J. David Stern Movies
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)
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)
This animated feature from Nickelodeon is the story of ten-year-old genius inventor Jimmy Neutron, whose penchant for gadget-creation gets him and his robot dog, Goddard, into trouble at home and school. However, when the parents of Jimmy's hometown are kidnapped by the gooey green aliens known as Yokians, it's up to Jimmy, his best friend, Carl Wheezer, and his arch rival, Cindy Vortex, to rally their fellow kids for a rescue effort. Patching together a ragtag armada of interstellar spacecraft, the kid invasion force sets out to rescue the moms and dads who love them and get them home in time for dinner. Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius (2001) features the vocal talents of Debi Derryberry, Carolyn Lawrence, Rob Paulsen, Martin Short, Andrea Martin, and Patrick Stewart. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
Frequent Star Trek actor and director Jonathan Frakes gets behind the camera again for this teen-sci-fi/action-drama in the Back to the Future (1985) mold. Jesse Bradford stars as Zak Gibbs, a teenager who discovers the latest invention to spring from the mind of his scientist father (Robin Thomas) and a research team that includes his dad's eccentric colleague Dr. Earl Dopler (French Stewart). It seems that they have developed a wristwatch that manipulates "hypertime," speeding up the passage of regular time 25 times for the wearer and those near him, making it appear that the rest of the world has become essentially "frozen" in time. Zak is delighted with the ability that he initially treats as the ultimate gag and superpower, until the National Security Agency begins pursuing both him and the device, intending to confiscate it for nefarious political purposes. Clockwatchers (2002) co-stars Michael Biehn, Paula Garces, and Julia Sweeney. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jesse Bradford
The cranky beast with a heart of gold returns to the big screen in this sequel to the computer-animated smash hit Shrek. After massive green ogre Shrek (voice of Mike Myers) and his new bride, Princess Fiona (voice of Cameron Diaz), return from their honeymoon, they receive an invitation to visit Fiona's parents, King Harold (voice of John Cleese) and Queen Lillian (voice of Julie Andrews), who are the monarchs of The Land Far, Far Away. However, the king and queen are more than a bit alarmed to discover their new son-in-law is a monster the color of algae, and that their daughter's little problem with a magical spell gone wrong has turned into a full-time skin condition. Certain this isn't the sort of "happily ever after" they dreamed of for their daughter, King Harold decides to take Shrek out of the picture and return Fiona to her former beauty with the help of Prince Charming (voice of Rupert Everett), the Fairy Godmother (voice of Jennifer Saunders), and ogre-slaying feline Puss in Boots (voice of Antonio Banderas). Shrek 2 also features the voice of Eddie Murphy returning as Donkey, as well as Larry King as an Ugly Stepsister. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, (more)
Rapper and actor Ice Cube shows off his softer side in this family-friendly comedy. Nick Persons (Ice Cube) is a dealer in sports collectibles who has fallen for beautiful executive Suzanne Kingston (Nia Long). However, Nick discovers he has a bigger task than just winning her over -- Suzanne is a divorced mother with two children, Lindsey (Aleisha Allen) and Kevin (Philip Daniel Bolden), and the kids don't believe any man besides their father is fit for their mother to date. Even though Nick doesn't care much for kids, he's eager to win Lindsey and Kevin over to score points with Suzanne, and so when business commitments threaten to strand Suzanne in Vancouver without her children for New Year's Eve, Nick volunteers to escort them. But when Nick is bumped from an airline flight due to a corkscrew in his pocket, he's forced to drive the kids to Canada, and Lindsey and Kevin see this as a golden opportunity to make life very difficult for Nick. Ice Cube served as both star and producer for this project. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
Having decided to ditch the city in favor of the suburbs, a newly formed family purchases a quaint "fixer-upper" that proves to be more trouble than they could have ever anticipated in a rollicking family comedy that's half sequel to Are We There Yet?, and half remake of Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House. Nick (Ice Cube) and Suzanne (Nia Long) have tied the knot, and now the couple is looking for a suitable home in which to raise their family. What better place to bring up adolescents Lindsey (Aleisha Allen) and Kevin (Philip Daniel Bolden) than a quiet house in the suburbs? Despite their outward excitement at the prospect of moving into their very own home, the family soon discovers that dreams don't come easy as eccentric contractor Chuck Mitchell (John C. McGinley) clashes with the head of the family while forming a frustratingly close bond with his wife and two step-children. As the promising fixer-upper begins to pose a serious threat to the burgeoning family's bank account, Nick gradually begins to realize that the suburban dream doesn't come cheap. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
Directed by one-time child star Fred Savage, Daddy Day Camp, the sequel to Eddie Murphy's Daddy Day Care, stars Cuba Gooding Jr. and Paul Rae as Charlie Hinton and Phil Ryerson, a pair of fathers who attempt to keep their summer camp afloat even though they are under dire economic strain. In order to help improve the financial situation, and to whip together a group of children who have a problem with following orders, Hinton brings in his military-trained father (Richard Gant), even though he and his father have been on the outs. Soon the campers, and the fathers, are involved in a series of adventures that will make the camp solvent, and help mend broken relationships. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Cuba Gooding, Jr., Lochlyn Munro, (more)
