Classic Film References, Homages and Tributes #3: When Rabbids Do Singin' in the Rain

As I explained in my review of Singin' in the Rain, the film's energy has inspired countless tributes, parodies and homages in modern media. The scene most parodied is the legendary "Singin' in the Rain" sequence, in which Gene Kelly expresses his joy in a marvelous routine.



Everyone from modern artists to humorists have depicted this scene in a humorous manner. And the videogame world is no exception. But before I talk about the reference, let's explore history a bit.



Ubisoft, an European game developer, released in 2006 "Rayman Raving Rabbids" for the Wii. The title was a party game that utilized the system's innovative controls in quirky ways. It starred the Rabbids, clinically deranged, hyperactive and very dumb bunnies who set out to conquer the world. The franchise was so successful in its maiden voyage that it has spawned three party games and an adventure title, all for the Wii and Nintendo DS.

It's the creativity of the game along with the insane sense of humor that made the Rabbids one of the most enjoyable new game franchises in recent years.



Now that history has been explained a bit, here's this week's classic film reference. In 2007, Ubisoft released the second game in the series, Rayman Raving Rabbids 2. The plot was that the Rabbids are planning to take over our world, and are now engaging in our every day activities, which include movies. Care to guess which movie impressed them the most?

That's right, Singin' in the Rain.

One of the mini-games is called "Singing in the Rain". Like the title estates, it both parodies and pays homage to the classic Gene Kelly film by recreating the sequence of the same name.

Here's a video (pardon the video and sound quality):


The object of the game is to mimic the dance movements of the "Gene Kelly" Rabbid by flick the Wii Remote or Nunchuck or pressing the A button on the Wii Remote. The more successful you are at it, the more complicated the steps become.

The opening scene does a pretty good of parodying the scene. Three of the most important dance steps are represented here. The famous lamp post pose is here, though in the original movie Gene Kelly didn't spin around like the Rabbid does in the game. The umbrella spin, however, is presented beautifully in the parody. Finally, the sidewalk step is also present, but the Rabbid misses a steps and ends in disaster.

The other difference is that Gene Kelly never wore a tuxedo in the original scene, though it's likely the creators chose the tuxedo to represent classic films.

So as you can see, film references can pop up in the most unexpected of places. Even if the ones doing the tribute are crazy rabbits on a videogame it should make the people involved with Singin' in the Rain happy to know that their film has transcended decades and generational gaps.

-Pedro