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The Wild Thornberrys Movie
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QUICK PLOT SUMMARY:
Animation - Based on the popular Nickelodeon cartoon, the animated family The Thornberrys travel to Africa, where 12-year old Eliza discovers the gift of talking to the animals - only to find that poachers intend to kill a herd of elephants, and it's up to Eliza and her pet chimp to stop them.
WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: PG- The MPAA rated this film PG for some adventure peril.
[Menu]
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Reviewer's Corner
Thornberrys have a wild adventure through Africa
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Films for kids seem to fall into one of two categories - they're either really well done or they're
brainless wastes of time. It's nice when a film like The Wild Thornberrys can branch out from
its parent network Nickelodeon and hit the big screens for children in a way that's a bit different
from a run of the mill television episode. Films made from network shows are so much better when the
story they have to go on is inherently cinematic instead of being just another TV episode. Star Trek:
Nemesis (2002) suffered from this setback. The Wild Thornberrys doesn't. It's a silly romp
of a ride with some over the top characters, but the setting of Africa and the locations from the wilds of
the jungle to the upper crust world of civilization at a private school in England make this a big screen
adventure that children should have a lot of fun with, and parents can have a good time in the company of
their very entertained kids.
For those not familiar with the premise, the Thornberrys are a family of adventurers, led by the parents
Nigel (Tim Curry) and Marianne (Jodi Carlisle) - two documentary filmmakers who travel the world capturing
the amazing world of nature on camera. Coming along for the ride are the aging patriarchs Colonel (also voiced by Curry) and
Cordelia (Lynn Redgrave), permanently annoyed and prim teen daughter Debbie (Danielle Harris), and our hero
Eliza (Lacey Chabert) - who has a secret ability to talk with the animals. While Africa is the last place
anyone like Debbie would ever want to be, far away from music, television, and all things teen, it's the perfect
haven for Eliza, who spends her time away from her family talking to the animals that inhabit the land, alongside
her faithful chimp companion Darwin (Tom Kane). But when a group of poachers steal away a cheetah cub that
was left in the care of Eliza, she takes it upon herself to launch her own crusade towards finding the baby
animal and getting it back. As her parents ship Eliza off to England to get a private education, will she
ever find the means to get back to Africa and save the little animal she swore to protect?
One of the great things about The Wild Thornberrys, even though it's not a Oscar contending animated
film, is that it has some real substance at its heart. Yes, it's a very silly movie aimed straight for the
kid audience, but it's a film that parents can feel good about taking their children to see. It has some
nice messages about the importance of conservation, and brings the subject of criminal acts like poaching
to a forum that kids will understand. It has a hero with courage and heart, who overcomes her own fears in
order to do what she knows is right. Even though it's a little film, it has a heart bigger than a lot of
blockbusters on the market right now, and that's a welcome surprise no matter who the intended audience is.
Reviewed by Jon David Loraditch
What do YOU think? -- January 10, 2003
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WHO SHOULD SEE THIS MOVIE:
[Menu]
- AS A DATE MOVIE
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- Probably Okay - This is really a kids film, but anyone looking for some innocent fun who like the show should have a good time here.
- CHICK FLICK
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- Good Bet - Eliza Thornberry is a great child hero that many young and older females alike can look up to and admire.
- GUYS MOVIE
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- Maybe - Most guys will only like taking their kids to see this film, but it's likely not something they'd really enjoy on their own.
- CHILDREN
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- Great Bet - Lots of action, adventure and fun make this a perfect kids film.
- TEENAGERS
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- Good Bet - Teens should also have a good time here and be able to relate to Eliza's constantly irritated older sister Debbie.
- GENERATION X
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- Probably Okay - Gen X-ers will appreciate the solid message here, and may enjoy some of the humor in the film as well.
- BABY BOOMERS
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- Maybe - Boomers will probably only have real fun taking grandkids to see this film.
- MATURE AUDIENCES
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- Maybe - Older audiences will appreciate the innocence of the story, and should have a great time taking younger kids to see the film.
- INTELLECTUALS
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- Maybe - Intellectuals probably won't get too excited by a cartoon, but there are some good moral questions raised here about conservation that merit later discussion.
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WHAT PARENTS SHOULD CONSIDER BEFORE THEIR CHILDREN SEE THIS MOVIE:
MOVIE DETAILS:
- VIOLENT ACTS
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- Very Little - A cheetah cub is taken by poachers; a rhino is shot and collapses.
- SEX/NUDITY
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- None -
- PROFANITY
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- None -
- TENSE SCENES
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- Very Little - Poachers chase down animals over the plain at night with the use of a helicopter; talk of poachers wanting to kill animals; a rhino is shot and tended to.
- IMMORAL/ILLEGAL BEHAVIORS
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- None -
- QUESTIONABLE CONTENT / UNHEALTHY BEHAVIORS
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- None -
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- Children's Value Rating
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Great fun for children of all ages.
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