The New Adventures of Pippi Longstocking (1988)

Director:

Ken Annakin

Writers:

Astrid Lindgren (books)
Ken Annakin (writer)

Release Date:

29 July 1988 (USA)

Genre:

Family | Adventure | Fantasy | Musical

Plot:

After her father's ship is carried off by a sudden storm, the spunky Pippi Longstocking is stranded with her horse...

Plot Keywords:

Pippi | Children | Magic | Based On Book | Kids And Family

Awards:

2 nominations

Cast

Tami Erin	...	Pippi Longstocking
David Seaman	...	Tommy Settigren (as David Seaman Jr.)
Cory Crow	...	Annika Settigren
Eileen Brennan	...	Miss Bannister
Dennis Dugan	...	Mr. Settigren
Dianne Hull	...	Mrs. Settigren
George DiCenzo	...	Mr. Blackhart
J.D. Dickinson	...	Rype
Chub Bailly	...	Rancid
Dick Van Patten	...	Greg The Glue Man
John Schuck	...	Capt. Efraim Longstocking
Branscombe Richmond	...	Fridolf
Evan Adam	...	Freckle-faced boy
Fay Masterson	...	Head girl
Romy Mehlman	...	Lisa

Also Known As:

Pippi Långstrump - starkast i världen (Sweden)

Runtime:

USA:100 min

Country:

Sweden | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Australia:G | Finland:S | Sweden:Btl | USA:G | USA:TV-G | Argentina:Atp

Filming Locations:

Amelia Island, Florida, USA

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

A natural redhead, Tami Erin's hair was dyed a "more red" shade for the film.

Goofs:

Continuity: Pippi walks down the wall out of the orphanage, and must jump out of her shoes. It doesn't show her putting her shoes back on, but she is seen with her shoes on in the next scene, throwing the message in a bottle into the sea. In the following scene, when the orphanage is on fire, she suddenly has no shoes on and must put them on to climb again . . .

Quotes:

Mr. Blackhart: I-I’m wondering if you’ll be interested in selling this house
Pippilotta Longstockings: My Home? Sell it! Hahaha, how can you sell a home? You can’t wrap it up, you can’t carry it away and you certainly can’t fit it in your car.

Movie Connections:

Version of "Pippi Långstrump" (1969)

Soundtrack:

Pippi Longstocking (Is Coming Into Your Town)

Strictly for the kiddies

I remember enjoying the Pipi Longstocking books in elementary school, and my 4-year-old loves this movie. As an adult, however, I find it painful to watch. It isn't that the movie is bad, at least not in the same sense that schlocky sci fi and horror movies are bad. The children do acceptable acting jobs, although the adult actors are lackluster. The sets, costumes, and special effects are adequate. The music is bouncy. There are lots of fun Pipi stunts and much childhood wish fulfillment. All good, clean fun. Somehow, though, the film is less than the sum of its parts.

I think it must be the plotting and pacing. The super-competent Pipi so outmatches her opponents -- a villainous real estate agent and an uncompassionate human services worker -- that you never feel any suspense or concern for her safety. In fact, Pipi comes across as such a smart-mouthed brat that I began to sympathize with her playmates' whiny father. The story itself meanders from incident to unrelated incident until the movie positively drags.

So, this is a movie that it is safe to let your kids watch unsupervised. That's a good thing, because you won't want to sit through it yourself, at least not more than once.