Gabor Csupo Movies
Producer and animator Gabor Csupo is one half of the cartoon enterprise responsible for some of the most popular animated programs of the '90s. He is also a gifted electronic musician and executive producer in charge of the record label Tone Casualties and Casual Tonalities. Born in Budapest, Hungary, he started animating at Pannonia Studios before moving to Stockholm, Sweden, where he met graphic designer Arlene Klasky. The couple relocated to L.A. and Klasky Csupo, Inc. was officially born. Their first major job was in 1989, producing The Simpsons animated shorts for The Tracey Ullman Show, which led to his first Emmy award and several other nominations. This was quickly followed by The Rugrats, Duckman, Aaahh!!! Real Monsters, Santo Bugito, and The Wild Thornberrys. Csupo was also the executive producer for both The Rugrats Movie and The Wild Thornberrys. Other cartoon series developments include Rocket Power and As Told by Ginger, both on Nickelodeon. A lifelong fan of Frank Zappa, Csupo provided the cover artwork for the 1996 Zappa album The Lost Epsiodes. In addition to releasing three of his own records, Csupo has also collaborated with the Accidental Orchestra. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide- 2009
Based on the best-selling children's book by author Lauren St. John, Gabor Csupo's The White Giraffe follows a young English orphan named Martine (played by AnnaSophia Robb) as she emigrates into South Africa to live with her kindly grandmother on a game preserve. Intrigued by the legend of the White Giraffe, young Martine seeks out discover why all of the locals are determined to ensure that this enchanting creature remains a closely guarded secret. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- AnnaSophia Robb
- 2008
Two immigrants pursue the American Dream through the streets of Los Angeles in this animated comedy from Emmy-winning producer/director Gabor Csupo (The Simpsons, Duckman, Rugrats). Hungarian Joska and Russian Vlad are the very best of friends. They've just arrived in Hollywood, and they're ready to seek their fortunes. With beautiful women everywhere they turn and opportunity knocking all across town, it seems like they're constantly on the verge of hitting the big time. However, Tinseltown can be tough for immigrants who aren't accustomed the American way of life, and it isn't long before Joska and Vlad discover that in order to for them to succeed in this strange new world, they need to stick together though thick and thin. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- 2008
A 13-year-old girl (played by The Golden Compass' Dakota Blue Richards) discovers that she is the only hope for banishing an ancient curse from a magical kingdom in director Gabor Csupo's adaptation of author Elizabeth Goudge's 1946 children's book The Little White Horse. Ioan Gruffudd, Tim Curry, and Juliet Stevenson co-star in a film penned by screenwriting partners Graham Alborough and Lucy Shuttleworth. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ioan Gruffudd, Tim Curry, (more)
From the producers of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe and the mind of author Katherine Paterson comes a rousing fantasy adventure about family, friendship, and the wondrous power of imagination. A perpetual outsider both at home and at school, Jess Aarons (Josh Hutcherson) just never seems to fit in no matter how hard he tries. When his goal to become the fastest runner in middle school is unexpectedly thwarted by newly arrived classmate Leslie Burke (AnnaSophia Robb), who enters in an "all boys" race and leaves her competitors in the dust, Jess soon strikes up a friendship with the imaginative outsider. Their bond is soon cemented thanks to Leslie's love for storytelling and Jess' skill as an artist, and the two lonely kids create a secret kingdom called Terabithia that is only accessible by swinging over a stream on a nearby rope. Though Jess and Leslie may be considered outcasts by their classmates, their adventures in Terabithia find the pair doing battle against the dreaded Dark Master and his malevolent creatures while plotting revenge against the schoolyard bullies. Now, thanks to his adventures in Terabithia and his friendship with Leslie, Jess finally finds the confidence needed to stand tall and be himself. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Josh Hutcherson, AnnaSophia Robb, (more)
Two of the most popular animated series on the children's cable network Nickelodeon get wrapped up in one big-screen package in this comedy-adventure, featuring the characters from Rugrats and The Wild Thornberrys. Drew and Didi Pickles (voices of Michael Bell and Melanie Chartoff) decide to take a special vacation with their children, Tommy (voice of Elizabeth Daily) and Angelica (voice of Cheryl Chase), with their friends (both grown-ups and toddlers) coming along for the ride. However, the ship Drew 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 Tornberry (voice of Tim Curry) 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 (voice of Lacey Chabert), who not only knows the wilds, but can talk to animals, which comes as quite a surprise to Spike (voice of Bruce Willis), the Pickles' family pooch. Rugrats Go Wild also features the voice talents of LL Cool J, Cree Summer, Nancy Cartwright, Jack Riley, and Flea. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bruce Willis, Chrissie Hynde, (more)
- 2003
A spin-off of a July 2001 special in which the infant and toddler characters of the classic cartoon series Rugrats were given a chance to peer ten years into their future, All Grown Up further developed the premise by depicting the title characters as "tween-agers." Though bigger and more loquacious, they were the same old Rugrats: imperious Angelica continued to lord it over her friends and follow trends, Tommy Pickles was still a natural-born leader, Chuckie was a worry wart, and twins Lil and Phil struggled to establish their own separate identities. New wrinkles to the old format included the burgeoning singing career of the kids' African-American friend Susie, the precocious interference of Tommy's brother Dil and Chuckie's adopted sister Kimi, and the antics of a new character, the kids' nerdish classmate Harold. First offered as a "sneak preview" by the Nickelodeon cable service on April 12, 2003, All Grown Up graduated to weekly status the following fall. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2002
It's tricks and treats for toddlers in this special double-length episode of the hit Nickelodeon animated series Rugrats. The babies head out for Halloween, but get separated from their folks and end up in a spooky haunted house. Angelica (voice of Cheryl Chase) doesn't help matters when she tells Tommy (voice of Elizabeth Daily) and Chuckie (voice of Christine Cavanaugh) that she can turn them into animals if they don't give her all the candy they've been given! The Rugrats: Halloween video also includes two shorter bonus stories, "Sleep Trouble" and "Ghost Story". ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
The Nickelodeon cartoon series The Wild Thornberrys gets its first feature-length animated film, directed by show creator Cathy Malkasian with a screenplay by Kate Boutilier (writer of Nickelodeon's Rugrats in Paris). The main character is 12-year-old Eliza Thornberry (voice of Lacey Chabert), a braces-and-glasses-wearing eccentric girl in an adventurous family of travelers. Due to an interaction with a shaman, she has been granted the special power of communication with animals, as long as she promises not to tell anyone about it. Her powers are challenged when her parents, Nigel (voice of Tim Curry) and Marianne (voice of Jodi Carlisle), decide to take the family on an African safari to make a nature documentary. Also along for the trip is snobby sister Debbie (voice of Danielle Harris), feral youngster Donnie (voice of Flea from the Red Hot Chili Peppers), and pet chimpanzee Darwin (voice of Tom Kane). After her new Cheetah cub friend is stolen by poachers, Eliza is determined to get involved. However, the stuffy Thornberry grandparents get in the way by sending her to boarding school. It's up to Eliza and Darwin to defeat the poachers and save the cub. Also featuring the voice talents of Brenda Blethyn and Lynn Redgrave. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lacey Chabert, Tom Kane, (more)
The biggest babies in the entertainment business take their act to Europe in this sequel to the surprise-hit animated feature The Rugrats Movie. Chuckie (voice of Christine Cavanaugh) has been fretting over his father Chas (voice of Michael Bell) and his status as a single father, as he wants to have a mommy like all of his friends. Chas and his father Stu (voice of Jack Riley) were hired to create a bevy of electronic critters for the newly opened Euro-Reptarland theme park, but the robots are acting up, and park manager Coco La Bouche (Susan Sarandon) is hopping mad. So Stu and Chas are flown to Paris to do some repairs, with Chas bringing Chuckie and all his friends along. Their visit to the City of Lights proves to be one adventure after another, as Chuckie tries to find a suitable mother (with Coco leading the pack) and Tommy (voice of Elizabeth Dailey) somehow gets behind the wheel of the giant Reptar robot. Rugrats in Paris: The Movie features original songs from T-Boz from TLC, The Baha Men, and Mylene Farmer, while John Lithgow, Debbie Reynolds, and Mako contribute to the voice cast. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Elizabeth Daily, Christine Cavanaugh, (more)
Based on the popular Nickelodeon TV series Rugrats, this is the first full-length feature animated movie to star the little tots. It's the story of diaper-clad kids, told from a baby's point- of-view, and they were one of the hottest-selling toy franchises of the late '90s. The film features a hilarious musical number in the hospital nursery, where newborns have the voices of major rock stars that include Jakob Dylan (Bob Dylan's son), Iggy Pop, Lou Rawls, Lisa Loeb, and Patti Smith, to name a few. The story escalates when self-proclaimed leader Tommy Pickles is thrust into an impossible situation with the birth of his new brother, Dil Pickles. This new kid is grabbing all the attention and won't stop crying. With the help of 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 animals (or so they think), the Rugrats clan must get home in one piece. Other celebrity voices include Whoopi Goldberg and The Rocky Horror Picture Show's Tim Curry, as well as Saturday Night Live's Andrea Martin and David Spade. ~ Chris Gore, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Elizabeth Daily, Christine Cavanaugh, (more)
- 1998
This Nickelodeon series follows an eccentric family throughout the rainforests and wilds of the world as Nigel, the patriarch, films his travels for a future nature documentary. Unbeknownst to him, Nigel's 12-year-old daughter Eliza (voiced by former Party of Five star Lacey Chabert) is the one with the inside scoop on the wild kingdom at hand -- she can quite literally talk with any animal that crosses her path, most notably Darwin, her pet chimpanzee. Eliza's travels inevitably lead her into trouble; in each episode she is faced with saving her family and a host of wild animals from various terrible fates. Complicating the matter is Eliza's pact not to tell anyone of her mysterious gift, lest she lose her abilities. The series includes some interesting voices -- besides Chabert, Tim Curry, Flea, Marisa Tomei, and Lynn Redgrave have lent their vocal chords to the long-running Nick toon. ~ Tracie Cooper, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lacey Chabert, Jodi Carlisle, (more)
