Super Xuxa contra Baixo Astral (known internationally as Super Xuxa versus the Down Mood and in the United States as Super Xuxa vs. Satan) is a 1988 Brazilian film directed by Anna Penido and David Sonneschein, and starring children's TV presenter Xuxa Meneghel.
Produced in 1988 by Dreamvision, with co-production of Diler & Associados and Riofilme, with Lael Rodrigues as executive producer. It marked the first production of the partnership between the producer Diler Trindade and Xuxa, who then made together films like Lua de Cristal, and more recently, Xuxa Gêmeas. The film had theatrical distribution by Luis Severiano Ribeiro and Columbia Pictures and was released in 93 Brazilian cinemas on June 30, 1988. Penido also wrote the script with the help of TV colleague Antonio Calmon.
The film's plot starts when Xuxa gathers children to paint the graffitied murals of Rio de Janeiro with rainbows and exhorts them to fight for a better world. However, this threatens the titular Baixo Astral (Guilherme Karan), an evil being whose aim is to spread unhappiness and destruction to the world. In retaliation, he orders Titica and Morcegão, his henchmen, to kidnap her beloved dog Xuxo and hold him hostage. Willing to rescue her dog, Xuxa embarks in an adventure where she meets allies and enemies in search of Alto Astral, a boundless region that harbors all the positive energy of the world and the secret to defeat Baixo Astral once and for all.
The premise of this film is basically Labyrinth meets The Never Ending Story. In fact, it was accused of plagiarizing the former film, which premiered two years earlier. Moreover, it was the last credited work by Lael Rodrigues, who died of acute pancreatitis a year later.
The film can be watched in original language with English subtitles here
. A Latin American Spanish dub of this movie can be watched here on YouTube.
Super Xuxa contra Baixo Astral contains examples of the following tropes:
- Animate Inanimate Object: Almofadona is a wise talking sofa who comes to life to comfort Xuxa and give her advice on how to find her dog Xuxo.
- Beehive Hairdo: Florinda Floripede, reporter for TV Fim, sports a variant shaped like a mushroom cloud, fitting with the the apocalyptic theme of said show.
- Big Bad: Baixo Astral is the main villain of this film. He lives and loves to spread unhappiness and negative energy to the world and can't tolerate even the smallest speck of positivity, which leads him to kidnap Xuxa's dog for painting the city murals bright.
- Big Good: Alto Astral is a sentient crystal who rules over positive energy. He gives one of his shards to Xuxa in order to defeat Baixo Astral and save Xuxo.
- Canine Companion: Xuxa's dog, named Xuxo.
- Card-Carrying Villain: Baixo Astral revels on bringing unhappiness and destruction to the world.
- Dub Name Change: Titica and Morcegão are respectively renamed "Mugre" (Filth) and "Perezoso" (Slacker) in the Latin American Spanish dub.
- False Teeth Tomfoolery: Faustino, the smirking host for TV Fim is revealed to have fake dentures after failing to cut to the local news report with Florinda Floripede.
- Fat and Skinny: Titica and Morcegão, Baixo Astral's main henchmen, are respectively fat and skinny.
- Fingore: Titica attempts to cut Xuxo's tail off to serve it in Baixo Astral's food in place of a sausage. However, Rafa startles him into letting go of it and Titica instead ends up chopping off one of his own fingers.
- Friend to All Children: Xuxa, as usual. One of the first scenes has her lead a group of children into repainting a mural filled with graffiti in an attempt to bring color to the streets of Rio.
- Green-Eyed Monster: Titica and Morcegão become jealous of Rafa for (unintentionally) getting Baixo Astral's attention.
- Harmful to Minors: When TV Fim host Faustino makes his emergency reports, he warns:Faustino: Attention! Emergency State! The next images are inappropriate for children. But we will show them anyhow.(cut to Baixo Astral and his minions watching the TV with screaming and gunshot sounds heard in the background)
- Help Mistaken for Attack: Xuxa mistakes the Lango-Lango in the desert for low-mood creatures and attacks them until Xixa tells her they're actually planting trees.
- Meaningful Name: Baixo Astral's name is Brazilian slang for "down mood", which is fitting for someone who wants to bring unhappiness to the world.
- Precious Puppy: Xuxa's dog, Xuxo, is her loyal companion and friend, which Baixo Astral uses to kidnap him and destroy Xuxa's cheerful spirit with negativity on her way to his lair.
- Product Placement: This movie has plugs of many local and foreign brands, with Coca-Cola being the most frequent.
- Revenge by Proxy: The movie's plot starts when Baixo Astral decides to get revenge against Xuxa for repainting the murals of Rio bright by kidnapping her dog Xuxo.
- Rule of Three: When Baixo Astral is fed up with his incompetent henchmen, he seeks a new one through his TV. First an ineffectual Mad Scientist, a blatant Corrupt Politician, and lastly, Rafa, a school bully. Baixo is pleased by the latter's bullying of a nerd and orders his henchmen to take the boy to his lair.
- Show Within a Show: Baixo Astral's favorite show TV Fim always covers tragic events in a cheerful light.
- Tear-Apart Tug-of-War: After Xuxa breaks free from Baixo Astral's brainwashing thanks to Xuxo peeing on the monster's leg, he and his henchmen grab butterfly Xixa by the tail to keep them from escaping, with Xuxa pulling her by the head and threatening to tear her apart. However, Titica and Morcegão turn on him after she forgives them, causing him to let go of Xixa and overwhelm the whole gang with a lethal dose of violence from a TV screen.
- Uncleanliness Is Next to Ungodliness: Baixo Astral and his minions live in the sewers of Rio, and are very evil.
- Urine Trouble: After breaking free from Titica and Morcegão's clutches after his fleas turn on them, Xuxo whizzes on Baixo Astral's leg to save Xuxa from his brainwashing and as revenge for the abuse he was put through.
- Wise Beyond Their Years: Xixa the caterpillar provides the titular heroine with wisdom to unlock the door that leads to Alto Astral and accompanies her in her search of her missing dog Xuxo.
- Wise Old Turtle: Vovó Cascadura is an elderly turtle who guards the Tree of Knowledge and imparts cryptic advice for Xuxa in her journey.
- Wise Tree: After crossing the River of Disunion with the pink dolphin she rescued, Xuxa stumbles upon the Tree of Knowledge. However, the tree itself doesn't provide advice, but its guardian, an elderly turtle named Vovó CascaduraTranslation .
