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 The Adventures of Rocky & Bullwinkle
Description
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| The problem with live-action movies based on beloved cartoon characters is that humans are never as flexible, as unpredictable, or just plain as goofy as their animated counterparts. So it is with this blend of animation and live action. Rocky and Bullwinkle remain animated characters (trapped in our reality), while Boris and Natasha (Jason Alexander and Rene Russo), along with their boss, Fearless Leader (Robert De Niro), are transformed from cartoons to human reproductions when they escape from rerun land. They've come to our world to take it over; the FBI springs Rocky and Bullwinkle from the second dimension to stop them. But the writing in Kenneth Lonergan's script lacks the throw-away flair of the jokes that characterized Jay Ward's much-beloved animated series of the late 1950s and early 1960s. Part of the problem is that Russo, Alexander, and De Niro are so obviously working at acting cartoonish, instead of simply being cartoons. And part is that the script rarely comes up with the kind of wonderful wordplay in which Ward specialized. The moose, as usual, gets all the best lines, but they're too few and far between to salvage this underachieving summer film. --Marshall Fine Editorial Descriptions are usually submitted by the manufacturers, publishers and authors. Contact us if you are one of them, and wish to change the above description. |
Reviews
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Author: Guest
This movie is sooooooo much better than the tv series!! It's funny and it's animated/live action!!
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Author: Guest
Great 60's cartoon, piss poor movie. How they got DeNero I don't know.
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Author: Guest
I wasn't expecting much from this movie. I mean, I like Rocky and Bullwinkle, but it seemed like stretching out the short cartoon to fill a whole film was a potentionally bad idea. But it turns out they managed to make something worthwhile.
It's not a laugh riot. But then again, neither was the original cartoon. What it has going for it is a lot of corny humor, a ridiculous plot, and, of course, Robert Deniro's dead on impersonation of Fearless Leader. Really, it's kind of scary how well he does it. And the entire movie could've been terrible and it still would've been worth it to watch DeNiro spoof his "Taxi Driver" role.
The movie's humor comes from its dialogue, its strange characters, its patently absurd plot twists, and of course, the trademark breaking of the fourth wall. There's even some intelligence behind this silliness, though most won't get past the puns to notice it.
Look, I liked it. I can't say much more than that. It's amusing and the animation is really quite amazing considering how bland the original was. And it's got a lot of cameos, too. Worth seeing.
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Author: Guest
Sorry, critics. This movie captures surprisingly well Rocky and Bullwinkle's cartoon characters, especially Bullwinkle's. He's still the dufus we remember from the cartoons. In fact the creators of this movie had the good sense to not update our dynamic duo or in any way make them politically correct, except perhaps Bullwinkle's repeated concern over Frostbite Falls denuded forests.
If you found the cartoons funny this show will strike you the same way, with the narrator providing some of the best lines. True, the last third of the show drags a little as the cartoon-turned-flesh trio of Fearless Leader, Boris and Natasha get their comeuppance from squirrel and moose. Such is the nature of comedy, however: comedic movies that are equally funny from beginning to end are rare birds indeed.
The humans in the movie do pretty well. I wouldn't have thought of Rene Russo as Natasha but she pulls it off. So do Jason Alexander (Boris) and Robert De Niro (Fearless Leader)in their roles. Piper Perabo (Karen Sympathy) is adequate but in her defense she also has the hardest acting job to fulfill.
This movie is vintage Rocky and Bullwinkle and it's a pleasure to see our heroes back in action. As a sign of the times, though, my wife and I laughed more during the movie than our kids did. Sic transit gloria mundi.
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Author: Guest
On November 19, 1959, the lowly (and still fairly new at the time) ABC network began airing an afternoon black-and-white cartoon show called "Rocky and His Friends," starring Rocky J. Squirrel, Bullwinkle J. Moose, and a host of other funny characters. Little did ABC know that they had the beginning of what would become America's decades long love affair with moose and squirrel.
In 1961, moose and squirrel changed networks (to NBC), changed time slots (to primetime), changed colors (full colorization), and changed titles (to "The Bullwinkle Show"). Starting on September 24, 1961, "The Bullwinkle Show" ran for 20 straight weeks in primetime without missing a week or a repeat. In 1962 (and continuing until 1964), NBC moved moose and squirrel to their Saturday morning lineup, where the last new episode would air on June 28, 1963.
In 1964, "The Bullwinkle Show" returned to ABC, where reruns would air until 1973. Since then, moose and squirrel have aired on and off in syndication and on cable networks under various titles, including "The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show."
Fast forward to the Summer of 2000. Moose and squirrel are finally released from reruns so that they can star in a live-action / computer generated movie.
According to many reviewers, moose and squirrel probably should have stayed in reruns.
"The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle" is filled with bad puns, sorry jokes, and a plot line that smells fishy. In other words, it's a really cheesy movie.
Whether or not you like this cheesy movie will probably depend on how big of a fan you are of the original, classic cartoon series.
The movie's thin plot goes something like this: Fearless Leader, Boris Badenov, and Natasha Fatale have left Pottsylvania. By attaching themselves to the movie version of the "Rocky & Bullwinkle Show," (don't ask), the three misfit villains are now live action villains running loose in America.
Their plan? To hypnotize all of America by making them watch really bad television (no, not the FOX channel.... though there probably isn't much difference).
After losing three undercover FBI agents to Fearless Leader, Agent Karen Sympathy (sound the name out: care 'n sympathy... the names only get worse from here folks) is ordered to find a way to get Rocky and Bullwinkle out of reruns so that they can stop the bad guys. Naturally, Boris and Natasha immediately try to stop moose & squirrel, and just as naturally they never even get close. But watching them try is fun.
Jason Alexander (Boris) and Renee Russo (Natasha) do a pretty good job of turning their cartoon counterparts into live action idiots. Not perfect, mind you. But not bad either. For the most part, they are able to convey the cartoonish nature of the characters without ever making you feel like they are trying to do so.
Robert DeNiro, however, did not do as good of a job with his part of Fearless Leader. I found DeNiro's portrayal to be extremely grating on my nerves. Part of the problem is not Mr. DeNiro's fault: the part was written very poorly. But the majority of the blame has to fall on Mr. DeNiro, who portrayed Fearless Leader very two-dimensional (even more two-dimensional the character was drawn back in the cartoon series).
Except for the very beginning and end of the movie, Rocky and Bullwinkle themselves are computer-generated cartoons. This gives them a three-dimensional look while keeping them cartoonish (though I doubt they need any help in that area).
The interaction between the live actors and computer-generated moose and squirrel were, unfortunately, fairly lacking, with most of the blame falling on Piper Perabo (the aforementioned Karen Sympathy). However, it should be noted that this was Piper's first starring movie role, with only two 16-minute shorts and a bit part in another movie to her credit previously. She would redeem herself with critics later the same year in "Coyote Ugly."
If you are a fan of the original cartoon series, this movie is probably not for you. The jokes, puns, and overall plot just do not stand up to the original series in any shape, form, or fashion.
If you have never really paid attention to the original series, or if you are able to ignore how good the original series was, then this movie is not too bad. There is plenty to smile at (there are several cameos, including an always good-for-a-laugh Jonathan Winters). And, believe it or not, there are even a few genuine laughs to be had.
Overall, this movie isn't a bad way to spend a couple of hours one day. Just rent it instead of buying it.
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