Napoleon

Directed by Mario Andreacchio, 1996
Produced by Australian Film Finance

Aimed at children, this live-action Australian adventure follows an adorable golden retriever puppy on a cross-country search for excitement and the dingoes that comprise his doggy roots. Napoleon enlists allies and outsmarts enemies amongst this unique menagerie of wild animals native to Australia. Featuring a host of delightful songs and the voices. All the animals in this film are endowed with human voices and qualities. This enchanting tale is a wonderful film the whole family will love

Life as a house-pet isn't much fun for young Muffin, a precocious puppy who dreams of being a "wild dog" and who prefers to think of himself as Napoleon. His adventure begins at a childrens' birthday party, where he frolics playfully with the children until he lands in a basket that has several helium balloons tied to it. All of a sudden he and the basket are carried away. Eventually he lands on the distant rocky shore of Sydney Harbour. There he is befriended by a chatty parrot-like Galah named Birdo Lucci (Philip provides the voice for Birdo).

Together, the two buddies head into the bush in search of Napoleon's forebears. Along the way they encounter a variety of native Australian animals including a clever koala, a kind kangaroo, a wise owl, a hissy frill-necked lizard, a despicable snake and a frightening black cat who mistakes Napoleon for a giant mouse. But fun isn't all that Napoleon discovers on his quest for adventure, he also learns more about the world and himself than he ever thought possible. Eventually, Napoleon meets his distant relatives and proves his heroic mettle by saving Nancy, the Dingo pup, from a raging flood in a cave. He is very happy with them, but then he gets homesick and starts to miss his mother, so he decides to go home again.

The Actors who provide the voices

Jamie Croft.....................Napoleon
Philip Quast....................Birdo
Dame Edna Everage........Kangaroo
Anne Lambert..................Earless Wallaby/Spider
Brandan Little..................Owl/Wombat
Susan Lyons....................Napoleon's Mother
David Arque....................Frill-Necked Lizard
Joan Rivers.....................Mother Penguin
Carole Skinner.................Cat
Steven Vidler...................Turtle/Snake
Frank Whittle...................Koala