Cuccioli - Il codice di Marco Polo (first feature)

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Cuccioli - Il codice di Marco Polo

Cuccioli - Il codice di Marco Polo

original title:

Cuccioli - Il codice di Marco Polo

directed by:

cinematography:

music:

Sergio Manfio, Lorenzo Tomio, Michele Minniti

production:

Gruppo Alcuni, EDEBE Audiovisual, with the support of Eurimages

country:

Italy/Spain

year:

2009

film run:

99'

format:

35mm - colour

release date:

22/10/2010

festivals & awards:

Crow Witch hates Venice. Her aversion to the city dates back to when she was a young witch and during a magic experiment she fell into the lagoon, creating general hilarity amongst all the witches and wizards present. And now that she has found in the Himalayas a Palace which contains all the magic created by the Wizards of the Orient over the last five thousand years, she intends to use the tricks contained within the Palace of Magic for a single purpose: draining the lagoon and transforming it into a city like all the others, with roads instead of canals and cars instead of gondolas and boats. In other words, destroying Venice. There is only one way of stopping her: getting hold of Marco Polo’s Code which contains the instructions for finding, and entering, the Parallel Palace of Magic in Venice, which lies beneath the Rialto Bridge, and which contains all the magic needed to counteract Crow Witch’s malefic spells. At the time when Marco Polo was busy completing his travels, Venetian merchants, returning from China, came to know of the existence of the Palace of Magic in the Himalayas and built an exact replica beneath the lagoon, containing all the same spells. In order to get to the Code however the keystone, given to Marco Polo by the Grand Khan, must first be found which – it is said – was abandoned by the famous explorer in the Oasis of Kebab, in Asia Minor. The Pet Pals cannot wait to get started in their most challenging mission to date, finding Marco Polo’s Code and saving Venice. Even if this means putting their busy lives on hold for a while. Holly the kitten is very busy doing a training course with the Chicago police; Diva, the brazen duckling, is conquering the catwalks of the Paris fashion shows, following her dream of becoming a top model; the rabbit Top Hat has found work as the bodyguard of a Hollywood star, while Pio, the aspiring actor, is doing an audition for the reality show “Squid Brother”, but in the end is rejected as the only style he can swim is frog stroke… After passing through London to stock up on various hi-tech gadgets, in true James Bond style, the Pet Pals set off in search of the keystone, first stop the Oasis of Kebab. And so with a mix of breathtaking chases, enthralling detective work and unexpected plot twists, begins the magic-filled battle to get hold of the Code, against a ruthless antagonist who will not hesitate to use evil witchcraft to bring her diabolical plan to completion.