Film Cover
The Happy Cricket and the Giant Bugs (Portuguese: O Grilo Feliz e os Insetos Gigantes) is a 2009 Brazilian computer-animated fantasy film directed by Walbercy Ribas and Rafael Ribas and produced by Start Desenhos Animados. The film is the sequel of The Happy Cricket, released in 2001.One day, Christopher discovers giant fossils, that's where the problems begin, which will be faced against the villain Trambika. In addition to Christopher, there is Pétala, which Christopher falls in love with, and the group of rapper frogs, who want to record a CD and gain fame.
The Happy Cricket and the Giant Bugs contains examples of:
- Accessory-Wearing Cartoon Animal: Almost all bugs wear some clothing accessories, such as hats, shoes, and simple shirts. The frogs are shown wearing much fuller and more detailed clothes, unlike the first film.
- Ambition Is Evil: The frogs kidnap Pétala to have a good singing girl in their group and get to record their first song to gain fame and become celebrities.
- Animate Inanimate Object: Montain and Kakatus.
- Anti-Villain: The frogs.
- Artistic License – Child Labor Laws: Part of Verdugo's plan is to manipulate kids into working for him.
- Art Shift: In fact, all of the characters from the first film retained their original designs and art style, however, the new characters feature a new style, with visible irises and a more grotesque look. The frogs bear absolutely no resemblance to the frogs in the first film.
- Best Friend: Bituquinho and Rafael appear as a duo in this film.
- Big Bad: Trambika, Verdugo's giant bug.
- Caper Crew: Trambika and her large criminal group of praying mantises.
- Co-Dragons: Sakana and Salafra are the second-in-command of the praying mantises working for Tambika.
- Comic Trio: The three frogs Rappers, Netão, Sinistro, and Caradura.
- Dance Party Ending: At the end all the characters are shown dancing and singing, including Verdugo trapped in a cage and even Tambika's head.
- Debut Queue: The film does a little of that, showing Bituquinho (Leonardo) and Rafael (Barnaby), Christopher, Verdugo, and the frogs, respectively.
- Demoted to Extra: Most of the Happy Cricket gang (except Rafael and Bituquinho) barely appear in this film; Isabella and Honey Dew only have a few short lines, while Cartibella and Snealy are full background characters and are barely seen (the latter has a notable cameo in the final song however).
- Digital Piracy Is Evil: It is the main subject addressed in the film.
- Evil Is Bigger: Tambika, Verdugo's creation, is a praying mantis with a gigantic size and acts as an antagonist.
- Evil Plan: After learning about fossil bugs in the desert, Verdugo comes up with a complete scheme that involves different types of crimes to get money.
- Fossil Revival: Verdugo does this in the film, taking various parts from the fossils of giant bugs in the desert to create a giant praying mantis, controlled by a remote control.
- Gangbangers: The frogs fit this trope perfectly, as they are a low-income gang who live in a slum, speak in cool, hip slang, and also prove to be dangerous and prone to committing crimes, as they kidnap Pétala.
- Genre Shift: The film takes place in a modern time, full of pop culture, while the first one is more like a fantasy and magical adventure. The film's set also has nothing to do with the first film except for Christopher's house.
- Halfway Plot Switch: In the beginning, the film is about the fossils of giant insects (following the title) but later it changes to a film about piracy and forced labor.
- Hero Protagonist: Christopher, the Happy Cricket.
- Homage Shot: Near the end, there's a scene with Sinistro (another member of the toad band) imitating and wearing Darth Vader's helmet from Star Wars.
- Iconic Sequel Character: Pétala, Verdugo, and especially the three frogs.
- Iconic Sequel Song: "Rap dos sapos," "Amor Maior," and "Festa" (adapted version).
- Loser Protagonist: While Rafael (Barnaby) encourages the others to face the frogs after they have kidnapped Christopher's love interest, he quickly denies it and gives up, and later does the same thing when he finds out about the piracy of his songs, having to be convinced by Netão (one of the frogs) to go after the bad guys.
- Nightmare Sequence: There is a scene where Bituquinho dreams of a spooky eye of a living giant bug watching him through his bedroom window while Professor Vareta is heard screaming in the background trying to warn him.
- Non-Linear Sequel: It has no direct sequel to the first film.
- "No Talking or Phones" Warning: The movie has one.
- Only Known by Their Nickname: The three frogs are known only by Netão (probably has "Neto" in his real name), Sinistro (Sinister), and Caradura (something like "Hardface"). It is also likely that Sakana e Salasfra is not the actual name of the two praying mantises.
- Protagonist Title: The Happy Cricket (O Grilo Feliz). By the way, that's actually his original name.
- Remember the New Guy?: Some characters like Professor Vareta, Sebastião, and especially Mountain and Kakatus fit this trope.
- Sequel Non-Entity: Linda, Buffuno, the army of toads, and the various resident bugs from the first film are completely absent.
- Shifted to CGI: The first film is animated using traditional 2D, while this one is completely computer-animated.
- The Bad Guy Wins: The frogs successfully kidnap Pétala and convince her to sing in their band.
- The Brute: Netão, the leader of the frogs band, is tall, burly, and easily angered and strikes fear into almost every bug in the film, except Verdugo.
- The Corrupter: Verdugo fits that trope when it comes to manipulating the main characters.
- The Don: Trambika.
- The Heavy: Verdugo, the main villain.
- The Rival: Netão and Christopher.
