Rugrats (film series)
The Rugrats film series is a series of animated comedy adventure films based on the popular Nickelodeon animated series, Rugrats, created by Arlene Klasky, Gábor Csupó, and Paul Germain. The three films were released in 1998, 2000, and 2003. The first film received mixed to positive reviews, the second received generally positive reviews, and the third received mixed to negative reviews. The first two were commercial successes, while the third made less than its predecessors, collectively grossing nearly $300 million worldwide.
| Rugrats (film series) | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Igor Kovalyov and Norton Virgien (1) Stig Bergqvist and Paul Demeyer (2) Norton Virgien and John Eng (3) |
| Produced by | Arlene Klasky Gábor Csupó (1-3) |
| Screenplay by | David N. Weiss and J. David Stem (1 & 2) Jill Gorey and Barbara Herndon (2) Kate Boutilier (2 & 3) |
| Based on | Rugrats by Arlene Klasky, Gábor Csupó, and Paul Germain |
| Starring | |
| Music by | Mark Mothersbaugh |
| Edited by | John Bryant Kimberly Rettberg (1 & 3) |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Paramount Pictures |
Release date | November 20, 1998 – June 13, 2003 |
Running time | 238 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $79 million |
| Box office | $299,590,872 |
Films
The Rugrats Movie (1998)
The story escalates when self-proclaimed leader, Tommy Pickles, is thrust into an impossible situation with the birth of his new brother, Dil. This new kid is grabbing all the attention and won't stop crying. With the help of the other toddlers, Lil and Phil, Tommy decides that the baby should be returned to the hospital for fixing. They all hop on their little wagon and take a high-speed ride straight into the deep woods where they realize they're lost. Chased around by a wolf and monkeys, the Rugrats clan must get home in one piece. This film guest stars David Spade as Ranger Frank, Whoopi Goldberg as Ranger Margret, and Tim Curry as Rex Pester. Meanwhile, Angelica Pickles, Tommy's cousin, sets out to find the babies and hurt them after they accidentally take her Cynthia doll with them.
Rugrats in Paris: The Movie (2000)
The film focuses on Chuckie Finster as he is on a search for a new mother. In this movie, Tommy's father, Stu, is invited to stay in Paris, France to rebuild a robotic Reptar used in a play. After convincing from Angelica, Stu's child-hating boss, Coco LaBouche, attempts to marry Chuckie's father, Chas, just to become the head of her company, Chuckie and the other Rugrats must stop her from becoming his mother. This film guest stars Susan Sarandon as Coco LaBouche, John Lithgow as Jean-Claude, and Mako Iwamatsu as Mr. Yamaguchi. This is Christine Cavanaugh's final film role before her retirement in 2001 and death in 2014. The film features a classical version of the Rugrats theme song at the start of the film.
Rugrats Go Wild (2003)
This film is a crossover between the Rugrats and The Wild Thornberrys. In this film, Stu and Didi Pickles decide to take a special vacation with their children, Tommy and Dil, with their friends coming along for the ride. However, the ship Stu has chartered isn't especially seaworthy, and their party ends up stranded on an uncharted island in the Pacific. The kids figure the day is saved when they discover that famous explorer and television personality Sir Nigel Thornberry is also on the island with his family, but after he gets a world-class knock on the head from a coconut, Nigel's upper intellectual register gets knocked out of commission. The Rugrats are then forced to turn to Nigel's daughter, Eliza, who not only knows the wilds, but can talk to animals, which comes as quite a surprise to Spike, the Pickles' family pooch. In addition to The Wild Thornberrys cast members reprising their roles, this film guest stars Bruce Willis as the voice of Spike, Chrissie Hynde as Siri the clouded leopard, and Ethan Phillips as Toa. This is also the first and only time Nancy Cartwright voiced Chuckie Finster in a film since his original voice actress retired in 2001. During its theatrical release, the film was presented with scratch-and-sniff cards (which are handed out at the box-office) to enhance the film experience. The scratch-and-sniff cards were also included on the home video version of the film. The film was not as successful as its two predecessors.
Cast and crew
Voice cast
| Characters | Films | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| The Rugrats Movie | Rugrats in Paris: The Movie | Rugrats Go Wild | |
| 1998 | 2000 | 2003 | |
| Tommy Pickles | E. G. Daily | ||
| Chuckie Finster | Christine Cavanaugh | Nancy Cartwright | |
| Phillip "Phil" DeVille | Kath Soucie | ||
| Lillian "Lil" DeVille | |||
| Angelica Pickles | Cheryl Chase | ||
| Dylan "Dil" Pickles | Tara Strong | ||
| Susie Carmichael | Cree Summer | ||
| Spike | Frank Welker | Bruce Willis | |
| Kimi Finster | Dionne Quan | ||
| Stuart "Stu" Pickles | Jack Riley | ||
| Diane "Didi" Pickles | Melanie Chartoff | ||
| Grandpa Lou Pickles | Joe Alaskey | ||
| Charlotte Pickles | Tress MacNeille | ||
| Andrew "Drew" Pickles | Michael Bell | ||
| Chaz Finster | |||
| Kira Finster | Julia Kato | ||
| Elizibeth "Betty" DeVille | Kath Soucie | ||
| Howard DeVille | Philip Proctor | ||
| Ranger Frank | David Spade | ||
| Ranger Margret | Whoopi Goldberg | ||
| Rex Pester | Tim Curry | ||
| Dr. Lipschitz | Tony Jay | Tony Jay | |
| Grandpa Boris Kropotkin | Michael Bell | Silent cameo | |
| Grandma Minka Kropotkin | Melanie Chartoff | ||
| Aunt Miriam Pickles | Andrea Martin | ||
| Dr. Lucy Carmichael | Hattie Winston | ||
| Lulu Pickles | Debbie Reynolds | ||
| Coco LaBouche | Susan Sarandon | ||
| Jean-Claude | John Lithgow | ||
| Mr. Yamaguchi | Mako Iwamatsu | ||
| Eliza Thornberry | Lacey Chabert | ||
| Darwin Thornberry | Tom Kane | ||
| Nigel Thornberry | Tim Curry | ||
| Donnie Thornberry | Flea | ||
| Debbie Thornberry | Danielle Harris | ||
| Marianne Thornberry | Jodi Carlisle | ||
| Siri | Chrissie Hynde | ||
| Toa | Ethan Phillips | ||
Crew
| Film | Director(s) | Producer(s) | Executive producer(s) | Writer(s) | Composer | Editor(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Rugrats Movie | Igor Kovalyov Norton Virgien |
Arlene Klasky Gábor Csupó |
Albie Hecht Debby Beece |
David N. Weiss J. David Stem |
Mark Mothersbaugh | John Bryant Kimberly Rettberg |
| Rugrats in Paris | Stig Bergqvist Paul Demeyer |
Albie Hecht Julia Pistor Eryk Casemiro Hal Waite |
J. David Stem David N. Weiss Jill Gorey Barbara Herndon Kate Boutilier |
John Bryant | ||
| Rugrats Go Wild | Norton Virgien John Eng |
Albie Hecht Julia Pistor Eryk Casemiro Hal Waite |
Kate Boutilier | John Bryant Kimberly Rettberg |
Reception
Box office performance
| Film | Release date | Box office gross | Box office ranking | Budget | Ref(s) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North America Opening weekend | North America | Other territories | Worldwide | All time North America Opening weekend |
All time North America | ||||
| The Rugrats Movie | November 20, 1998 | $27,321,470 | $100,494,675 | $40,400,000 | $140,894,675 | 549 | 643 | $24,000,000 | [1] |
| Rugrats in Paris: The Movie | November 17, 2000 | $22,718,184 | $76,507,756 | $26,783,375 | $103,291,131 | 713 | 919 | $30,000,000 | [2] |
| Rugrats Go Wild | June 13, 2003 | $11,556,869 | $39,402,572 | $16,002,494 | $55,405,066 | 1,613 | 1,953 | $25,000,000 | [3] |
| Total | $61,596,523 | $216,405,003 | $46,825,869 | $299,590,872 | $79,000,000 | [4] | |||
List indicator(s)
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Critical and public response
| Film | Rotten Tomatoes | Metacritic |
|---|---|---|
| The Rugrats Movie | 59% (51 reviews)[5] | N/A |
| Rugrats in Paris: The Movie | 76% (74 reviews)[6] | 62 (25 reviews)[7] |
| Rugrats Go Wild | 40% (88 reviews)[8] | 38 (27 reviews)[9] |
See also
References
- "The Rugrats Movie (1998)". Box Office Mojo. Amazon.com. Retrieved 24 August 2013.
- "Rugrats in Paris: The Movie (2000)". Box Office Mojo. Amazon.com. Retrieved 24 August 2013.
- "Rugrats Go Wild (2003)". Box Office Mojo. Amazon.com. Retrieved 24 August 2013.
- "Movie Franchises and Brands Index". Box Office Mojo. Amazon.com. Retrieved 24 August 2013.
- "The Rugrats Movie (1998)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved August 23, 2013.
- "Rugrats in Paris: The Movie (2000)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 2011-09-24.
- "Rugrats in Paris: The Movie". Metacritic. Retrieved 2013-08-23.
- "Rugrats Go Wild (2003)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 2013-08-23.
- "Rugrats Go Wild". Metacritic. Retrieved 2013-08-23.
