindeer named Poro. Poro picks up Basil and Grouch.
The bin rolls down a hill, and the orphanage owner falls out, telling Yotan to never come back. Yotan and Jiffy crash into the town center. Yotan explains Christmas to Jiffy, who has never heard of it. The sleigh returns to collect letters, and Yotan and Jiffy hide in a letter bag. Basil and Grouch notice them and help them get to Lapland.
Adventures in Lapland
In Lapland, the sleigh lands at Santa's palace. Yotan and Jiffy sneak out and try to avoid Basil. Basil eventually finds them and takes them to the crystal room. He explains that Santa is two minutes older than him. Basil thinks Christmas isn't how it should be. He tricks Yotan into getting the special crystal. With Jiffy's help, Yotan gets it.
But Basil betrays Yotan! He takes the crystal and drops Yotan and Jiffy into a room to be caught. Elves and Poro arrive in the crystal room and find the crystal gone. An elf named Jaga blames Yotan. Santa Claus and his wife, Maya, are calmer. Basil calls from the control room, saying he stole the crystal.
Two elves, Jaga and Didi, chase Basil on rocket skis. But Basil's robots, called Robotics, shoot them down. An elf named Smoo suggests a rescue team. But Yotan takes Santa's sleigh with the help of a young elf named Alpo, who only speaks Elvish. Poro grabs onto the sleigh, and they blast off! Yotan saves Poro and earns his trust.
Santa explains that Basil needed Yotan because Yotan is the "nicest person in the world." Santa had put a magic star in Yotan's pocket. He tells Yotan to believe in himself, and the star will help when needed.
Basil's Evil Plan
At Basil's secret base, Basil steals Jaga and Didi's magic stars. He forces them to activate the stars to power his base. Then, he freezes Santa's palace and traps everyone inside.
As Yotan's sleigh gets close to the base, Basil flies out on his own sleigh and shoots them down. Basil tells Jaga and Didi that he plans to kidnap all the children. He thinks kids do bad things when they grow up and that Santa spoils them.
Yotan, Poro, Jiffy, and Alpo survive the crash. Yotan tells Poro to fix the sleigh, Alpo to distract the robots, and Jiffy to come with him. Yotan and Jiffy sneak into the base. They find out the Robotics are actually strange green creatures in robot suits. Yotan disguises himself as one of them. He finds parts of Basil's plan, but his cover is blown. Basil captures Yotan and steals his star.
Jiffy escapes but accidentally falls off the base. She causes a giant snowball that destroys the sleigh just as Poro finishes fixing it! They crash into the base and Yotan's cell, freeing him. Basil sees them escape.
Saving Christmas
Back at the palace, Santa, Maya, Smoo, and the elves survived being frozen. Smoo tries to fix a drone to find Yotan and the group. Yotan's group gets Jaga and Didi's stars back. But Basil appears and chases them to where Jaga and Didi are. Basil reveals his base is under a volcano and tries to burn them in lava! Yotan throws them their stars, helping them escape as Basil and Grouch get away.
As they chase Basil, the base starts to rise. Basil gets ready to become the new Santa. Jaga still doesn't trust Yotan. Yotan runs off with Jiffy to stop Basil himself. Just then, the drone from the palace arrives. Santa asks where Yotan is, making Jaga feel bad.
Yotan tries to stop Basil, and the others join him. Yotan throws Jiffy at Basil, and she gets his star back. The volcano starts to erupt because of the crystal's power, trapping Poro, Jaga, Didi, and Alpo. Basil pushes Yotan into the lava, but Yotan uses the orphanage owner's cane to hold on. Jiffy accidentally drops the star. Yotan catches it, and it gives him anti-gravity powers! He uses these powers to save everyone.
The crystal is special: when the Christmas star rises, it makes many Santas for each country to deliver presents! Yotan asks the many Basils, "Which one of you is the real Santa Claus?" This makes the Basils fight. Yotan and Jaga get a chance to save the crystal. It seems to fall into the lava but is saved by Grouch, who they take with them. Because the crystal is taken, the Basils regroup, and the real Basil is launched out of Lapland and into a house, where children tackle him!
The Red Caps
In Basil's sleigh, it's too heavy for everyone. Jaga jumps out so they can escape, but Yotan tries to save her, and they both fall off. The sleigh escapes, but the drone from the palace saves Yotan and Jaga. The green creatures from the robot suits also escape the base.
Back at the palace, Yotan, Jiffy, Jaga, Didi, Alpo, and Smoo are named Santa's special helpers: the Red Caps! The crystal makes many Santas and Poros, who go off to deliver presents and spread Christmas joy. Yotan gets his wish: to be part of a family.
Characters and Voice Actors
- Kyle E. Christensen as Yotan/Jonas
- Jukka Nylund as Yotan/Jonas (Finnish voice)
- Clarissa Humm as Jaga
- Paula Vesala as Jaga (Finnish voice)
- Lisa Kent as Jiffy
- Kiti Kokkonen as Jiffy (Finnish voice)
- Gerald Owens as Basil
- Veeti Kallio as Basil (Finnish voice)
- David Dreisen as Grouch/Lätty
- Antti Jaakola as Grouch/Lätty (Finnish voice)
- CJ Fam as Didi
- Henni-Liisa Stam as Didi (Finnish voice)
- Michael Mena as Smoo
- Jon-Jon Geitel as Smoo (Finnish voice)
- Mathew Wetcher as Alpo
- Aapo Haikala as Alpo (Finnish voice)
- Joe Carey as Santa/Joulupukki
- Veikko Honkanen as Santa/Joulupukki (Finnish voice)
Movie Release
The Magic Crystal was shown in Finnish movie theaters on November 18, 2011. It was released by Future Film.
How the Movie Did
The Magic Crystal did not make a lot of money at the box office. This means it was a box office bomb. During its first weekend, about 5,000 people saw it. In total, 16,865 people saw it in theaters in Finland, which made about $195,599. In Belgium, it made $74,096. The movie was later released in Lebanon in December 2012, where it made $71,141. So, the total money earned around the world was $340,836, but the movie cost over $6 million to make.
The movie was the 86th most-watched film in Finland in 2011. Peter Toiviainen, who worked for Future Film, said the movie didn't do well because 3D movies made in Finland were not as new and exciting as they used to be. Also, a big movie called The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1 came out at the same time, which was tough competition.
See also
