My Sweet Monster

My Sweet Monster
A princess and a monster yelling at each other on a sky background.
Theatrical release poster
Directed by
  • Viktor Glukhushin
  • Maksim Volkov
Written by
  • Maksim Volkov
  • Aleksandr Arkhipov (ru)
  • Dmitry Novoselov (ru)
Produced by
Music by
  • Mikhail Chertishchev (ru)
  • Georgy Zheryakov (ru)
Color processColor
Production
companies
  • CTB Film Company
  • Skazka Animation Studio
  • Cinema Fund
  • Luminescence
Distributed byVlgfilm.ru
Release dates
  • October 13, 2021 (2021-10-13) (Netherlands)
  • April 28, 2022 (2022-04-28) (Russia)
Running time
98 minutes
CountryRussia
LanguageRussian
Budget₽330 million

My Sweet Monster (Russian: Бука. Моё любимое чудище) is a 2021 Russian animated musical film directed by Viktor Glukhushin and Maksim Volkov. The film was produced by CTB Film Company. The film was released in Russia on April 28, 2022.[1][2]

The U.S. release of the English dub by Lionsgate features the voices of Haylie Duff, Jon Heder, and Pauly Shore.[3]

Plot

Barbara is a young princess who has always dreamed of marrying a prince, but King Elijah, her father, declines in her dreams. Bundy Joyce, a postman, delivers a love letter from Prince Edward to Barbara. Elijah learns of this, and tells her not to think of Edward. At her birthday, Barbara is forced to marry Joyce, but flees the palace. She ends up in a forest, where she is abducted by Bogey, a monster, and his friend, a rabbit, and taken to their hideout.

There, Barbara gets to know Bogey and the rabbit, and she asks them to take her to Edward's palace to marry Edward. Meanwhile, Joyce tells Elijah about Barbara's kidnapping. Elijah explains that he obtained a magic liquid that animates objects to life dubbed "the Spark" from a magic fountain 16 years prior to cure Barbara from an illness. Joyce then builds robots with the Spark to find Bogey. While Barbara, Bogey, and the rabbit are on their way to Edward's palace, Bogey tells her about Mother Nature, the source of life, and Barbara reveals who she really is. As the three camp in a cave, the rabbit reveals that Bogey was originally a human who got lost in the forest years ago, but the fountain saved his life and transforms him into a monster, and was then tasked with protecting the forest.

Meanwhile, the following day, Joyce learns about the fountain, and sets out to find it. Barbara, Bogey and the rabbit reach Edward's palace, but Bogey suggests that she enters the palace alone. Inside, she meets Edwardina, who reveals that "Edward" does not exist, and locks Barbara locks in a hotel room. Bogey arrives and frees Barbara. Joyce and his robots reach the fountain, capture Bogey, the rabbit and Barbara, and drains the fountain. However, Elijah intervenes and disables Joyce's robots. Joyce drinks the Spark from a pumping tank, transforming into a monster. He causes a whirlwind to form above the fountain that sucks him in and drains out the fountain. Barbara, Bogey, and the rabbit lose their magic with the fountain gone. Bogey decides to step in and calls for Mother Nature to save Barbara's life, sacrificing himself in the process.

Sometimes later, Barbara visits the fountain, and tearfully mourns over Bogey for his life. However, the fountain itself is restored, and Bogey's original human form is restored. Barbara reconciles with him for his return.

Cast

Character Russian English
International US re-dub
Princess Barbara Lyubov Aksyonova ¿? Haylie Duff
Violetta Volskaya (singing)
Bogey Aleksey Chumakov[4] ¿? Jon Heder
Rabbit Timur Rodriguez Josh Wilson
Barrett Leddy (singing)
Bundy Joyce Prokhor Chekhovskoy ¿? Pauly Shore
King Elijah Maksim Volkov Martin Cooke
Edwardina Aliona Doletskaya Olga Gunkina
Yes-Man Eric Diomid Vinogradov Martin Cooke
Nannies Maksim Volkov Olga Gunkina
Robot Stephan Vladislav Kopp ¿?
Basil Petr Ivashchenko ¿?
Postmaster ¿?

Reception

Common Sense Media said that "The songs are fine. Though the story is a little complex, it eventually comes together for a decent yet abrupt fairy-tale ending. Overall, it's standard stuff that most kids have seen before."[5]

References

  1. ↑ "Бука. Мое любимое чудище (2021) — Фильм.ру". www.film.ru. Retrieved 2022-11-26.
  2. ↑ "Игорь Петренко с семьей, Любовь Аксёнова, Алексей Чумаков и Юлия Ковальчук на премьере сказки "Бука. Мое любимое чудище"". Журнал OK! (in Russian). Retrieved 2022-11-26.
  3. ↑ My Sweet Monster (2022 Movie) Official Trailer - Pauly Shore, Haylie Duff and Jon Heder, retrieved 2022-11-26
  4. ↑ "Алексей Чумаков озвучил главного героя в м/ф "Бука. Моё любимое чудище"". Алексей Чумаков (in Russian). 2022-04-25. Retrieved 2022-11-26.
  5. ↑ "My Sweet Monster Movie Review | Common Sense Media". www.commonsensemedia.org. Retrieved 2022-11-13.