Independent Films, Film Profiles

Rainbow Brite and the Star Stealer

Rainbow Brite and the Star Stealer is an animated film released on November 15, 1985 by Warner Bros., and produced by DiC Entertainment and Hallmark Cards. This is the only film to feature the greeting card character, Rainbow Brite, who (prior to its release) also appeared in her own television specials and later a Kideo TV series.In the film, Rainbow Brite tries to bring spring to an Earth that is already facing a perpetual winter. She must stop a wicked princess who wants all of Spectra, a planet-sized diamond through which all the light in the universe has to go through.Star Stealer did not receive advance screenings upon its release, nor did critics give much support to it. The film grossed only $4,889,971 at the United States box-office, after opening with $1.8 million. It was released on DVD in November 2004.When Rainbow Brite, and her magical horse Starlite, go to Earth to start spring, they meet Stormy, another magical girl who controls the season of winter with her horse Skydancer. Stormy, however, doesn't want to end her winter fun, so Rainbow battles her for control over the season. Stormy proves to be no match for Rainbow and Starlite, who outrun her and head off to Earth. When they arrive, they meet up with Brian, the only boy on Earth who can "see" Rainbow and Starlite.Once Rainbow tries to start spring, however, her power weakens and winter remains. Brian becomes worried that spring will never come and senses that all of humanity is losing hope. Even Stormy is confused. Reassuring Brian that they will do what they can to return spring, Rainbow and Starlite return to Rainbowland.Rainbow is paid a visit by a strange robotic horse with rockets for legs named On-X. He presents an urgent message from a legendary Sprite named Orin who explains the luminous and magical planet Spectra, a planet of pure diamond that "all light in the universe has to pass through," has grown dark. If it dims completely, all life in the universe will die.Rainbow takes the mission to find Orin and later learns that Spectra is dimming as the result of a massive net being woven around the surface. The net is being made so that a selfish princess, known only as the "Dark Princess," can steal Spectra, "the greatest diamond in all the universe," for herself, and tow it back to her world with her massive spaceship. The native Sprites of Spectra, enslaved by Glitterbots under the Princess's control, are being forced to weave the net. Now Rainbow has to stop the Princess's plan before all life on Earth is frozen solid by an endless winter.Helping Rainbow and Starlite is Krys, a boy from Spectra. Krys believes he can take on the evil Princess and save his home world himself without the help of a "dumb girl." When they meet Orin, the wise Sprite tries to make the two children get along and work together to stop the evil Princess. Orin tells them that they can only destroy her by combining their own powers against her.Getting in the way of their mission is the sinister Murky Dismal and his bumbling assistant Lurky who, as usual, are lavishing in the new gloom created by the darkening of Spectra, as well as trying to steal Rainbow's magical color belt.After dodging Murky, Rainbow and Krys enter the Dark Princess's castle and try to convince her that what she is doing will destroy the universe, but the spoiled and uncaring Princess is determined to have the diamond planet for herself and traps the children instead. Working together, Rainbow and Krys escape and use their powers to destroy the Princess and her spaceship, which extends an array of robotic claws to grab the net around Spectra.Once the Princess is defeated, the enslaved Sprites are freed and immediately destroy the net so that Spectra radiates its magical light once again. On Earth, a warm spring finally arrives as life returns to the planet and Rainbow returns to Rainbowland finding her friends are back to normal.