My Review of The Rugrats Movie · 11:22pm Oct 20th, 2022
Rating Scale:
12/10—a complete masterpiece; flawless and outstanding
11/10—Excellent, near-perfect film
10/10—the standard rating; awesome film with a couple of flaws
9/10—a wonderful film with several flaws
8/10–a great film with numerous flaws but not enough to ruin it
7/10—a fun and entertaining movie; not great but still enjoyable
6/10—a slightly above average film; it is something I might watch again
5/10—mediocre movie; not awful but not great either
4/10—a below average film; it could have been much better
3/10—a bad film; poorly written and poorly executed
2/10—a very bad movie; the few good things in the movie overshadowed by the bad things
1/10—a terrible movie; a total waste of time
0/10—a worthless piece of abomination; should have never been made
Greetings, everyone! This is Mr. J back with another movie review for tonight. This evening, I will be reviewing a classic Nickelodeon 1998 animated film entitled: The Rugrats Movie! Guys, I’m gonna…(sigh)…I’m gonna be raw emotional as I am writing all this down. First and foremost, the Rugrats television series was one of my all-time favorite Nicktoon shows to watch when I was a kid. I loved “The Rugrats”! I would watch it all the time on TV whenever I would get bored or wanted to see more slice-of-life type of episodes for the series. If I recall correctly, this was the very film that introduced me to the show and got me hooked to see it. Unsurprisingly, I have not seen this film in years, so imagine how nostalgic I felt when I just finished re-watching it earlier today.
The movie is about our beloved toddlers who have just received a new member of the Pickles family; later on, Tommy strives to learn how to be a big brother to Dylan although the latter tries his patience with his baby antics. Suddenly, after a series of careless moments, the kids end up lost in the woods and now have to find their way back. Will the kids survive through the danger of the forest and make it back home?
Let me just say how well-balanced and well-written this movie is. I like how the film emphasized the theme of brotherly love and that while it may not be easy for brothers or siblings in general to get along at first—deep down—they care for each other and will always be there for the another no matter what happens.
The animation still holds up to this day. It may not be as appealing as it used to back in the late 90s, but it still looks solid, in my humble opinion.
I also really appreciate the awesome voice acting. Its leading voiceover performers: E.G Daily, Tara Strong, Kath Soucie, and Christine Cavanaugh all did wonderfully in their respective character roles. I especially liked Tara’s voice for Dylan Pickles because the way she accurately imitated a baby’s voice and crying sounds was just…immaculate! I bet no one else was able to pull it off like she did!
This film did not shy away from showcasing some dark moments it had too. The scenes that involved the wolf trying to kill and eat the kids, the part where Tommy attempted to pour banana butter on Dylan while the monkeys were watching with lightning in the background…yeah, this movie isn’t shy at all in that regard. That tells us that a kids movie can be happy and joyful as well as dark and scary at the same time…with mature undertones for the sake of a well-written story. That’s what I like to see!
There were a few annoying moments in the film that could have been cut out like the scenes that involved babies peeing everywhere, the monkeys singing their own musical number, and every time that smug reporter (Rex Pester) appeared on screen. No offense to Tim Curry, of course.
Other than that, it was amazing to see this movie again after all these years. And guess what? As an adult now, I actually cried like a baby during the movie’s ending. The way kids were reunited with their families, the hugs and kisses, the nostalgic re-boost from watching the end credits…it had me in tears. It…was incredible, I’ll tell you that.
So yeah, I’ll give it a splendid 9/10! One of Nickelodeon’s best animated films for sure.
Peace!
A very well-done analysis, my friend.
Admittedly, I was never a big fan of “The Rugrats”. I saw episodes of the show before, and I remember catching a glimpse of one of their movies, but they never really stuck with me in terms of making an impact of sorts. Sometimes, whenever I look back on my own experiences, I often remembered the characters being more obnoxious than amusing.
But, this review did encourage me to give “The Rugrats” another shot someday and see what I think of it from a retrospective standpoint. Especially considering it’s been so long since I last made any acquaintance with the series.
Huh.... seems like The Rugrats Movie Poster that was at the top of the review has the Upstream Error now....
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Refresh your page.
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Now it's showing. :P
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Late reply, but what are your thoughts on this movie?