Constricted for Friendship, Built for Adventure
The Giant King (released as The Robot Giant in the United Kingdom and Yak (which is Thai for "The Giant") in Thailand) is a 2012 Thai 3D computer-animated comic science fiction children's/family film. The story is a futuristic adaptation of the fable of Tosakan and Hanuman the Monkey King from the Thai version of the Ramayana, with robots for the main characters. It was released on October 4, 2012.There is 2 English dubs, one is faithful and the other is a Gag Dub produced by Lionsgate that makes heavy changes to the story, with all the references to Ramayana removed, along with changing some of the character names, personalities, and even some of the genders of characters.
The American English dub stars Bella Thorne, Russell Peters, Gregg Sulkin, Carlos Pena Vega, Nathan Barnatt and Mark Steines.
This film provides examples of:
- Alternative Foreign Theme Song: A song exclusive to the film's American English dub called Miracle was included in the opening credits, this same song was previously used in the English release of The Adventures of Panda Warrior and was later used again in the American release for Air Bound.
- Dub Name Change: Almost every single character aside from Rusty and RAM have different names in the American English version (Pinky was called Whitey/Hanuman in the original and Zork was Big Green/Tosakan)
- Dub-Induced Plotline Change: In the American English dub, all the references to the Ramayana are removed
- In the original film, at the start, Zork was battling all those robots because he was out to destroy RAM, hence why Pinky was sent after him. In the American version, they changed to where RAM wanted Zork dead because he was considered broken all because he didn't want to be a "battle bot"
- That scene after Zork has that weird nightmare about the little heads, what happens in the original is that he tries to tell Pinky/Whitey about it, but he asks him why he'd even be afraid if he's a giant. Then, they realize they can't remember who they are when they bring up how they're chained up together and how they can't even remember who they are. In the American version, Zork tries to reason with Pinky, but she tells him she's under orders from RAM to arrest him, and how they have to cut the chain somewhere.
- Rather than wanting Zork/Big Green destroyed in order to be the most powerful battle bot, Krudd/Kum is a massive poser over Zork/Big Green and that scene of him trying to kill them was him actually trying to protect him from Pinky/Whitey
- The old robot's story is different in the American version, and as obvious as this sounds, he didn't bring up the buttocks joke in the original version, he simply said that people claim Tosakan is still alive and is waiting to get his revenge.
- In the original version, Krudd/Kum outright says he's selling weapons, while in the American version, he makes it seem like he's selling toys but is actually selling weapons.
- RAM has dialogue in the American version, and the battle at the end of the film is caused by him posessing Zork, rather than the little heads on him taking over him
- Shout-Out: There's the additions of pop-culture jokes in the American version, like when Zork starts singing the Mister Rogers' Neighborhood theme song and mentions Kindergarten Cop at one point.
- She's a Man in Japan: Pinky (Whitey/Hanuman) and Flapper (Sadayu) were a male and female, respectively, in the original film, while in the American version, Pinky is a female and Flapper is a male.
