The Wild Thornberrys Movie

MOVIE DESCRIPTION:

The Nickelodeon cartoon series The Wild Thornberrys gets its first feature-length animated film, directed by show creator Cathy Malkasian with a screenplay by Kate Boutilier (writer of Nickelodeon's Rugrats in Paris). The main character is 12-year-old Eliza Thornberry (voice of Lacey Chabert), a braces-and-glasses-wearing eccentric girl in an adventurous family of travelers. Due to an interaction with a shaman, she has been granted the special power of communication with animals, as long as she promises not to tell anyone about it. Her powers are challenged when her parents, Nigel (voice of Tim Curry) and Marianne (voice of Jodi Carlisle), decide to take the family on an African safari to make a nature documentary. Also along for the trip is snobby sister Debbie (voice of Danielle Harris), feral youngster Donnie (voice of Flea from the Red Hot Chili Peppers), and pet chimpanzee Darwin (voice of Tom Kane). After her new Cheetah cub friend is stolen by poachers, Eliza is determined to get involved. However, the stuffy Thornberry grandparents get in the way by sending her to boarding school. It's up to Eliza and Darwin to defeat the poachers and save the cub. Also featuring the voice talents of Brenda Blethyn and Lynn Redgrave. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, Rovi

DVD FEATURES:

• Region: 1
• Number of Discs: 1
• Audio: Dolby Surround
• Screen: Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV
• Features:
  • cc
  • Music video: "Father and Daughter" by Paul Simon
  • The Wild Thornberrys PC game demo
  • Theatrical trailer
  • Includes both: Full screen version & Widescreen versions (enhanced for 16:9 tvs)
  • Dolby Digital: English 5.1 Surround, English Dolby Surround, French Dolby Surround
  • English subtitles

AWARDS

• Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

•     Nominated Best Song - 2002 (Paul Simon)

• Broadcast Film Critics Association

•     Nominated Best Song - 2003 (Paul Simon)
•     Nominated Best Song - 2002 (Paul Simon)

• Hollywood Foreign Press Association

•     Nominated Best Original Song - 2002 (Paul Simon)

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

• Cast:

  
       Lacey Chabert - Eliza Thornberry
       Tom Kane - Darwin
       Tim Curry - Nigel Thornberry
       Tim Curry - Colonel Thornberry
       Lynn Redgrave - Cordelia Thornberry
       Jodi Carlisle - Marianne Thornberry
       Danielle Harris - Debbie Thornberry
       Flea - Donnie Thornberry
       Rupert Everett - Sloan Blackburn
       Marisa Tomei - Bree Blackburn
       Melissa Greenspan - Sarah Wellington
       Obba Babatunde - Boko
       Kevin Richardson - Shaman Mnyambo
       Alfre Woodard - Akela
       Brock Peters - Jomo
       Brenda Blethyn - Mrs. Fairgood

• Director:

  Cathy Malkasian, Jeff McGrath

• Producer:

  Gabor Csupo, Arlene Klasky

• Screenwriter:

  Kate Boutilier

• Composer (Music Score):

  Randy Kerber, Drew Neumann

• Editor:

  John Bryant

• Production Designer:

  Dima Malanitchev

• Co-producer:

  Tracy Kramer, Norton Virgien, Terry Thoren, Sean Lurie

• Executive Producer:

  Julia Pistor, Eryk Casemiro, Albie Hecht, Hal Waite

• Sound/Sound Designer:

  Eddie Bydalek, Eric Flickinger

• Casting:

  Barbara Bell Wright

• Voice Director:

  Charlie Adler

• Executive Music Producer:

  George Acogny

• Additional Music:

  Randy Kerber

• Supervising Sound Editor:

  Beth Sterner

• Sequence Director:

  Paul Demeyer

• Animation Producer:

  Sunwoo Entertainment

• Sequence Director:

  John Holmquist, Sylvia Keulen, Frank Marino, Greg Tiernan

REVIEW:

• The Wild Thornberrys Movie is a surprisingly good little film, one of the better animated-TV-series-to-film transfers. While the quality of the animation is not up to par with the best of Disney, it's much more than acceptable, and far above the quality of the TV series from which it is derived. Quality of animation is, of course, important in a cartoon; but as long as it meets a certain level, that factor is actually less important than script and characters. Thornberrys does very well in both of these departments. The story is engaging and unusual, and the screenwriters have written dialogue that is flavorful and occasionally memorable. The characters are clearly defined; even those that on the surface are rather stereotypical (such as older daughter Debbie) have a degree of depth and originality. Most of all, Thornberrys has heart, and has this valuable quality without becoming cloying and syrupy. The movie has its flaws, of course, such as Nickelodeon's trademark dependence on low humor. These are fortunately made up for by its sterling cast, which add considerably to the film's success. Throw in an eclectic and fairly hip soundtrack, and the result is a family cartoon that adults will enjoy with their children. ~ Craig Butler, Rovi