The Rugrats Movie

The Rugrats Movie

Theatrical release poster
Directed by Igor Kovalyov
Norton Virgien
Produced by Arlene Klasky
Gábor Csupó
Written by David N. Weiss
J. David Stem
Based on Rugrats 
by Arlene Klasky
Gabor Csupo
Paul Germain
Starring
Music by Mark Mothersbaugh[1]
Edited by John Bryant
Kimberly Rettberg
Production
company
Distributed by Paramount Pictures
Release dates
  • November 20, 1998 (1998-11-20)

[2]

Running time
 81 minutes
Country United States
Language English
Budget $24 million
Box office $140.9 million (worldwide)

The Rugrats Movie is a 1998 American animated adventure-comedy film, produced by Paramount Pictures Corporation, and co-produced with Nickelodeon Movies and Klasky Csupo. The film was distributed by Paramount Pictures and first released in theaters in the United States on November 20, 1998.[2] The film marks the first film made by Nickelodeon Movies to be based on a Nicktoon. Adjusted for inflation it is the highest grossing film based on a Nicktoon.[3]

Based on the popular 1990s animated Nickelodeon series, Rugrats, this film introduced Tommy Pickles' baby brother Dil Pickles, who appeared on the original series the next year. The film features the voices of E.G. Daily, Tara Strong, Christine Cavanaugh, Kath Soucie, Cheryl Chase, Cree Summer, and Charlie Adler, along with guest stars David Spade, Whoopi Goldberg, Margaret Cho, Busta Rhymes, and Tim Curry.

Plot

The film starts with a parody of the 1981 Indiana Jones action film Raiders of the Lost Ark. Afterwards, the babies are chased out of the temple by a boulder, which is revealed to be Didi Pickles who is at the baby shower at the Pickles' house, where Didi is pregnant with a second baby, which everyone believes will be a girl. Didi goes into labor during the party and her friends rush her to the hospital. While this is happening, the kids crawl off. When the baby is finally born after a montage of past lives, it is actually a boy and they name him Dylan (but "Dil" for short), after Didi's cousin.

Dil quickly becomes a very spoiled baby, crying non-stop for attention, keeping all of the babies' toys for himself and refusing to share with Tommy. After a particularly nasty fight between Tommy and Dil over Tommy's teddy bear, Stu has a conversation with Tommy about being a big brother and the responsibility he now has and assures him that one day he will be happy to have Dil as his little brother. He also gives Tommy a locket with a picture of Tommy and Dil taped together and a watch inside which he calls his "sponsitility", his term for responsibility.

When Dil pushes the other babies too far, they decide to take him back to the "hopsicle" (a mispronunciation of hospital) despite Tommy's disapproval and end up driving recklessly through the streets in a Reptar Wagon Stu had built for a contest. Along the way, Dil had secretly stolen Angelica's Cynthia doll, which prompts her to take Spike and they embark on a quest to find the babies.

The babies eventually crash in the woods, where they realize that they are lost. They spot a ranger's cabin where they believe a "lizard" (a mispronunciation of wizard) lives, and decide to go there, believing that it can take them home. After an encounter with runaway circus monkeys, Dil is taken away by the monkeys. Tommy vows to find Dil by himself, because Chuckie, Phil, and Lil agree they are better off without him. Tommy eventually finds Dil during a storm, and are forced to take shelter under a tree, but when Dil selfishly drinks all of the milk and keeps the blanket for himself, Tommy finally snaps and very nearly abandons Dil, but Tommy's rage and the storm's lightning and thunder frighten Dil so much that he sees the error of his ways and turns over a new leaf. They reconcile and sleep peacefully, beginning their bond as brothers.

After the storm, Tommy and the other babies reconcile, and after running into Angelica and Spike they make their way to the "lizard." While on a bridge, they are confronted by the monkeys but are then scared off by a wolf, who has been hunting down the babies since they arrived in the woods. Spike intervenes and fights the wolf until they both fall from the bridge to their apparent deaths. Meanwhile, Stu, who has been looking for the babies via aircraft finds them, but crash lands into the ranger's cabin. Believing he is the "lizard," the babies wish for Spike back instead of going home.

Stu falls through the bridge and finds Spike, who has actually survived the fall. The babies are then reunited with their families. In the final scene, the babies are having the same imaginary adventure they had when the movie began, but this time are successful with Dil's help, finally accepting him as one of them.

Cast

Main

Supporting

Guest stars

Baby singers (Musical number – "This World Is Something New to Me")

Production

Two songs were cut from the film during production. The first sequence revolved around Stu and Didi in a nightmare sequence where Dr. Lipschitz criticizes their parenting through song. The other sequence occurs as the Rugrats are pushing the Reptar Wagon through the woods, debating what to do about Dil in army chant style. These two scenes were cut from the theatrical version and the VHS and DVD releases. However, they were already animated at the time, and the scenes are shown on CBS and Nickelodeon TV airings of the film as the uncut version is only available on TV. These scenes were present in the print novelization.

The film was released in theaters with a CatDog short titled "Fetch", in which Cat wins a radio contest and attempts to answer the phone as Dog chases down his tennis ball. This short was later broadcast in CatDog episode 21. However, the home video VHS and DVD release contains a different CatDog short, "Winslow's Home Videos".

Media

Home video

The Rugrats Movie was released on VHS and DVD March 30, 1999 by Paramount Pictures, Paramount Home Video also released the film on Laserdisc. In 2011, the film was re-released in a 3-disc trilogy set alongside its sequels in honor of Rugrats' 20th anniversary.[4][5]

Soundtrack

The Rugrats Movie: Music From the Motion Picture
Soundtrack album by Various Artists
Released November 3, 1998
Recorded 1998
Genre R&B, hip hop, pop
Length 41:51
Label Interscope Records
Rugrats soundtrack chronology
The Rugrats Movie: Music From the Motion Picture
(1998)		 Rugrats in Paris: Music From the Motion Picture
(2000)
Singles from The Rugrats Movie: Music From the Motion Picture
  1. "Take Me There"
    Released: February 2, 1999
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic link
Entertainment WeeklyC link

The Rugrats Movie: Music From the Motion Picture was released on November 3, 1998.[6] The enhanced soundtrack contained 13 tracks, bonus CD-ROM demos and commercials.[6] Amazon.com's Richard Gehr praised the CD for "[bridging] demographics as nimbly as the [original] show itself [did]" and for songs "fans of all ages will love".[6]

Entertainment Weekly's David Browne rated the Music From the Motion Picture with a C.[7]

Browne noted that, while the soundtrack is enjoyable for children and does "[make] concessions" for parents, adults may dislike the amount of rap.[7] Allmusic's William Ruhlmann reviewed the soundtrack positively, saying "the result" of the singers and songs "is a romp in keeping with the tone of the show and the film".[8]

Music From the Motion Picture spent 26 weeks on Billboard 200, peaking at number 19.[9]

Track listing

No. TitleArtist(s) Length
1. "Take Me There"  Blackstreet & Mýa featuring Mase & Blinky Blink 4:04
2. "I Throw My Toys Around"  No Doubt featuring Elvis Costello 3:02
3. "This World Is Something New To Me"  Dawn Robinson, Lisa Loeb, B-Real, Patti Smith, Lou Rawls, Laurie Anderson, Gordon Gano, Fred Schneider, Kate Pierson, Cindy Wilson, Phife Dawg, Lenny Kravitz, Beck, Jakob Dylan and Iggy Pop 1:59
4. "All Day"  Lisa Loeb 3:30
5. "Dil-A-Bye"  E.G. Daily 3:43
6. "A Baby Is A Gift From Bob"  Cree Summer & Cheryl Chase 1:57
7. "One Way or Another"  Chase 3:17
8. "Wild Ride"  Kevi featuring Lisa Stone 2:43
9. "On Your Marks, Get Set, Ready, Go!"  Busta Rhymes 3:41
10. "Witch Doctor"  Devo 3:33
11. "Take The Train"  Rakim and Danny Saber 4:05
12. "Yo Ho Ho And A Bottle Of Yum"  E.G. Daily, Christine Cavanaugh & Kath Soucie 2:18
13. "Take Me There (Want U Back Mix)"  Blackstreet & Mýa featuring Mase & Blinky Blink 3:59
Total length:
 41:51

[10]

Video games

Video games were released for Game Boy and Game Boy Color titled The Rugrats Movie and Rugrats: The Movie respectively, with the former being released on June 19, 1998[11] and the latter on March 12, 1999.[12] Both games were developed by Software Creations and released by THQ.[12][13] They were side-scrolling video games and featured 8 levels, with the plot revolving around finding a replacement for Dil after he disappears.[14] IGN's Peer Schneider graded the Game Boy Color game with an overall score of 5 out of 10.[15]

Schneider states that the game doesn't have much "to hold the attention of older gamers", but that "kids will love the easy gameplay, recognizable characters and memorable Rugrats tunes". He closes with saying that "unless you're looking for something to entertain and challenge at the same time, parents can't go wrong in buying the game for their kids."[15] Writing for GameSpot, Cameron Davis gave the Rugrats: The Movie a mixed review, stating that it wasn't "groundbreaking or innovative", but that the game "does what it sets out to do well".[16]

Davis noted that the game was aimed at children and praised the "difficulty level" as being "set just right", so that "younger players can explore the levels in comfort thanks to the good collision detection and responsive controls, while those with a bit more Game Boy experience can use the generous time limits to ferret out hidden objects". The game overall was given a 6.2 by the critic.[16] On aggregator site GameRankings, The Rugrats Movie is rated as a 55%[13] while Rugrats: The Movie earned a 61.75%.[17]

A computer game inspired by the film entitled The Rugrats Movie: Activity Challenge was developed and published by Brøderbund and released on September 14, 1998. It features six games and a bonus level that can be attained if a certain item is obtained in a game.[18]

Books

Several books were released by Simon & Schuster's Simon Spotlight branch and Nickelodeon inspired by The Rugrats Movie. Tommy's New Playmate and The Rugrats Versus the Monkeys were also released on October 1, 1998, authored by Luke David and illustrated by John Kurtz and Sandrina Kurtz.[19][20]

The Rugrats Movie Storybook, released on the same date and using the same illustrators and publishers, was written by Sarah Wilson.[21] The same date saw the release of The Rugrats Movie: Hang On To Your Diapies, Babies, We're Going In!: Trivia from the Hit Movie!, a trivia book written by Kitty Richards.[22]

A novelization of the film written by Cathy East Dubowski was published on October 1, 1998, by Tandem Library.[23] The following month, a 144-page guidebook, The Making of The Rugrats Movie: Behind the Scenes at Klasky Csupo, was released on November 1, 1998, by MSG.[24] In May 1999, Hal Leonard Publishing Corporation released a book titled The Rugrats Movie.[25]

Reception

Box office

The Rugrats Movie was released on November 20, 1998, and made US$27,321,470 in its opening weekend,[26] from 2,782 theaters, averaging about $9,821 per venue and ranking as the #1 movie that weekend.[27] In total, The Rugrats Movie made US$140,894,675, $100,494,675 from the domestic market and $40,400,000 from its foreign release.[26]

It also debuted #1 at the UK box office.[28][29][30]

Critical reception

As of March 23, 2014, The Rugrats Movie held a 59% on the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, with 29 "Fresh" reviews and 20 "Rotten" reviews, certifying it as "Rotten".[5] Roger Ebert gave the film 2 stars out of 4.[31]

Ebert noted that the film's target audience was more for younger children, and that, while he as an adult disliked it, he "might have" liked it if he were younger and would recommend it for children.[31] The New York Times's Anita Gates reviewed The Rugrats Movie positively, calling it a "delight".[32]

Lisa Schwarzbaum of Entertainment Weekly graded the film with a B.[33] Schwarzbaum praised the movie for its appeal to both adult and child audiences, "juxtaposing the blithely self-absorbed parallel universes of small, diapered children and their large, Dockered parents".[33] However, other Entertainment Weekly reviewer Ty Burr gave The Rugrats Movie a B−, criticizing that the film's issues sprung from it being "bigger" than the original series, thus it having more cultural references, out-of-place CGI scenes, and "[going] into scary territory".[34] Despite these faults, Burr did praise the "escaped circus monkeys" for being "scary in a good way", as well as a joke that was accessible to younger audiences.[34]

Sequels

Two sequels have been released: Rugrats in Paris: The Movie, which was released on November 17, 2000,[35] and Rugrats Go Wild, which was released on June 13, 2003.[36]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Detail view of Movies Page". afi.com. Retrieved May 16, 2015.
  2. 1 2 "The Rugrats Movie". rottentomatoes.com. November 20, 1998. Retrieved May 16, 2015.
  3. ↑ http://www.boxofficemojo.com/franchises/chart/?id=nickelodeon.htm
  4. ↑ Goldstein, Seth (January 23, 1999). Paramount Preps For 'Rugrats' Vid. Billboard. p. 6. Retrieved April 9, 2014.
  5. 1 2 "The Rugrats Movie (1998)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved December 22, 2009.
  6. 1 2 3 "The Rugrats Movie: Music From The Motion Picture [Enhanced CD] [ENHANCED] [SOUNDTRACK]". Amazon.com. Retrieved December 25, 2009.
  7. 1 2 Browne, David (January 8, 1999). "The Rugrats Movie: Music From the Motion Picture (1998)". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved December 25, 2009.
  8. ↑ "Rugrats: The Movie Original Soundtrack". Allmusic. Retrieved December 29, 2009.
  9. ↑ "Rugrats: The Movie – Original...". Billboard.com. Retrieved December 29, 2009.
  10. ↑ http://www.rugratonline.com/rrmovi2a.htm
  11. ↑ "The Rubrats Movie". IGN. Retrieved December 22, 2009.
  12. 1 2 "Rugrats: The Movie". IGN. Retrieved December 22, 2009.
  13. 1 2 "The Rugrats Movie". GameRankings. Retrieved December 24, 2009.
  14. ↑ "The Rugrats Movie". MobyGames. Retrieved December 24, 2009.
  15. 1 2 Schneider, Peer. "Rugrats: The Movie". IGN. Retrieved December 22, 2009.
  16. 1 2 Davis, Cameron. "Rugrats: The Movie Review". GameSpot. Retrieved December 24, 2009.
  17. ↑ "Rugrats: The Movie". GameRankings. Retrieved December 24, 2009.
  18. ↑ "The Rugrats Movie: Activity Challenge". MobyGames. Retrieved December 24, 2009.
  19. ↑ "The Rugrats Movie Tommys New Playmate (The Rugrats Movie 8 X 8) (Paperback)". Amazon.com. ISBN 0689821417.
  20. ↑ "The Rugrats Movie: The Rugrats Versus the Monkeys (The Rugrats Movie 8 X 8) (Paperback)". Amazon.com. ISBN 0689821425.
  21. ↑ "The Rugrats Movie Storybook (Paperback)". Amazon.com. ISBN 068982128X.
  22. ↑ "Rugrats Movie, The: Hang On To Your Diapies, Babies, We're Going In!: Trivia from the Hit Movie! (Paperback)". Amazon.com. ISBN 0689822766.
  23. ↑ "Rugrats Movie (Hardcover)". Amazon.com. ISBN 0613872681.
  24. ↑ "The making of the Rugrats movie : behind the scenes at Klasky Csupo". worldcat.org. Retrieved May 16, 2015.
  25. ↑ "The Rugrats Movie (Paperback)". Amazon.com. ISBN 0634005146.
  26. 1 2 "THE RUGRATS MOVIE". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved December 22, 2009.
  27. ↑ FABRIKANT, Geraldine (December 28, 1998). "'Prince of Egypt' Is No King at the Box-Office". The New York Times. Retrieved December 24, 2009.
  28. ↑ "Rugrats top UK box office". BBC. April 10, 2001. Retrieved November 13, 2010.
  29. ↑ Natale, Richard (November 23, 1998). "Rugrats' Outruns 'Enemy'". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved November 10, 2010.
  30. ↑ Welkos, Robert W. (November 24, 1998). "Weekend Box Office : 'Rugrats' Has Kid Power". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved November 10, 2010.
  31. 1 2 Ebert, Roger. "The Rugrats Movie (G)". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved December 24, 2009.
  32. ↑ Gates, Anita (November 20, 1998). "FILM REVIEW; A Sibling Takes a New Rival for a Ride". The New York Times. Retrieved December 24, 2009.
  33. 1 2 Schwarzbaum, Lisa (November 27, 1998). "The Rugrats Movie (1998)". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved December 24, 2009.
  34. 1 2 Burr, Ty (April 2, 1999). "The Rugrats Movie (1999)". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved December 24, 2009.
  35. ↑ "Rugrats in Paris - The Movie". rottentomatoes.com. November 17, 2000. Retrieved May 16, 2015.
  36. ↑ "Rugrats Go Wild". rottentomatoes.com. June 13, 2003. Retrieved May 16, 2015.

External links

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