Blinky Bill: The Mischievous Koala

Blinky Bill: The Mischievous Koala (also known as Blinky Bill: The Movie in the UK or just Blinky Bill in Latin America) is an Australian animated theatrical movie produced by the Sydney-based Yoram Gross Film Studio in 1992. It was released in Australia on 24 September of the same year.

The film tells the story of Blinky Bill’s childhood with his animal friends in the Australian bush. The peace and charm of their existence is shattered by the destruction of their homes by humans. Blinky Bill rallies his friends, in a series of exciting adventures, as they battle to protect their homes from destruction and as he rescues his mother from captivity. The animation is superimposed over live-action footage of the Australian bush, that which was filmed on location in a farm at Bobin.

A new Blinky Bill CGI movie called Blinky Bill the Movie was released on 17 September 2015.

Plot
The local woodlanders are carrying with their everyday life as normal until the next morning, when two men Harry and Joe start to take down the entire forest with their tractor. The animals evacuate as many trees fall down, and more trees are cut down including Mrs Koala's home, and a tree knocks Blinky Bill unconscious.

At sunrise nothing is left of the bush and every animal is left homeless. They move out of the grounds to search for a new home, including Mr. Wombat. Blinky Bill, dazed and confused, calls for his mother, but she is nowhere in sight. Blinky rescues a young female koala named Nutsy from a cluster of fallen trees. They both run into Mr. Wombat. Nutsy tells him that Blinky has amnesia and Mr. Wombat explains to him about his life so far.

Blinky was a very mischievous sort causing trouble and receiving a scolding from Mayor Pelican, his teacher Miss Magpie and his mother for his many antics. He once encountered and escaped Ms. Pym at her general store. His mother then disciplines him and cries about the grief he is causing her. By the end of this story, Blinky is feeling very guilty about the trouble he caused his mother, so decides to find her.

Blinky Bill and Nutsy make their way towards a riverbank where they meet up with a hard of hearing Granny Grunty Koala. Down the river, they meet up with Splodge and his family who tell them about what happened to Mrs Koala who refused to evacuate out of pride of her own home. Blinky and Nutsy make their way to the waiting line where Mayor Pelican is assigning all the woodlanders to their places. Blinky Bill approaches the mayor who is less than pleased, and orders Nurse Angelina to take the children to the leaking North Cave. Unfortunately Blinky's mother isn't here.

Blinky asks Ruff's mother for directions to the woodchip mill. Ignoring the fact there is danger there, Blinky goes to find his mother at the mill, and Nutsy follows him as they make their way though a rampaging river and the woods. They finally make it to the mill. The wood chip mill is home to the very woodcutters that felled their homes.

Next morning Blinky and Nutsy witness the woodcutters reducing the animals former homes into sawdust, narrowly escaping the circular buzz-saw. Then they stay in hiding till night time, but as they try to escape, they alert the dogs. When Blinky slingshoots the security light, Harry's wife Joan urges her husband to investigate. Blinky manages to slip out of the place, but Nutsy is trapped and makes a run for it, climbing into the bedroom of the family's daughter Claire Ann.

Blinky tearfully goes back to tell the others about the tragic news. Blinky's gang form a rescue party, forcing Marcia to join them. Blinky has Jacko para-drop Marcia down the chimney of the woodcutters' house taking notes of the house layout and items. Meanwhile, Nusty climbs into Claire Ann's bed who wakes up happy to find a real koala in her bed and manages to get her parents to let her keep the koala temporarily.

Blinky's gang sneak up to the house at night, then break into the house, but then they start up a commotion. Claire Ann immediately hides herself and Nutsy in her bedroom cupboard. Splodge manages to fend off both the dogs and Joe, while Blinky keeps Harry and Joan locked in their bedroom. In the chaos that follows, the wood chip machines starts up. Blinky gets Nutsy out of the house and they both fight off Harry. The chain of chaotic events against Harry and Joe end them up in a water tank. Blinky locates his mother and they all leave the place in the woodcutters' truck, while Claire Ann waves tearfully goodbye to her new-found koala friends.

Animal characters

 * Blinky Bill - a young koala and the titular movie character.
 * Nutsy - a female koala and Blinky's adoptive sister. She was taken in by mistake by Claire Ann, Harry's small daughter, who likes koalas.
 * Splodge - Blinky's best friend. he is a kangaroo, who lives with his parents.
 * Marcia - One of Blinky's friends. She is a tomboyish marsupial mouse.
 * Flap - A brown platypus and one of Blinky Bill's friends.
 * Mrs. Koala - Blinky Bill and Nutsy's mother. She was kidnapped by Harry and his assistant Joe.
 * Mr. Wombat - Blinky's mentor. He doesn't like it when Blinky calls him "Wombo".
 * Miss Magpie - Blinky's school teacher.
 * Mayor Pelican - The Greenpatch mayor. He hates it when Blinky gets up to mischief.
 * Mr Emu - Mayor Pelican's helper.
 * Jacko - A spoiled kookaburra, who often laughs.
 * Nurse Angelina - A wallaby, who wears a nurse uniform.

Humans

 * Harry - a fat woodcutter, Joe's boss, Joan's husband and Claire Ann's father.
 * Joe - Harry's assistant.
 * Joan - Harry's wife and Claire Ann's mother.
 * Claire Ann - Harry and Joan's six-year-old blonde daughter, who loves animals unlike her parents.
 * Ms. Glenys Pym - a shopkeeper, who has a dislike for koalas.

Soundtrack
Guy Gross composed and produced music and songs, while all lyrics of the latter are written by John Palmer except "You and Me" and "Nutsy's Ballad", where instead are by Mattie Porges. Finally, through The Danglin' Bros. performance, all songs are sung by Robyn Moore and Keith Scott except where indicated below.


 * 1) "You and Me" - Robyne Dunn, Geoff Robertson and Kevin Bennett
 * 2) "Working Class Man" - Jimmy Barnes
 * 3) "I’m Old Man Wombo"
 * 4) "I’m Blinky Bill"
 * 5) "Arithmetic Song"
 * 6) "Gribbit (Frog Song)" - Ross Higgins
 * 7) "I Am the Mayor"
 * 8) "Nutsy’s Ballad"
 * 9) "Motherhood"
 * 10) "How I Hate Koalas"
 * 11) "Snakes Are So Superior"
 * 12) "Country Girls"
 * 13) "Don’t Try to Sing Underwater"
 * 14) "Home"
 * 15) "Who’s on the Menu Tonight"
 * 16) "Whistle Song"
 * 17) "Sleep Bush Baby Sleep" - Julie Anthony

Box office
Blinky Bill: The Mischievous Koala grossed $1,903,659 at the box office in Australia.

Home Media
in December 1992, Blinky Bill: The Mischievous Koala was released on home video by Roadshow Home Video in Australia. in November 1993, the North American home video release was released by Manhattan Home Video. in October 1996, a Manhattan released North American laserdisc release of the film. this is the last Animated film to be released on Laserdisc.

Manhattan Home Entertainment has planned to release the film for the first time on DVD in North America in January 2002, but 9/11 caused Manhattan to be sold to DreamWorks and the film's release date to be pushed to April 2002.

a DVD was released in April 2002 by DreamWorks Home Entertainment for the 10th Anniversary. However, the 2002 DVD was made from poor pan-and-scan masters.

in 2007, DreamWorks Animation SKG Home Entertainment released the film on DVD for 15th Anniversary widescreen special edition with newly restored sound quality and superior picture quality. as a result, the spanking scene was cut because it was not good for children.

in 2012, Blinky Bill: The Mischievous Koala was released on Blu-ray and DVD by DreamWorks Animation SKG Home Entertainment. the 2012 Blu-ray and DVD has two versions (the remastered original version and the 2007 version).

for the film's 25th Anniversary edition in August 2018, Shout Factory released the film on DVD and Blu-ray under license from DreamWorks Animation. the 2017 Blu-ray has five bonus features (the Theatrical trailer, Games, Activities, the You and Me music video, and a special sneak preview to How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World).