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| “ | My dear macaw, you must wake up and smell the papaya, for this is the world! | „ |
| ~ Carmello to Mac. |
| “ | The truth of the matter is that these newcomers have brought nothing but trouble to our paradise. That is a fact. | „ |
| ~ Carmello stating his opinion about Crusoe and Aynsley to Mac. |
| “ | Hungry, are we? Well, then, take that! And how about a banana? | „ |
| ~ Carmello fighting against a ratter using fruits. |
Carmello is a character from the 2016 3D animated Belgian adventure comedy movie, Robinson Crusoe (known in the United States as The Wild Life). He is a chameleon with the ability to camouflage himself in all surroundings against enemies.
He was voiced by Colin Metzger in the English-dubbed version.
Personality[]
Carmello is a kind, caring, gentle, selfless, somewhat selfish, greedy, and generous chameleon with the ability to camouflage himself in all surroundings against enemies, thus, rendering him nearly invisible to the naked eye.
Biography[]
One day, on their island, like every other day, Carmello and his friends: Kiki the kingfisher, Pango the pangolin, Epi the echidna, Scrubby the old myopic goat, and Rosie the Malayan tapir are getting for their daily luau. At one point, Carmello steals Epi's bug and eats it while ignoring Kiki's remark concerning his actions towards Epi. On the other hand, Mac the scarlet macaw is more interested in looking for any stuff on the beach that might prove that there's another world out there besides their island since he seems desperate enough to leave it and see the world as shown when the latter simply shows everyone a ring he found on the beach earlier; much to their chagrin since they had expected food instead even when Scrubby, for one, tries to eat it like he does with almost everything else. Despite his friends' ignorance and stubbornness, Mac relentlessly tries in vain to convince everyone that there's another world out there besides their island, which he is determined to find by any means necessary no matter what anyone thinks or says despite having almost died of exhaustion the last time he tried flying across the ocean while looking for the other world.
Later in the day, Carmello and his friends are left to deal with a violent storm, thus, forced to take refuge in a cave. On the way, when Scrubby ends up slipping on a pineapple they brought along, falling off a cliff, and hanging for life on the edge, Carmello tries to pull him back up with his tongue, but the latter's weight proves too much for him as they both end up dangling for life on a branch. After Pango fails to save his friends and although Mac's efforts to save them proves futile due to Rosie accidentally dropping a stone that temporarily knocks him out, all 4 friends land safely unharmed after swinging and sliding down through a hole in the cliff unlike the pineapple, which ends up crushed by a falling boulder. Later, at night, when Carmello and his friends are sleeping in the cave, they are suddenly awakened by an unusual sound, assuming it's something dying somewhere when they can't seem to see anything in the rain and fog out there.
The next morning, Carmello and his friends begin searching around the beach for whatever must've made the unusual noise they heard last night as Mac becomes more and more excited about the excessive number of unusual things washed up and found on the beach from the storm until finally, they spot a ship broken in half; much to Carmello and his friends' horror, but Mac's continuous astonishment. Despite Kiki's discouragement, Mac ignores her and begins flying and exploring around the ship before coming across a human named Robinson Crusoe and his pet dog, Aynsley coming out of the hold from one half of the shipwreck, which sends Carmello and his friends in a state of fright due to mistaking the latter two for "sea monsters" at first. While Mac continues spying on Crusoe and Aynsley having made it to shore on a barrel, Carmello tries "fighting back" against Aynsley having caught the former's scent despite merely barking at him, which forces the others to scaring both Crusoe and Aynsley off by making a lot of loud noises when they believe that Aynsley is trying to "eat" Carmello in the confusion.
After Crusoe and Aynsley's failed escape attempt due to the strong current as they take refuge inside the other half of the ship and Mac's earlier scoldings and reprimands to his friends, Carmello eventually rejoins his friends as Mac decides it's best they keep an eye on Crusoe and Aynsley and see what they're up to instead as long as no one goes on the beach and is seen either.
At night, everyone is awakened when they hear Scrubby approaching the ship in order to get a bite out of the food he smells out there whereas Mac has already preceded him as he perches onto a mast to get a closer look at Crusoe and Aynsley. After Crusoe has proven himself to be less dangerous than they thought at first despite his earlier threat to use either his dog or oar as a musket on whoever was making some noise before realizing it was only Scrubby trying to get some food to eat on the ground even as Mac rejoins his friends, Carmello and the others tell Mac to return the ring to Crusoe, thinking that this will get the "sea monsters" to leave them alone, but the latter selfishly refuses before finally accepting on condition that everyone including Carmello comes with him the next day; much to their reluctance.
The next day, Carmello and his friends observe Crusoe as he begins salvaging and gathering things up on the beach before it is all lost to the sea forever while Aynsley sleeps all day, unaware that they are being watched by the ship's vicious ratters: Mal and May having survived the storm as well, now plotting to do away with both Crusoe and everyone else as part of their revenge for Crusoe's mistreatment towards them and means to survive at the same time. Later, Carmello and his friends are scared off by the sound of a gunshot from one of Crusoe's muskets he brought out from the ship's cabin when practicing a bit first before venturing out into the open in order to hunt for some food. Then, Carmello and the others begin to panic. So, Mac reminds them to stay out of sight while he goes out to fetch the ring and give it back to Crusoe and Aynsley so as to also find out whether they're friend or foe once and for all in order to appease them.
Later in the day, Carmello and the others are led to the very spot where Rosie was only sort of attacked by Crusoe, only to find a few of Mac's feathers on the ground; thinking he's dead. Suddenly, Carmello and the others encounter Mal and May who deliberately deceive them into believing that Crusoe and Aynsley are monsters who killed and ate Mac in order to manipulate them as a distraction to handle Crusoe then possibly drive him off to Curse Island, a small rock located a bit far from the island inhabited by bugs only while the latter two handle both Mac and Aynsley on the ship despite Kiki's doubts on the plan, unaware that Mac has actually been taken back to the ship by Crusoe in order to have his dislocated right wing fixed due to having been attacked by the cats earlier before Crusoe and Aynsley came back just in time to rescue him though.
After the cats give Carmello and the others each a makeover to look fierce, Carmello and the others begin to attack Crusoe on the beach when they notice one of Mac's (now renamed "Tuesday" by Crusoe) tail feathers stuck on his hat (thinking Mac has become a trophy) while the cats sneak onboard to deal with both Tuesday and Aynsley personally. Their battle with Crusoe continues through nightfall until finally, they stop when they hear Tuesday's squawking and Aynsley's howling for help as the ship begins burning up in flames due to the ratters having deliberately set it on fire using candles from the chandelier in order to finish them off. Despite failed rescue attempts from both parties, Tuesday manages to escape, but Aynsley is killed when the fire reaches the gunpowder and causes the ship to explode whereas Mal and May are left stranded on Curse Island. Realizing the evil cats' manipulation and deception and thinking that Tuesday didn't survive this time as well, Carmello and the others leave in sadness and sorrow while a distraught Crusoe is left to mourn for his dog's death.
The next morning, after Crusoe buries Aynsley and befriends Tuesday and Tuesday informs Kiki about last night's situation, Carmello and the others are later briefed by Kiki whom they suddenly but unfairly blame for all this before the latter points out to everyone that they all thought Tuesday was dead at first as well. Determined to clean up their mess, Carmello and the others leave to join up with Tuesday and Crusoe on the beach despite Kiki's warning that they're just going to make an "even bigger mess of things".
Later, accompanied by Kiki on the beach, Carmello and the others approach Crusoe in order to make amends for their mistakes yesterday by bringing anything that might prove useful to him and offering him some fruits at the same time even after Tuesday stops the latter from firing at them with his musket due to thinking they're going to attack again. After eating a berry, Crusoe accepts his newfound friends' apologies and decides to return the favor by offering them biscuits like with Tuesday, but then, they run away at the mere sight of his musket left on the ground just before he can even show them what he has brought for them whereas Kiki simply but kindly refuses his gesture before flying away due to still not trusting him completely.
The next day, after Tuesday leads Crusoe to a freshwater reserve, Carmello slightly panics when Tuesday leads him to where he and their friends usually spend most of their time during the day while Kiki hides in plain sight. Still wanting to return the favor, Crusoe runs straight back to the ship and returns with biscuits he offers to each of his new friends, which they unsurprisingly seem to enjoy. At one point, Carmello greedily snatches Scrubby's biscuit from him. However, a skeptical Kiki (constantly referred to as "Pretty Bird" by Crusoe) still denies Crusoe's gesture when she deliberately pokes his fingers with her beak while flying away from him despite Tuesday's encouragement, but the latter takes no offense to this since he believes that "friendships aren't made in a day" as long he takes it one step at a time.
As days go by, after Crusoe gives Scrubby a pair of glasses to improve his vision, but fails to build a shelter on the beach, Carmello and his friends are confused when they witness Crusoe sawing branches from a large tree somewhere on top of the island; thinking he's "destroying" it.
Months pass by as Crusoe continues working on his new home in the tree while growing a moustache and beard in the process, but to no avail due to his friends' constant but unintentional screw-ups and interference. Luckily, when Tuesday finally understands what Crusoe is up to and informs his friends on the current situation, they decide to help him out just as he was on the verge of giving up at first and construction on the tree moves faster than possible despite a few ups-and-downs along the way whereas a cynical Kiki just stays behind and watches them. During that time, Crusoe builds a small door for Epi and Pango to get into even after a few modifications; thanks to Rosie, plants a few seeds using the ship's helm for making holes and bagpipes to water the planted seeds with Tuesday, Epi, Pango, and Rosie helping out as well, and enjoying a few meals with his friends despite their sloppiness until finally, after so many months of work despite his awkwardness and flaws, Crusoe puts the finishing touches on their new home and invites his friends at night to christen the place for good luck using a jug filled with fireflies even though it doesn't happen as planned, surprising even a still-skeptical Kiki. Then, in celebration of their new home, Crusoe takes out his bagpipes and begins playing a tune which only Scrubby seems to enjoy unlike the others as the former walks down the way.
With the house completed, Crusoe moves on to a new project and builds a waterway for the freshwater to pass through leading to indoor plumbing and the animals no longer having to forage for food; much to Kiki's chagrin.
A few days later, during a storm, Crusoe and his friends minus Kiki enjoy a good meal after the former says grace in silence. During the grace, however, Carmello and the others are reprimanded by a now more-stubborn-than-ever Kiki when she begins to believe that they have gone soft before angrily flying off into the storm despite Tuesday trying in vain to calm her down and assure her otherwise. After the storm, Epi and Pango go out to have some fun on the water slide while Tuesday goes out to find Kiki and make sure she's all right, unaware that she was hiding right under his feet the whole time.
Later, after noticing the others in trouble from a distance, Carmello, Pango, and Epi eventually find themselves under attack by predators; especially, Mal and May and their countless number of now-grown children they had given birth to during their time on Curse Island, having made it back to the island using wooden debris from the ship. During the battle, while Pango and Epi slide down the water slide as they avoid their aggressors and send them falling to their demises, Carmello slides down as well and begins using fruits he throws at a ratter before taking out a leaf, which he uses as a parasail to land and make it safely back to the treehouse where he finds himself facing against another ratter before Scrubby comes to his rescue despite Carmello using his camouflage to his advantage.
Despite Crusoe getting accidentally pushed out then finally knocked out by Rosie after mistaking him for the cats trying to get in through the hatch during the battle and as the cats try breaking through the door, Tuesday comes up with an idea using Crusoe's musket against them. After much difficulty, Carmello and his friends manage to shoot, which results in an explosion after the burning bullet comes into direct contact with the amount of gunpowder on the floor. However, Carmello and the others are worried about leaving a still unconscious Crusoe behind since they know that the cats will return. Luckily, Tuesday comes up with another plan on how to deal with the remaining cats once and for all.
After Tuesday deliberately lures the cats into a tower Crusoe had built months ago in order to signal any possible passing ships that might come to the latter's rescue where they get trapped by Carmello and the others at night, they begin moving the tower in order to make it fall, but Tuesday gets trapped as well when caught by the tail by both the hatch and one of the ratters and is nearly killed by May until Kiki comes to his rescue at the last minute. Although the cats have been finally defeated, Carmello and his friends' moment of triumph is interrupted when Tuesday notices the treehouse on fire due to May having set it on fire in order to finish off Crusoe earlier, thus, rushes to Crusoe's aid. Luckily, Tuesday arrives just in time to save a now-conscious Crusoe using a hook, which forces him to go down with its pulley once again before he gets knocked out by a falling wooden board.
Then, Carmello and his friends try pulling an unconscious Crusoe out to safety from the fire in their treehouse until they are suddenly driven off by cannons shot from a pirate ship passing by and commandeered by Long John Silver and his band of cutthroat pirates, having mistaken them for "wild beasts" trying to "devour" the latter.
The next day, after Crusoe has been "rescued" by the pirates and taken to their captain aboard ship, but manages to escape on a makeshift raft (formerly the tower's highest point later used as a raft by the last few remaining ratters including Mal and May after last night's battle before making it onboard the ship) back to the island with Tuesday's help due to being forced into piracy against his will by the pirates' captain earlier, Carmello and the others including a now-optimistic Kiki greet their old friends including a pair of mice named Rufus and Cecil Tuesday befriended during the day while recounting his story of Crusoe to them before saving them from the ratters and taking them back to the island as they spend the rest of their days living and prospering in peace while rebuilding their treehouse and celebrating afterwards.
 Heroes
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Robinson Crusoe | Tuesday | Kiki | Epi | Pango | Carmello | Scrubby | Rosie | Rufus and Cecil | Aynsley | ||