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"RUGRATS GO WILD"
(2003) (voices of Tim Curry, E.G. Daily) (PG)

Alcohol/
Drugs
Blood/Gore Disrespectful/
Bad Attitude
Frightening/
Tense Scenes
Guns/
Weapons
Minor Mild Moderate *Moderate None
Imitative
Behavior
Jump
Scenes
Music
(Scary/Tense)
Music
(Inappropriate)
Profanity
Mild None Mild None Minor
Sex/
Nudity
Smoking Tense Family
Scenes
Topics To
Talk About
Violence
*Minor None Mild Mild Mild


QUICK TAKE:
Children's Animated: The characters from "The Rugrats" meet those from "The Wild Thornberrys" when the former are marooned on an island where the latter are doing animal research.
PLOT:
The cast from the Rugrats - adults Stu (voice of JACK RILEY) and Didi Pickles (voice of MELANIE CHARTOFF); Charlotte (voice of TRESS MacNEILLE) and Drew Pickles (voice of MICHAEL BELL); and Betty (voice of KATH SOUCIE) and Howard DeVille (voice of PHIL PROCTOR), along with kids Chuckie (voice of NANCY CARTWRIGHT), Angelica (voice of CHERYL CHASE), Tommy (voice of E.G. DAILY), Phil and Lil Deville (voice of KATH SOUCIE), Susie Carmichael (voice of CREE SUMMER) and Dil Pickles (voice of TARA STRONG) - are set to go on a cruise accompanied by the Pickles' pet dog, Spike (voice of BRUCE WILLIS).

Little do the rest know that Stu has arranged to captain them on a small boat rather than have them board a luxury ocean liner. After setting sail, it's not long before they capsize and end up marooned on an apparently deserted isle.

They're not alone, however, as the cast from The Wild Thornberrys - adults Nigel (voice of TIM CURRY) and Marianne (voice of JODI CARLISLE), teenager Debbie (voice of DANIELLE HARRIS), 12-year-old Eliza (voice of LACEY CHABERT) and wild younger brother Donnie (voice of FLEA), along with Eliza's primate friend, Darwin (TOM KANE) - are also there. It seems that Nigel and Marianne are trying to find an elusive leopard, much to the chagrin of their kids.

When various members of the Rugrats meet their counterparts in the Thornberrys, all sorts of bedlam breaks out.

WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT?
If they're fans of either or both sets of animated characters and shows, it's a good bet they will.
WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: PG
For mild crude humor.
CAST AS ROLE MODELS:
It's unclear whether kids view animated characters as role models, but here's a quick look at the major characteristics of the main characters.
  • TOMMY is an adventurous one-year-old kid who idolizes Nigel and wants to find him.
  • CHUCKIE is his two-year-old friend who has a run-in with Donnie and ends up changing places with him.
  • PHIL & LIL are the somewhat odd twins who hang out with Tommy and Chuckie, with Lil trying to break Phil of his habit of eating bugs.
  • ANGELICA is Tommy's bratty and bossy three-year-old cousin.
  • SPIKE is the carefree and adventurous family dog who suddenly realizes that Eliza can understand him.
  • NIGEL THORNBERRY is a British explorer who's after an elusive leopard but ends up thinking he's a kid when he gets bonked on the head.
  • ELIZA is his daughter who can talk to animals but isn't happy that they're out in the wilderness again.
  • DEBBIE is her older, teenage sister who's similarly not happy about being in the wild.
  • DONNIE is their younger, wild-child brother.
  • CAST, CREW, & TECHNICAL INFO

    HOW OTHERS RATED THIS MOVIE


    Curious if this title is entertaining, any good, and/or has any artistic merit?
    Then read OUR TAKE of this film.


    (Note: The "Our Take" review of this title examines the film's artistic merits and does not take into account any of the possibly objectionable material listed below).


    OUR WORD TO PARENTS:
    Here's a brief summary of the content found in this children's animated film that's been rated PG. That rating comes from various instances of crude humor including diaper talk, bird excrement landing on characters' faces and material involving nasal mucus and urinating.

    As in many such animated films aimed at young kids, some scenes could be unsettling, suspenseful or even downright scary to younger kids, although older ones will probably have little or no problem with scenes of a leopard chasing and trying to attack various characters, some peril at sea and other such moments.

    The bare butts of young cartoon characters are occasionally seen, while some imitative behavior and bad attitudes are present. Some slapstick style material occurs, while some characters push others aside and some wildlife tries to attack various characters.

    Should you still be concerned about the film's appropriateness for yourself or anyone else in your home, you may want to look more closely at our detailed listings for more specific information regarding the film's content.


    ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE
  • Various characters hold drinks in a few scenes, but it's impossible to tell what's in them (other than one scene where people have what looks like champagne).
  • BLOOD/GORE
  • We hear the sound of a character vomiting over the side of the boat (from being seasick).
  • One of the babies has its finger in its nose and then puts it in its mouth.
  • We see some mucus from Spike's nose.
  • Some bird excrement lands on Angelica's face.
  • We hear the sound of Chucky urinating in the jungle.
  • Spike claims that his dog nose is out of order and adds, "I can't even smell my own butt."
  • We hear the sound of Spike urinating and briefly see some of that liquid.
  • Bird excrement (from several birds) lands on a leopard.
  • We see a mucus bubble from Nigel's nose.
  • DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE
  • Angelica is bossy and only wants her way.
  • Debbie has a typical teen attitude about not wanting to be doing something she doesn't want to do.
  • A leopard chases after and tries to attack Spike, and later chases after the babies.
  • Various adults argue with each other and blame Stu for their problems while seemingly marooned on a deserted isle and under stress.
  • FRIGHTENING SCENES
  • The following may be suspenseful or scary to very young kids, but older ones probably won't have any problem with any of it.
  • Tommy and his young friends are in the jungle when they encounter a ferocious looking tiger that chases and bites at them. They eventually elude it, but then encounter an initially menacing-looking crocodile. They then end up sinking in some mud, but all of that turns out to have been the imagination of one/all of them as Angelica tells a story of such adventures and dangers (in the backyard).
  • The Rugrats crew (adults and kids) face a rough storm at sea and then see and are hit by a huge tidal wave that completely engulfs their small boat. It goes underwater, but then resurfaces (bottom up).
  • A leopard chases after Spike (but it's mostly done in a lively musical number).
  • An RV sinks in a body of water, but Debbie manages to escape and swim to safety.
  • There's another scene where a leopard chases after the babies (done in an action/adventure sort of fashion and they all escape).
  • Angelica pilots a small sub that goes out of control. It then lands deep at the bottom of a body of water with no power and a dwindling amount of oxygen (Nigel reports that and we see the needle near empty on the gauge). They're eventually rescued in the nick of time.
  • Spike encounters big waves that crash down upon him as he tries to swim out to retrieve something.
  • GUNS/WEAPONS
  • None.
  • IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR
  • Phrases: "Lame-o," "Dorky," "You are an idiot," "Jeez," "I can't even smell my own butt," "Who put the poo in pooch?" "Sniff my butt," "Who cut the cheese?" and "Skanky."
  • A kid blows a raspberry.
  • Debbie wears a midriff-revealing top and speaks in stereotypical "Valley Girl" type lingo.
  • Donnie gives Chuckie a "wedgie."
  • Phil keeps wanting to eat bugs.
  • Debbie loudly belches.
  • JUMP SCENES
  • None.
  • MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE)
  • A mild amount of suspenseful music plays in the film.
  • MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE)
  • None.
  • PROFANITY
  • At least what sounded like 1 use of "Oh my God" as an exclamation.
  • SEX/NUDITY
  • We see Tommy's cartoon bare butt when a tiger grabs his diaper and pulls it away from him.
  • Nigel offhandedly comments on a wild creature that wants to "feast on my nether regions."
  • Various babies purposefully pull down their own diapers and we briefly see their bare cartoon butts.
  • We briefly see Charlotte (an adult) in her non-sexy, non-revealing underwear.
  • We see Debbie in a bikini top, but it's not revealing or provocative.
  • We see Chucky in his underwear.
  • SMOKING
  • None.
  • TENSE FAMILY SCENES
  • Debbie and Eliza aren't happy that their parents aren't ever around and that they don't take a normal family vacation.
  • Marianne says that she and Nigel should split up (to find a Leopard) and he replies that he thought they were happy together (and then realizes what she was talking about).
  • Some of the babies think they'll never see their parents again and start crying.
  • TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT
  • Getting along with others.
  • Animal researchers.
  • Being prepared for the worst.
  • VIOLENCE
  • A woman pushes a man aside.
  • Charlotte pushes a guy aside to go for a cell phone and then pushes someone aside again.
  • Donnie throws a muffin that hits Debbie in the face (and others then fall on her head).
  • Angelica stubs her toe.
  • Darwin slams into some tree branches, but isn't hurt.
  • Spike pushes Darwin back against a tree.
  • Nigel accidentally falls, bounces down a cliff and lands (crotch-first) on a branch. He then falls off that, bounces some more and lands on the ground.
  • A log hits a leopard as it chases after Spike (and occasionally swipes at him with its claws).
  • Nigel bumps his head and then thinks that he's a kid.
  • A leopard swipes at Nigel and apparently cuts his finger (we don't see the wound).
  • A character falls backwards with a ladder (we don't see the impact with the ground).
  • Some huts collapse like dominos.
  • Nigel hits his head several times inside a sub (that has him regain full sense).



  • Reviewed June 7, 2003 / Posted June 13, 2003

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