Rugrats Go Wild
Rugrats Go Wild (originally titled The Rugrats Meet the Wild Thornberrys) is a 2003 American animated crossover adventure film[3] based on the Nickelodeon animated television series Rugrats and The Wild Thornberrys.[6] It is the final installment of both the Rugrats and The Wild Thornberrys film series and the sequel to both the films Rugrats in Paris: The Movie (2000) and The Wild Thornberrys Movie (2002). The film takes place after the ninth season of Rugrats and the fifth season of The Wild Thornberrys. Christine Cavanaugh, the original voice of Chuckie Finster, was replaced by Nancy Cartwright.[7][8]
The film was produced by Nickelodeon Movies and Klasky Csupo and released in theaters on June 13, 2003, by Paramount Pictures. Rugrats Go Wild grossed $55.4 million worldwide[5] and received unfavorable reviews from critics. The film used "Odorama", which allowed people to smell odors and aromas from the film using scratch and sniff cards (reminiscent of 1960s Smell-O-Vision). The film serves as a series finale for both Rugrats and The Wild Thornberrys.
Plot[edit]
The Rugrats go on an imaginary safari with Tommy impersonating Nigel Thornberry, who is his role model and spoofs his nature show; the babies and their families are about to go on vacation on the Lipschitz cruise ship. When the families arrive at the dock, they miss the Lipschitz cruise. Tommy's father, Stu, has rented a ramshackle boat which he reveals to be their real mode of transportation, and their real vacation behind their backs. The families are angered that Stu did not consult them on his plans, and soon the boat is flipped over by a rogue wave during a tropical storm. Everyone is forced to abandon the ship and board a life raft as the ship sinks. Everyone blames Stu for causing all of this and lose hope of being saved.
The next morning, they arrive on a small, seemingly uninhabited island in the South China Sea. The adults make Betty the leader after Didi forbids Stu from volunteering, much to his chagrin. On the opposite side of the island is the famous globe-trotting family, the Thornberrys out to film a clouded leopard. Tommy, Chuckie, and the rest of the kids, except for Angelica, set off to find Nigel, for they suspect he is somewhere on the island. Along the way, Chuckie gets lost and runs into the Thornberry's son Donnie, who steals Chuckie's clothes, forcing Chuckie to wear Donnie's shorts.
Meanwhile, Eliza Thornberry is exploring the jungle with Darwin, her chimpanzee companion, and runs into Spike, the Pickles' dog. Since Eliza can talk to animals, Spike is heard speaking; he informs her that his babies are lost somewhere on the island. Under the impression that Spike means he is looking for puppies, Eliza and a reluctant Darwin agree to help him find them. Following a close encounter with Siri, an angry clouded leopard whom Spike believes to be just a regular domestic cat, they learn that he meant human babies.
Simultaneously, Eliza's father, Nigel, finds the lost babies. He heads in their direction but ends up tumbling down a hill and suffers amnesia after a coconut falls on his head, which reverts him to his three year-old self. They encounter Siri, but Donnie fends her off; Chuckie finds him and they get back their clothes. After escaping from Siri on a high-speed pram, the gang lands in a crater. Angelica runs into Debbie Thornberry, and takes off with Debbie in the Thornberry's all-purpose mobile communication vehicle (commvee). In order to get back faster, Angelica steals the Thornberry's bathysphere, accidentally sinking the commvee in her attempt to pilot it, but manages to find and retrieve the babies and Nigel.
Meanwhile, Stu, who has managed to create a working coconut radio, and the other parents run into Donnie. After chasing him down the beach, they run into Marianne Thornberry, the mother of Eliza and Debbie and the wife of Nigel. Stu's coconut radio picks up the babies, Angelica having accidentally turned on the bathysphere's radio. Angelica and Susie, while fighting for control, have crashed the bathysphere at the bottom of the ocean. Nigel hits his head in the crash and reverts back to his normal self. Stu comes up with a successful plan to raise the commvee, and Marianne then uses the automatic-retrieval system to rescue Nigel and the babies just as the air runs out.
The babies and Nigel are reunited with their respective families, with Stu being thanked and forgiven, and everyone gets on board the Lipschitz cruise. The Thornberrys join them, too, deciding that they should take a vacation, much to Debbie's delight, and Spike vows never to lose his babies again.
Production[edit]
Rugrats Go Wild was originally made by Klasky Csupo's television unit (directed by Mark Risley and written by Kate Boutilier), but after screenings, Paramount decided it should be shelved and remade into a feature film.
Home media[edit]
Rugrats Go Wild was released on VHS and DVD on December 16, 2003, by Paramount Home Video. Most VHS copies included a "Smell-O-Vision" scratch-and-sniff card, as did most initial run DVDs. Later copies of the DVD did not include additional cards, but did retain the option to view the film with the scratch-and-sniff icons on.
On March 15, 2011, along with The Rugrats Movie and Rugrats in Paris: The Movie, the film was re-released in a three-disc movie trilogy collection DVD set, in honor of Rugrats' 20th anniversary.[11]
On August 29, 2017, Rugrats Go Wild was re-released on DVD.
On March 8, 2022, along with The Rugrats Movie and Rugrats in Paris: The Movie, the film was released on Blu-ray as part of the trilogy movie collection.[12][13]
Reception[edit]
Box office[edit]
The film grossed $39.4 million in the US and $55.4 million worldwide against a production budget of $25 million. The film earned less than each of the other two Rugrats films. The film opened at #4 behind Finding Nemo, 2 Fast 2 Furious, and Bruce Almighty.[14][5]
Critical response[edit]
On Rotten Tomatoes, it holds an approval rating of 39% based on 89 reviews and an average rating of 5/10. The site's critics consensus reads: "The Rugrats franchise has gone from fresh to formulaic."[4] Metacritic gives the film a weighted average score of 38 out of 100 based on 27 reviews, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews".[15] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A−" on an A+ to F scale.[16]
Neil Smith at the BBC gave the film 2 out of 5.[17] Film4 stated the film was not as bad as other reviews suggested but "it just doesn't hold a candle to 2002's charming and superior The Wild Thornberrys Movie".[18]