Zany is the word to describe this Brazilian children’s movie, which zips along as if concocted by a hyperactive street urchin on a caffeine high. Manuelo (Flávio Migliaccio) is such an irresponsible oaf, his last few irresponsible escapades made national headlines. He’s the last guy you want looking after your children, yet somehow winds up taking care of nephews Mario, Paco and Diego. Manuelo leads the children into the Amazon jungle in search of their grandfather, who has been trying to communicate with aliens.
But Grandpa has disappeared. A UFO lands nearby and two cartoon aliens explain Grandpa has been kidnapped. Their race are being held captive on a distant planet by evil robots. The one thing that can set them free is the Flower of Wisdom and Adventure, hidden somewhere in the rainforest. The robot emissary who grabbed Grandpa is already searching for the flower, so Manuelo and the kids set off on a dangerous quest. It isn’t long before they are lost in the jungle, but that proves to be the least of their worries…
Journey To An Unknown World belongs to a select group of cult movies that include the Mexican, Little Red Riding Hood and Tom Thumb vs. the Monsters (1962) and the Hong Kong/Taiwanese fantasy, Magic of Spell (1988). Movies that seem more like a transmission from an alien planet. Anything can happen and regardless of logic, realism or plain common sense, somehow it feels right. Flávio Migliaccio’s antics as whiny man-child Manuelo grow steadily tiresome. Figuring it would be better to search alone, he actually abandons the boys at one point, leaving them starving, dehydrated and lost in the jungle! Even after they find each other again, Manuelo promptly gets everyone lost, decides to follow a turtle in search of water (?), and generally bumbles about getting in the way.
However, as writer-director, Migliaccio manages to weave a wild tale that taps many a childhood fantasy. Mario, Paco and Diego are captured by smugglers, lead a revolt among the captive slaves, swim a river full of hungry crocodiles, and befriend a jungle tribe. All before their frantic showdown with the shoddy, silver-painted, cardboard robot. Things kick into high gear once the friendly aliens invite the kids aboard their flying saucer. Everyone turns into cartoon characters for an amazing, ten-minute sequence where the magic flower empowers the cute aliens to take back their planet, and the boys lead a madcap attack on those crazy robots. Manuelo mostly bumbles about getting in the way.
While Brazil has given the world such wonders as quality coffee, hot supermodels and musical greats from Astrid Gilberto to Os Mutantes, knowledge of their cinematic output seldom extends beyond the worthy “Cinema Nuovo” or a handful of Jose Mojica Marins’ horror movies. Their unique pop fantasy films for children, including this movie and Super Xuxa and the Down Mood (1988) (imagine Hellraiser re-imagined by Walt Disney and starring Britney Spears), are a genre worth exploring. Even Manuelo must have done something right. He returned for two sequels.
