Peter in Magicland is a 1990 German animated film directed by Wolfgang Urchs, based on a children's book Little Peters Journey To The Moon (Peterchens Mondfahrt in German).
It's about Peter and Annabelle's journey to the Moon in order to retrieve an arm for Mr. Buzzworthy the beetle, who lost it due to a woodcutter.
Peter in Magicland provides examples of:
- Absent-Minded Professor: Mr. Sandman.
- Adaptational Name Change: In the original story, Annabelle was "Anneli," Mr. Buzzworthy was "Mr. Zoomzeman."
- All Just a Dream: At the end of the movie, the children wake up on the floor of their bedroom, right as their mother comes in to wake them up.
- An Arm and a Leg: Mr. Buzzworthy is missing an arm, which is on the Moon.
- Beard of Barbarism: The Moon Man sports one.
- Breaking the Fourth Wall: At one point, Mr. Buzzworthy directly addresses the film's projectionist, and along with Peter and Annabelle, steps out of the filmstrip.
- Brother–Sister Team: Peter and Annabelle.
- Cathartic Exhalation: Peter does this after successfully feeding the Great Bear with his caramel candies, along with wiping sweat off his forehead.
- Character Catchphrase: Mr. Buzzworthy's "I think my shell is cracking!".
- Comic Trio: The three flight commission beetles, who oversee Peter and Annabelle's flight lesson.
- Does This Remind You of Anything?: When Mr. Buzzworthy faints once again, one of Night Fairy's servants, Morning Star, decides to give him some "miracle cure", which not only wakes him up, but also causes him to fly around erratically until the Rain Maker splashes him with water, which brings him back to his senses.Mr. Sandman: That, children, is really outrageous behavior.
- Double Take: The dog, who's busy howling at the Moon, becomes surprised upon seeing Peter and Annabelle flying.
- Faint in Shock: Mr. Buzzworthy is prone to fainting when he becomes too afraid.
- Finishing Each Other's Sentences: The three flight commission beetles do this a few times.
- Girls Love Stuffed Animals: Annabelle brings her teddy bear along for the journey.
- Hereditary Curse: Mr. Buzzworthy's missing arm is the result of his great-great-great-grandfather's misfortune of losing his own arm when the tree he was resting on was cut down by the woodcutter (future Moon Man), which caused the future generations to be born with five legs.
- Inflating Body Gag: The Storm Giant, who can create powerful winds by inhaling and blowing a large amount of air.
- Also Mr. Buzzworthy, who can inhale just enough air to make himself float.
- Invisible Parents: The children's father isn't shown nor mentioned.
- MacGuffin: Mr. Buzzworthy's missing arm.
- Malaproper: Annabelle tends to replace words, with Peter correcting her with the one she meant.
- Massive Numbered Siblings: The Storm Giant is revealed to have at least 12 identical brothers when he calls for them to help him for the Great Bear's takeoff.
- Mystical White Hair: The Night Fairy. And also the children's mother.
- Off-into-the-Distance Ending: The movie ends with Peter and Annabelle watching a beetle, who they assume is Mr. Buzzworthy, flying away into the morning sky out of their window.
- Opening Monologue: The film starts with the narrator explaining how magic happens when people sleep.
- Pajama-Clad Hero: Peter and Annabelle embark on their journey in their pajamas. And somehow they're completely fine barefoot in the snow.
- Parachute Petticoat: It happens to Annabelle for a second during the flight lesson with Mr. Buzzworthy in the extended mini-series version.
- Prefers Going Barefoot: Peter and Annabelle set off for the journey without any shoes or socks.
- Signature Instrument: Mr. Buzzworthy plays a violin.
- Spoonerism: Mr. Sandman often mixes up words and letters before correcting himself immediately.
- Talking Animal: Mr. Buzzworthy, along with other beetles, some owls, the coach Butterfly and an Easter rabbit.
- Visual Innuendo: Mother Cloud being "tickled" by the Moon Man when she engulfs him with herself and her clouds.
