Plop and the Gnome Treasure (1999)

Directed by: Bart van Leemputten | 73 minutes (theatrical version 2008), 94 minutes (theatrical version 1999) | family | Actors: Walter de Donder, Aimé Anthoni, Chris Cauwenberghs, Agnes de Nul, Katrien de Vos, Fred van Kuyk, Luk Alloo, Clara Cleymans, Karin Jacobs

The very first Kabouter Plop adventure that was shown on the silver screen in 1999 has been given a true makeover ten years later. The film has been cut (about twenty minutes were cut) and the film has been digitized. However, the story has remained the same.

During a spring cleaning, Klus gets stuck in the chimney and when he clatters down, a treasure map falls on his head. This treasure map appears to have been made by the father of his great-grandfather, gnome Mop. They don’t think about it for a minute: soon the four inseparable gnome friends Plop, Klus, Lui and Kwebbel set out to look for the treasure. Well, even gnomes can be overcome by greed, we learn in this film. They argue for a while about who should carry the heavy bag of Popsicles, but then they are on their way. Not for long, because Klus appears to have lost the heavy bag with Plop cookies and Chatter and Plop go with him to find it. Lui is tired and falls asleep. He is awakened by two gnomes, Pief and Paf, sister and brother. It turns out Paf is always hungry, but he doesn’t feel like the eternal gnome porridge that Pief stubbornly keeps offering him. Lui falls in love with Pief (the statement “Pief I think you are so sweet” fortunately does not happen) but their ways separate.

An at times exciting adventure follows, in which Lui also loses the treasure map and the four gnomes have to cross a dangerous suspension bridge above a scary simmering black swamp. Klus’ fall into the swamp is even reminiscent of Gandalf’s fall from the bridge of Khazad-dûm (‘The Lord of the Rings’). The prank that the at that moment really annoying gnome plays with his friends takes too long for the little ones to see the humor in it. If director Van Leembrugge was still cutting, he should have used the scissors a bit more here.

‘Plop and the gnome treasure’ does have more exciting moments, such as when the “human highway” has to be crossed. Of course, only the parents who are obliged to watch with their offspring know that everything ends well in the end, but despite this knowledge, ‘Plop and the gnome treasure’ is not a huge task for anyone older than six or seven years. The simple dialogues and the occasionally very stupid actions of the gnomes (and the repetition of this) appeals to the little Plop fans and that is what it is all about. That ‘Plop en de gnomeschat’ almost ten years after its first release still makes children’s hearts beat faster (even literally, in the compelling scenes) is proof enough for the existence of these children’s friends.