Rugrats Go Wild!

Movie Title: Rugrats Go Wild!
Official Website (it might still work): Rugrats Go Wild!
Rating (out of 10): 8
Reviewed By: Robin McFetridge
Buy the: Video/DVD \| Soundtrack
The Review:

I guess if Nickelodeon Films can keep raking in the cash on their cable cartoons, then we will continue to see more Rugrat films, this was number three and The Wild Thornberry’s technically not number two for them. I have always enjoyed these cartoons, so the longer big screen versions are still entertaining for me.

We find the Pickles clan packing up for a Lipschitzs cruise, only the inventor patriarch Pickle cancels the cruise and rents a small boat in lieu. This does not go over well with the group. Once out to sea a storm hits and sinks the boat. The castaways wash up on a deserted island. Well except for the Thornberry clan that is there filming the illusive white panther, or at least trying to. But the only ones that know this are the babies. The Thornberry’s travel the world making nature documentaries. Their teenage daughter Debbie (voice of Danielle Harris, Urban Legend) is a disgruntled teen that is destined to baby-sit for little brother Donnie (voice of Flea), a wild child the family picked up in the jungle years ago and her younger sister Eliza (voice of Lacy Chabert, Daddy Day Care) who can talk to animals. While the parents are trying to build shelter and a coconut radio, the babies go on adventure to find Nigel Thornberry (voice of Tim Curry, Scary Movie 2) and be rescued by this great adventurer. While Angelica convinces Debbie she is a jungle princess, the babies wander off and lose Chuckie. Well, Chuckie’s clothes are stolen by Donnie who the babies then confuse as Chuckie. And Spike worried he will be blamed for losing the babies finds Eliza and discovers his voice, yeah it is the voice of Bruce Willis (Tears of the Sun) and we learn Spike is a wise cracking dog with a low opinion of cats, even if it is a panther. Eliza thinks she is looking for Spike’s babies – puppies. To complicate things more, the babies find Nigel, only he gets bonked on the head and becomes a baby himself. Who will save the day?

Yes this is a cartoon so I should not question why a toddler can drive a submarine or how bubblegum can substitute as glue in water. My biggest gripe is Susie Carmichael (voice of Cree Summer, Atlantis). Her parents are educated and successful yet they let her travel on vacation with the Pickles. Nothing wrong with the vacation part with friends, but responsible parents would not tell the Carmichaels they are bringing their daughter on a cruise and haul her off on a rickety boat. Now that I have expressed my issues with the cartoon, I otherwise found it very entertaining and creative. They poke fun at the Professor on Gilligan’s Island and the coconut phone amused me too. If you are not a fan of these cartoons maybe you will enjoy the segment with Spike, if not try Disney or Dreamworks, which write more adult cartoon comedy. I on the other hand, I like The Wild Thornberrys and Rugrats, so I gave this film eight couches.