The Secret of the Magic Gourd (2007)

About The Secret of the Magic Gourd

"The Secret of the Magic Gourd" is a 2007 live-action movie by Hong Kong–American studio Centro Digital Pictures and American giant, Walt Disney Pictures. The movie revolves around a boy who discovers a sentient, magical gourd that grants him anything he requests.

The story focuses on a boy named Wang Bao who, while fishing in the river, encounters a magical talking gourd, which can grant him anything he wishes. As Wang becomes reliant on the magic gourd's abilities, he becomes increasingly lazy and entitled. However, he soon realizes that the easy path isn’t always the best, as his wishes cause numerous problems that he must fix. The plot of the movie centers around the life lessons Wang learns from his fantastical experiences.

Making / Production

The movie is a co-production between Hong Kong and America, marking one of Walt Disney Pictures' efforts to create local-language productions for markets in Asia. The film is based on a popular children's novel penned by Zhang Tianyi.

Actors

• Qilong Zhu - delivered a fantastic performance as Wang Bao, effectively depicting the transformation of the character throughout the movie.
• Peisi Chen - lent his voice to the Magic Gourd with his charming voice and charismatic articulation making the character lovable and a memorable figure.
• Aaron Michael Drozin - provided the English dub for Wang Bao with just as much expressive acting as Zhu’s original performance.

Trivia / Interesting Facts

• The movie is Walt Disney's first-ever full-length live-action Mandarin film.
• The film has beautifully combined animation and real-life cinematography.
• Despite outperforming several Western Hollywood films in Hong Kong, it did not enjoy the same success in mainland China.

Quotes

• "My heart tells me to do my best and try not to rely on you for everything." - Wang Bao
• "Isn't it nice to have a friend who can do anything?" - The Magic Gourd

Music, Soundtrack

• "Magic Gourd Theme Song" - The opening song, setting the light-hearted and magical tone for the movie.
• "Wang Bao's Adventures" - A musical score that captures the exciting and thrilling journey of Wang Bao and the Magic Gourd.

Please note that the movie did not win any notable awards during its year of release.