Line #32 Film/HoubaOnTheTrailOfTheMarsupilami


1	[[quoteright:347:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/MarsupilamiFilm_7209.jpg]]
2
3	->''[screen shows a photo of Pablito next to a llama]''\
4	'''Clarisse Iris:''' This is your guide, Pablito Camaron.\
5	'''Dan Geraldo:''' On the right or the left?
6
7	''HOUBA! On the Trail of the Marsupilami'' (French title: ''Sur la piste du Marsupilami'') is a 2012 Franco-Belgian movie, written, produced and directed by Creator/AlainChabat. It is a LiveActionAdaptation of the Franchise/{{Marsupilami}}, a FrancoBelgianComics character created by Creator/AndreFranquin in 1956.
8
9	Dan Geraldo ([[DescendedCreator Chabat]]), a washed-out reporter, is given one last chance to revive his career. He must go to [[BananaRepublic Palombia]] to report on the Paya people and the secret of their longevity. With his guide Pablito Camaron (Creator/JamelDebbouze), he ventures into the Palombian jungle. In the process, the duo confirms the existence of the Marsupilami, a mythical creature.
10
11	Meanwhile, 82-year-old botanist Hermoso discovers an unknown species of orchid, which he find out can be used to create a [[FountainOfYouth rejuvenating potion]]. With the help of the treacherous Corporal, he topples the Palombian dictator, General Pochero (Creator/LambertWilson), and goes hunting for the Marsupilami, which happens to be linked to the orchids.
12
13	Add in an ancient Payan prophecy predicting TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt if the bad guys get their hands on those two treasures of the Palombian forest, and the protagonists are in for a wild ride.
14
15	Despite the SharedUniverse of the Franquin comics, it has no ties to either ''Film/TheAdventuresOfSpirouAndFantasio'' or ''Film/GastonLagaffe'' (which aren't connected either).
16	----
17	!!''HOUBA! On the Trail of the Marsupilami'' provides examples of:
18
19	* ActorAllusion: Jamel Debbouze's character, Pablito, riding a reluctant llama, utters at one point, "You're not moving at all, Ganja." Just like his character in ''Film/AsterixAndObelixMissionCleopatra'', another Alain Chabat movie, who has the same problem but with a donkey, says: "You're not moving at all, Cannabis."
20	* AmusingInjuries: Any damage inflicted on the soldiers fighting the Marsupilami is purely for laugh. One of them get slammed into the ground head-first... and then makes this muffled comment: "Hey, there're moles...."
21	* ArgumentOfContradictions: Pablito and General Hermoso have a lengthy argument over Chouniño, Pablito's coati pet.
22	-->'''Pablito:''' It's a coati.\
23	'''Hermoso:''' No, it's a raccoon.\
24	'''Pablito:''' It's a coati.\
25	'''Hermoso:''' No, it's a raccoon.\
26	''[repeats...]''
27	* ArsonMurderAndJaywalking: "The world will fall into chaos. The birds will sing wrong. The jaguar will be eaten by the rabbit. The tree will cut the lumberjack. And everything will taste like passion fruit."
28	* AsHerself: [[spoiler:Céline Dion]].
29	* AsLongAsItSoundsForeign: The Paya language is mostly funny-sounding gibberish, with a few [[ShoutOut obscure references]] thrown in.
30	* TheAtoner: Dan Geraldo [[spoiler:publicly confesses on TV that his first report was a fake, before he can be outed by his boss.]]
31	* BadCopIncompetentCop: The Chiquito policemen aren't very concerned with upholding the law, for example ignoring an attempted mugging a dozen meters away. (And Pablito is ''trying'' to get arrested.)
32	%%* BananaRepublic: Palombia
33	* BattleDiscretionShot:
34	** Dan getting blowpipe-darted. We only hear the "pfft" sounds and see Pablito cringing.
35	** The Marsupilami [[spoiler:taking care of the three gangsters at the end. We just see the end result of them smashed against a wall, and leaving an imprint of their tattooed faces.]]
36	* BerserkButton: Pablito can't stand being called a liar. He doesn't quite get violent about it (because he's a weakling), but he's very intent in proving he always told the truth about the Marsupilami.
37	%%* BigBad: Hermoso
38	* BinomiumRidiculus: Hermoso calls the new orchid species he discovered "''Orchidus Hermorroïde''".
39	-->'''General Pochero:''' You're sure about the name?
40	* BlackBossLady: Clarisse Iris, Dan's boss. Casting a black woman in such a position of power easily sets her up as a ruthless businesswoman.
41	* BlackComedyRape: [[ItMakesSenseInContext The scene with Pablito's head and the chihuahua.]] It doesn't just[[invoked]] [[CrossesTheLineTwice cross the line twice]] but a dozen times.
42	-->'''Dan:''' I perfectly understand that [[LetUsNeverSpeakOfThisAgain you wouldn't want to talk about it...]]
43	* BrickJoke:
44	** Nobody likes the taste of passion fruit.
45	** Dan, after falling down a hole, ''much later'' falls on top of Pablito in the middle of the jungle. Don't ask how.
46	** [[ItMakesSenseInContext "The metaphor escaped..."]]
47	%%* BuddyPicture
48	* TheCameo: [[spoiler:Music/CelineDion]]
49	* CantGetInTroubleForNuthin: Pablito is trying to get thrown in jail to join with Dan Geraldo and help him escape. However, when he pretends to steal an old woman's bag a few meters away from policemen, the corrupt cops aren't paying attention and [[NeverMessWithGranny he just gets a few cane strikes for his troubles]].
50	* CartoonyTail: The Marsupilami's, of course.
51	* CelebCrush: General Pochero, toward Music/CelineDion.
52	* CharacterAsHimself: The Marsupilami (and Marsupilamie) in the credits.
53	* ChekhovsSkill: Pablito's veterinarian talents, although mostly for show, proves useful at the end [[spoiler:to revive the Marsupilami.]]
54	* TheChosenOne: Pablito and Dan are the chosen ones from the Prophecy of Chicxulub.
55	-->"CHICXULUB!"
56	%%* ConMan: Pablito
57	* CrackOhMyBack: Old Hermoso, when trying to give a demonstration of "Austrian Savate". And later, after falling from an elevator platform, he stays stuck for three hours before Pétunia comes help him.
58	* CreativeClosingCredits: A staple of Alain Chabat's movies.
59	* CruellaToAnimals: The Corporal delights in making animals suffer and watching species go extinct.
60	* CurbStompBattle: The Marsupilami against the soldiers trying to capture him. They stand absolutely no chance.
61	* CuteButCacophonic: The Marsu babies making it known that they're hungry.
62	%%* TheDragon: The Corporal
63	* DynamicEntry:
64	** The Marsupilami bursting from the fake volcano in the TV Palombia studios.
65	** And just afterward, Hermoso driving a jeep through a wall.
66	* EggMacGuffin: The Marsupilami eggs.
67	* EndangeredSpecies: When Pétunia calls Hermoso on chasing an endangered species, he retorts that the Marsupilami isn't even known to ''exist'', thus it can't be considered endangered.
68	* TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt: What TheProphecy foretells if the balance isn't preserved.
69	* EveryoneCallsHimBarkeep: Corporal
70	* FastForwardGag: When the Paya queen comes to a part of TheProphecy that is getting boring, she has it pass in fast-forward.
71	* FeetFirstIntroduction: The Corporal.
72	* {{Foreshadowing}}: TheProphecy is full of it, naturally. Even so, [[spoiler:who's actually "the Woman of Gold and Silver" still [[DidntSeeThatComing comes as a surprise]].]]
73	* FountainOfYouth: The distillated orchid juice.
74	* FowlMouthedParrot: Kiki the parrot commonly insults Pablito, including while they both swindle some tourists of their money ("Crook." "Impostor." "Mythomaniac.")
75	* FreudianExcuse: Parodied with the Corporal, whose hatred of animals seems to come from a break-up with a girlfriend over a cat, as revealed during a rant.
76	* TheGeneralissimo: General Pochero is set up as this kind of character, [[spoiler:but it's subverted as he's not much of a villain, and Hermoso soon takes his spot.]]
77	* TheGhost: Racallo, Pablito's informant, whom he speaks to on the phone, but is never seen.
78	* GiantMook: Bolo (played by The Great Khali).
79	%%* GreenAesop
80	* IAmNotWeasel: Pablito always corrects people that Chouniño is a coati, and not an otter or a raccoon.
81	* ImpactSilhouette: Dan Geraldo leaves one through a wall after being kicked by super-strong Hermoso.
82	* ImprobableWeaponUser: Boosted Hermoso uses, among other things, billiard balls and fake carrots as darts to take out the Marsu.
83	* ImStandingRightHere: Dan on the pirogue, recording his reportage, mentions Pablito.
84	-->'''Dan:''' My guide, Pablito Camaron. Puny, underfed, probably illiterate...\
85	'''Pablito:''' I can hear you from that close.
86	* IncrediblyConspicuousDrag: [[spoiler:Pochero dressing as Céline Dion to distract the palace guards.]]
87	* InsistentTerminology: Hermoso hates being called a gardener; he's a botanist.
88	* IntrepidReporter: Spoofed with Dan Geraldo, who's not at all intrepid and barely competent. [[spoiler:His first reportage in Palombia happens to be a complete fraud.]] He gets better by the end of the movie, though.
89	* IsThisThingOn: Dan does this with ''the business end of a blowpipe''. To be fair, he didn't believe it was held by a real Paya.
90	* JawDrop: Clarisse at the first sight of the Marsupilami.
91	%%* {{Jerkass}}: The Corporal
92	* JerkWithAHeartOfGold:
93	** Pablito is a ConMan scamming naive tourists for their money, but he does it for the sake of his numerous adopted children.
94	** Dan Geraldo is an arrogant westerner and his first reportage is a fake, but he does some redeeming heroics at the end.
95	* JungleJapes: A non-video-game example.
96	* JustIgnoreIt: The two guards outside the secure room would rather ignore the Corporal's antics, [[spoiler:including when he's beaten up by the Marsupilami]].
97	* TheKlutz: Dan Geraldo. If there's a pit to fall in, he'll fall in it. The scene where he destroys General Pochero's Céline Dion shrine stands out. At another time, he almost ''swallows his own tongue''.
98	* LatinLand: Palombia, again. It mixes South American and Mexican influences. (Note that the movie was filmed in Mexico.) This is also fitting with Franquin's original depiction of the fictional country in the comics.
99	* LetUsNeverSpeakOfThisAgain: The chihuahua scene is this for Jamel Debbouze in the DVD bonus.
100	* LightningCanDoAnything: Electricity, instead of hurting the Marsupilami, [[spoiler:tickles and makes him laugh. As the Corporal discovers when shocking him with a cattle prod.]]
101	* LiteralMinded: The Corporal has some trouble with metaphors. Also used for a BrickJoke.
102	%%* LittleMissConArtist: Cassandra
103	* LoonyFan: General Pochero is obsessed with Music/CelineDion.
104	* LoudGulp: The Marsupilami, being found out by Hermoso, loudly gulps down the cake he's eating.
105	* LudicrousPrecision: It sounds like this when Pochero announces that he'll give Dan and Pablito a diversion for "3 minutes 31, maximum." But it's in fact {{justified\|Trope}}, [[spoiler:since as a Céline Dion fanboy, he knows the exact length of the song he's about to use.]]
106	* MacGuffin: The glowing orchids, both for the Marsu and the BigBad.
107	* MadeOfIncendium: After the Céline Dion dolls fall from their rotating pedestals, they start catching fire for no reason at all.
108	* {{Malaproper}}: Pablito, although much toned down compared to other roles by Jamel Debbouze. He's even the one correcting Dan on the proper pronunciation of "Marsupilami".
109	* {{Mayincatec}}: The Paya.
110	* MeanBoss: Clarisse Iris.
111	* MediumShiftGag: The prophecy is told in animated form via a "magic Super 8 projector" or somesuch.
112	* MetafictionalDevice: In-universe example: Dan Geraldo's father shakes a TV screen violently while yelling at his son to stop making a fool of himself... and just at the same time, in Chiquito, the whole set coincidentally starts trembling.
113	* MilitaryCoup: Hermoso performs an accelerated one, thanks to the help of the Corporal.
114	* {{Mooks}}: The palace soldiers.
115	* MushroomSamba: The berries that the Paya feed to the protagonists induce this.
116	* MythologyGag: Several to Creator/AndreFranquin and his works, naturally.
117	** The half a baseball that Pablito keeps as a souvenir was autographed by famous Palombian player "Andreo Franquino".
118	** Hermoso was born in Bretzelburg, the setting of one album of ''ComicBook/SpirouAndFantasio''.
119	** The jeep used by Hermoso wears a logo of a black circle with three arrows shooting from it. It is a Palombian symbol from the Zantafio era.
120	** The Marsupilami swinging from his tail with his four fists aimed forward (to take out Hermoso) is a move previously used in another album (to take out a ''gorilla''!).
121	* NeckLift: In the palace jail, Bolo grabs Pablito by the neck and lifts him, and then does the same to Dan simultaneously.
122	* NeverMessWithGranny: Pablito pretends to steal the bag of an old woman to be thrown in jail; he gets a few cane strikes for his troubles.
123	* NobodyHereButUsBirds: Pablito suggests they'd agree on a bird call to use as a signal, but all Dan can do is quacking like a duck.
124	-->'''Pablito:''' A duck in the jungle? There's nothing shocking you?
125	* NoHoldsBarredBeatdown: The Marsupilami takes his revenge on the Corporal in a quite violent pummeling. Very satisfying.
126	* OhCrap:
127	** Pablito (and Dan), at the sight of the GiantMook Pablito just antagonized.
128	** Pablito at the sight of the real Paya.
129	* OlderThanTheyLook:
130	** Hermoso under the effect of the orchid juice.
131	** The Payas live to be very old thanks to the orchid. The gorgeous queen is 249 years old.
132	* {{Omniglot}}: The Paya queen claims that she speaks all languages.
133	* OneSteveLimit: Averted and parodied; a lot of the soldiers seems to be named Carlos.
134	-->''[Carlos gets accidentally shot by a {{tranquillizer dart}}]''\
135	'''Corporal:''' Sorry, Carlos.\
136	'''Carlos:''' No, I'm alright...\
137	'''Corporal:''' No, the other one.
138	* OverlyLongScream: The two times Dan Geraldo falls down a hole, he lets out a scream lasting for a few scenes.
139	* PapaWolf: As in the comics, the Marsupilami is fiercely defensive of his young[[spoiler:, who are still in their eggs.]]
140	* ParodyCommercial: A couple for an anti-aging cream are seen mid-movie. Part of the plot, as they are commercials for Dan's channel's sponsor, which would also be very interested in the orchids.
141	* PartingFromConsciousnessWords: Dan Geraldo gets a dozen of blowpipe {{Tranquillizer Dart}}s in the face before fainting.
142	-->'''Dan:''' It stings a bit.
143	* PassThePopcorn: A pair of Paya actually eat popcorn during the animated prophecy projection.
144	* PhraseCatcher: "Un animal qu'on croyait qui n'existait pas mais qui n'existe !" ("An animal which we believed don't exist but do exist!") -- yes, the poor grammar is intentional.
145	* PiranhaProblem: Marsu still eats them.
146	* PointThatSomewhereElse: Kiki the parrot tries pushing away a machete held under its throat with its claw.
147	%%* PollyWantsAMicrophone: Kiki
148	* PornStache: General Pochero has the expected mustache for a South-american leader. It sure makes [[spoiler:the Céline Dion song]] even more hilarious.
149	* PrehensileTail: Guess who.
150	* TheProphecy: The lengthy Payan prophecy shown in animation, designating both protagonists as TheChosenOne and identifying the TwoFaced Man as the BigBad.
151	* PunchPunchPunchUhOh:
152	** Dan attempts to stun Bolo from behind with a metal tray. The GiantMook only gets more annoyed.
153	--->'''Dan:''' ...I regret this gesture...
154	** Pablito tries to knock out a big soldier from behind with a branch. The soldier barely notices, thinking it's a bug.
155	* PuttingOnTheReich: Once Hermoso really starts handling things at the palace, his choice of symbols and uniforms are definitely Nazi-inspired. He mentions that his mother was Hitler's chambermaid, after all.
156	* QuizShow: How a de-aged Hermoso introduces himself to General Pochero.
157	* RaceAgainstTheClock: Toward the end, Dan has to reach the TV Palombia studios in time to broadcast his report.
158	* RaiseHimRightThisTime: [[spoiler:The final fate of Hermoso; after overdosing on his FountainOfYouth orchid extract, he turns into a baby.]]
159	* RidiculouslyCuteCritter: The baby Marsupilamis.
160	* SandNecktie: Happens to both Dan and Pablito after they're captured by the Paya tribesmen. They're buried about a meter from each other, and spends most of their time bickering, blaming each other for their predicament. Pablito manages to catch a pebble in his mouth and spits it into Dan's face at one point. And then there's the incident with an amorous chihuahua....
161	%%* SceneryPorn
162	* ScrewThisImOuttaHere: Pétunia, Hermoso's assistant, calls it quits once her boss begins PuttingOnTheReich and exploiting the Marsupilami.
163	* SecretPath: There's a secret trapdoor inside the palace prison cell. When asked why he didn't mention it, Pochero answers, "It was a secret."
164	* ShoutOut:
165	** Pablito calls a dwarf "Atchoum" ([[WesternAnimation/SnowWhiteAndTheSevenDwarfs "Sneezy"]]).
166	** The Chihuahua is called "Didjé", as with the alternate name for the main character of another Alain Chabat movie, ''Film/{{Didier}}''.
167	** Pablito giving a sarcastic compliment says, "Alors là, chapeau melon et bottes de cuir...", the French title for ''Series/{{The Avengers\|1960s}}''.
168	** Dan Geraldo at one point shouts, "[[Series/ImACelebrityGetMeOutOfHere I'm a celebrity, get me out of here!]]"
169	** Among the incomprehensible things the Paya queen says, you can recognize ''Animation/BolekAndLolek''.
170	** TheProphecy mentions that the forest will be destroyed and the Paya people will die, "Just like in ''Film/{{Avatar}}''".
171	** The style of the Prophecy is reminiscent of ''WesternAnimation/AvezVousDejaVu'', an animated series also by Alain Chabat.
172	** The way Hermoso presents himself Quiz Show-style parodies ''Series/QuestionsPourUnChampion'', a popular French GameShow.
173	** During the MushroomSamba, Dan sees [[WhiteGloves his own hands]] as WesternAnimation/MickeyMouse's.
174	** The get-up of the captured Marsupilami recalls [[Film/TheSilenceOfTheLambs Hannibal Lecter's]].
175	** The spitting contest between Pablito and his llama Ganja is probably inspired by Captain Haddock doing the same thing in the ''Franchise/{{Tintin}}'' album ''[[Recap/TintinPrisonersOfTheSun Prisoners of the Sun]]''.
176	** The RaceAgainstTheClock is pretext for a ''Series/TwentyFour'' parody, complete with multiple screens and digital clock close-up.
177	** [[Franchise/{{Rambo}} "It wasn't my war!"]]
178	* ShowingOffTheNewBody: Hermoso looks at himself in a mirror after being de-aged. It's still his own body, but he hasn't seen himself like this in 40 years.
179	* SickAndWrong: How Pétunia reacts when she realizes that the man she'd been flirting with is in fact the old professor Hermoso.
180	* SignsOfDisrepair: When the earth shakes in the studio, the letters for Dan Geraldo's name start to fall, leaving only "DAN GER".
181	* SingleStrokeBattle: Parodied (in slo-mo) during the fight between Hermoso and Marsu.
182	* ElSpanishO: Most of the GratuitousSpanish in the movie consists in adding -o at the end of French words.
183	* SpeakInUnison: When Dan and Pablito recognizes "the Woman of Gold and Silver" and realizes that they are right in the middle of the prophecy, they both say the exact same thing at the same time. And promptly lampshade it, still in unison.
184	* SpeaksFluentAnimal: Pablito claims that animals love him and that he can understand them. Sure, he's good at taming them, as seen with the parrot and coati, but it doesn't always work in his favor (see: chihuahua).
185	* SpecialEffectFailure: [[invoked]] Entirely intentional with both the parrot in the "first aid" scene and the chihuahua in the "dog assault" scene being very obvious puppets. It makes the scenes twice as hilarious ([[DudeNotFunny as "hilarious" as a rape scene can be, though]]).
186	* SpontaneousChoreography: Very much spoofed [[spoiler:with the palace guards joining ex-general Pochero in an intricate Céline Dion number.]]
187	* StaticStunGun: The Corporal is very fond of tasering people with little provocation. He even tries to use a cattle prod [[spoiler:on the Marsupilami. Bad idea.]]
188	* StrangeSalute: The Palombian soldiers have a weird salute, with the thumb touching the head, the pinkie raised and the other fingers closed.
189	* SuddenMusicalEnding: The last part of the CreativeClosingCredits.
190	* SuperSerum: The triple-concentrated orchid juice is this for Hermoso. It gives him enough strength and resilience to go toe-to-toe with the Marsupilami. [[spoiler:Until he overdoses it, naturally.]]
191	* SuperStrength: Hermoso, under the effects of the SuperSerum, becomes strong enough to goes toes-to-toes with Marsu.
192	* SweetTooth: The Marsupilami can't resist cake.
193	* TagalongKid: Cassandra toward the end.
194	* {{Tattooed Crook}}s: The three gangsters Pablito owns money to have tattoos all over the faces.
195	* ThrowTheDogABone: At the end, [[spoiler:Dan Geraldo manages to have Céline Dion sending a message of thanks to General Pochero. He couldn't be happier... too bad he accidentally erases the message]].
196	* TrackingDevice: Hermoso and Pétunia manages to feed a tracker (shaped like a cherry) to the Marsupilami, in order to follow him in the jungle.
197	* TranquillizerDart:
198	** {{Exaggerated\|Trope}} with Dan, who gets ''dozens'' of blowpipe darts in the face before fainting.
199	--->'''Dan:''' [[PartingFromConsciousnessWords It stings a bit]].
200	** Later played straight with tranq darts fired by a rifle, which take out the Marsupilami (as well as a soldier by accident).
201	* TwoFaced: When the effects of the elixir of youth start to wear off, half of Hermoso's face ends up old and wrinkled while the other half is still young-looking. He is even described as "the two-faced man" in TheProphecy, and Pablito identifies him thanks to this.
202	* VocalDissonance: Bolo, a.k.a. "Little Voice", is a giant of a man with a ridiculously high-pitched voice.
203	* WellDoneSonGuy: Dan Geraldo.
204	* AYearAndADay: "The volcano El Sombrero will shoot fire, devastating the Earth for 1,000 years and 2 and a half weeks."
205	* YesNoAnswerInterpretation: Hermoso, talking to the Marsupilami, takes for a "yes" the pained squeal he emits when the Corporal nudges him with the barrel of his gun.
206	----
207	->''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FiNhEr4DfqE HOUBA HOUBA HOUBA HOUBA]]\
208	HOP!\
209	TACALI CAPELCHAN SONÉ BINA\
210	HE HOWA PAYA SONE BOBA\
211	HOOOOOOP\
212	I TALÉTI A FTA BOULI\
213	PALABA I PAYA SONÉ BOBA\
214	HOP!\
215	TACALI CAPELCHAN SONÉ BINA\
216	HE HOWA PAYA SONE BOBA\
217	HOOOOHOP\
218	I TALETI A FTA BOULI\
219	PALABA I PAYA SONE BOBA\
220	HOP!\
221	PAYA BO BATI CHAN PAYA SO NÉ XULUB BO BASTI YEL BIL TACALI\
222	PAYA BO BATI CHAN PAYA SO NÉ XULUB BO BASTI YEL BIL TACA\
223	HOOOOOOOOOOOOO''

Context Film / HoubaOnTheTrailOfTheMarsupilami