The Donkey King is a Pakistani Animated Film that was first released in 2018. The film focuses on a donkey named Mangu. Mangu is a donkey who seeks fame and riches, and he may get the opportunity that he wishes for when the incumbent king, a lion named Khan, becomes too old to continue his role. Winning the role in the Kingdom's first democratic election, he now must deal with the added responsibilities required of him as a King. Also plotting against him is Fitna the Fox, who seeks the throne for herself and who has other plans for the animals....
Has nothing to do with Donkey Kong.
This Film contains the following tropes:
- Alphabet News Network: MNN or "Monkey News Network", a news network run by monkeys that is used to spread disinformation.
- Appeal to Tradition: Shahzada's justification for inheriting the crown is that "lions have ruled through history!"
- Breaking the Fourth Wall: Fitna at one point comments that Khan doesn't know it yet, but that she'll be the one sitting on the throne "when the credits roll at the end of this film". She also frequently talks to the audience throughout the film.
- Fartillery: Whilst Fitna is asking what Mangu would like for dinner, Mangu notes that he had baked beans for lunch. Cue him farting, which causes his rhino guard to faint.
- Foul Fox: Although Fitna the fox seems to be helping Khan, in truth, she's working for the Big Bad ringmaster and wants to become Queen herself through dubious means.
- Furry Confusion: A notable scene has Mangu be chased by a group of anthropomorphic bulls for spitting on their clothes, only to end up in a stadium containing normal non-anthropomorphic bulls.
- Game Show Appearance: The movie starts with Mangu on the set of "I Want To Be A Millionaire", a parody of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?. He makes it to the final question before it's revealed that it's just a dream that he's having.
- Humans Are Bastards: The one human who appears in the movie is a Repulsive Ringmaster who wants the animals for his zoo. The animals themselves don't have a high opinion of humans. Khan for instance doesn't want Democracy because the humans used it and they don't want to be like them.
- King of Beasts: Khan is a lion and the ruling king of the Jungle Kingdom. He intends for his son to be the next king, but his vapidness means that Mangu the Donkey becomes king instead.
- Lions and Tigers and Humans... Oh, My!: Although the movie focuses on a society of Funny Animals, mention is made of human societies, and the Big Bad is a human circus ringmaster.
- Maniac Monkeys: The monkeys running MNN are Card Carrying Villains that are spreading disinformation to increase the ratings. It even comes with a corruption of the classical Monkey Morality Pose. They do have a Heel–Face Turn at the end, however.
- Monkey Morality Pose: The monkeys running MNN have three guiding principles which are a corruption of this trope: Speak Evil, Hear Evil, and Show Evil.
- Musical Chores: The citizens have a song they sing whilst they're washing the clothes. It's simply the sentence "Washing the Clothes" repeated to music.
- Repulsive Ringmaster: Fitna works for one such ringmaster, who is using her to get animals for his circus. To emphasize this, he only speaks in growls and evil laughing.
- Scooby-Dooby Doors: Used when one of the monkey newscasters and the Chameleon chase Mangu throughout the building. Mnagu even ends up duplicating himself during the chase.
- Spirit Advisor: Even though Mangu's father is dead, he regularly appears to give his son advice, such as keeping on dreaming.
- Trumplica: A one-off gag has an anthropomorphic hippo called Ronald Crump show up, wanting high TV ratings and a desire to drain the swamp just like his human counterpart.
