Rainbow Brite and the Star Stealer (1985) User Reviews

A Cartoon movie made in the 1980's...and a pretty good one at that.

[mage_83 · 8/10 · 23 January 2002]

Rainbow Brite and the star Stealer is not for people who were born before 1980 or after 1989. Most of those people would not appreciate the great things that are 80's cartoons. The fact that Rainbow Brite was made into a movie is a guilty pleasure for many of us who remember watching the tv show as a child. Granted, much of the dialogue is quite amusing and silly, and the plot is nonexistant to pointless, but it's a very cool movie none the less.

Rainbow Bright was and is still a favorite

[DaNay4422 · 8/10 · 21 February 2005]

I first saw this movie when I was very little. I was born in 1985, so it was around the age when 80s cartoons were big. My mother taped it one day thinking I might like it. I had never even heard of the Rainbow Bright TV show before I was introduced to the movie. When I saw it (on one of those old BETA tapes...) I loved it. I became addicted to it. There are people who say it's badly written and all that, but it's a kid's movie, and things like that don't matter much to children. I loved the story, and especially liked the songs and all the female characters. Of course I pretended to be them, and in the scene where Rainbow first met Krys and they were repulsed they had to work with the opposite sex, I could totally relate. The story was the basic good vs. evil that children enjoy, and there were enough happy moments to balance out the scary ones. The world is a fantastic place that would stimulate the imagination of any young child. I am very glad I had an opportunity to see this movie when I was little. It made a big impact, and watching it now brings back happy memories of childhood. I would recommend to any parent with young children to rent this movie. It will trigger their imagination and provide plenty of entertainment. You're only a child once, so don't let them miss out on this one!

Rainbow Brite was the grooviest

[cen19 · 8/10 · 30 November 2005]

Um, hello.. Rainbow Brite.. the name alone is hard to take it seriously, like she could be the cousin of Strawberry Shortcake.. but when you're a kid, this is definitely serious stuff.

So, there's this vile, snotty, spoiled girl and she wants Rainbow Brites belt, amongst other things, ie the light of the whole universe, and Rainbow Brite and her friend Cris are bound and determined to stop her. As I remember, Murky and Lurky had a minor role in this production. Maybe they wanted too much money?

So anyway, snotty, evil girl has a powerful jewel and she channels it's power to take Rainbow's belt.. imagine? But somehow, Rainbow gets her belt back and re-energizes it with "star sprinkles" and kicks the bad girls' butt with the help of Cris and his prism bracelet, and they also save the whole universe in the process.

So good triumphs over evil, niceness triumphs over rudeness, and Rainbow Brite and the Color Kids are once again safe to spread color and joy for all mankind.

My very first movie...

[9erGirl · 8 June 1999]

Rainbow Brite was the very first movie I ever saw at a movie theater. Though the animation may have been poor and the quality cheezy, it was enough to thoroughly encaptivate and enthrall a little 5-year old girl. To this very day, I still remember scenes and clips in my head of my favorite childhood toy coming to life on the big screen.

Must be seen to be believed! All hail Rainbow Brite!

[La Gremlin · 10/10 · 19 July 2000]

I found this movie on one of my old videos, after "Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster" (which should INSTANTLY give you an idea of it's tone) and I hadn't seen it in a while so I decided to watch it. I didn't remember much about Rainbow Brite except I used to like the cartoon and that it was cute. Most people feel that way about her. You probably do to.

Well, when the movie started, I wondered if it was the right one! It didn't fit the mold of Rainbow Brite as I remembered her. But it turns out she kicks butt! This has to be the strangest animated movie EVER! I can't believe these characters were so popular (the series isn't much different) while being so bizzare. As soon as I watched this movie again, it became one of my favorites.

I really don't want to give too much away. Just know that if you see the movie in the video store, rent it and watch it. No questions asked. You will get a kick out of it. Especially the outrageous Princess character. And the robotic horse. And the hypnotized sprites.

If you can't tell by know, this is an 80's cartoon that is really an undiscovered "head" movie in disguise! Have fun!

Favorite Movie of All Time

[babygirl-69 · 10/10 · 5 July 2006]

People talk about how horrible the script was, and how horrible the animation was, but Rainbow Brite and the Star Stealer really is a Japanese Anime aimed towards children. If you look at the anime today it's done in the same style, and it's immensely popular. I don't think this movie was ever intended to be viewed by adults. Just as I don't think it was ever intended to be serious. The very things that people seem to hate about this movie are the things that I love. Rainbow Brite is one of the best cartoon characters ever created in my opinion. She's smart. She's funny. She cares about the enviorment. She cares about her friends. This movie can teach so much to young kids. My little brothers even liked this movie. I have to say this movie taught me a lot when I was a kid. When it came out on DVD I was first in line to buy it. It's a great kids movie. So what if it's not perfect, nothing is really perfect when you look closely enough at it.

Terrible and wretched!

[Michael Kenmore · 1/10 · 9 March 2000]

I saw this movie on videotape with my younger brother a long time ago, despite the fact I was a young boy who's hearing impaired. I didn't have the closed captioning decoder at the time (it was 1986, the year of The Transformers: The Movie), but I could follow the plot and understand what's going on. It wasn't my fault I saw the animated movie intended for girls. My father rented the video to show to my other younger sister.

A decade later and I rented the video (for 50 cents) to watch again with the closed captioning turned on. My memories of this movie was utterly destroyed by none other than a WRETCHED SCRIPT. I have seen plenty of poorly written movies (like COOL AS ICE and JASON GOES TO HELL: THE FINAL FRIDAY), but I have never seen (or heard) the dialogues this bad, only inundating with enough inanity to make your head spin from laughing in hysterics and screaming from the pain of enduring the torture of sitting through this movie. Despite good plot and intriguing story concepts, the script has to be ONE OF THE WORST EVER WRITTEN FOR THE SCREEN, BAR NONE! The incompetent Howard R. Cohen should never be working as a screenwriter, professional or otherwise. I can not believe they would even allow the terrible script to produce a movie like this in the first place. Did the Japanese producers read the script, in broken English or translated before they know what they were into? Even crap like G.I. Joe The Movie and My Little Pony The Movie have redeeming values compared to this abomination.

If you're a big fan of 80s animation, or just taking a nostalgia trip, BEWARE OF RAINBOW BRITE AND THE STAR STEALER! It does not matter whether you were elated or traumatized by the sloppily animated movie with an atrociously written script, or you have not seen the movie, STAY AWAY FROM THIS MOVIE. The movie should be viewed with the precaution to learn how NOT to write a bad script!

Rainbows Forever

[RainbowBriteNet · 10/10 · 11 August 1999]

The worst movie ever?? HARDLY!!! This is one of the BEST animated movies i have ever seen! It has appearances from all the great characters from the animated tv series Rainbow Brite. Very safe for small children and the colors capture their attention like no other! There is an evil Princess trying to steal the diamond planet Spectra, which would in turn cause all life on Earth to cease. This tells the tale of how Rainbow Brite and her new friend Krys are able to stop the Princess' evil plot and restore life and color back to Earth. It's proof that kids can make a difference! Rainbow Brite will live on forever.

Brite Light.

[morrison-dylan-fan · 5/10 · 25 November 2013]

Searching round for an animation DVD to pick up for a friend as a Christmas gift,I was surprised to stumble across a Rainbow Brite boxset,which along with containing the entire series,also featured a spin-off movie.With having some memories of the show,and also having never heard about the movie version before,I felt that it would be a good time to find out how "brite" this rainbow really is.

The plot:

Visiting earth from Rainbow Land,so that she can officially bring the long Winter season to an end,Rainbow Brite is horrified to discover that someone has stopped sunlight from reaching earth,by covering up a near by diamond planet called Spectra.Fearing that all life will soon die out on earth,Brite rushes to the planet Spectra,where she soon finds out,that diamonds really aren't forever.

View on the film:

Despite the supporting character's having ear gratingly high-pitched voices,the lead voice cast thankfully contrast this,by each giving terrific performances,with Peter Cullen, (aka:Optimus Prime!) stealing every scene as the boo-hiss baddie Murky Dismal,and Bettina Bush giving a graceful performance as Rainbow Brite.

Shooting the film in a "key" animation style, (where the bare minimum of a character's movement is used) director's Bernard Deyries and Kimio Yabuki cover the movie's clear low budget (the movie held the record for being the quickest animated film production:3 months) by splashing primary colour's across the screen,which with showing the dark shadow chocking out the light from the planet Spectra,also gives this delightfully brite rainbow a shining appearance.

Fond memories

[acbl17 · 10/10 · 24 August 2000]

All right guys, here's the deal with this movie. it's not the best but for all of you 80s kids out there it'll bring back fond memories of your childhood. Personally, i love this movie. i still love rainbow brite and the care bears. so, in my opinion, if you aren't a kid now or were a kid that loved and/or loves rainbow brite you won't like this movie at all.

::sticks her tongue out::

[therapite · 15 April 2003]

I don't care what people say. This movie is SO entertaining. I got the movie when I was 6, and I watched it for about the 50th time last week. I'm 21 now, and I still find this Really entertaining. Just because it was meant for kids does not in any way mean that it is only able to be loved by kids. Yes, the plot is rather... plebian, in most aspects, but it is endearing and has a very compelling quality to it. I still have my toys, and I want the belt she wore. I am also looking for the first movie, and don't know the title. If anyone knows, get in touch with me...

Very well done movie!

[ocean2c · 10/10 · 10 October 1999]

This movie is awesome due to the fact that it showed how good cartoons really looked in the 80s,the animators were not lazy like they are today,the cartoon had so much detail with very little resources they have with them compared with what we have today.If more people would request these cartoons to be rebroadcast then maybe all of the other 80s cartoons would be shown on television once again,therefore to finish my sentence i would just like to say that this was a cartoon that i grew up with and really would like it to be on tv once again.

a great movie for the kids to watch

[lovelynd · 10/10 · 4 June 2002]

when i was a child this was the movie i watched. i think it is a great movie for the kids to watch and parents don't have to be afraid of any violence or obscene images. rainbow brite is a cheerful young girl and she is trying to make the winter go away. she finds that something or someone is trying to steal the source of life and keep it for themselves. i love this movie and i think that even adults can enjoy this movie.

Not just for kids...

[Relli · 9/10 · 10 May 1999]

I must admit that I am a fan of cheesy '80's cartoons, but this is among the best. Rainbow Brite and the Star Stealer is one of the most watchable and entertaining of the Rainbow Brite cartoons, and is much better than the TV series. I especially like the relationship between Rainbow and Darian and find it very amusing. My favorite character, though, is Starlite who is definitely the most "magnificent horse in the universe"!

I also recommend Rainbow Brite: New Beginnings, which tells the story of how Rainbowland came to be. Have a Rainbow-Day!

Loved It

[charies · 10/10 · 10 April 2006]

I adored this, but I am an 80's kid. I loved Rainbow Bright my whole childhood. I don't know if little ones these days would be very interested in the show, mine wasn't. (But thats okay, I bought it for me anyway. I just brought the little one so the guy at the checkout stand wouldn't look at me funny.)I love the non violent drama, and the colorful scenery. It just reminds me of a simpler time before cartoons had more violence than our local news can legally show. :) Although I may be just a little biased on the subject. Afterall I was Rainbow Bright 6 years in a row for Halloween........I wonder if they make a Rainbow Bright costume for adults. Lol.

This film has one of the BEST villains of all TIME!

[bbs404 · 9/10 · 7 January 2001]

One of my favorite villains, the Evil Princess is just the perfect villain for this movie. Full of space travel, horses, diamonds, mystical characters, colorful backgrounds, evil characters, etc etc. Very bright, full of action, you will not get bored. Great movie!

The Best Cartoon of The 80's

[smeagle_83 · 12 October 2001]

If you were born in the late 70's or early 80's then Rainbow Brite was the cartoon to watch. From the colors to the music, this movie brings back my childhood. This is a great cartoon with good morals and a good ending. Rainbow Brite has to save the world from an evil Princess who thinks that she can have anything she wants. Who else but Rainbow Brite, with the help of her new friends Khris, can bring sunlight and rainbows back into the world. This is an essential cartoon to watch!

I love this movie!

[acbl17 · 10/10 · 26 September 2000]

Here's what you have to remember about this movie.... IT'S A KIDS MOVIE!!!!! I don't know about the rest of you but I'm an 80s child. I was obsessed with Rainbow Brite. So, naturally I love this movie. But if you watch the other Rainbow Brite movies this one is by far the best. But, like I said, it's a kids movie. You have to judge it as a kids movie. It doesn't matter to kids if the acting, animation or script is fantastic or even good. All they care about is what happens to the characters. If the good guy (or girl) wins then it's a great movie. If not, then it's bad. You all know what I mean. You were all kids once.

Great movie! See it!

[scooter_berg · 10/10 · 4 July 2001]

wow! this was a great movie! i just got it from the u.s. and it was worth all the money i gave for it! this movie is one of the best movies for children i have ever seen, maybe the best!!! all you who like rainbow brite, must see this 1 ! the first 7 minutes, you can not believe what you see! it's so great!!!

scooter.

An excellent masterpiece

[Catherine_Grace_Zeh · 9/10 · 17 August 2006]

RAINBOW BRITE AND THE STAR STEALER, in my opinion, is an excellent masterpiece. I felt all warm and tingly when Rainbow Brite (voice of Bettina) and Krys (voice of David Mendenhall) set out to get revenge on the princess (voice of Rhonad Aldrich). If you ask me, the princess was absolutely bitchy and diabolical. To me, she deserved to have Rainbow Brite and Krys seek revenge on him. However, I liked her castle as well as the rest of the setting. In addition, I thought that Lurky (voiec of Pat Fraley) and Murky (voiec of Peter Cullen) were diabolical. Before I wrap this up, I'd like to say that everyone was perfectly cast, the direction was flawless, and Disney has scored a big hit. In conclusion, I highly recommend this excellent masterpiece to everyone who hasn't seen it, especially die-hard fans of the TV series. I guarantee you you'll enjoy it.

Nostalgia about a butt-kicking little girl

[ariannastarr · 20 March 2004]

This was one of the first movies I ever got to see in theaters, and for nothing else it's a nostalgia trip. I must have watched it a lot as a kid cause I remember it pretty clearly, without having seen it recently.

The script was a cheese factory, and the characters are pretty silly, but it was never meant for adults. I personally as an adult found the princess to be entertaining, but mostly I credit this movie, and the series from which it was made as being very positive for young girls. Rainbow Bright, while being a bit silly, was a strong female presence in network after network of male oriented cartoons intended for the same audience.

What ever sillyness and unrealness came from the movie are secondary to me. It's a nostalgia trip, and a good memory to boot. Show this movie to your young female children. The boys won't like it, but I think that most young girls will still see what I saw in it almost twenty years ago.

Great childhood memories

[Stars-9 · 10/10 · 25 April 2001]

I watched this movie as a child and still enjoy viewing it every once in a while for the nostalgia factor. When I was younger I loved the movie because of the entertaining storyline and interesting characters. Today, I still love the characters. Additionally, I think of the plot with higher regard because I now see the morals and symbolism. Rainbow Brite is far from the worst film ever, and though out-dated, I'm sure I will show it to my children in the future, when I have children.

Heart of the 80's Children's film, marketing hell.

[redpoppy · 10/10 · 8 February 2001]

This was the very first movie I ever saw in the theatre by myself. I was 7 years old, and to this day it is one of my favorite movies. It's pure smarmy cheese. The cartoon was marketed towards young girls, selling dolls with soft bodies and big plastic heads, one for every colour of the rainbow, with their own special animals, 'sprites' and even a talking rainbow horse. Typical of the time period, each show was about how hope, togetherness and magic can make 'everything all better'.

The movie concerns the coming of spring, when all the light and colour returns to the world, but this time it just isn't happening for our lovely hero. A spoiled Princess plots to overtake the soul lightgiver (and implied life giver)of the universe, which happens to be a giant diamond, for her own devious purposes, with no regard for reality, and now Rainbow and her newly found friends Orin, Onyx and Chris must save the universe. As I said before, it's cheesy, but it's cute, and it's exactly like all of the other cartoons from that time period, like the CareBear movies, Strawberry Shortcake, Rose Petal and the Smurfs. All movies created to sell dolls to kids. And it works. :)

Love this movie and battles are so much fun to watch

[alakazella · 10/10 · 16 November 2022]

This is a movie I remember watching as a young boy. Still to this day love it just as much. You have your hero Rainbow Brite and Starlite. The movie brings in a lot of Characters. When you think about it Rainbow is in change of a lot of people lives. She is in charge of Rainbow land. Bring spring to the earth every season. Dealing with Stormy and Skydancer who bring winter. Then a robot hose named On-X, sent by Orin. Comes to find Rainbow to ask for her help. The movie almost has some Star Wars feel or ideas going on.

Darth Vader this movie has the Dark Princess. Light sabers vs Rainbow Brite belt and Kris's Prism. Not saying this is a Star Wars remake. Its a fun movie with lots of color and rainbows. Rainbow Brite putting her life on the line to not only save Rainbow Land but the universe. Some funny moments. The Dark Princess so evil and even has a pet Jem she pets and talks to. Love the last battle with Rainbow Brite and Krys vs the Dark Princess. A kind of dark ending for a kids movie but a good one.

Siskel and Ebert trashed this film...

[Blueghost · 24 January 2005]

...and trampled many a little girl's heart in doing so (assuming little girls were watching Siskel and Ebert when the film hit the theatres).

I had vague recollections of Rainbow Brite. Most of them were of a corporate marketing creation, designed to garnish money through the promotion of toys, books, cards, a TV series, and, ultimately, a feature film.

No, I did not see this in the theater, but I remember catching portions of it on cable a year or so later. I finally sat down to see why people (mostly parents) were giving Rainbow's motion picture debut a unanimous thumbs down. Fast forward twenty-years, and a DVD of that same film comes out. And after a viewing I have some observations.

The bare bones of a good story are there, but the execution is horrid. The character design is standard stuff for offshore animation-big heads and over-sized eyes to accentuate "cuteness," but done with a western bent, presumably to make the character appeal to a North American and European audience (though I don't know if Rainbow ever emigrated across the Atlantic). But the actual animation, the movement and presentation of the story, is the absolute worst I've ever seen for an animated feature film.

All the cutesy girlish overtones, inflections, vocals and themes aside, none of which bothered this viewer (however uninteresting I found them), the actual technical aspects of the film, the staccato motions, poorly drawn perspectives, inclusion of off-shore animation gags and other techniques, really make watching this film an ordeal. The basic story is fine, but the presentation is the absolute worst I've ever come across for a major animated film.

To myself it's excessively clear that Halmark, and any companies holding hands with them, were out to mimic the Japanese media-toy marketing model. A model that they had fine tuned years before it was ever introduced into the United States, and ultimately, and deservedly, failed in the long run.

Which is a real shame, because the character of Rainbow Brite is actually a very responsible, albeit naive (as children are apt to be), caring and ingenious little girl. She's a heartfelt character created for the sole desire to snatch a percentage of parents' pay-cheques, and the film's technical quality demonstrates that all too clearly.

The film relies almost solely on what are called "key" animation frames, with practically no (or very few) "inbetweens"-the drawings created between the key segments to smooth out and sell the character's motion to the audience. In short, it ain't Disney.

And this is a real shame, because there's room for improvement. To mothers and grandmothers across the land who remember Rainbow Bright, do yourselves a favor and watch Rainbow Brite, then watch a Disney feature of your choice. Then decide which one you prefer. And from that choice, decide which is best for your daughter.

In the meantime, I'll go alone with Siskel and Ebert, and give this thing the obligatory thumbs down.

*EDIT* Rescreen June 12th, 2013 Well, I got a pirated copy (which I did not know was going to be a pirate) in the mail, and all I can say is I now see why I donated my original DVD. A kids' film yes. A good one? No.