| Gumnutz: A Juicy Tale | |
| Director: | Clive Harrison Margaret Parkes Jane Schneider |
| Producer: | John Cook |
| Music: | Clive Harrison |
| Editing: | Michael O'Rourke |
| Starring: | Jamie Croft Ines Vaz De Sousa Keith Scott Ian Bliss Shane Withington Rachel King |
| Studio: | Flying Bark Productions Bix Pix Productions ABC Studios |
| Distributor: | Film Finance Corporation Australia |
| Runtime: | 80 mins |
| Country: | Australia |
| Language: | English |
Gumnutz: A Juicy Tale is a 2007 Australian animated adventure film directed by Clive Harrison, Margaret Parkes and Jane Schneider. It was nominated for APRA Music Awards of 2008 as the Best Music for Children's Television but lost to Animalia.[1]
One morning, it is Claude's first day to work at his Uncle Kelvin's Gumnut Juice Factory. Claude doesn't feel up to it at first. Kelvin receives an order for gumnut juice from the business man Peer Point J. Marino which, if successful, will grant Kelvin's company a contract. The rival Hotshot Charlie, hoping to beat Kelvin to the contract first, sends Franky to steal the secret sweetening formula to fulfill his quota.
Hotshot has the apothecary Bunsen the Cobra analyse the ingredients of the secret formula, but without any success. Hotshot sends his goons (known as the Wedge, consisting of Smash, Squash and Slap) to kidnap Kelvin. Claude finds a lead to Badde Manor, but Kelvin is well hidden. Hotshot gets hold a riddle book which has a clue to the secret formula. Catching wind of this, Claude and Peppa sneak into Badde Manor and copy the riddle, Hot Spot also getting the knowledge.
Claude and Peppa follow the riddle to Darwin Platypus who tells them the secret formula, with Hotshot listening in. Hotshot traps Claude, Peppa and Darwin, but Bunsen defects and rescues them and they return to the Gumnut Juice Factory to begin a large production. Claude is briefly separated from the others, but uses Kelvin's special instrument to rally all the Cicadas for the essential ingredient of the formula.
Claude, his friends and a swarm of Cicadas thwart Hotshot's attempt to destroy the Gumnut Juice Factory, then follow him to Badde Manor to rescue Kelvin, with help from Ghoulie Gilly. Once Kelvin is rescued, Bunsen blows Badde Manor with Hotshot and his goons to the Arctic. After that Kelvin is able to meet Marino's quota and get the contract.