From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Kari Grandi
is a fictional character, the main protagonist in the
Finnish
television advertisements
for
Grandi
, a brand of ready-to-drink
juice
.
Grandi was played by
Eeki Mantere
from the beginning of the character in the 1970s until 1999. He was then replaced by actor
Sami Kojonen
.
The advertisements are
parodies
of typical 1920s-era adventure
movies
where a group of
villains
kidnap a woman and torture her by withholding water and other drinks from her. Somewhere at a distance, Kari Grandi hears her cries for help and rushes to her aid. First he drinks a carton of Grandi juice, then he drops the empty carton on the ground and steps on it. The ensuing
sonic boom
knocks out the villains, and Kari Grandi is able to revive the woman by giving her a carton of Grandi juice.
The
narration
of the advertisements always ends with an established
catchphrase
:
- Han on kaikkien janoisten sankari, aikamme legenda: Kari...
Grandi!
In
English
:
- He is the hero of all who are thirsty, the legend of our time: Kari...
Grandi!
The character's name is an obvious homage to the actor
Cary Grant
. The character Kari Grandi was himself parodied in the Finnish
sci-fi movie
Star Wreck: In the Pirkinning
, in the form of Babel 13 security officer Mihail Karigrandi (English name: Mikhail Garybrandy), who is a parody of the
Babylon 5
character
Michael Garibaldi
.