Venetian Rascal Goes to America

Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know.

Venetian Rascal Goes to America is a 2002 Italian animated movie about Exactly What It Says on the Tin: a Lovable Rogue who must flee from Venice ends up on America at the time of The Conquest. Hilarity (and danger) ensues.

Done in the style of a Disney Film (from the animation to musical numbers) despite covering some pretty serious subjects, such as slavery.

Johan is a young rogue who is told by a Gypsy seer that he is the "Son of the Moon". She teaches him that when clouds surround the Moon, it is an omen of danger. When she gets arrested for "witchcraft" Johan flees to Spain and ends up on a ship bound for the New World by accident.

On the boat, he befriends a huge Spaniard nicknamed 'Triple Fat'. Both are washed away by a storm to Florida, where they are captured by a tribe of Native Americans.

Luckily for them, this tribe has never seen a White Man before, much less have any idea of the pillaging and enslavement heading their way. When Johan saves the Chief's life (using the Seer's advice) they make him their shaman. But when the conquistadors arrive, he must decide whose side to take.

This film has been translated into both English and Spanish.

Tropes used in Venetian Rascal Goes to America include:
  • Badass Bookworm: Sort of. Johan is no sage, but has useful skills such as how to heal horses. He also becomes quite clever by the end.
  • Chekhov's Gun: The tip about the Moon.
  • Chew Toy: Johan
  • The Chief's Daughter
  • Disneyesque
  • Distant Finale: We see Johan and Triple Fat in their old age. They stayed with the tribe.
  • Fat and Proud: Triple Fat.
  • Fridge Logic: Several bad things happen offstage: the Seer is arrested for witchcraft, several indians are sold as slaves etc. We never hear of them again.
    • The natives were implied to be cannibals...
  • Historical Fiction: Set in the early 1500's. Columbus isn't even well known for discovering The Americas yet.
  • Historical Villain Upgrade: The leader of the invaders seems to have been Juan Ponce De Leon. De Leon was a piece of work to be sure, but he wasn't crazy as he seened to be here.
    • The Queen of Spain seemed even crazier.
  • Low Fantasy: The only magic act is the weather prediction, and that's assuming it wasn't just dumb luck.
  • Magical Native American: Inverted.
  • Mighty Whitey- Played with. Johan at first seems a subversion, being weak and dueless. But he ends up as the shaman and saves the tribe in the end.
    • At least the natives are not shown to be dumb just for being primitive (they even lampshade it.)
  • Never Say "Die": totally averted.
  • Robinsonade
  • Roma: a sexy seer who is there to give advice, dance and then get arrested.
  • Sidekick: Triple Fat, to Johan.
  • Witch Hunt
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