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BY BRIAN LIBBY |
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The Rugrats Rated G Now playing As any remotely savvy moviegoer knows, there may be nothing more pleasing to a bottom line-driven Hollywood studio executive (save for the scampi pizza at Spago) than phrases like "built-in audience" and "repeat viewings." Like an undefeated racehorse going into the Kentucky Derby, a Hollywood film that can hedge its bankrollers' bets with a proven track record is sure to have a place in the release schedule. Of course, this doesn't always lead to a box-office bonanza, but it's the kind of calculated risk that investors look for. Add to this equation what most parents are looking for in a movie for their children: basic, wholesome entertainment with no unwanted surprises. Both moneylenders and mommies want a safe bet. Suddenly, the act of bringing a popular children's cable-television cartoon series like Nickelodeon's Rugrats to the big screen is as easy as taking popcorn from a baby. For the past seven years, Rugrats has been a ratings winner, entertaining children with its baby's-eye view of the world and keeping the channel-changing impulses of their parents at bay with the occasional wink of adult-level humor. While the film version of Rugrats features enhanced animation, an expanded story and a soundtrack featuring everyone from Busta Rhymes to Iggy Pop, it still obeys the adage "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." The film begins with a big event for our familiar Pickles family: the birth of a child. New son Dil (that's right, Dil Pickle) is, of course, loved by the entire clan. But the baby's constant crying and a lack of attention eventually begin to crack the caring facade of big brother Tommy. Before Dil knows it, Tommy and his fellow toddlers have concocted a plan to return the newborn to the "hop-sickle" (Rugrat-speak for hospital). Chaos quickly ensues as the baby brigade loses control of its Reptar Wagon (one of Mr. Pickle's many goofy and disastrous inventions), a sort of electric car for toddlers. After a frenzied jaunt through town that's full of near misses, the tots find themselves lost in a forest far from home. Soon they encounter a mysterious wizard, a ferocious wolf and a pack of escaped circus monkeys. But the Rugrats are a brave bunch (especially to people whose craniums have yet to harden), and parents can rest assured that everything will turn out OK in the end. Rugrats is a cute little television show that knows how to entertain children time after time--to the tune of 19 small-screen broadcasts a week. Parents looking for that safe bet will probably not regret choosing this as a film they take their kids to over the Thanksgiving holiday. As with all movies borne of television shows, though, one can't help
but wonder what movie was not made so that Rugrats could
be repackaged for the silver screen. Somewhere in the trash bin of a
Hollywood studio may be the script for a new, original film that could
have dazzled your children with fresh ideas and a captivating new spin.
Think of your favorite childhood film and imagine if its creators had
shelved it in favor of a film version of, say, Howdy Doody. Yes,
your children will probably love the movie version of Rugrats,
but luckily they'll never know its cost.
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