The Rugrats Movie
USA 1998
Reviewed by Amanda Lipman
Synopsis
Our synopses give away the plot in full, including surprise twists.
Didi Pickles, heavily pregnant, goes into labour during her baby shower, and Tommy Pickles' brother Dylan is born. As the family struggles with the screaming baby, Stu, Tommy's father, races to finish his new toy invention, a 'Reptar' car. Playing at returning baby Dylan to the hospital, Tommy, Chuckie, twins Phil and Lil plus baby Dylan find themselves racing down the road in the Reptar. They end up in a forest where they must deal with a wolf, some monkeys who have escaped from a circus, river rapids, and their own squabbles. Meanwhile Tommy's cousin Angelica roller-skates after them in search of her Cynthia doll, which the toddlers have inadvertently taken. Helped by a park ranger, and using one of Stu's aerial inventions, the anxious parents are finally reunited with their children.
Review
If Michael and Eliot, the benighted admen of the gloopy but mesmerising television series thirtysomething, had ever had to come up with a cartoon idea, The Rugrat Movie would have been it: a freewheeling take on the lives of an extended family, friends and neighbours, crammed with satire, cute observation, irony and sentiment. The characters, from droopy inventor Stu Pickles to his diaper-clad, heroic son, Tommy, are a little freakish but lovable. If the adults are the butt of the satirical humour - such as the ode to modern birth that takes place in a maternity arts centre, where mothers can deliver in Tibetan yak rooms or rustic field areas - they are also the backdrop to the colourful lives of the combo of toddlers.
Trapped in their infant bodies and personalities, Tommy, Chuckie, Angelica and twins Phil and Lil live in the fantastic world of their own imaginations while grappling with the real-life adult world. The film turns an adult lens on an infant's eye view and tunes the peculiar logic of the toddler world up to the highest pitch, motivating the kids' lively jaunts and providing adults with plenty of opportunities for observational humour. (Tommy, for instance, turns his father's words about responsibility towards his brother into an adventure around the theme of what he calls "sponsitility".) Crashing up against the realism is the 100-mile-an-hour, hyper-cartoon fantasy, with zooming cameras and scary visuals, in which the toddlers lead charmed lives, roller-coastering up and down trees, rivers, busy roads, without the slightest sense that they might get hurt. An approximation, perhaps, of how they experience their lives?
The other elements in the mix are the unashamed dollops of affection and sentimentality. You cannot but love Tommy Pickles in his struggle to come to terms with the fact that his long-awaited baby brother is a greedy, selfish monster. But that monster, Dylan, finally learns to love his older brother. By the same token, Tommy's vituperative cousin Angelica has become the heroine of a host of three-year-old girls, who slavishly identify with her. It's as if they understand that if Tommy represents what we would like them to be, Angelica is what we sometimes feel we've got. But while the characters are defined by particular qualities, they do not always play to type: Angelica can be kind and Tommy can be selfish. The extremes that are thrown up, where a devilish child suddenly becomes a darling little creature, seem to hit the mark of real life. And there's something about the film's roving sympathy that gives it surprising depth, mocking and embracing its characters - adults and kids - in quick succession.
Credits
- Producers
- Arlene Klasky
- Gabor Csupo
- Screenplay
- David N. Weiss
- J. David Stem
- Rugrats Created by
- Arlene Klasky
- Gabor Csupo
- Paul Germain
- Supervising Editor
- John Bryant
- Art Director
- Dima Malanitchev
- Music
- Mark Mothersbaugh
- ©Paramount Pictures/Viacom International Inc
- Production Companies
- Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon Movies present a Klasky/Csupo production
- Executive Producers
- Albie Hecht
- Debby Beece
- Co-producers
- Hal Waite
- Eryk Casemiro
- Julia Pistor
- Executives in Charge of Production
- Tracy Kramer
- Terry Thoren
- Supervising Production Co-ordinators
- Ramsey Ann Naito
- K. Patrick Stapleton
- Production Co-ordinators
- Krista N. Albitz
- Maria Guerra
- Andy Haug
- Ed Johnson
- Robin Kay
- Penelope Parr Thornton
- Production Managers
- Sean Lurie
- Digital:
- Jerry Mills
- Sequence Directors
- Zhenia Delioussine
- Paul Demeyer
- Raymie Muzquiz
- Peter Shin
- Andrei Svislotsky
- Additional:
- Toni Vian
- Vitaly Shafirov
- Voice Direction
- Charlie Adler
- Norton Virgien
- Casting
- Barbara Wright
- Co-ordinator:
- Stephán A. McKenzie
- Voice:
- Barbara Harris
- Original Characters Design
- Arlene Klasky
- Gabor Csupo
- Peter Chung
- Additional Characters Design
- Steve Fellner
- Konstantin Valov
- Baby Dil/Reptar Wagon Design
- Igor Kovalyov
- Supervising Animation Timing Directors
- Raymie Muzquiz
- Debbie Baber
- Animation Timing
- Ray Claffey
- Phil Cummings
- Jaime Diaz
- Neal Warner
- Additional:
- Richard Kim
- Lead Technical Directors
- Steven A. Mills
- Celine Petker
- Technical Directors
- Mike Giles
- Alexandra Goedrich
- Robert King
- Dan Larsen
- Kurt Reinholtz
- Denise Wogatzke
- CGI Conceptual Designer
- Dale Herigstad
- CGI Animators
- Dot the i Productions
- Alisa L. Klein
- Mark Levitz
- Jim Ovelmen
- Joe Tseung
- Digital Scanners
- Tom Bonzon
- Devala Marshall
- Overseas Animation Supervisor
- Annie Elvin
- Animation Production
- Grimsaem Animation Co Ltd, Seoul, Korea
- Executive Producer:
- Kang Han-Young
- Supervising Director:
- Park Jong-Chul
- Managing Director:
- Kim Joo-Suk
- Directors:
- Lee Sung-Woo
- Lee Choon-Young
- Baek Dong-Yuel
- Production Manager:
- An Jae-Ho
- Production Co-ordinator:
- Kim Byeung-Gon
- Animators:
- Kim Jae-Woung
- Kwon Hyuk-Jae
- Lee See-Chang
- Chun Young-Hwan
- Yang Sun-Jin
- Shim Sang-Sul
- Im Kyeung-Man
- Lee Byeung-Kwan
- Min Kyung-Suk
- Kim Kyung-Yoen
- Lee Gi-Dong
- Jung Kyung-Sup
- Kang Won-Ghu
- Kim Jae-Jung
- Yang Jin-Chul
- Cho Seung-Ki
- Model Checkers:
- Jo Su-Mi
- Song Jung-Hwa
- Im Yeo-Hee
- Kim Mung-Wha
- Han Yeung-Ok
- Kim Gi-Ran
- Final Checkers:
- Kim Seug-Kuk
- Kim Koung-Ho
- Won Dan-Ae
- Line Tester:
- Kim Jong-Tae
- Digital Paint Production
- Sunwoo Digital International
- Technical Director:
- Park Sang-Wook
- Scanners:
- Oh Yeon-Suk
- Oh Jeong-Hyun
- Lee Yong-Jin
- Choi Inn-Za
- Sin Cha-Ho
- Painters:
- Jang Woo-Sin
- Im Ja-Eun
- Kim Yeon-Jung
- Kim Seoung-Hwan
- Park Kyung-Hee
- Jung Woo-Sung
- Lim Sang-Hyung
- Shin Young-Ah
- Shon Jung-Young
- Animation/Digital Production Services
- Sunwoo Entertainment, Los Angeles
- Production Executive:
- Jay E. Moh
- Production Co-ordinator:
- Diane Oh
- Additional Animation Production in USA
- Class-Key Chew-Po Commercials
- Executive Producers:
- Elizabeth Seidman
- John Andrews
- Animators:
- Bonita Versh
- Rebecca Bristow
- Eduardo Olivares
- Tom Decker
- Effects Animation Designer
- Dexter Reed
- Workbook Directors
- Mark Marren
- Additional:
- Steve Loter
- Wes Smith
- Head Checker
- Diane Matranga
- Checkers
- Séan Dempsey
- Karen Hansen
- Glenn Higa
- Lin-Z Rogers
- Carol Yao
- Character Layout Supervisor
- Andrei Svislotsky
- Character Layout Artists
- Erben Detablin
- Ernie Elicanal
- Gerard 'Gerry' T. Galang
- Freddie Fernandez
- Ray Indolos
- Mike Kim
- Eric Lara
- Lee Young Soo
- Juanito 'Tom' Madrid Jr
- Dan O'Sullivan
- Benjie Pabulos
- Jessie Romero
- Shu Kang Lin
- Background Layout Supervisors
- Mark Marren
- Panagiotis Rappas
- Background Layout Artists
- Young Baek
- William Roger B. Bon
- Marco Cinello
- Delmindo Datuin
- Bismarck 'Butch' Datuin
- Paul Gil
- Fides Gutierrez
- Bela Kerek
- Lee Ki Suk
- Willie Martinez
- Larry Miravalles
- Renato 'Joey' Otacan
- Leo Quintua
- Ryu Jae Heung
- Amado Sangalang
- Poe Tan
- John Yee
- Overseas Layout Supervisor
- Simon Ward-Horner
- Additional Layout
- London Stardust Pictures
- Production Manager:
- Gayle Martin
- Layout:
- Panagiotis Rappas
- Brendan Houghton
- Alan Kerswell
- Neal Petty
- Mark Broeking
- Lee Taylor
- Posing:
- Darren Vandenberg
- Dave McFall
- Katerina Manolessou
- Katerina Kremasoti
- Hara Cfryi
- Computer Storyboards:
- Martyn Jones
- Chris Haralambous
- Executive Producers:
- Alfonso Weinlein
- Thad Weinlein
- Background Designers
- Alex Diltz
- Brian Rich
- Additional Design
- Louie Del Carmen
- Gena Kornyshev
- Laslo Nosek
- Sharon Ross
- Sergey Shramkovski
- Jeffrey Varab
- Steve Small
- Todd Waterman
- Digital Background Painters
- Olga Andreyeva
- Gena Kornyshev
- Micky Rose
- Digital Painters
- Sam Ades
- Mike Giles
- Shawn Ahn Lee
- Devala Marshall
- Fabio Novias
- Editors
- Kimberly Rettberg
- Pre-production:
- Peter Tomaszewicz
- Storyboard Artists
- Peter Avanzino
- Peter Chung
- Sam Cornell
- Vitaly Shafirov
- Gyula Szabo
- Robert Taylor
- Toni Vian
- Zhu Kang Lin
- Additional:
- Marco Cinello
- Alex Diltz
- Charles Klein
- Jeff McGrath
- Shawn Murray
- Mark Risley
- Monika Tomova
- Bonita Versh
- Rossen Varbanov
- Barry Vodos
- Dave Williams
- Additional Music
- Jamshied Sharifi
- Music Performed by
- The London Metropolitan Orchestra
- Orchestra Conductors
- Allan Wilson
- Jamshied Sharifi
- Orchestra Leader
- Tom Bowes
- Orchestrations
- Bruce Fowler
- John Bell
- Walter Fowler
- Christopher Guardino
- Vladimir Horunzhy
- Ladd McIntosh
- Yvonne Moriarty
- Carlos Rodriguez
- Miyuki Sakamoto
- Steven Scott Smalley
- Music Supervisor
- Karyn Rachtman
- Music Production
- Supervisor:
- Graham Walker
- Co-ordinator:
- Liz Schrek
- Music Editors
- Michael Baber
- Jennifer (Jiffy) Blank
- Kim Naves
- Music Score Recorder
- Mike Ross-Trevor
- Music Score Mixer
- Shawn Murphy
- Soundtrack
- "Rugrats Theme" by Mark Mothersbaugh; "Raiders March" by John Williams; "All Day" by/performed by Lisa Loeb; "A Baby Is a Gift from a Bob" by Mark Mothersbaugh, performed by Cheryl Chase, Cree Summer; "This World Is Something New to Me" by Mark Mothersbaugh, performed by Dawn Robinson, Lisa Loeb, B Real, Patti Smith, Lou Rawls, Laurie Anderson, Gordon Gano, Fred Schneider, Kate Pierson, Cindy Wilson of the B-52s, Phife, Lenny Kravitz, Beck, Jakob Dylan, Iggy Pop; "Take the Train" by Danny Saber, Rakim, performed by Rakim, DannySaber; "Dull-a-Bye" by Mark Mothersbaugh, performed by E.G. Daily, Melanie Chartoff, Jack Riley; "On Your Marks, Get Set, Ready, Go!" by Trevor Smith, performed by Busta Rhymes; "One Way or Another" by Debbie Harry, Nigel Harrison, performed by Blondie, "One Way or Another" by Debbie Harry, Nigel Harrison, additional lyric by Eryk Casemiro, performed by Cheryl Chase; "Wild Ride" by Kevin Krakower, Mario Caldato Jr, Lisa Stone, performed by Kevi from 1000 Clowns featuring Lisa Stone; "Yo Ho Ho and a Bottle of Yum!" by Mark Mothersbaugh, performed by E.G. Daily, Christine Cavanaugh, Kath Soucie; "Witch Doctor" by Ross Bagdasarian, performed by Devo; "Dil-a-Bye" by Mark Mothersbaugh, performed by E.G. Daily; "Also sprach Zarathustra" by Richard Strauss; "Take Me There" by Teddy Riley, Tamara Savage, Madeline Nelson, Mason Betha, Michael Foster, performed by Blackstreet and MYA featuring Ma$e and Blinky Blink; "I Throw My Toys Around" by Elvis Costello, Cait O'Riordan, performed by No Doubt featuring Elvis Costello
- Dialogue Recordists
- Kurt Vanzo
- Peter Carlstedt
- Re-recording Mixers
- Steve Pederson
- Gary Alexander
- Tom Perry
- Supervising Sound Editor
- Kurt Vanzo
- Sound Editors
- Beth Sterner
- David Cohn
- Chris Welch
- Lead Dialogue Editor
- Jeremy Pitts
- Dialogue Editors
- Clare Freeman
- Jeff Payne
- Additional:
- Mike Myles
- Michelle Rochester
- Sound Effects Editors
- Lead:
- David Eccles
- Additional:
- Rick Arbuckle
- Daniel Ben-Shimon
- Daniel Cubert
- Robert Duran
- Robert Hache
- Derek Pipert
- Derek Vanderhorst
- ADR
- Mixer:
- Bob Baron
- Foley
- Artists:
- Sarah Monat
- Robin Harlan
- Mixer:
- Randy K. Singer
- Supervising Editor:
- Scott Curtis
- Editor:
- Christopher Flick
- Executive Consultant
- Paul Germain
- Voice Cast
- E.G. Daily
- Tommy Pickles
- Christine Cavanaugh
- Chuckie Finster
- Kath Soucie
- Philip Deville/
Lillian Deville - Melanie Chartoff
- Didi Pickles
- Kath Soucie
- Betty Deville
- Phil Proctor
- Howard Deville
- Cree Summer
- Susie Carmichael
- Mary Gross
- woman guest
- Kevin McBride
- male guest
- Andrea Martin
- Aunt Miriam
- Michael Bell
- Chas Finster
- Melanie Chartoff
- Minka
- Michael Bell
- Grandpa Boris
- Tress MacNeille
- Charlotte Pickles
- Michael Bell
- Drew Pickles
- Jack Riley
- Stu Pickles
- Busta Rhymes
- Reptar Wagon
- Joe Alaskey
- Grandpa Lou Pickles
- Cheryl Chase
- Angelica Pickles
- Tony Jay
- Dr Lipshitz
- Edie McClurg
- nurse
- Hattie Winston
- Dr Lucy Carmichael
- Laurie Anderson
- Beck
- B Real
- Jakob Dylan
- Phife
- Gordon Gano
- Iggy Pop
- Lenny Kravitz
- Lisa Loeb
- Lou Rawls
- Patti Smith
- Dawn Robinson
- Fred Schneider
- Kate Pierson
- Cindy Wilson of the B-52's
- newborn babies
- Tara Charendoff
- Dylan Pickles
- Gregg Berger
- Circus TV announcer
- Philip Proctor
- Igor
- Abe Benrubi
- Serge
- Charlie Adler
- United Express driver
- Roger Clinton
- air crewman
- Margaret Cho
- Lieutenant Klavin
- Steve Zirnkilton
- Robin Groth
- Angel Harper
- reporters
- Tim Curry
- Rex Pester
- Whoopi Goldberg
- Ranger Margaret
- David Spade
- Ranger Frank
- Bob Dunn Animals
- Mark Watters Animal Rentals
- monkey vocals
- Certificate
- U
- Distributor
- United International Pictures (UK) Ltd
- 7,203 feet
- 80 minutes 2 seconds
- Dolby/DTS
- Colour by
- DeLuxe