3 Little Kungpoo Goats
| 3 Little Kungpoo Goats | |
|---|---|
| Directed by |
|
| Written by |
|
| Based on | Shangoul and Mangoul |
| Produced by | Darioush Dalvand |
| Starring |
|
| Music by | Mark Willott |
| Animation by | Reza Moazami Farahani |
Production company | Aria Animation Studio |
| Distributed by | Phoenix Animation Studio |
Release dates | |
Running time | 89 minutes |
| Countries |
|
| Language | English |
| Box office | $365,087 |
3 Little Kungpoo Goats, also known as The Gools, Shangol and Mongol, Kung Fu Gools, and Keçigiller, is a 2022 adventure animation martial arts film directed by Farzad and Kianoush Dalvand and written by Darioush Dalvand, Bahram Heidari and Eliza Ip. It features the voices of Jon Allen, Caroline Amiguet, Mark Atkinson and Brian Patrick Butler.
The film screened at Red Sea International Film Festival and the 54th International Film Festival of India, had limited theatrical releases in Russia and Turkey, and won Best Director in the animation category at International Film Festival for Children and Youth. It has grossed $365,087 worldwide.
Plot
Three young goats go on an adventure to prevent a truce from being broken.
Cast
- Jon Allen as Don Lupo
- Caroline Amiguet as Big Hungry One
- Zack Andrews as Shakhtala
- Mark Atkinson as Hyena
- Brian Patrick Butler as One Leg
- Robert Clark as One Horn
- Jacob Farry as Albino
- Krista Feallock as Shangool
- Mark Christopher Lawrence as Hyena
- Tiffany Loui as Bunny Mom
- Kaitlyn McCormick as Bunny Bob
- M. Keala Milles Jr. as Helper
- Connie Terwilliger as Nazboozi
- Melissa Tozeski as Mangool
Production
Production began in 2015.[2] The film features martial arts as a key component to the story and is based on a legend that inspired Shangoul and Mangoul[3] and The Wolf and the Seven Young Goats.[4]
The film was translated in five languages[5] with Kaitlyn McCormick, Brian Patrick Butler, Caroline Amiguet, and Mark Atkinson as part of the English-language cast,[3] and Hootan Shakiba, Hamed Ahangi, Hooman Haji Abdollahi, Behnoush Bakhtiari, and Hadi Kazemi included for the Persian-language cast.[6] Kianoush Dalvand said the script was originally a very serious story with a different title, and required a rewrite to appeal to children under the age of 12.[5]
Release
The film was expected to release in 2021 under the title The Gools in the United States and Kung Fu Gools in China.[7][8] It was included the film lineup as The Gools at 2022 Marché du Film[9] through Iuvit Media Sales[10] and again in 2025 as 3 Little Kungpoo Goats through Galloping Entertainment.[11]
It premiered as The Gools on September 10, 2022 at World Festival of Animated Film in Varna, Bulgaria[12] and had a limited theatrical release in Russia on April 13, 2023.[13] Later in 2023, the film premiered in Asia under the title Three Little Kungpoo Goats at the 54th International Film Festival of India,[14] followed by Red Sea International Film Festival[15][16] and 14th Cairo International Animation Forum. It was distributed by Phoenix Animation Studio.[17] Other festivals include the Warsaw Film Festival and Sundance Children's Film Festival.[6] On May 24, 2024, the film had a limited theatrical release as Keçigiller in Turkey. As of October 2024, the film grossed $365,087 worldwide.[13]
The film had a theatrical release in Iran on November 20, 2024.[18]
Reception
Critical response
On episode 30 of Haft, animator Bahram Azimi said that the "execution of this animation was very good; to the point that I couldn't believe that its creators didn't have help from outside" and agreed with the filmmakers that it was given an unfair number of screenings for its theatrical release. Ravanbakhsh Sadeghi praised the direction by saying "one of the main advantages is that the Dalvand brothers have followed an international model."[5]
Hossein Abdollahi Kermani at iNAGHD called the film a weak, blind imitation that lacked cultural elements.[19]
Accolades
| Event | Year | Award | Recipient(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Golden FEMI Film Festival | 2024 | Best 3D Animation Film | 3 Little Kungpoo Goats | Won | [20] |
| International Film Festival for Children and Youth | Best Director -Animation | Farzad Dalvand, Kianoush Dalvand | Won | [21][22] |
References
- ^ "The Gools (2022)". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on 2022-12-05. Retrieved 2022-12-05.
- ^ "Iranian animation "The Gools" shines at the Berlin Film Market". CinemaPress (in Persian). 2018-02-18. Retrieved 2025-03-02.
- ^ a b Dudok de Wit, Alex (2021-01-05). "Iranian Martial Arts Feature 'The Gools' Is Reportedly Coming To U.S. And China". Cartoon Brew. Retrieved 2022-03-21.
- ^ "36th Isfahan International Children and Youth Film Festival". Film-Magazine (in Persian). Retrieved 2025-03-02.
- ^ a b c "Animation director complains about unfair screening: This government support crushes private sector screening". Khabar Online News Agency (in Persian). 2024-12-10. Archived from the original on 2024-12-12. Retrieved 2025-03-02.
- ^ a b Zangineh, Neda (2024-10-08). "The voice actors of "Shangol Mongol" were introduced". Mehr News Agency (in Persian). Retrieved 2025-04-21.
- ^ "Iranian animation "Kung Fu Gools" to go on screen in China this summer". Tehran Times. 2021-01-04. Retrieved 2022-03-21.
- ^ "Iranian-Chinese animation 'The Gools' to go on screen in China". iFilm. 2021-01-04. Retrieved 2022-04-20.
- ^ "SCI-FI Feature Space Racer launching NFT in Cannes". The Film Festivals portal. 2022-05-18. Archived from the original on 2022-06-17. Retrieved 2022-06-17.
- ^ "THE GOOLS". The Film Catalogue. Archived from the original on 2022-05-18. Retrieved 2022-06-17.
- ^ "LINE UP: Marche du Film (Cannes, 13-21 May), Riviera, stand #F12". GALLOPING ENTERTAINMENT. 2019-04-02. Retrieved 2025-03-21.
- ^ "Category: Feature Films - World Festival of Animated Film Varna". 2022-08-21. Retrieved 2022-12-05.
- ^ a b "The Gools (功夫山羊) (2023) - Financial Information". The Numbers. Retrieved 2023-04-10.
- ^ "Iranian directors represent six countries at International Film Festival of India". Tehran Times. 2023-11-17. Retrieved 2023-11-18.
- ^ "THREE LITTLE KUNGPOO GOATS – Red Sea Film". Red Sea International Film Festival. Retrieved 2023-11-22.
- ^ Goodfellow, Melanie (2023-11-22). "Hillary & Chelsea Clinton EP'd Irish Oscar Entry 'In The Shadow Of Beirut' & 'Sirocco And The Kingdom Of Air Streams' Head To Saudi Red Sea Film Fest". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 2023-12-04.
- ^ "3 LITTLE KUNGPOO GOATS". International Film Festival of India. Archived from the original on 2024-01-05. Retrieved 2024-01-05.
- ^ ""Shangol and Mongol" will be released on November 20th". Iranian Students' News Agency (in Persian). 2024-11-17. Retrieved 2025-04-21.
- ^ Kermani, Hossein Abdollahi (2024-12-13). "Review of the animation The Gools: A blind imitation". iNAGHD (in Persian). Retrieved 2025-03-02.
- ^ "Award Winners Golden FEMI Film Festival". MJE3. 2024-06-20. Archived from the original on 2024-08-10. Retrieved 2024-08-10.
- ^ "Isfahan children's film festival announces winners". Tehran Times. 2024-10-11. Retrieved 2024-10-14.
- ^ Saeedi, Alireza (2024-10-11). "Isfahan Children and Youth Film Festival recognizes its winners". Mehr News Agency (in Persian). Retrieved 2025-04-21.