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The Casagrandes Movie

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The Casagrandes Movie
Directed byMiguel Puga
Screenplay by
Story by
  • Lalo Alcaraz
  • Rosemary Contreras
  • Tony Gama-Lobo
  • Rebecca May
Based onThe characters
by Chris Savino
Starring
Edited byJhoanne Reyes
Music byMarcelo Treviño
Production
company
Distributed byNetflix
Release date
  • March 22, 2024 (2024-03-22)
Running time
81 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

The Casagrandes Movie is a 2024 American animated dark fantasy comedy film based on the Nickelodeon television series The Casagrandes, serving as its series finale. The film was directed by series co-developer Miguel Puga and stars the show's regular voice cast with the addition of Paulina Chávez, Angélica Aragón, Kate del Castillo, Cristo Fernández, and Sergio Aragonés. The story follows newly minted twelve-year-old Ronnie Anne and her family as they go on a trip to Mexico and face off against an ancient preteen demigoddess. It is the second animated film in The Loud House franchise following The Loud House Movie (2021), and the fourth overall.

The film was produced by Nickelodeon Movies, with the animation provided by Mighty Studios. It was released on Netflix on March 22, 2024, to mixed reviews from critics.

The soundtrack titled "Songs from and Inspired by the Original Motion Picture" is available on platforms featuring Nikki Clan, Pato Machete, La Coreañera, Malibu Kings, and more.

Plot

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City girl Ronalda "Ronnie" Anne Santiago intends to celebrate her "Summer of 12" at Xtreme Eddie's with her best friend, Sidney "Sid" Chang, but her family surprises her with a trip to Japunda, Mexico, much to her dismay. However, during the trip, Ronnie Anne takes interest to a necklace that a shopkeeper claims to hold the last connection between humans and gods, but her mother, Maria, dismisses it as a hoax. Despite this, Ronnie Anne buys the necklace behind her mother's back.

The family head to their Mama Lupe's house, where Ronnie Anne points out a nearby mountain that resembles a half-pipe. Her uncle, Carlos, tells her that the mountain is named after the petrified form of the demigoddess Punguari whose parents denied her from becoming a full-fledged god due to her rebellious nature and lack of responsibility. Dissatisfied, Punguari snuck out and stole a mask that allowed her to become a god. However, the ground around her started to crack and separate, and Sisiki, her mother, was forced to petrify her daughter. Should Punguari be freed now, Mexico would be in danger.

The next day, Ronnie Anne decides to go to Mount Punguari, where she starts to synchronize skate with Sid over video call. However, Ronnie Anne falls off her skateboard, breaking her necklace and releasing Punguari. Soon, a young girl who introduces herself as Shara calls for help, her leg having been trapped underneath a branch following an earthquake. Accompanied by Shara, Ronnie Anne is confronted by her mother, who is angry that she snuck out to do her own thing. Later that evening, Maria expresses her frustration about Ronnie Anne's rebellious nature, prompting Mama Lupe to take her outside to practice her chancla throwing.

Shara and Ronnie Anne sneak away to a museum, where Ronnie Anne uncovers the gateway to the realm holding the mask. Suddenly, Shara betrays Ronnie Anne and takes the mask, before revealing that she is in fact Punguari all along, leaving a regretful Ronnie Anne trapped within the realm. However, her grandfather, Hector, ends up finding and contacting her through a magical mirror. Ronnie Anne explains her plight to her family, who sneak into the museum at night to save her. Ronnie Anne realizes that the story of Punguari was wrong; as Punguari wielded the mask, the cracks forming within the ground was allowing another deity—Ucumu: God of the Underworld—to rise up from the ground.

Punguari harnesses the mask's power to make her a god once again, draining the sea and creating a temple in its wake. However, just like long ago, the earth starts to crack once more. Ronnie Anne decides to go to Punguari's temple herself, where she confronts Punguari and tells her the true story: Her parents petrified her to protect her from Ucumu. They notice that Maria, who tried to get to the temple, is about to slip into the newly formed cracks. Punguari shapeshifts into a coyote and runs toward Maria, who uses her itinerary to swing herself to safety. The family and Punguari regroup as Ucumu rises from the cracks.

Ronnie Anne rides off with Punguari into battle while Maria orders the family dog, Lalo, to dig for a giant chancla and Bobby, Ronnie Anne's older brother, grabs the sacred flame housed beneath Mama Lupe's house. Bobby's group returns to the mainland as Ucumu summons a group of minions to attack. Lupe's housekeeper, Don Tacho, crashes the plane he was piloting into the minions, taking them out, and each Casagrande utilizes their strengths to fight them off. Punguari is eventually knocked out by Ucumu, who proceeds to drag her into a skull on his mask.

Aided by a group of Chancla Warriors, Maria is able to lift the giant chancla long enough for her sister-in-law, Frida, to knock a paper cutout of Ronnie Anne's father, Arturo, which is engulfed in the sacred flame, into the chancla, which strikes Ucumu enough to reduce him to a skeleton. Ronnie Anne fires at Ucumu, destroying him and petrifying all of his minions. Punguari seals the cracks using the temple she built, preventing Ucumu's return and reunites with her parents Sisiki and Chipiri, who had been turned into gemstones. Sisiki and Maria reconcile with their respective daughters and put aside their differences.

Chipiri restores the mainland back to its former glory and the Festival of the New Fire is now being held at Mama Lupe's island. Maria presents her daughter with another gemstone as Punguari, Sisiki, and Chipiri watch the celebrations from afar.

Voice cast

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Main article: List of characters in The Loud House franchise

Production

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A film based on the animated television series, The Casagrandes, was first announced by Nickelodeon via a press release in April 2023.[1] The Casagrandes Movie's voice cast is led by series regulars Izabella Alvarez, Sumalee Montano, Sonia Manzano, and Angélica Aragón, with other leading cast including Paulina Chávez, Kate del Castillo, and Cristo Fernández.[2] The film was directed by The Casagrandes co-developer and The Loud House veteran Miguel Puga, and written by Tony Gama-Lobo, Rebecca May, Lalo Alcaraz, and Rosemary Contreras.[2] The film is produced by Nickelodeon Animation Studio, and Micheal Rubiner -- who co-developed and served as an executive producer on the series -- also executive produced the film.[2]

Release

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The Casagrandes Movie was released by Netflix on March 22, 2024.[3][4]

Reception

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The film has received mixed reviews from critics. Jennifer Green of Common Sense Media gave the film a 3 out of 5 star rating. She commended the film for its representation and characters and said, "If parents can sit through the cartoon violence, they might enjoy some of these messages and the sillier asides as well."[5] Rosa Parra of The Latino Slant similarly gave the film a 3 out of 5 rating. She praised the film for its animation, representation, and themes of family, but criticized the story for its formulaic nature. She wrote, "Overall, The Casagrandes Movie is a beautifully animated kids movie. It’s a fun adventure about family, community, ancestry, and rebellious youth."[6]

References

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  1. ^ "Nickelodeon Announces 'The Casagrandes Movie'". NickALive!. April 4, 2023. Retrieved November 21, 2023.
  2. ^ a b c Milligan, Mercedes (February 23, 2024). "'The Casagrandes Movie' Gets Rolling to Netflix with New Trailer". Animation Magazine. Retrieved June 24, 2024.
  3. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (February 1, 2024). "Netflix 2024 Movie Slate: Titles From Jamie Foxx, Cameron Diaz, Jennifer Lopez, Jerry Seinfeld & Woody Woodpecker; 'Beverly Hills Cop 4' Sets Release Date". Deadline. Retrieved February 3, 2024.
  4. ^ Gajewski, Ryan (February 1, 2024). "Netflix Reveals Jerry Seinfeld's 'Unfrosted' Footage, Mark Wahlberg-Halle Berry Spy Movie First Look". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved February 3, 2024.
  5. ^ Green, Jennifer. "The Casagrandes Movie". Common Sense Media. Retrieved June 25, 2024.
  6. ^ Parr, Rosa. "Formulaic yet well executed,"The Casagrandes Movie," Movie Review". The Latino Slant. Retrieved June 25, 2024.
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