The Adventures of the American Rabbit
An American/Japanese co-production about a star-spangled superhero rabbit.
Wikipedia / Wikimedia Commons
**The Adventures of the American Rabbit** (released in the UK as simply *The American Rabbit*) is a 1986 animated film directed by Fred Wolf and Nobutaka Nishizawa, distributed by Clubhouse Pictures.
The story follows Robert Rabbit, a rabbit who, shortly after his birth, is visited by a mysterious old rabbit with a cane. This figure reappears throughout Rob’s childhood, asking about his talents and attitude before vanishing. When Rob’s parents are nearly crushed by a falling boulder, Rob sprints to save them and transforms into a star-spangled superhero on golden roller skates. The old rabbit then reveals that Rob is the American Rabbit, able to change into his superhero form by sprinting and revert to normal by saying his own name.
After learning his hometown exists in a pocket dimension he can never return to, Rob moves to the city and takes a job as a piano player at the Panda Monium, a nightclub run by a panda named Teddy and a female rabbit named Bunny O’Hare. A gang of jackals, running a Mafia-style protection racket, harasses the club. When Teddy refuses to buy insurance, the jackals wreck the club during a White Brothers performance. Bunny and Teddy organize a protest march, but the jackals’ well-dressed boss, Walt, orders them to disrupt it. Walt’s buzzard destroys the cables supporting the Golden Gate Bridge as marchers cross, but the American Rabbit prevents the bridge from collapsing. Teddy then announces a cross-country tour to raise money to rebuild the club.
Walt orders the jackals to kidnap a gorilla named Ping Pong and turn him against the American Rabbit. They take Ping Pong to a secret lair in the Grand Canyon and threaten to drown him unless he fights the superhero. Rob discovers Ping Pong missing, sends Teddy, Bunny, and the White Brothers rafting down a river (unaware it leads to a waterfall), and is captured by the jackals. He transforms into the American Rabbit and rescues Ping Pong.
In New Orleans, Walt and the jackals trap the group on a boat and set it on fire. Rob becomes the American Rabbit, evacuates everyone before the explosion, and follows Walt and the jackals, overhearing their plan to go to New York. He transforms back into Rob and suggests the group travel to New York, where Teddy has connections for new instruments.
In New York, Walt and the jackals capture a chocolate-making moose and his son, rent the Statue of Lib
- Release year
- 1986
- Directors
- Fred Wolf, Nobutaka Nishizawa
- Production companies
- Murakami-Wolf-Swenson (now Fred Wolf Films), Toei Animation
- Distributor
- Clubhouse Pictures (Atlantic Releasing)
- Box office
- $1,268,443
- Voice cast includes
- Barry Gordon, Laurie O'Brien, Ken Mars, Lorenzo Music
Lore & Background
The story follows Robert Rabbit, who after a childhood marked by mysterious visits from an old rabbit, discovers he can transform into the American Rabbit—a striped and star-spangled superhero on golden rollerskates—by sprinting. He moves to the city, works as a piano player at the Panda Monium nightclub, and battles a gang of jackals led by Walt, who is later revealed to be the buzzard Vultor. The plot involves a protection racket, a sabotaged Golden Gate Bridge, a kidnapped gorilla named Ping Pong, and a final confrontation at the Statue of Liberty rigged with dynamite.
Reader's Guide
The Adventures of the American Rabbit was among the first releases of Clubhouse Pictures, which specialized in children's entertainment. It was not well-received by critics or audiences during its original run; Charles Solomon of the Los Angeles Times called it inept. The film grossed $1,268,443 over two months. It was an American/Japanese co-production involving Toei Animation, with legendary animator Shingo Araki among the staff. MGM Home Entertainment released it on DVD in February 2005 in fullscreen format with no extras. The film remains a minor footnote in 1980s animation, notable mainly for its unusual premise and cross-cultural production.
Did You Know?
- The film was based on a poster character created by pop artist Stewart Moskowitz.
- Legendary animator Shingo Araki worked on the film.
- The screenplay was written by Norman Lenzer, from the ABC television movie The Point!.
- The film grossed $291,126 during its opening weekend from 242 screens.
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