First of all, let me say that typically I have a very open mind when it comes to animated movies. When I saw an announcement for Donkey X a while back, I thought it sounded like an interesting concept - merging animation and the story of Don Quixote for a family-oriented picture. What could go wrong? Classic literature and cartoons have been successfully merged many times before, right?

For those of you who don't know about Don Quixote, he's a character in a novel written by Miguel de Cervantes in the early 1600s - El ingenioso hidalgo don Quijote de la Mancha or The Ingenious Hidalgo Don Quixote of La Mancha. In the province of La Mancha, a man becomes obsessed with books of chivalry and stories of quests to the point where he calls himself a knight-errant, puts on an old suit of armor, and changes his name to Don Quixote of La Mancha.

And, as with all chivalric quests, there must be a romantic interest, so Quixote created an imaginary lost love called Dulcinea and sets out to right wrongs and find her in the world. Along the way he is joined by his neighbor, Sancho Panza, and they set off on great adventures.

Donkey X takes this story and tacks on a follow-on adventure that occurs a while after Quixote and Panza get back from their first. Panza's donkey, Rucio, is itching to go out on another adventure and Quixote's old horse, Rocinante, only wants to stay in his stable. But when a notice appears stating a challenge for Don Quixote to fight the Half Moon Knight for information leading to Dulcinea's real name, their new adventure finds the quartet.

Along the way, the group encounters a number of trials set up for them by those trying to discredit Don Quixote. But he faces each trial as best he can and with help finds a way to succeed. In the end, can he beat the Half Moon Knight in a knight's tournament? Only time will tell...

Article Author: Fitz

Brian Fitzpatrick (aka "Fitz") is a software engineer and writer living in Colorado Springs, Colorado, with his wife, two daughters, two dogs, and two cats -- trying desperately to survive the chaos!

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