March 17, 2025
The Princess and the Goblin
The Princess and the Goblin (1991) is my forever favorite animated film from childhood. In all honesty, I always thought this would be a movie I’d gatekeep ‘til the day I die. I should’ve known I wouldn’t hold true to that, considering I never shut up about the film and that I own a back-up VHS for my original VHS copy of this movie … if that says anything. It has a pretty princess named Irene (Sally Ann Marsh), her love interest Curdie (Peter Murray) — who’s the son of a miner — a literal scaredy cat named Turnip, and goblins who wish to kill the “sun-people” (humans). What more could one ask for?
Right off the bat, the movie starts with Princess Irene getting lost in the woods with Turnip as monstrous animals (goblin pets) begin to come out to get them. They hear a song that makes the animals cringe before running away. As the two stop and listen, they find the singing is coming from the young boy who introduces himself as Curdie. He tells them that music is one of the only ways to scare off the goblins and their pets. We find out through Curdie that everyone knows about the goblins except for, of course, the king and his family, which leads to Irene confessing she’s a princess, shocking Curdie.
The next day, Princess Irene finds the spirit of her great-great-grandmother Irene (Claire Bloom) in an old, untouched, room in the castle. She warns Princess Irene that she will soon be in danger. To help, the grandmother gives Irene a magic string to guide her way and rescue Curdie and the kingdom from the goblins who wish to drown the humans and take over.
Other than my general love for the story itself, I also have to mention the beautiful artwork throughout the entire film by Siriol Animation, now known as Calon. Granted, its art style probably reflected the time, but it gave the film such a dreamlike state that just makes one want to live in it. The contrast of vibrant and pastel colors and the detail in each magical thread and flower were all magnificent. The Princess and the Goblin was exactly what you’d hope for watching a fantasy storybook come to life on screen, and four-year-old me couldn’t ask for anything more.
Available on Youtube.