The Wild Thornberrys Movie DVD Review:


The Movie

The Nickelodeon TV channel runs several, if not more, original cartoon shows a week. One of them has already made it to the big screen, namely Rugrats. Joining the ranks of the Rugrats are the Wild Thornberrys, a strange, yet close family living in the most odd of circumstances. This 90-minute adventure finds the family, documentary filmmakers and parents Nigel and Marianne (Tim Curry and Jodi Carlisle), their teenage daughter Debbie (Danielle Harris), 12-year old Eliza (Lacey Chabert) and adopted wild child Donnie (Flea), in and around the jungles of Africa. The film centers on Eliza and her special power to communicate with animals, especially with her beloved ape Darwin (Tom Kane).

The Wild Thornberrys begins to take shape after two wildlife poachers kidnap an animal close to Eliza. One can easily imagine where the story leads to, but predictability is not the case here. Yes, it’s up to Eliza to find and rescue the kidnapped animal. And yes, it’s going to take a lot of courage and strength. But what is not ultimately known is that the story evolves into a perilous, exciting, and daring adventure. Eliza is a great character, which makes her very identifiable and fun to watch, and her chemistry with ape Darwin works very well, creating bits of laughs throughout the film.

Kate Boutilier’s script is structured to perfection and all the ingredients of family fun and adventure are present. Jeff McGrath and Cathy Malkasian’s direction in addition to wonderful music and animation make The Wild Thornberrys a viable and worthy cartoon film. The performances of the voice talents add to the quality of the film. To describe the film in one sentence, The Wild Thornberrys is smart, funny, and original.

8 out of 10

The Video

The DVD comes in both fullscreen and widescreen (enhanced for 16:9 TVs) formats. You have the choice of selecting either one after you press “play” from the main menu. Since The Wild Thornberrys is not film, but a cartoon, the picture quality is pretty good. The scenic scope of the film enhances the viewing experience. There is a little bit of discoloration or a shadow present by the black bars on top and bottom. Colors are ever-present and handles very well.

8 out of 10

The Audio

The English 5.1 Surround track is superior to the English and French Dolby Surround tracks. Even though The Wild Thornberrys isn’t audio driven, Paul Simon’s vocal and guitar songs unfold through every channel. The 5.1 track also enhances Drew Neumann’s score. Not all speakers are used, however, because the front speakers emit most of the soundtrack. For a film like this, the 5.1 Surround track appears to be not all too evident and effective.

7 out of 10

The Extras

I didn’t expect anything from this category, but what is included is enough for any child to enjoy, especially the PC game demo.

Music Video - "Father and Daughter" by Paul Simon.

The Wild Thornberrys PC Game Demo

Theatrical Trailer

3 out of 10

Overall

A viable and funny cartoon, The Wild Thornberrys offers 90 minutes of well-spent entertainment. Even with a nice video and decent audio transfer, the DVD is all-around empty in terms of special features, but it is not a concern. For a Nickelodeon feature, this DVD is handled well and should be “highly considered” for a rental (if you have kids or are one yourself).

Overall DVD Rating: 7 out of 10

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