Dot in Space

For the dotted space character, see dot space.

Dot in Space
Directed by	Yoram Gross
Screenplay by	John Palmer
Based on	Dot and the Kangaroo by Ethel Pedley
Produced by	Yoram Gross
Starring	Robyn Moore Keith Scott
Edited by	Y. Jerzy, John Hill
Music by	Guy Gross
Production company	Yoram Gross Studios
Release date	19 June 1994 (1994-06-19)
Running time	63 minutes
Country	Australia
Language	English

Dot in Space is a 1994 Australian animated film, featuring Dot from the Dot and the Kangaroo animated film series. ^[1] While the previous films in the series were screened in the United States, Dot in Space seldom makes any releases outside its home country.

Plot

Dot sees a Russian dog called Whyka being launched into space on TV, only for Whyka's rocket to become trapped in orbit. Dot decides to rescue the dog and travels to America where she trades places with Buster the monkey who was due to be sent to the moon.

Once Dot's rocket is launched, she narrowly manages to rescue Whyka before the dog's rocket explodes. The resulting shock-wave sends them off-course and they crash-land on the planet Pie-Arr-Squared. The planet's local soldiers, called the Roundies, quickly capture them. Dot is tied up and gagged and taken to the Roundies' tyrannical leader Papa Drop, who gives Whyka to his son Roley. Dot is taken away for interrogation and finally thrown into the Prison for Squares.

Dot befriends a prisoner called Poley who explains that the Roundies and Squaries once co-existed peacefully. Dot endures several days of slave labor before employing several tactics to trick the Roundies into releasing her and reuniting with Whyka.

Unable to use their rocket to escape as it is stuck in the ground where they crash-landed, Dot and Whyka head off in search of The Party, a mysterious entity whom Papa Drop believes to be plotting to overthrow him. They encounter many dangers and are pursued by the Roundy Army.

Dot and Whyka are eventually recaptured but are saved when an alien dinosaur called Gorgo scares the Roundies away. This draws the attention of The Party, who forms a rebellion with Dot, Whyka and the reformed Roundy soldiers and they head back to challenge Papa Drop. They proceed to expose Papa Drop as a fraud and free the Squaries. The Party turns out to be Roley in disguise and Papa Drop's assistant Inflato pumps him up until he floats up into space. Gorgo rescues Dot's rocket, allowing her and Whyka to blast off and return to Earth. ^[2]

Cast

• Robyn Moore as:
  • Dot (a young, perpetually barefoot, red-headed Australian girl who loves animals)
  • Dosey Face (a lazy, good natured kangaroo)
  • Poley (a Squarey prisoner on the planet Pie-Arr-Squared and Roley's love interest)
  • Misc.
• Keith Scott as:
  • Grumblebones (a grumpy, pessimistic kangaroo)
  • Buster (a monkey that trades places with Dot)
  • Papa Drop (the evil dictator of the planet Pie-Arr-Squared and leader of the Roundies)
  • Roley (Papa Drop's rebellious son and Poley's love interest)
  • Professor Globus (a Roundy scientist)
  • Inflato (one of Papa Drop's servants)
  • Sergeant (commander of the Roundy Army with possible intentions of overthrowing Papa Drop himself)
  • The Roundy Soldiers
  • Misc.

Cancelled U.S. release

Unlike the previous Dot films, many American distributors declined distribution rights of Dot in Space for the North American release on any format, nor was it even released anywhere outside its home country.^{[ citation needed ]}

Historical reference

Papa Drop's name is a reference to former Haitian president François Duvalier (who was also known as Papa Doc).

References

1. Ed. Scott Murray, Australia on the Small Screen 1970-1995, Oxford Uni Press, 1996 p44
2. https://m.imdb.com/title/tt0459263/plotsummary/?ref_=tt_stry_pl#synopsis

External links

• Dot in Space at IMDb
• Dot in Space at Yoram Gross Films