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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 scatch 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[]

Rugrats[]

Main[]

  • E. G. Daily as Tommy Pickles
  • Nancy Cartwright as Chuckie Finster
  • Kath Soucie as Phil and Lil DeVille
  • Dionne Quan as Kimi Finster
  • Cheryl Chase as Angelica Pickles
  • Tara Strong as Dil Pickles
  • Cree Summer as Susie Carmichael

Supporting[]

  • 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[]

  • Lacey Chabert as Eliza Thornberry
  • Tim Curry as Nigel Thornberry
  • Tom Kane as Darwin Thornberry
  • Danielle Harris as Debbie Thornberry
  • Flea as Donnie Thornberry
  • Jodi Carlisle as Marianne Thornberry

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.

External links[]


v - e - d
Rugrats template background
Media
TV Pilot: Tommy Pickles and the Great White Thing
TV Shows: Rugrats (Original)Rugrats: All Grown Up!Rugrats Pre-School DazeRugrats (2021)
Films: The Rugrats MovieRugrats in Paris: The MovieRugrats Go Wild
TV Specials:
Rugrats: Runaway ReptarRugrats: Acorn Nuts and Diapey ButtsA Rugrats KwanzaaRugrats: All Growed Up!Rugrats: Tales from the Crib
Comics: Rugrats comic stripsRugrats Comic Adventures: Invasion of the Baby-sittersRugrats (2017 comics)
Characters
Tommy PicklesChuckie FinsterPhil DevilleLil DevilleAngelica PicklesSusie CarmichaelDil PicklesKimi FinsterReptarHarold Frumpkin’’ • Stu PicklesDidi PicklesChas Finster’’ • Kira Finster’’ • Betty DeVille’’ • Howard DeVilleCharlotte PicklesDrew PicklesLucy CarmichaelRandy CarmichaelLou PicklesBoris KropotkinMinka KropotkinTaffyEstes PangbornMiss O'KeatsThe Circus MonkeysRex PesterCoco LaBoucheJean-Claude
Episodes
Video games
Rugrats Adventure GameSearch for ReptarThe Rugrats Movie: video gameScavenger HuntTime TravelersStudio TourTotally AngelicaRugrats in Paris: The Movie (video game)Castle CapersI Gotta Go PartyRoyal RansomRugrats: All Growed Up (video game)
Locations
Tommy's houseHospital (Rugrats)ReptarlandJim Jr. Junior High
Songs
See Also
Paul GermainKlasky-Csupó Inc.MusicalJudaism in RugratsJimmy Neutron's Nicktoon Blast (cameo) • Let My Babies Go!


v - e - d
The-wild-thornberrys-53e80421bbf17
Media
TV Pilot The Wild Thornberrys pilot
TV Shows: The Wild Thornberrys
Films: The Wild Thornberrys MovieRugrats Go Wild
Video games: The Wild Thornberrys: RamblerThe Wild Thornberrys: Animal AdventuresThe Wild Thornberrys: Chimp ChaseThe Wild Thornberrys Movie (Video game)Rugrats Go Wild (Video game)
Characters
ElizaDarwinDebbieDonnieNigelMarianne
Episodes
Locations
AfricaAsiaEuropeNorth AmericaAustraliaSouth AmericaAntarctica
Songs
"Father and Daughter"
See Also

Warning: Default sort key "Wild Thornberrys, The" overrides earlier default sort key "Rugrats".


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