The Kingdom of Lance (film)

The Kingdom of Lance is the 1987 American live-action/animated musical comedy-fantasy film based on the Hanna-Barbera's 1970-72 animated series, The Kingdom of Lance. It was directed and produced by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera, and written by David Kirschner and Paul Gertz.

This is the Hermione Baddeley's final film role as she died in August 18, 1986. The film was dedicated to her memory.

Film Summary
Lance, a 21-year old young boy, needs to save the kingdom from the scary, dilapidated castle. With the help of his friends Green Dragon, Pepperminter, Fish Out of Water and the Lion, Lance learns that his client, the disembodied brain of Dr. Nero, has a diabolical plan to take over the kingdom and kill Lance. He quickly finds himself in trouble, being chased around the castle by Nero's psychotic servant Fritz. It's up to Lance to stop Nero from engulfing a fantasy world.

Plot
In England, 1986, Lance (Matthew Broderick) moves to a simple house in the forest with his three young brothers and six children, though the only one happy with the change is his youngest brothers. In town, Lance is bored of his life and decides finds something magical.

While lost in the forest, Lance accidentally falls into the hole on the tree and transported into the magical kingdom: Kingsdom. The King and the Queen and the Munchkins welcome him as their hero, as Lance killed the leader of the evil trolls, King Gremtroll, leaving his boots exposed. Queen Gremtroll, arrives to claim his husband's boot, but the Queen transports them onto Lance's feet first. Queen Gremtroll swears revenge on Lance for the King Gremtroll's death. Glinda tells Lance to follow the yellow brick road to the Magical City, where the Wizard of Kingsdom might be able to help him defeat the evil trolls.

On his way, Lance meets and befriends the Green Dragon, who wants a fire, Pepperminter, who wants to save the candy kingdom, Fish Out of Water, who needs the crown, and the Cowardly Lion, who is in need of courage. Lance invites each of them to accompany him. After Queen Gremtroll attempts to stop them several times, they finally reach the Magical City. Inside, after being initially rejected, they are permitted to see the Wizard (who appears as a large head surrounded by fire). He agrees to grant their wishes when they bring him the Nero's powers.

On their journey to the Gremtroll's castle after they encountering numerous dangers including the Forbidden Garden, the evil brain of Nero, Ogres' football game, the evil witch turns the citizens into rabbits, the group passes through the Haunted Forest, while Queen Gremtroll views their progress through a crystal ball. He sends his winged trolls to harass and eat Lance; they capture Lance and Doog. At the castle, Queen Gremtroll receives a magical shock when she tries to get the boots off Lance, then remembers that Lance must be dead first. Doog escapes and leads her friends to the castle. After ambushing three troll guards, they march inside wearing the stolen uniforms and free her, but Queen Gremtroll discovers them and traps them. However, the Green Dragon uses the Pepperminter's axe and eats more charcoal to split a big fire at a rope nearby and send gigantic chandelier, swinging overhead, down onto Queen Gremtroll's henchmen, knocking them to the floor and the quartet attempt to escape. Queen Gremtroll and her guards chase them through the castle, across battlements and finally surround them. When Queen Gremtroll sets fire to the Scarecrow, Lance whistles to the Green Dragon and eats Queen Gremtroll with a big bite. The evil trolls runs away in fright and the other guards rejoice that she is dead and give Lance the medal in gratitude.

Back at the Magical City, the Wizard delays granting their requests. Then Doog pulls back a curtain and exposes the "Wizard" as a normal middle-aged man who has been projecting the fearsome image; he denies Dorothy's accusation that he is a bad man, but admits to being a humbug. He then gives the Fish Out of Water a crown, the Lion a medal, Pepperminter a crown, and the Green Dragon a big fire, granting their wishes and convincing them that they have received what they sought. He then prepares to launch his hot air balloon to take Lance into the portal, but instead, Glinda returns and tells her that he can still return home by using the Ruby Boots. Following Glinda's instructions, Lance taps his heels three times and jumps into the portal back to the park. Lance is sucked into the portal back into his home in the park, surrounded by his family, his brothers and his little sister. When his parents likes Lance's adventures because Kingsdom is real, Lance lives happily ever after.

Cast

 * Richard Kind as Lance Lougran, the main protagonist of the film. He is the 21-year old boy who wishes to save the kingdom from the scary, dilapidated castle. In the end, Lance defeats Queen Gremtroll and now is crowned the king of Kingsdom instead of returning home when his parents likes Lance's adventures because Kingsdom is real.
 * Frank Welker as Doog, Lance's pet dog.
 * Dom DeLuise as Green Dragon
 * Hermione Baddeley as Pepperminter
 * Jon Lovitz as the Fish Out of Water
 * Phil Harris as the Lion
 * Pat Caroll as Queen Gremtroll

Songs

 * 1) "The Merry Old Land of Kingsdom"
 * 2) "The Trolls are Coming" - Richard Kind
 * "I, Queen Gremtroll" - Pat Caroll
 * 1) "If I Only Had a Big Fire" - Dom DeLuise
 * 2) "If I Only Had a Crown" - Hermione Baddeley
 * 3) "If I Only Had a King of the Sea" - Jon Lovitz
 * 4) "If I Only Had a Nerve" - Phil Harris
 * 5) "Witch's Little Creatures" - Jodi Benson
 * 6) "Trolls in Parade"
 * 7) "The Merry Old Land of Kingsdom" (Reprise)

Release
The film was released theatrically in the United States on July 3, 1987.

Home media
The film was debuted on super 8 film and several home video formats in 1988, including VHS, Betamax, CED Videodisc, Video8, and LaserDisc, which were distributed by Warner Home Video in North America, Europe and Australia.

A DVD version was made available for the first time on March 6, 2001, under the MGM Kids label. (with an aspect ratio of 2.35:1 in its anamorphic widescreen transfer) and was later released as a double feature with The Kingdom of Lance II on March 14, 2006. On October 2, 2007, the film made its debut on Blu-ray, to celebrate the film's 20th anniversary.

Trivia

 * The films features animation by Don Bluth.