kids encyclopedia robot

Rugrats Go Wild facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Quick facts for kids
Rugrats Go Wild
The Rugrats sit atop a palm tree, with the Wild Thornberrys standing underneath
Theatrical release poster
Directed by
  • Norton Virgien
  • John Eng
Produced by
Written by Kate Boutilier
Starring
Music by Mark Mothersbaugh
Editing by
  • John Bryant
  • Kimberly Rettberg
Studio
Distributed by Paramount Pictures
Release date(s) June 13, 2003 (2003-06-13)
Running time 80 minutes
Country United States
Language English
Budget $25 million
Money made $55.4 million

Rugrats Go Wild is a 2003 American animated musical comedy crossover film based on the Nickelodeon animated television series Rugrats and The Wild Thornberrys. It is the third and final installment in the Rugrats film series as well as the second film in The Wild Thornberrys series. Christine Cavanaugh, the voice of Chuckie Finster, was replaced by Nancy Cartwright. The film was produced by Nickelodeon Movies and Klasky Csupo and released in theaters on June 13, 2003, by Paramount Pictures. Unlike the previous instalments, Rugrats Go Wild was received to largely unfavorable reviews and grossed only $55.4 million worldwide, making it the lowest grossing Rugrats film in the trilogy.

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).

Plot

The Rugrats go on an adventure through the safari. Tommy impersonates Nigel Thornberry, who is his role model and spoofs his nature show. The babies' broadcast is cut short when they come across a tiger and then a crocodile, both of which threaten them. Just as they begin sinking in quicksand and are nearly attacked, this is revealed as only imagination; 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 called the S.S. Nancy which he reveals to be their real mode of transportation, and their real vacation. 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. Things start looking up when Angelica sings about having hope on her karaoke machine (which resembles a toy piano) she brought, until Spike's tail accidentally knocks both her Cynthia doll and karaoke machine into the ocean.

The next morning, they arrive on a small, seemingly uninhabited island (possibly in Polynesia) and Angelica finds her Cynthia doll on the beach. The adults argue about who should be the leader. When it gets out of hand, Betty suggests a test: she draws a circle around the fighting adults and tells everyone to step out of the circle, saying that it is the bad circle. They all step out and say that they all feel better, except Stu, and make Betty the leader after Didi forbids him 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 them, for they suspect they are somewhere on the island. Along the way, Chuckie gets lost and runs into the Thornberry's child Donnie, who steals Chuckie's clothes, forcing Chuckie to wear Donnie's shorts. He laments on looking like a "wild boy".

Meanwhile, Eliza, the gifted Thornberry, is exploring about the jungle with Darwin, her chimpanzee companion and runs into Spike, the Pickles' dog. Since Eliza can talk to animals, Spike (now voiced by Bruce Willis) talks for the first time (although he spoke in Chuckie's dream sequence in the episode "In the Dreamtime"); 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 the 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. Angelica (going by "Angelitiki, the Island Princess") runs into Debbie, the teenage 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. She finds and retrieves the babies and Nigel.

Meanwhile, Stu, who has managed to create a working coconut radio, and the other parents run into Donnie, who is still wearing Chuckie's shoes. 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 bathysphere at the bottom of the ocean. Nigel hits his head in the crash and regains his memories.

With the other parents' help, Marianne then raises the commvee and uses the automatic-retrieval system to rescue Nigel and the babies just as the air runs out. They are reunited with their families and forgive Stu, and everyone finally gets on board the Lipschitz cruise. The Thornberrys join them too, deciding that they should take a vacation, much to Debbie's delight. Spike vows never to lose his babies again.

Cast

Main characters from Rugrats

Supporting characters from Rugrats

  • Jack Riley as Stu Pickles
  • Melanie Chartoff as Didi Pickles
  • Michael Bell as Drew Pickles and Chas Finster
  • Julia Kato as Kira Finster
  • Tress MacNeille as Charlotte Pickles
  • Phil Proctor as Howard DeVille
  • Kath Soucie as Betty DeVille
  • Joe Alaskey as Grandpa Lou Pickles
  • Tony Jay as Dr. Lipschitz. This was Jay's final film appearance before his death in August 2006.

The Wild Thornberrys

Guest stars

  • Bruce Willis as Spike (Rugrats)
  • Chrissie Hynde as Siri the leopard (The Wild Thornberrys)
  • Ethan Phillips as Toa (The Wild Thornberrys)

Production

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.

Among the biggest hype this movie received was Bruce Willis voicing Spike, and the use of "Odorama" cards to enhance the viewing experience, Burger King and Blockbuster released a scratch and sniff piece of cardboard that was to be scratched and sniffed during the run of the movie.

There were many complaints, that the only thing that the "Odorama" cards smelled like was cardboard. The Odorama card was somewhat of an homage to John Waters' (decidedly adult-oriented) film Polyester. Despite the homage, Waters felt he was ripped off and realized that New Line Cinema, the studio that released Polyester, didn't renew the copyright for Odorama. He later said that "a cheque would have been an homage".

"Odorama" cards would later be released with the DVD release of the movie. Early trailers for the film give the title The Rugrats Meet The Wild Thornberrys.

Release

During its initial theatrical run, Rugrats Go Wild was presented in "Smell-O-Vision". During certain scenes in the movie, an icon would pop up on screen with an item inside of it (example: a smelly shoe). When this happened, audience members would smell a scratch-and-sniff card (which were handed out at the box office) with the corresponding image.

Rating

Rugrats Go Wild is the only Rugrats film to receive a PG rating by the MPAA.

Home video

The film was released on videocassette and DVD on December 16, 2003. 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. The film is also available as a part of the Rugrats 3-disc set of all three films, as well as a double feature 2-disc set that also included The Rugrats Movie. The film was re-released on DVD on August 29, 2017.

Soundtrack

Rugrats Go Wild: Music from the Motion Picture
Soundtrack album by
Various Artists
Released June 10, 2003
Recorded 2002-2003
Genre
Length 49:36
Label Hollywood, Nick
Rugrats soundtrack chronology
Rugrats in Paris: Music From the Motion Picture
(2000)
Rugrats Go Wild: Music from the Motion Picture
(2003)
 Professional ratings
Source Rating
Allmusic 3/5 stars

An original soundtrack was released on June 10, 2003, from Hollywood Records.

The following is a list of songs that appear on the Rugrats Go Wild soundtrack.

Track list
No. Title Artist(s) Length
1. "Message in a Bottle (cover of The Police)"   American Hi-Fi 4:12
2. "Big Bad Cat"   Bruce Willis and Chrissie Hynde 3:15
3. "She's on Fire"   Train 3:50
4. "Island Princess"   Cheryl Chase and Cree Summer 2:32
5. "Lizard Love"   Aerosmith 4:35
6. "Ready to Roll"   Flashlight Brown 2:51
7. "The Morning After (cover of Maureen McGovern)"   Chase and Summer 3:22
8. "Atomic Dog"   George Clinton 4:45
9. "Dresses and Shoes"   Chase and Summer 3:28
10. "Should I Stay or Should I Go"   The Clash 3:09
11. "Lust For Life (cover of Iggy Pop only seen in ending credits)"   Willis 3:43
12. "Phil's Diapey's Hanging Low"   Tim Curry, Nancy Cartwright, Elizabeth Daily, Tara Strong, Kath Soucie and Dionne Quan 3:01
13. "It's a Jungle Out Here"   Summer, Cartwright, Daily, Strong, Soucie and Quan 3:11
14. "Changing Faces"   Daily 3:42
Total length:
53:25

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Rugrats: Vacaciones Salvajes para niños

kids search engine
Rugrats Go Wild Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.