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What The Critics Say About(Left: Tommy & Angelica pay a visit to the offices of the El Universal newspaper in Caracas, Venezuela; they made their appearance when Rugrats In Paris was released in Venezuela on July 6, 2001. From the El Universal web site; © El Universal of Venezuela.) |
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Critics the world over have their say regarding Rugrats In Paris. Many critics gave the film average ratings, though some praised the film, while others trashed it. Some are those who thought The Rugrats Movie stunk, but gave Rugrats In Paris their seal of approval, and vice versa. And of course, some critics praised or trashed the Rugrats the second time in a row.
In the movie ads for the film, only the most positive criiticisms are used. And of course, some movie companies unscrupulously turn negative blurbs into positive blurbs. But on this site, I'll present all sides of opinion. As for whether or not you want to see the movie, you be the judge.
To read what the critics said about the original "Rugrats Movie", click here. |
1. All quotes and excerpts are copyrighted by the publishers and media companies they write for.
2. " # " indicates that the review was translated from a foreign language. Translations are by me, based on translations provided by Transparent Language, using the Easy Translator 3 software, along with online services provided by Systran and Altavista. I apologise in advance for any mistranslations. The foreign language version is on top, while the English version is on the bottom. Languages seen here are French, Spanish, German, Portuguese & Italian.I won't be able to bring you any reviews in languages other than these, as the translators don't have any other translating capabilities other than the languages above.
It should be noted that French and Spanish are generally the easiest to translate; German and Italian are the most difficult.
3, In the ads, some TV station quotes are attributed only to the reviewer and the network, when in fact that the reviewer represents only the local station that it's affiliated with; such is common practice in movie ads. For these quotes, I'll includes the call letters, channel number and the city it's based in (you have search engines to thank for that). For example, an ad gave only "Sandie Newton, CBS-TV", but due to extra research, it's become "Sandie Newton, KTVT ch.11 (CBS), Fort Worth - Dallas".
4. Some French reviews provided by Allocine.
5. Some reviews provided by Varakorn Ungvichian (who provided me with these reviews while I was away in Quebec on vacation).
6. And for those who are wondering -- yes, all reviews on this page are 100% real, unfiltered and straight from the source. For blurbs from ads, a little web research was done for verification (see # 3).
These critics liked the movie so much, that they recommend it to everyone.
This film is endorsed by:
Big Help Partners (Source: Rugrats In Paris ad in New York Times, 12/3/2000) |
A-Channel (CHMI, Winnipeg) (Kate Brandon) [From an ad for the film]
A movie for all ages...
ATV (CTV), Halifax (Todd Battis) [approximate quote]
If you like the first film and the TV show, you'll like Rugrats In Paris -- there's something for everyone.
The Age (Melbourne, Victoria, Australia) (Adrian Martin)
I am new to the Rugrats phenomenon, but the charm of these animated critters is obvious from their latest movie. The labours of two directors and five writers have not been in vain.
Amarillo Globe-News A- (Chip Chandler)
Kids and parents - or uncles or nice neighbors, for that matter - will all find lots to love about the Nickelodeon diaperheads' second big-screen adventure.
Amazon.Com (Doug Thomas)
The second theatrical film from the popular television show is better than the original surprise hit. Instead of delving into their rich fantasy life, the Rugrats gang goes on a real adventure when their families visit Paris together.
The success of the Rugrats is in the writing, where much thought goes into finding comic gems for the adults (there are wonderful parodies of The Godfather and King Kong that will sail over kids' heads). The garbled-mouth youngsters keep up their joyful ways in this 78-minute feature that feels no different from their Nickelodeon series in except in length, some 3-D animation sequences, and an eclectic song score (with Cyndi Lauper's "I Want a Mom That Will Last Forever" the real catch).
Apollo Guide 74 out of 100 (Dan Jardine)
Rugrats in Paris' surprisingly sweet story... is rife with multi-layered humour (there's stuff for parents and their kids) and briskly paced (despite the occasionally ill-advised musical interlude – not all of the tunes by Devo's Mark Mothersbaugh work their intended magic). The best of the grownup shots are aimed Euro-Disney's way (EuroReptar land is even more hideous than you imagine it will be), and the best of the kiddie jokes are handled by Phil and L'il, whose "bubbling tummies" lead them into all sorts of mischief, mayhem and soap (sorry, tripped over into Fight Club territory for a second).
Rugrats in Paris has growed-up humour coming out of every orifice to keep mommy and daddy entertained when the wee wee and poo poo jokes start getting a little thin... Rugrats in Paris allows us to dip our toes in this ooey gooey world without too much residual stickage.
While the parody is not quite as sophisticated as television's The Simpsons (different target audience, after all), the makers of Rugrats can take pride in their clever mingling of old (The Godfather gets the most persistent attention) and new (just when I'd gotten enough distance from pro baseball's World Series to have erased Baha Men's Who Let the Dogs Out from the soundtrack of my life).
Granted, Rugrats in Paris has a potty-mouth. And nose. And ears. And bottom. All I can say is, goody! Now leave my dumb babies alone so we can have some more fun.
Arizona Daily Star (Tucson) (Gene Armstrong)
Overflowing with charming mayhem, potty humor galore and sly comedic references for adults, the sequel to "The Rugrats Movie" is an endearing winner.
Underscored with an acceptance of nontraditional families and imbued with a sense of toddler chaos, "Rugrats In Paris" is a delight.
Just remember to remind your kids the Rugrats are not role models: most of us do not eat potato chips from the floor, even in the first-class section on an airplane.
Associated Press (Malcolm Ritter)
``Rugrats in Paris — the Movie'' is a charming and clever romp of animation that will appeal to kids and grown-ups.
Thankfully, the movie avoids getting too cute. Instead, it's simply funny, with lots of action for the kids and a cleverness that will appeal to adults, as in its ``Godfather'' spoofs.
In the end, of course, true love — romantic, maternal and paternal — triumphs. And by the time the adventure ends in a huge, joyous food fight, audience members will agree it was a wonderful trip.
The Austin (TX) Chronicle (Marc Savlov)
1998's The Rugrats Movie was the series' big-screen debut and produced middling results. Rugrats in Paris is a far superior effort, due in part to a return to the series' personal, character-driven storylines (the first film was less a cohesive story than a series of distressingly scary adventures and animated set-pieces).
Both the series and the films depict a mix of real-world situations (new baby jealousy, kidhood ageism, et cetera) and some very funny flights of fantasy that taken together are unlike any other kid's show running right now (only Nickelodeon's tweenager series Doug comes close). If you're a parent, you could do a heck of a lot worse than taking the spawn off to catch Rugrats in Paris and if you're a kid, well, you probably already knew that anyway.
Supérieur à son prédécesseur, «Les Razmoket à Paris» met en scène des personnages plus complexes et plus réels, ayant de véritables motivations. Les voix sont remarquables et on atteint parfois l'humour chaleureux de «Toy Story».
Superior than its predecessor, "Rugrats in Paris" features more complex characters and more realities, having true motivations. The voices are remarkable and it occasionally reaches the warm humor of "Toy Story".
Baltimore Sun 3 stars (Cheryl Lu-Lien Tan)
"Rugrats in Paris" [is] a rare kids' movie - its humor is smart enough to entertain children, yet also make adults laugh.
The plot to find a new mom is poignant, and some of the movies' songs and scenes will tug at adults' heartstrings. But the film also is wildly entertaining because of its spoofs of flicks such as "Godfather" and "Jurassic Park."
So, if your children are clamoring to see this movie, do not resist.
Bangor Daily News (Dale McGarrigle)
Sequels that improve on their cinematic forerunners are a rarity. This is especially true among children's films, where sequels are too often straight-to-video photocopies of the originals.
"Rugrats in Paris," now in theaters, is one of those rare exceptions. Nickelodeon's popular babies return in a road picture that is a marked improvement on 1998's "The Rugrats Movie."
Last time out, the "Rugrats" creative brain trust was timid entering the new medium, and the result was a film that came across as a stretched-out but watered-down episode of the TV series. This time, they started with the assumption that audiences know their characters and are there for their particular brand of humor.
Like the first film and the TV series itself, "Rugrats in Paris" is firmly rooted in pop culture, and the adults in the audience will enjoy picking out the subtle references.
"Rugrats in Paris" takes the Nickelodeon superstars to the next stage in their evolution, while welcoming newcomers as well. It's a film that parents and children can enjoy together.
Bangor Daily News B+ (Christopher Smith)
Just as in the old Saturday morning Warner Brothers cartoons, where Chuck Jones and his crew brilliantly walked the fine line between entertainment for children and entertainment for adults, the creators of Nickelodeon's "Rugrats" know exactly how to please each camp.
That's a major key to their success. On one level, they're titillating youngsters with the ribald antics of Tommy Pickles and his high-strung toddler friends, but on another level, they're winking broadly at adults — you know, those people who have the cash to move Rugrats merchandise and to turn Rugrats movies into $100 million-plus hits.
If that's a calculated move on the part of the producers, at least the end result doesn't feel disingenuous. Indeed, while watching "Rugrats" on television or seeing the movies — "Rugrats in Paris" being the second after 1998's smash success "The Rugrats Movie" — there's a real sense that the series wasn't manufactured only in an effort to cash in. Indeed, this series is so unique, it more often feels as if it just happened to get lucky in striking a cultural vein.
...in one of the film's more inspired moments of cultural roughhousing, it lampoons EuroDisneyland and its initial, well-publicized spate of problems with the creation of EuroReptarland.
For all of its crude, toilet humor — and there's much of it in "Rugrats in Paris," perhaps too much for a film that snagged a G rating — the film has heart. The scenes between Chuckie and his father, both of whom deeply miss the mother and wife, are genuinely touching and moving. These moments help balance the film, lifting it out of its flurry of potty and vomit jokes while giving it a much-needed soul.
...A one-way ticket to infantile heaven....[The film also] contains enough reference points [Coppola's THE GODFATHER II, Visconti's LEOPARD] to throw the Earth's gravitional pull out of whack...
# Bild
Diese süßen Rotznasen sorgen für gute Laune. Tolles Zeichentrickabenteuer!
This sweet film provides for a good mood. A mad, animated adventure!
Boston Herald 2.5 stars (Amy Amatangelo)
Chuckie's in love. Actually the timid Rugrat is in love with the idea of the perfect mother and he's determined to help his father find her. That's the rather mature story behind ``Rugrats in Paris,'' the second movie from Nickelodeon's gang of adventurous toddlers.
The film is full of references to make adults chuckle. Japanese Godzilla films, ``Jurassic Park,'' ``A Few Good Men'' and ``The Incredible Hulk'' are all given a Rugrats spin. Especially amusing is ``The Godfather'' spoof that opens and closes the film.
There are also plenty of allusions to Disney, the godfather of animated film. The Rugrats visit EuroReptarland, they ride through Ooey Gooey World (complete with an annoying song), and pooch Spike and his poodle girlfriend share a pizza in a scene reminiscent of ``Lady and the Tramp.'' And what could be more Disney than a child without a mother? A motherless child faced with the prospect of a cruel stepmother, of course!
The producers ripped another page from Disney's playbook and obtained big-name talent to voice some of the film's characters. As the voice of Coco, Susan Sarandon is quite funny and whips out some real zingers. Plus, kids are bound to get a kick out of Coco's outlandish outfits. Anyone who has ever watched a Disney film knows that no villainess is complete without her bumbling sidekick: John Lithgow voices that role nicely as Coco's personal assistant Jean-Claude.
While no one can fault the film for having a happy ending, the movie could give impressionable children the idea that finding a new mommy is relatively easy.
Whether you enjoy ``Rugrats in Paris,'' depends on how you feel about this motley crew in general. There's an easy argument to be made against the constant barrage of potty humor and gross-out visual images, which are more prevalent here than in the first film.
Twins Phil and Lil's penchant for putting anything in their mouths (bugs, vomit, unknown gooey substances) and down their diapers is particularly distressing. But fans of ``The Rugrats'' are probably used to that.
Boston Phoenix (Nina Willdorf)
With a fast-paced plot, a fair number of giggle-worthy puns, and a score including the rousing "Who Let the Dogs Out," this effort from Stig Bergqvist and Paul Demeyer is tolerable for indulging adults -- and likely heaven for their own droolers.
Box Office 3.5 stars (Dwayne E. Leslie)
The Rugrats are back for an all-new adventure, and one that is by far much funnier and more entertaining for both youngsters and their guardians than the first bigscreen outing.
In this sequel, there are new perils and a climactic, Godzilla-like robotic battle that far outdoes the finale of the first film.
Although "Rugrats" is for children, the writing also takes its captive audience of adults into consideration, depicting hyperbolic antics as an in-joke to parents who know first-hand that the exaggerations are minimal at best.
CFCF ch.12 (CTV), Montreal (Mose Persico) [From an ad for the film]
Heartwarming... and funny.
Calgary Sun (Louis B. Hobson)
Rugrats in Paris is not remotely as sophisticated as even the most inconsequential Disney animated feature.
Hey, that's not a criticism.
In their latest adventure they cause a great deal of havoc at a family amusement park in Paris called EuroReptarland.
Can anyone say EuroDisney?
This is just the first of many gentle jabs at Disney, Disneyland and Disney cartoons.
These references have a much better chance of connecting with children than the far more clever and funny movie references.
When the children hijack a giant dinosaur robot and stomp through the streets of Paris, it's a tip of the hat to Jurassic Park. When the same dinosaur climbs the Eiffel Tower, it's clearly an homage to King Kong. Best of all are the send ups of The Godfather.
These scenes are clearly in Rugrats in Paris for the adults who must accompany their tykes to the show, and the ploy works wonderfully -- it's a true family film.
Directors Stig Bergqvist and Paul Demeyer make sure the film bounces along at a jaunty pace and that most of the rambunctious antics are accompanied by appropriately upbeat songs, such as Who Let the Dogs Out, Chuckie Chan, These Boots Are Made For Walking and Life is a Party.
Hey, with the Rugrats around life really is a party -- at least for the 75 or so minutes it takes this film to run its course.
Chicago Sun-Times
3 stars (Roger Ebert; distributed by
Universal Press
Syndicate)
(see below for Ebert & Roeper)
You don't make a habit of announcing you're a Rugrats fan, but when you get together with other moms and Rugrats comes up, you grin and say you hate to admit it, but you actually LIKE the show.
You will like Rugrats in Paris, too. I liked it. It's better than the 1998 Rugrats movie, funnier, weirder, with more stuff for adults to clue into. Or maybe kids also clue into this stuff.
The plot is just the excuse for the goofiness, including a dance line of sumo wrestlers, a thrilling trip to the Princess at the very top of the park, a love affair between a poodle and a mutt, and the Godzilla-style chase through the streets of Paris, with the kids running a giant raptor that scales the Eiffel Tower before finally arriving at Notre Dame Cathedral, where the wedding is in progress.
The graphic style of the movie will be familiar to anyone who watches the TV show. I like it. It's bright and quirky, with the oversized heads of the kids owing a little to Charles Schulz. The dialogue is direct and fundamental, geared to young values. And there are the usual jokes about poo and pee and farts and stinky didies; as I observed in my Rugrats review, kids are fascinated with bodily excretions because they have so recently celebrated their own personal victories over them.
The point is, adults can attend this movie with a fair degree of pleasure. That's not always the case with movies for kids, as no parent needs to be reminded. There may even be some moms who insist that the kids NEED to see this movie. You know who you are.
The Cincinnati Enquirer 3 stars (Margaret A. McGurk)
While the new sequel is not quite the equal of the original lost-in-the-woods adventure, it is both cuter and weirder than its predecessor.
The park is ruled by a child-hating fashion plate, Coco La Bouche (voice of Susan Sarandon), who realizes she needs a family in order to take over the Reptarland conglomerate. She sets her sights on Chuckie's vulnerable dad, (voice of Michael Bell), even though her assistant Kira (voice of Julia Kato) is obviously a better choice.
The plot is really mostly a device to give the Rugrats a chance to run wild, which they do with comic abandon, to the point of invading Notre Dame Cathedral with a giant reptile rodent.
As in the first film, Mark Mothersbaugh's eclectic soundtrack adds flavor, though it's not quite as tasty as the original.
That is not a major complaint in a movie so full of giddy surprises — not the least being a karaoke performance by a trio of sumo wrestlers (one voiced by Tim Curry).
The Cincinnati Post A (Craig Kopp)
Wouldn't you know it, a sequel better than the original - and it's a cartoon.
We've seen this before with ''Toy Story'' and ''Toy Story 2,'' and now ''Rugrats in Paris: The Movie'' proves to be superior to the first film based on the popular Nickleodeon cartoon.
'Rugrats in Paris'' even seems to be drawn better than the first movie, making this a must-see for all rugrats, and former rugrats posing as parents.
For its genre, ''Rugrats in Paris'' is well worth the trip.
# Cine Live 2 stars (Xavier Leherpeur)
À la suite d'un démarrage en forme d'improbable remake du Parrain (avec scène de la tête de cheval), les scénaristes s'amusent tout du long à adresser d'irrévérencieux clins d'oeil à quelques classiques tels que Godzilla ou King Kong, à égratigner (dans les limites de l'admissible) les lois impitoyables du merchandising conquérant de l'oncle Sam, et à balancer quelques calembours honteux, mais réjouissants. Seule ombre à ce coup de coeur: l'inédit de Mylène Farmer ne sert que de... musique d'aéroport. Oh rage, ces Yankees ne respectent décidément rien.
It starts with a remake of the Godfather (with the scene of the horse's head), the amusing scroptwriters give irreverant winks to some classics such as Godzilla or King Kong, to poke fun at (within he limits) the pitiless laws of merchandising conquering Uncle Sam, and to balance some shameful puns, but gladdening. The only heartbreak: Mylène Farmer is heard only as background music at the airport. Oh rage, these Yankees do not respect anything.
Cinema Online (Malaysia) (Reuben Kee)
The film is very well handled, juggling the wacky humour with the sensitivity of the movie. Scenes involving Chuckie expressing his longing to have a mom can be emotionally stirring and if not careful, it may even move you to tears. But what is a "Rugrat" cartoon without any wacko comedy, to accompany them and this film has plenty of that. Also, check out spoofs and satire this cartoon makes on such popular films as "The Godfather", "The Fugitive", "Lady and the Tramp", "Godzilla" and even Jackie Chan himself. It will have you in stitches.
The thing that impresses me most about this feature is the music... it blends smoothly with the storyline without character breaking into a song. The songs come quite frequently helping to make the transaction of the film more interesting and exciting. My favourite song in the movie would be the ever popular "Who Let the Dogs Out?" and the hilarious "Chuckie Chan".
The voices behind the animation too sound like they are having a blast. Susan Sarandon and John Lithgow... are simply out of this world and gave the right feel to their characters. The baby's voices are brilliant as usual but do take time to check out the special guest voices that were contributed for this film. Try to detect... Cassey (sic) Kasem, Debbie Reynolds, and Tim Curry.
Give this film a go and bring your family, since the school holidays are just around the corner. In addition to being fun and comedy filled, the movie has a lot of heart, reminding us that we do have some "babyness" in buried deep down somewhere, just waiting to unleash.
CityBeat (Cincinnati) B (Steve Ramos)
The Pickles and Finster babies go to the City of Lights for this clever and heartfelt adaptation of the popular Nickelodeon series. For the sake of merchandising, a Rugrat named Kimi is also introduced. Still, buying another toy doll is a small price to pay for a family cartoon as funny as Rugrats in Paris.
# Clarín (Buenos Aires, Argentina) (Maria Iribarren)
Según los productores (Arlene Klasky, Gabor Csupo y Paul Germain), a diferencia de la serie y de la primera película, se prestó una atención especial a los backgrounds, aprovechando la bella y compleja arquitectura parisina. Un detalle que no desveló a Firulais a quien se lo ve levantando la pata al pie de la Torre Eiffel. ¡Cosa de perro!
En resumen: una verdadera fiesta en pañales cuya promesa harán más breves (y menos rigurosos) el verano y el otoño.
According to the producers (Arlene Klasky, Gabor Csupo and Paul Germain), unlike the series and the first film, a special attention to backgrounds was lent, taking advantage of the beautiful and complex Parisian architecture. A special detail that Spike unwitting did is that it raised its leg at the foot of the Eiffel Tower. It's a dog thing!
In summary: a true celebration in diapers whose promise will make the summer and the autumn brief (and less rigorous).
# El Colombiano (Medellin, Colombia)
Una buena opción para la temporada de vacaciones que comienza.
A good option for the start of vacation season.
The Commercial-Appeal (Memphis) 2.5 stars (John Beifuss)
Rugrats in Paris: The Movie [is] a frantic and sometimes moving animated feature that should amuse parents as it entertains kids.
The film is a sort of sequel to the "Mother's Day" special episode of the Rugrats TV series, a true tearjerker that dealt seriously with the history of Chuckie's deceased mom and his somewhat lonely single father. Such themes, however, don't interfere in the film with the usual comic emphasis on such Rugrats obsessions as "poop" and "boogers."
In a way, Rugrats in Paris, the first followup to The Rugrats Movie of 1998, is a replica - scaled down for kids - of the movies their parents usually attend. This approach is both good and bad. Like any number of more "mature" hits, from Shanghai Noon to X-Men to Charlie's Angels, the film is all over the place, constantly moving and always operating at a high pitch of emotional engagement, to keep viewers laughing or cheering or crying. Thus, we get eye-misting songs like I Want a Mommy That Will Last Forever alongside diaper and throw-up jokes, as well as satirical references that only adults will understand and comic, noisy action sequences that with a few adjustments wouldn't be out of place in a Jackie Chan movie (in fact, one fantasy interlude finds Chuckie imagining himself as "Chuckie Chan").
Although it occasionally veers out of control like a malfunctioning Reptar, Rugrats in Paris preserves enough of the emotional core of its central story about love, loss and second chances to be worthwhile.
We have found that, in general, there are three kinds of children's movies. The first are those that appeal to kidlets for reasons far beyond the understanding of the bored-out-of-their-minds adults in the next seat. Second, usually big budget animated flicks, are those that have a lot of visual activity to fix the kids attentions while they try to enthrall the adults in the audience. Then there are the proud and few movies that have jokes for kids, and other gags that will sail over those tiny li'l heads squarely targeting the area between the eyeballs of all the adults in the audience.
Such a flick is Rugrats in Paris, the second movie based upon the Nickelodeon television series.
Metaphorically, if [The] Rugrats [Movie] was Hell, Rugrats in Paris is pretty close to Heaven. Not heavenly enough that those in or beyond teenhood will buy tickets without a kidlet in tow but good enough that they'll be renting when they do have one. We meant it. It always comes back to rental.
From the adult POV, Rugrats in Paris is delightful from the word go, the reason being that those of us who have left puberty behind get our own parody story to follow along.
While the Godfather bits run out of steam about the time the songs get really annoying – it sets up a great gag which we won't spill – there's enough extra stuff to keep it all fairly pleasant.
Yes, most grownups will want to rent and yes, every kidlet who stares at Rugrats on Nickelodeon without blinking will want to be at the first show. If you've got a family full of pre-teens, make it a big night out. Either adult will be able to slip out for a couple of minutes without missing much, if the kidlets need popcorn refills.
Creative Loafing (Atlanta) 2.5 stars (Steve Warren)
"Rugrats in Paris - The Movie" devotes more time to adult characters and issues, such as widowhood, dating and remarriage, albeit largely from the children's point of view. That doesn't mean there's not still plenty of time for the Rugrats' real concern: body functions. There are enough jokes about "boogers," farts, "poo-poo" and, since we're in France, "oui-oui" to fill several "diapeys."
The success of the first movie, and the continuing success of the Nickelodeon series, allow for a larger budget this time out. It's been spent on celebrity voices - Susan Sarandon has a lead role with John Lithgow in support; Tim Curry sings a song and Debbie Reynolds has one line - and presumably location drawing, although the ambiance of the French capital was captured better in "Gay Purr-ee" almost 40 years ago. (Or maybe it just had more ambiance then.)
Grown-ups will be the only ones to understand a spoof of "The Godfather" that bookends the film and takeoffs on familiar lines from "Apocalypse Now" and "A Few Good Men"; but the whole family can appreciate an homage to "Lady and the Tramp," especially since the referenced scene is being used in trailers for "102 Dalmatians."
While the French and Japanese characters are largely stereotyped, including a trio of karaoke-singing sumo wrestlers voiced by Tim Curry, "Rugrats in Paris" may serve as a child's first lesson in international awareness, opening their minds to concepts of diversity and cultural exchange. While I wouldn't go so far as to recommend it for adults unaccompanied by rugrats, at least it makes more of an effort to entertain baby-sitters than "The Rugrats Movie" did.
Perhaps for the next Rugrats movie they can get Lily Tomlin to move Edith Ann into the neighborhood. Now there's a rugrat!
The Daily Mirror (London) 3 stars (Jonathan Ross) (from Ananova)
My only quibble is that it starts and ends with a spoof of The Godfather, a film which none of its target audience will have seen or know about.
The Daily Oklahoman (Oklahoma City) 2.5 stars (Jerry Shottenkirk)
Those lovable little troublemakers are back in "Rugrats in Paris -- The Movie."
"Rugrats in Paris -- The Movie" takes the youngsters to a new world in more ways than one. They learn and recognize the meaning of emotions such as heartbreak, courage and love. There are touching moments, but mostly it's the normal Rugrats free-for-all.
This movie is supposed to be about fun, and it is -- for everyone. Normal household terms such as "poop" and "booger" dot the script, but really, in this age, those are welcome compared to what could be tossed around.
The Daily Telegraph (London) 4 stars
The first Rugrats film was great but this one is even better, thanks to a cracking pace that's just as speedy as the shorter TV programme and some very comical French accents. The series is one of the few good reasons to flit from SMTV to Live & Kicking on a Saturday morning, thanks to clever plots and witty scripts. You get all that in the new film, plus a few songs too.
The Dallas Morning News B (Nancy Churnin)
Rugrats in Paris: The Movie seems keenly aware of the pitfalls of following up a popular first movie. Remember Jaws 2? Grumpier Old Men? Pokémon 2000?
That's why this sequel to The Rugrats Movie starts with a parody of The Godfather (a film that was equalled, if not outclassed, by its sequel) in which Angelica listens to the wishes of Tommy and the gang in full godfather regalia.
In that spirit, Rugrats again blends poignancy with fun in a way that touches parents, even as it goes for kids with a run of bodily function and booger jokes.
As in the first movie, which built a slapstick plot around Tommy's struggle to accept his new baby brother, Rugrats in Paris spins wacky situations around a recognizable and contemporary story: a boy's ambivalence about what he wants his stepmother to be like and his father's struggle to reconcile his desire for a companion with his son's need to feel secure.
But just when you think the movie is going down the worn evil-stepmother path, a better candidate emerges and, voila! Look for new Rugrat regulars in the upcoming television series.
While Rugrats introduces a few celebrity voices, including Susan Sarandon's (as Coco LaBouche) and John Lithgow's (as her henchman), the good news is that the show still belongs to the little rascals and the good-natured havoc they wreak wherever they go.
Long may they toddle.
Dayton Daily News B+ (Laura Dempsey)
The 'rats and their extended families were past due to have their own Brady-goes-Hawaiian reward, flush with the amazing success of 1998's The Rugrats Movie and the ongoing bonanza of the television series.
So off goes the gang to Paris, where havoc is wreaked at all the French hot spots: Notre Dame, the Eiffel Tower.
But wait: It's more--much more--than havoc here. The Rugrats, while in Paris, learn new lessons about courage and loyalty, adding to the old stuff about courage and loyalty they learned in the first movie and relearn every week on Nickelodeon.
There's a new Rugrat named Kimi (Dionne Quan), who--talk about a lucky baby!--goes to daycare on the grounds of EuroReptarland. She's 2, cute and impulsive--and she fits right in.
And yes, there's the music by Mark Mothersbaugh, late of Devo, running on a track parallel to Danny Elfman, late of Oingo Boingo, scoring films of a certain sensibility. Warning No. 1: Who Let the Dogs Out by the Baha Men is included in the movie and on the soundtrack, which, if following in its predecessor's footsteps, will be in demand.
Warning No. 2: Nickelodeon has launched its "most extensive consumer products initiative to date," says the press material proudly.
Ah well. A baby's gotta do what a baby's gotta do, and a baby's gotta make a living. Rugrats franchise bound to ring up holiday cheer for Nickelodeon. Paris rolls out the red carpet when the Rugrats gleefully visit EuroReptarland.
Deseret News (Salt Lake City) 3 stars (Jeff Vice)
Successful films understand their target audience. Highly successful films play to their target audience but also try to expand it.
No clearer example of that rule exists than the "Toy Story" movies, which raked in the dough by appealing to kids — the obvious, primary audience — as well as their parents and other adults.
And while the "Rugrats" theatrical movies may not be in the same cinematic stratosphere as "Toy Story" and its exceptional sequel, they have tried to duplicate the successful formula.
That experiment already worked once — the first "Rugrats" film was a surprise hit last summer. And "Rugrats in Paris — The Movie" cleverly stays the course.
Consequently, the level of humor at work this time isn't very highbrow — in fact, it's downright childish, for the most part. But there's a smarter, more sly wit lurking just beneath the surface of what seems to be a simple story.
Despite the fact that there are five credited screenwriters (all of whom have written for the television series) and several subplots going on, co-directors Stig Bergqvist and Paul Demeyer manage to make it all fit together, with few cracks showing.
But what's perhaps most surprising is how deftly, how poignantly the motherhood and parenting material is handled — though, again, the balance of humor is directed at really young viewers.
Thankfully, there are also some lighthearted jabs at Disney entertainment, including its amusement parks and the Broadway production of "The Lion King," which should satisfy headier audiences. (Ya gotta love the silly but affectionate nod to "Lady and the Tramp.")
If that wasn't enough, there's also stellar voice work from series regulars Cavanaugh, E.G. Daily and Cheryl Chase — though guest voice Sarandon threatens to steal the show with her way over-the-top vocal performance.
Detroit Free Press 3 stars (John Monaghan)
For a movie whose biggest laughs come from booger and dirty diaper jokes, "Rugrats in Paris" is remarkably smart. The follow-up to 1998's $100-million-gross "The Rugrats Movie" offers an action-packed, round-trip ticket to France with a bunch of babies as irresistible as they are grotesque.
Both "Rugrats in Paris" and its predecessor have a knack for effortlessly changing mood. Just when you're prepared to wipe a tear, the movie delivers such comic treats as an Andrew Lloyd Webber version of "Godzilla," karaoke sumo waiters performing "Bad Girls" or a dream sequence with a karate-chopping Chuckie Chan.
The Rugrats would make Walt Disney cringe; and that's certainly part of their sticky charm. They have an honesty instantly recognizable to parents. Look around the theater and you'll catch parents smiling at least as much as the kids they're escorting.
Detroit News 3 stars (Susan Stark)
Inventive, funny and ever-true to the psychological acuity that is the genius of the concept on both big screen and small, Rugrats in Paris takes the babies abroad, with bossy Angelica in the lead and worrywart Chuckie in the center.
Parents will giggle with recognition; tots will be immensely, delightedly confirmed. The Rugrats writers and producers operate from a steady platform in truth that produces those kinds of reactions in the entertainment-starved family audience.
The babies' 1998 movie bow proved wildly popular. The sequel merits a similar response.
By introducing both a European and Asian element into the mix, this Rugrats saga becomes even more widely embracing than its casually integrated but all-American predecessor.
In addition, it adds some high-priced vocal talent to the prime, if uncelebrated, regulars. Susan Sarandon speaks deliciously French-fried English for the strenuously chic female villain (Coco La Bouche which, in the mother tongue, translates to Coco The Mouth); John Lithgow, as her equally dressy sidekick; and Debbie Reynolds as Grandpa Lou's perky new mate.
In short, the family audience will delight in saying oui, oui to Rugrats in Paris. Or wee-wee, as the case may be.
E! B+
What's funnier than snooty French citizens suffering at the hands of these silly babies and a barrage of poo, barf and fart jokes? Right. Absolutely nothin'. TV's peculiar Pickles clan holds a Tour de France of its own in the Rugrats' latest, funniest and most colorful big-screen trip--and the City of Lights will never recover. While dad works, the kids dive into the world of baguettes, chocolate, berets and Reptarland. Flatulence is the key to funny here, but there's also a lot of heart, dealing with the issues of loss, love, stepparents and, um, theme parks. Susan Sarandon (and her faux French accent) is a nice addition to the regular cast of voice talents as the child-loathing stepmom-to-be. There's nothing much to be afraid of here--save for the fact that "France" rhymes with "underpants" a little too easily.
Edmonton Journal 3 stars (Marc Horton)
There's a surprising level of irony at work in Rugrats in Paris -- The Movie that is going to go completely over the heads of your youngsters.
However, moms and dads need not fear their little ones won't find plenty at which to laugh. There are a surplus of jokes about wet and smelly diapers, farts and one gag -- literally -- of twin babies thinking that a well-filled barf bag is someone's forgotten lunch.
It is, I suppose, harmless enough stuff for those among us under age six, which is pretty much the top end of the Rugrats demographic.
What's surprising, therefore, is that this film has a high degree of appeal for those grown-ups who will find themselves forced by their little ones to attend this film.
Directors Stig Bergqvist and Paul DeMeyer and their team of writers get their digs in at the folks at Disney, the studio that remains the biggest kid on the animation block. Much of it is clever stuff, and if it doesn't exactly move Rugrats in Paris to a five-star rating, it has enough to at least evoke an adult smile and, maybe, a quiet chuckle or two.
Along the way, the movie also pays particular homage to The Godfather, a cinematic reference certain to have most youngsters scratching their baffled little noggins in wonderment.
In the end, Rugrats in Paris is a suitably brisk movie, and there's plenty crammed into its less-than-80 minutes, including a not-so-subtle comment on the kind of tourism that leads people to exotic places where they stay in place like EuroReptarland, a.k.a. Disneyland.
Empire (David Hughes)
Rugrats in Paris: The Movie is as good as their last big-screen outing, but with goofy French accents, more movie references for the grown ups - most notably the wonderful Godfather parody which opens the film - and a heartwarming storyline about Chuckie's search for anew mummy.
Entertainment Weekly B+ (Bruce Fretts)
With its melange of poo poo humor and pop culture in jokes, Nickelodeon's ''Rugrats'' packs appeal for both kids and parents. Adult friendly content was largely lost in the peewees' first big screen adventure, 1998's too frenetic ''The Rugrats Movie,'' but it's been restored for the très superior sequel, Rugrats in Paris: The Movie.
This becomes clear from the first scene, a dead on parody of ''The Godfather'' in which the titular toddlers seek favors from the all powerful 4 year old Angelica (twins Phil and Lil are spooked by a hobbyhorse's head in their crib). Soon, the 'rats scurry off to France, where precociously neurotic Chuckie Finster must stop his widowed dad from marrying the child loathing Coco La Bouche (fervently voiced by Susan Sarandon).
Unlike, say, ''Digimon: The Movie,'' the lavishly animated ''Rugrats in Paris'' doesn't merely look like a blown up, washed out TV episode. The newfound emotional depth of the movie's drawings -- and its plotline -- is most movingly illustrated when an airborne Chuckie sees images of himself with his late mother in the clouds.
Lest this sounds too high minded for little ones, fear not: Poop, booger, and barf gags abound. Given the setting, you can't blame the filmmakers for making comic use of the bidet (''A potty that squirts back!'' exults Phil), not to mention the timeless taunt that begins ''I see London, I see France...'' Oui? Oui.
Evening Post (Bristol, England) (3 stars)
Having been dragged by pleading tots to see the abominable Pokemon movies, it's understandable if grown-ups don't jump for joy at the thought of another animated endurance test.
However, Rugrats In Paris manages to achieve that relatively tricky task of entertaining the adults while keeping the children enthralled. Thankfully, there are a few choice digs at the French that will probably have our Gallic neighbours up in arms, but are guaranteed to raise laughs in British cinemas.
There's also a lot of cross-referencing, so grown-ups can feel clever as they identify spoof scenes from the likes of The Godfather and Jurassic Park.
All this is unimportant for the kids, of course, but no doubt they'll be happy enough with the usual antics.
So, tres bon all round then. As far as Easter chores go, entertaining the kids might be more fun than usual this year.
Evening Standard (London) (Alexander Walker)
The latest episode of the neckless tots' adventures shows it means to leave something in the cereal bowl for grown-up escorts to nibble on.
The decibel level is dauntingly high. But set against that some nice ad libs - "The largest babies I ever saw," referring to the sumo wrestlers in their breech cloths - and a hard line in kiddy-phobia ("Now run along before you give me lice").
The graphic style provides a sophisticated contrast to the Babes-in-Toy-Story antics of the gang.
# L'Express 3 stars (Eric Van Cutsem)
Les Razmokets sont une bande de gamins effrontés, aussi drôles que méchants... C'est d'ailleurs ce qui plaît au jeune public... Les adultes ne seront pas en reste, qui devraient s'amuser aux grinçants hommages cinéphiliques.
The Rugrats are a shameless gang of kids, as funny as it is malicious... It is besides what the young public likes... the adults, who will not be restless about it, should have fun with squeaking the cinephilic homages.
Family Wonder A- (Betsy Wallace)
The movie is very much an extension of the television series; in fact, Nickelodeon televised a prequel to the movie just before its release. But although fans will be more in the know, even newcomers will enjoy the eighty minutes of visual surprises and clever comedy.
Younger kid viewers miss the touches of social commentary but still find the babies hilarious and their far-fetched adventures exciting. Most of the movie's adventures take place in EuroReptarland (sort of a Japanese Disneyland run by Mr. Yamaguchi, or "Mr. Yummy Sushi" if you're a Rugrat) but culminate in a Godzilla-movie-like pursuit in and around the landmarks of Paris.
The expertly voiced cast gets a multiracial boost with the addition of Kira and Kimi, an Asian mother and daughter who will now be regulars on the series.
Fayetteville (NC) Observer-Times "Good" (The Cineman Syndicate)
America's favorite animated urchins descend on the City of Lights in this sweet and spirited second feature based on the TV series.
There are some great sequences and the music is fun; an overemphasis on Chuckie's dead mother is the only downer.
# Femme Actuelle (special thanks to Super Yo)
...pendant que vos petits monstres dégustent ces aventures loufoques, admirez les tenues de Coco La Bouche, inspirée de la célèbre Cruella ou découvrez quel couturier incarne Jean Claude, doublé par Stéphane Bern. Et surtout, ne boudez pas votre plaisir sous prétexte que vous avez passé l'age!
...while your little monsters enjoy the incredible adventure, admire Coco La Bouche's clothes, inspired by the well-known Cruella or discover which couturier does Jean Claude, dubbed by Stéphane Bern. And above all, don't sulk you pleasure with the pretext that you are too old!
# Le Figaro 3 stars
Un film réussi, qui met en joie les enfants et régale les parents par ses clins d'oeil cinématographique et son inventivité verbale.
A successful film that puts in joy at the levels of children and their parents by its cinematographic winks and its verbal inventiveness.
# Film 3 stars (Caroline Schorr)
Nachdem die Rugrats im ersten Teil noch die USA unsicher gemacht haben, erobern sie jetzt Europa. Weil Erfinder Stu seinen mechanischen Dinosaurier in einem Themenpark präsentieren soll, begleiten ihn die Rugrats samt Familien in die Seine-Metropole Paris. Wer sich jedoch an die Abenteuer der Pampers-Kids erinnert, ahnt schon, dass noch einige Turbulenzen bevorstehen.
Während sie in Deutschland immer noch ein stiefmütterliches Dasein führen, erfreuen sich die Rugrats in den USA größter Beliebtheit. Und das, obwohl (oder doch vielleicht gerade weil?) es bei ihren Abenteuern des öfteren eher unappetitlich zugeht. Da wird gerülpst, erbrochen und die Windeln gefüllt. Doch das hat schließlich schon beim ersten Teil seinen Zweck erfüllt. Trotz jeder Menge Unfug ist "Rugrats in Paris" kein reiner Kinderfilm. Immer wieder wird in Zitaten und Handlungsabläufen auf Hollywoodfilme wie den "Paten" oder "Godzilla" angespielt. Und der Themmenpark in Paris hat verteufelt viel Ähnlichkeit mit dem wirklich existierenden "Eurodisney".
After the Rugrats in the first film made the USA still uncertain, they now conquer Europe. Because inventor Stu has to present its mechanical dinosaur at a theme park, the Rugrats accompanies their families to the Seine metropolis, Paris. Who remembers, however, the adventures of the Pampers Kids; already it suspects that some turbulences are approaching.
While they still lead a stepmother's existence in Germany, the Rugrats
in the USA enjoys the largest popularity. And that, despite (or maybe because?)
of the more frequent, rather unappetizing, adventures. In one scene, one
vomits and one fills its diapers. But that finally already served its purpose
with the first film. Despite its mischief, "Rugrats in Paris" is not a pure
children's film. Its quotations and actions to Hollywood films like "The
Godfather" or "Godzilla" alludes one again and again. And the theme
park in Paris has similar attractions with the real "Eurodisney".
|
Film Advisory
Board (Elayne Blythe, President) [From an ad for the film]
An award-winning family film full of fun and frolic...even better than the first film.
Left: FAB's "Award Winner" logo, given only to films that they
find very suitable for the entire family. |
Film Journal (Shirley Sealy)
Since the tiny tykes who make up the fan base of Nickelodeon's long-running animated series cannot go into theatres to see this second full-length animated "Rugrats" movie, unless accompanied by an adult, the makers of Rugrats in Paris wisely inserted just enough adult humor to keep mom and / or dad alert and amused-if not falling about laughing in the aisles.
A lively soundtrack keeps all of this plot nonsense bopping along, mixing new songs (mostly by Mark Mothersbaugh) with some familiar tunes sung by [top artists] and-why not?-Tim Curry,as part of a chorus of "Sumo Singers" in a rendition of "Bad Girls." The film's animation conforms to the style of the "Rugrats" episodes on TV-which means it's simple, spare and colorful, but in no way breathtaking. However, the five-year-old "Rugrats" fans couldn't care less, could they?
Film Threat 3.5 stars (Chris Gore)
What makes the "Rugrats" so successful is that it actually works on two drastically different levels appealing both to single-digit aged kids who giggle at "poopie" humor while pleasing adults whounderstand jokes about parenting and diapers.
What I enjoyed most about Rugrats II is that the filmmakers are completely aware they must work just as hard to entertain the parents as the diaper set. My kids certainly did not pick up on the opening scene's homage to Godfather with Angelica doling out favors ala Don Corleone.
The worst thing a film for children can do is only please the kids. The adults must be satisfied too, and Rugrats will leave both demographics more than satisfied – they'll poop their pants with joy!
# Filmtabs (Günter H. Jekubzik)
Nach ihrem überdrehten ersten Film-Ausflug in den Wald machen sich die Zeichentrickkinder "Rugrats" nun nach Europa auf.
Der ganze Spaß wurde mit vielen Popsongs garniert. Besonders in einer Martial Arts-Traumsequenz von "Chuckie Chan" und bei den vielen Zitaten merkt man den Ideenreichtum und die Absicht, das Kinderpublikum auf keinen Fall zu unterfordern.
After their overturned first film trip into the forest, kiddie toon characters the "Rugrats" now open themselves to Europe.
The whole fun was garnished with many pop songs. Particularly in a "Chuckie Chan" Martial-arts type dream sequence, and with the many quotations, one notices the wealth of ideas and the intention of under-requiring the child public in no case.
Ft. Worth Star-Telegram 3.5 stars (Javonna May-Mons)
Will Coco be Chuckie's new mommy, or will it be Kira, Coco's sweet and timid secretary? Well, you probably know the answer already, but you'll still have fun along the way.
Coco's Cruella De Vil-like persona is deliciously evil. Whether she's yelling, "Go away before you give me lice," at the babies or holding Dil while cooing "Oh little baby, you are not horrible," she's the runaway star of this movie. The rest of the cast is just as entertaining. `Rugrats in Paris' will produce chuckles from grown-ups and kids alike.
# France 2
Ils sont venus, ils sont tous là. Qui ? les Razmoket. Où? A Paris. Ainsi, les petits chouchous de nos chères têtes blondes, qui squattent les mercredis sur France 3, arrivent sur les écranset dans la capitale française.
Intéresser aussi bien les enfants que les parents, créer un film ingénieux et plein d'émotion, étaient les défis auxquels les deux réalisateurs, Stig Bergqvist et Paul Demeyer, devaient faire face. Pari réussi. Après deux ans de travail, une association d'animations traditionnelles et d'infographies et un scénario solide, ils nous ont réjouis durant 1h20.
l'instar d'un film d'action, tout y est : rebondissements, poursuites en tout genre, personnages malfaisants, héros sympathiques, robots... le tout savamment intégré dans un décor parisien romantique en diable et orchestré avec brio par la musique originale de Mark Mothersbaugh, le fondateur, pour les parents qui s'en souviennent, du groupe Devo.
Et, comme autant de clins d'oeil pour cinéphiles, les parents apprécieront les références au Parrain, La Belle et le Clochard, Jurassic Park et autres King Kong.
Un 3e film est déjà en préparation. Gageons qu'il apportera autant de joie que celui-ci aux petits et aux grands!
They came, they are all there. Who? The Rugrats. Where? In Paris. Thus our favorite little kids, which squatter Wednesdays on France 3, arrive on the scene in the French capital.
To interest children as well as parents, to create a clever and emotional film, were the challenges that two directors, Stig Bergqvist and Paul Demeyer, were to face. Successful bet. After two years of work, an association of traditional animation and computer graphics and a solid storyline, they delighted us during the 80 minute film.
The examples of an action film are all there: new developments, continuations of any kind, unpleasant characters, sympathetic heroes, robots... the whole thing integrated in a devilish, romantic Parisian setting and brilliantly orchestrated with the original music of Mark Mothersbaugh, the founder of, for the parents who remember it, the group Devo.
And, like as many winks for film enthusiasts, the parents will appreciate the references to the Godfather, Lady And The Tramp, Jurassic Park and King Kong.
A 3rd film is already in preparation. Let us guarantee that it will bring as much joy as this one to young and old!
The Fresno Bee B (Donald Munro)
'Rugrats in Paris' is a warm and saucy outing for kids and adults.
Aside from the franchise's traditional reliance on the wonderful world of soiled diapers, "Rugrats in Paris" is a surprisingly sophisticated outing. Sure, it's no Sartre. But it's tender and warm, and a saucy little streak of "take that, Frenchies" humor is streaked throughout.
Compared to such recent dismal children's offerings as the "Pokemon" sequel, this "Rugrats" positively glows.
Sassy and crisp, "Rugrats in Paris" doesn't get bogged down in the action-adventure mindset of the first film. From the opening moments, when the title dissolves into a "Godfather 2" typeface, the humor works on two levels. There are enough bright colors, sight gags and food fights to satisfy even a restless toddler. And the humor pitched at adults will keep parents from chomping at the bit, too. (A wooden horse head, a la "The Godfather," is sneaky fun.)
There's a sweetness to the film, too, that serves it well.
The French needn't bother trashing their local McDonald's over this one. You'll find the "Rugrats" kids' meals at Burger King.
Those cartoon urchins travel to France where they learn a whole host of virtues that will perhaps make mom and dad with their own small fry in tow glad they came.
Global Television (Toronto) (Ann Shatilla) [approximate quote]
...a deeper sequel that kids & adults will love.
Good Morning America (ABC) (Joel Siegel) [From an ad for the film]
Funnier and more fun than the first.
Greenwich Village Gazette (New York City) 3 stars (Eric Lurio)
There is lots of [stuff for grown-ups], there's also lots of scatological humor as well. After all, these are supposed to be babies and control of bodily functions is an extremely important and funny topic. The pace is also fast and furious, and as it's a sequel, we already know the characters and don't need any introductions.
Directors Stig Bergguist and Paul Demeyer have managed to make a fast-paced intelligent film that's actually lots of fun for both young and old alike. It's worth taking the kids yourself.
The Hartford Courant (Malcolm Johnson)
"Rugrats in Paris - The Movie" towers over the first animated feature from the Nickelodeon babies, chiefly because of Susan Sarandon, who lends a ferocious French-accented voice to the villain, Coco La Bouche.
As La Bouche translates as "The Mouth," there is some playful wit in evidence here, along with the obligatory supply of diaper humor. The screenplay, a collaboration of five writers, also serves up parodies of "The Godfather," with the bossy Angelina Pickles assuming the Brando role. A paraphrase from Francis Ford Coppola's "Apocalypse Now" - "I love the smell of panic in the morning" - is spoken by La Bouche.
"Rugrats in Paris" also mocks dreamy Disney songs like "Colors of the Wind," with touches of "King Kong," puts a new spin on "Lady and the Tramp." Finally, it wraps up with a grandiose takeoff on "Jurassic Park: The Lost World." So grandparents can have fun here, along with their wailing kiddie charges.
Stig Bergqvist and Paul Demeyer, native Europeans both, co-direct with a sense that things must keep moving fast, as in classic American cartoons. So the film zips tunefully between the theme park with its Reptar theater and a sort of Chinese opera, as well as the rides, and a canine love affair in romantic Paris. Along the way, the voices of Casey Kasem and Tim Curry chime in. But it is always Sarandon who raises the pitch with a wonderfully outrageous performance, screaming with chauvinistic Gallic egotism and arrogance.
The Heights (Boston College student newspaper) (Nicole Sullivan)
What actually caused so many of these kids leaving the packed theater to cheer and sing [Who Let The Dogs Out]? A combination of things, as I learned after watching Rugrats in Paris.
[The Rugrats] have the audience holding onto their berets for possibly the most exciting and endearing adventure in Rugrats history yet.
Perhaps the cutest movie ever, this sequel to the hit The Rugrats Movie, based on the popular television show, is everything it is hyped up to be and more. The movie is great for adults, children and teenagers and also proves to be romantic, action-packed (as far as animated movies are concerned) and moral.
This simple plot leaves a lot of space for good development between all the characters, and plenty of room for the babies to cause trouble under the non-supervision of their loving parents. When one of the babies wets his pants and says, "wee wee," his father comments, "He's learning French!" Besides the cute characters and plot, the fun one-liners keep the audience hanging on every word, expecting a good laugh and usually getting one.
With voices of such talents as John Lithgow, Debbie Reynolds and Susan Sarandon gracing the silver screen, the movie is that much more appealing. Between the comedy and cuteness, action andromance, this movie is a must-see. It has the children cheering out loud and the children-at-heart inwardly cheering too.
Hollywood Reporter (Michael Rechtshaffen)
The bodily functions flow liberally in "Rugrats in Paris: The Movie," the lively animated feature follow-up to the popular Nickelodeon residents' hit 1998 big-screen outing.
Faster-paced and noisier than its predecessor, the revved-up sequel's obsession with potty humor will likely have some parents exclaiming "mon Dieu" or, at least, "mon doo-doo." But despite the film's rather frenetic efforts to address pint-sized attention spans, there's plenty to amuse kids and their long-suffering caregivers.
...Those irresistible Rugrats should do some gross stuff at the boxoffice before cleaning up on video.
Once again, the character work is strong, and the celebrity recruits are fun, including Sarandon, being uncharacteristically nasty; John Lithgow as her pretentious personal assistant, Jean-Claude; and, in cameo turns, Debbie Reynolds as Grandpa Lou's new love interest, Tim Curry as a sumo karaoke singer and Casey Kasem as — surprise — a DJ.
And while it seems they could have toned it all down a few notches without fear of losing their audience, [the film's writers and directors] do a good job of keeping things moving, physically and emotionally.
Technically speaking, the animation, while definitely not state-of-the-art, is richer than that found on the TV version. The computer-generated images have been retouched by hand to give the characters more warmth.
Houston Chronicle (Bruce Westbrook)
Toy Story 2 isn't the only recent animated sequel to outshine the original. If Rugrats in Paris doesn't fare as well as 1998's The Rugrats Movie -- which made $100 million in America -- Paramount should demand a recount.
Of course, we also might demand another poll of the ratings board, which gave a G rating to a film with vomiting, urination, flatulence, belching, nose-picking and slobbering in its excretory arsenal.
But it's all in the service of toddler humor that is arguably innocent.
Colorfully animated, this second film spinoff from the Nickelodeon series is more elaborate and better written than the first, which relied on an escapade in the wilderness.
Here, there's an entire country to explore. The kids spend most of the movie on theme-park grounds, but Notre Dame Cathedral, the Arc de Triomphe and the Eiffel Tower make cameos -- usually enduring violent slapstick stunts that could make these kids the ugliest of Americans, in French eyes.
Their disruption of a trans-Atlantic flight also is no laughing matter, given today's testy aerial climate.
These enfants terrible are like miniature Beavises and Butt-heads -- wild, messy, gluttonous slobs -- just with an excuse: They're too young to know any better.
Such innocence makes most merriment good, slimy fun, and the dialogue is peppered with wit.
Houston Press (M.V. Moorhead)
After the impenetrable movie-length commercials for Pokémon and Digimon, this is a very good kids' movie from a grown-up standpoint -- it has a coherent plot, good pacing, well-defined characters, and a funny monster-movie spoof at the finale. But you may find the Rugrats tougher to warm up to than they should be. Unlike say, Charles Schulz's Peanuts, which was grown-up humor that kids were able to love, Rugrats is kid-level humor, and there's something calculated about the way that in-joke references to The Godfather and Jurassic Park are deployed in hopes of convincing adults that it's wittier than it is. Still, it's nice to see a kiddie movie that doesn't leave you feeling like a foreigner in need of subtitles.
# L'Humanité (Vincent Ostria)
Paris go! Tiens, les Razmoket sont de retour. · vrai dire, je ne m'étais jamais aperçu de leur existence, mais à côté des statiques et monotones Pokémon, c'est un summum de subversion enfantine. Non seulement le graphisme de ce dessin animé est agréablement anguleux et (relativement) biscornu, mais on se doit d'applaudir à la bonne humeur et la franchise de ces mouflets impérialistes yankees qui mettent le souk à Paris, la mano en la mano avec les Nippons, qui ont planté au beau milieu de la capitale un monstrueux parc d'attraction nommé Euro-Reptarland. Trêve de plaisanterie, ces Razmoket aussi impertinents qu'inoffensifs, constituent une saine alternative aux schémas manichéens des produits Disney. Une sorte d'équivalent ultra-light, donc visible par tous, des vilains crados de South Park.
Paris go! The Rugrats are back · actually, I had never realized of their existence, but beside the static and monotonous Pokémon, it is a height of childish subversion. Not only are the graphics of this cartoon agreeably angular and (relatively) weird, but one must applaud the good mood and the frankness of these little imperialist Yankees, who put the chaos in Paris, mano-a-mano with the Nipponese ones, which planted in the beautiful heart of the capital a monstrous theme park named Euro-Reptarland. Seriously, these Rugrats are impertinent and inoffensive; they constitute a healthy alternative to Disney's Manichean drawings. A kind of ultra-light equivalent, therefore visible by all, of the unpleasant filth of South Park.
IFilm (website) (Dave White)
They're not cute, and they're diaper deep in poop and booger jokes, but they're clever, breathing and wiggly in a way that most animated characters only dream of being. Kids and adults alike will dig this—a family film that's funny and funky.
Rugrat Angelica is the rightful heir to the throne of Peanuts' cranky, bossy, fussbudget Lucy Van Pelt.
If there are no kids in your life, you should go [see the film] anyway.
Un film d'animation ou une famille essaie de casser avec le conformisme. C'est surtout une parodie où. Un papa qui essaie de trouver une maman à son petit. Il paraît que la musique est du tonnère. Petits et grands trouveront leurs compte.
An animated family film that breaks with conformism, especially as a parody. A dad tries to find a mom for his son. It appears that the music is loud. This film has something for everyone.
Illawarra Mercury (NSW, Australia) (Denise Everton)
While the first Rugrats movie had the hallmark of an Indiana Jones saga, this film pulls inspiration from many areas.
The only question is why did they set it in Paris because they make little use of the country's landmarks. This film could have been set anywhere and, for much of the movie, it seems more influenced by Tokyo than the city of romance.
Still, while the film lacks the slick appeal of the original film, it's still loads of fun for kids of all ages and there are plenty of lessons to be learnt.
By the end of the 90-minute show viewers should know everything they need to about loyalty, trust, courage and love.
Better still, they'll know even more about dirty diapers and food fights.
Being a kid was never this much fun.
# Les Inrockuptibles 3 stars (Vincent Ostria)
Ce dessin animé reste tonique et impertinent avec son graphisme aigu et ses personnages farfelus... plutôt recommandable donc, avec un sujet qui ne mange pas de pain... Et parodique, sympathiquement.
This cartoon remains tonic and impertinent with his sharp style of drawing and its weird characters... therefore, rather respectable, with a subject that does not eat any bread... a likeable parody.
Internet Movie Database 3 stars (Steve Rhodes)
The Rugrats are back in a movie... that is sweeter and funnier than their first. Offering as much for the adults as the kids...
[The Bobfather scene] is one that undoubtedly will appeal mainly to the adults.
# Jornal da Tarde (São Paulo, Brasil) (Geraldo Galvão Ferraz)
Este é melhor do que o primeiro. É dirigido ao público-alvo do desenho, crianças de 2 a 11 anos, mas não deixa de ter suas atrações para os adultos. O filme de agora é mais engraçado e muito mais maluco que o primeiro. Começa parodiando O Poderoso Chefão, com Angelica dando uma de Poderosa Chefona. O filme se diverte com outros momentos cinematográficos. O mais óbvio é a cena do beijo com espaguete de A Dama e o Vagabundo, aqui num cover em que os dois cachorros têm o beijo atrapalhado por uma pizza borrachenta.Sobra também para King Kong, Godzillaz e 101 Dálmatas.
O diálogo, como na TV, tem um monte de alusões a cocô, xixi, catarro, vômito, puns, arrotos, ou seja, itens que os rugrats da vida real adoram. No cinema, eles se esborracham de rir. Os adultos, bem-comportados, escandalizam-se ou sorriem no escuro.
This film is better than the first one. It is directed to the target audience of the cartoon, 2 to 11 year-old children, but it does not leave to have its attractions for the adults. The film is funnier and much more raucous that the first one. It starts with a parody of The Godfather, with Angelica as The Bobfather. The film amuses with other cinematographic moments. Most obvious it is the scene of the kiss with spaghetti from Lady and the Tramp, covered here by two dogs who also have the kiss confused for a sticky pizza. Same for King Kong, Godzilla and 101 Dalmatians.
The dialogue, as on TV, has an amount of [pee pee - caca jokes], things that real life rugrats adores. In the cinema, they are driven to laugh. The adults, well-held, scandalize themselves or just smile.
The Journal News (White Plains, NY) (Marshall Fine) [via Gannett News Service; portions from an ad for the film]
"Rugrats in Paris,'' the second big-screen outing for Nickelodeon's TV-cartoon brood, is deliciously clever and surprisingly touching.
A tale of babies running wild in Paris, filled with sly jokes about everything from the French to ``The Godfather,'' it is smart, funny and full of heart.
Chuckie makes a wish that his father will find him a new mommy, and much of this film deals with that longing -- in surprisingly moving way.
If you don't have a kid to take to it, borrow one.
KJZZ ch.14, Salt Lake City (Tony Toscano)
Using adult humor mixed with visual slapstick - the movie speaks everyone's language. The main plot, concerning Chuckie's search for a new mom, is well written and deftly steers away from being maudlin and excessively sappy.
KMAX ch.31 (UPN), Sacramento (Mark S. Allen) [From an ad for the film]
Even better than the original. This movie has something for everyone.
KTVT ch.11 (CBS), Fort Worth - Dallas (Sandie Newton) [From an ad for the film]
C'est Fantastique! "Rugrats In Paris, The Movie" is perfect for the whole family -- I loved it!
# Kinonews
Mit coolen Sprüchen, Witz und Power zetteln die lustigen Rugrats in ihrem zweiten Kinofilm in Frankreich einen Riesenwirbel an!
In ihrem zweiten großen Leinwandabenteuer warten auf alle Fans der Rugrats viel Action und die typischen Verrücktheiten der beliebten Babys, die damit sicher auch viele neue Fans gewinnen werden. Neben der witzigen Story, den mit Liebe zum Detail gezeichneten Bildern und dem fetzigen Soundtrack zeichnet sich "Rugrats in Paris – Der Film" vor allem durch verschmitzte Herzenswärme aus.
With cool messages, jokes and power, the merry Rugrats makes a big spin in France in its second film!
In its second big screen adventure, there are plenty of action and the typical madness of the popular babies for all fans of the Rugrats, who will also probably win many new fans. Beside the funny story, "Rugrats in Paris " draws with love the detail for animation and the soundtrack - the film particularly warms your heart.
Knoxville News-Sentinel 4 stars (Betsy Pickle)
"Rugrats in Paris -- The Movie" est magnifique!
The second big-screen adventure featuring Nickelodeon's popular babies does right by its characters and by itsaudience. It's smart, sweet and funny. It's full of positive messages, but it packages them in an entertaining romp that will make both kids and adults go, "Ooh, la, la!"
While it doesn't match the artistry of Disney, the visual style of "Rugrats in Paris" is delightful. Coco's outfits, EuroReptarland and Paris are a trip, and the babies' antics are outrageous. And unlike many a Disney movie crammed with jarring wanna-be hit singles, the songs on the "Rugrats" soundtrack -- from the Baha Men's "Who Let the Dog Out" to Sinead O'Connor's "When You Love" -- fit the style, story and mood of the film.
Directors Stig Bergqvist and Paul Demeyer know the joy of the "Rugrats" lies in complexity -- potty humor and satire, realism and fantasy, silliness and meaning. "Rugrats in Paris" makes the most of all of these elements. It works as well for adults as it does for kids, but parents have more leverage if kids don't know that.
Lancaster (PA) New Era (Jennifer Kopf)
'Rugrats in Paris' entertains everyone -- not just kids.
So you have your KC and the Sunshine Band, your Casey Kasem, a Sinatra (Nancy, not Frank) and a clever little tribute to "The Godfather." Coast through the first five minutes of "The Rugrats in Paris," and there may be enough to entertain you even if you can't tell Lulu Pickles from Stu Pickles.
Laramie (WY) Movie Scope (website) B (Robert Roten)
Unlike many films, it has vulnerable, sympathetic characters and some beautiful artwork, too.
Chuckie and Chas are well-rounded characters, but most of the other characters are shallow and self-centered. Most of the kids are interested only in eating and other related bodily functions. The adults, however, are generally portrayed as reasonable people. Most comedies aimed at children portray adults as idiots.
Chuckie and Chas are characters of such sweetness and vulnerability that you can't help but root for them. They are what some people call losers, but they have a certain nobility and humanity that can't be denied.
Long Island Newsday 3 stars (Gene Seymour)
For once, you can believe the hype: The second big-screen adventure of Nickelodeon's animated flagship really is "bigger and better" than the first, if just as twitchy and noisy.
Despite its occasional indulgence in brassy noise and crass sentiment, "Rugrats in Paris" turns out to be just as charming as-and more impressively animated than-its predecessor. The inner 8-year-old in all of us will cruise with the digitally enhanced giant toys and nonabrasive, gross-out humor. Meanwhile, the budding sophisticate in each child may be intrigued by parents' chuckles over the movie's well-conceived parody of the wedding scene from "The Godfather." And it's pretty darned hard to dismiss a movie in which French- speaking sumo wrestlers perform "Bad Girls" behind Angelica's lead vocals at a sushi restaurant.
Susan Sarandon seems to be having a good time with her gig, and while John Lithgow's work as Coco's henchman, Jean Claude, isn't as noticeable, it's good to have him among the show's regulars.
LAFM Magazine (Rick Anthony) [From an ad for the film]
A very entertaining film for the entire family. The Rugrats just get better and better.
LA Weekly "Recommended" (Nicole Campos)
It's a relief that the Nickelodeon folks haven't abandoned the hipness and heart of their flagship series (and this film's big-screen predecessor).There is indeed more of everything this time out, and it often amounts to less: The second half is especially crammed with one loud, manic frolic after another. Yet, the shrewd characterizations and adults-will-giggle-too wit of les bébés mostly succeed in grounding the mayhem. A running spoof of The Godfather is especially hilarious, as are numerous, sly digs at all things Disney.
Los Angeles Daily News 3 stars (Valerie Kuklenski)
"Rugrats in Paris" will have the adults in the audience laughing and their young charges bewildered at what's so funny, and that's just during the opening titles.
"Rugrats" creators Arlene Klasky and Gabor Csupo have rewarded parents dragged reluctantly to the theaters, in the tradition established by those great Warner Bros. cartoonists, who frequently threw in references that sailed over little heads.
Of course, there's something in "Rugrats in Paris" for all ages. There's the high gross-out factor for the boys (I'll spare you the details but it rates a big "eeewwwww") and, for the giggly girls, "I see London, I see France ... ."
The real stars here are the animators, who clearly had a field day taking the characters out of the suburbs and into not only the city of Paris and all its landmarks but also a high-tech, Japanese-flavored amusement park. From Coco's severe fashions to the interiors of Notre Dame Cathedral, there are visual treats everywhere.
Though its main purpose is entertainment, "Rugrats in Paris" has two good messages to impart: First, be wary of someone who talks of love but whose actions say otherwise, and second, animated stepmothers don't have to be evil. Are you listening, Disney?
# El Mercurio (Santiago, Chile) (David Abuhadba)
"Rugrats en París- La Película" tiene la virtud de desplegar la suficiente fuerza emocional y contar con el adecuado peso intelectual para encantar por igual a chicos y grandes, provocando un encuentro que se agradece. Particularmente memorable resultan la recreación que los bebés efectúan de escenas de El Padrino -"el Panino", según ellos-, que marcan el inicio y final de la película, y la secuencia en que Carlitos viaja en el avión e imagina a su madre en medio de las nubes, con la canción "I Want a Mom That Will Last Forever", interpretada por la [Cyndi] Lauper, de fondo.
"Rugrats in Paris -- The Movie" has the virtue to deploy the sufficient emotional force and to count on the suitable intellectual weight to the same enchanted kids, causing an encounter that is thanked for. Particularly memorable, at the beginning and end of the film, is the recreated sequence of the scenes of The Godfather - "The Bobfather", leading to Chuckie travelling in an airplane and imagines his mother in the middle of clouds, with the song "I want a Mom That Will Last Forever", sung by [Cyndi] Lauper, over the action.
Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel 3.5 stars (Duane Dudek)
"Rugrats" is a postmodern "Peanuts." Chucky, Tommy and Angelica are a garrulous, curious, jazzed up and media-savvy Charlie Brown, Linus and Lucy. And their second film, "Rugrats In Paris: The Movie" is a funny, stirring and swift-moving comic adventure as endearing and entertaining as "Toy Story 2."
Many have tried, but "Rugrats" is the only animated brand name to break the Disney stranglehold. It has the advantage of name recognition - the characters' TV series debuted on the Nickelodeon cable channel in 1991 - and their first feature in 1998 earned $100 million.
"Rugrats in Paris" ups the ante with a frantically paced, richly animated and emotionally generous reaffirmation of the franchise and its characters as cultural institutions.
The animation, much of it digital, is vibrant and fluid, with a sophisticated sense of composition and perspective.
The only quibble is that Chucky's despair at being motherless is so realistic that sensitive children might be alarmed. But even that is a tribute to how entrenched the "Rugrats" are in our hearts.
Brought to us by the creators of the "Rugrats" kids' series, this movie is tons o' fun in the city of love. America's highest-rated babies take on tough projects like mommy-hunting and reptile amusement parks, not to mention the French standards of fashion, sloppy kisses and smelly cheese.
The Missoulian (Missoula, MT) 3 stars (Mike McInally)
"Rugrats In Paris" -- Just what the title suggests. And you know how your kids feel about it.
Packed with a boisterous, vulgar energy. Considerably livelier than its predecessor.
By most accounts even parents can get the occasional chuckle out of this epic of toddler slapstick.
# Le Monde (Thomas Sotinel)
Typiquement américaine, [la] série télévisée [Razmoket] est aux tout-petits ce que les Simpsons sont aux adultes, une mutation bienvenue (plus intelligente, plus drôle, plus alerte) du divertissement familial. Heureuse surprise, Les Razmokets à Paris conserve sur grand écran une bonne part du charme des dessins animés réalisés pour la télévision. D'un point de vue strictement chauvin, on se réjouira d'un scénario qui moque les Américains venus en Europe pour visiter des parcs d'attractions imités de ceux construits en Californie ou en Floride. La bizarrerie des péripéties, les quelques intentions parodiques (toute l'ouverture est consacrée à une version couches-culottes du Parrain) distrairont les parents, pendant que les plus jeunes rêveront à ce monde où ce sont les enfants qui décident de l'issue des conflits familiaux et professionnels.
Typically American, [the Rugrats] TV series is to the toddlers as The Simpsons are to the adults, a welcome alternative (more intelligent, funnier, more alert) to family entertainment. Happily surprised, Rugrats in Paris preserves on the silver screen a good share of the charm of the animation carried out for television. From a strictly chauvinistic point of view, one will be delighted by a scenario which makes fun to the Americans who come to Europe to visit theme parks imitating those built in California or Florida. The bizarre adventures, the few parodic intentions (the opening is devoted to a diapered version of The Godfather) will distract the parents, while young people dream of a world where they are the children who decide family and professional conflicts.
# Monsieur Cinema 3 stars (Guillaume Tion)
But avoué: faire mieux que le premier film, et se fonder sur un scénario convenant aux petits, certes, mais aussi aux grands. Joyeux parents, donc, qui aurez l'honneur d'accompagner la chair de votre chair dans les méandres bariolés de l'univers des Razmoket, n'ayez point de crispation dans le sourire: le but est atteint. En effet, si ce film d'animation plaira à n'en pas douter à vos rejetons, vous ne vous y ennuierez pas non plus.
Certes, l'histoire n'est pas originale pour un sou, les bons sentiments triomphent, la morale gentillette ne surprend personne et l'action supposée se dérouler dans la capitale pourrait aussi bien avoir lieu en Amérique du sud ou au Tibet. Mais, malgré tout, la rapidité des scènes, quelques gags, une animation soignée, une ou deux trouvailles visuelles (comme l'hôtel incurvé ou le spectacle du parc) et le caractère particulier de certains de ces Razmoket nous font tenir sans trop de mal jusqu'au bout de cette histoire pourtant prévisible. Parfois, on rit.
Their goal: to do better than the first film, and to be based on a scenario being appropriate for the small, certainly, but also with the large. Merry parents, therefore, who will have the honor to accompany their kids in the multi-coloured meanders of the Rugrats universe, do not have to force a smile: the goal is reached. Indeed, if your kids like this animated film, you will not be bored, either.
Admittedly, it is not an original story, the finer feelings triumph, gentle morals do not surprise anybody and the action is supposed to proceed in the capital [Paris], but could as well take place in South America or Tibet. But, despite everything, the speed of the scenes, some gags, decent animation, one or two visual lucky finds (like the curved hotel or the spectacle of the park) and the particular Rugrats character make us hold without too much evil in the foreseeable future. Sometimes, one laughs.
Montreal Gazette 3.5 stars (Kathryn Greenaway)
Non-stop action and chase scenes will make children wired and parents exhausted.
The slobber set is back and in great form. In the last Rugrats movie, little Tommy Pickles struggled with the arrival of sibling Dil. This time around, the pack of motivated droolers heads for Paris to make one heck of a mess.
Rugrats in Paris: The Movie delivers exactly the sort of ruckus you would expect from Tommy, Dil, Angelica, Chuckie, Lil and Phil. Bug-eyed and baggy-panted, they bring the sophisticated city to its knees. Havoc is wreaked at a furious pace and potty humour rules.
In proper Rugrats tradition, the story begins and ends with a show of narrative strength. A running gag inspired by the Godfather film trilogy will be missed entirely by the youngsters in the audience and enjoyed thoroughly by the grownups (our little secret to savour). The writers appear to realize that grownups appreciate that sort of thing. We thank you.
The middle [involving the gang's trip to Paris and Euro Reptarland] is non-stop action, so take a deep breath.
The omnipresent song Who Let the Dogs Out by The Baha Men is played just enough to tattoo your brain with its catchy melody, possibly forever.
Parents will find the experience exhausting. Children will be wired for sound by the time the credits roll and Who Let the Dogs Out blares forth one last time. A typical family outing.
# Montréal Plus (Martin Côté)
Après leur passage, vous pouvez vous douter que Paris ne sera plus jamais la même! Jusqu'à maintenant, l'adaptation au cinéma des Rugrats s'est bien déroulée et ce deuxième film ne devrait pas faillir à la recette. Et comme c'est toujours meilleur sur grand écran... Du bonbon pour les amateurs des Rugrats et un excellent divertissement pour des parents qui ne savent plus comment amuser leurs petits monstres. Vive la France!
After their passage, you can suspect that Paris will never be the same again! Until now, the Rugrats' adaptation to the cinema proceeded well and this second film should not fail in the box office. And it's always better on the silver screen... It's candy for your real Rugrats and excellent entertainment for parents who no longer know how to amuse their small monsters. Vive la France!
The Morning News (Springdale, AR) (Becca Bacon Martin)
Real fans -- especially moms -- had to approach the new movie, "Rugrats in Paris", with some trepidation... because we remember Melinda.
The story of Chuckie's mom is, without a doubt, the saddest one in cartoon history. She died, apparently of cancer, when he was just a baby. But we grew to love her in a tear-jerking Mother's Day episode...
Pass the Kleenex, please. And don 't tell me that Chuckie will find a new mom in Paris, just like that. Melinda cannot, should not, be replaced that easily.
Suffice it to say that while Grandpa Lou has found romance in the retirement home, the babies do find love in Paris -- along with a new Rugrat, Kimi.
But here is the magic that has made "Rugrats "creators Arlene Klasky and Gabor Csupo rich -- it's the parents who leave the movie theater eager for the next installment.
Still, we moms will never forget Melinda.
New York Times (Elvis Mitchell)
Like many animated features, "Rugrats in Paris" is stuffed to the gills with pop-culture references; it opens with its "Rugrats II" logo turned into a visual gag based on the "Godfather II" logo, a joke that will sail over the heads of children.
They'll be too busy happily screaming when they see the bratty Angelica (Cheryl Chase) lording it over the babies, as she always does. She's — ugh — the Bobfather, which makes "Rugrats" the first children's cartoon to spoof a sequence inspired by Luchino Visconti's "Leopard," enough reference points to throw the Earth's gravitational pull out of whack.
"Rugrats in Paris" also lightly satirizes Disney — in addition to the theme park, there is a "Lady and the Tramp" joke with Tommy's dog, Spike, that adds a sticky "Rugrats" touch — and Japanese anime. Captive members of the audience who feel the same way Mme. La Bouche does about the "adorable misshapen ragamuffins" can content themselves with glimpses of the elegant lines of the EuroReptarland creatures, not a bad thing to make do with.
But be warned: those images will have to last a long time.
The News-Tribune (Tacoma, WA) 4 stars (Soren Anderson)
That's some agile balancing act pulled off by the people who made "Rugrats in Paris - The Movie."
On the one hand, with a target demographic of kids 11 and under, you want to keep things short and simple; small fry have small attention spans. So [the directors, writers and producers] made sure to program in plenty of poop and pee and puke humor in this sequel to the 1998 holiday-season blockbuster "The Rugrats Movie."
And unlike movies featuring grown-up gross-out artists such as Jim Carrey and Adam Sandler, it's not much of a stretch for "Rugrats" characters to go for the gross. After all, they're babes in diapers. Poop, pee and puke is what such wee ones, do. Or doo.
But that leaves the Parent Problem. The Parent Problem is that kiddie humor can bring on either compulsive watch-glancing - "Isn't this thing over yet?" - or narcolepsy ("I'm so bored, I could just zzzzzz").
The makers of "Rugrats," bless their hearts, have taken pity on parents. The makers have worked into the plot a number of clever movie miniparodies. Among them: "The Godfather," complete with slat-shadowed office and non-gross severed horse head; "King Kong" (watch the monster climb the ... Eiffel Tower?); "Jurassic Park" and, my favorite, a takeoff on the spaghetti-eating scene in "Lady and the Tramp." Playing spot-the-references helps to keep adult minds alive.
Yes, the picture is sentimental, but its makers are careful not to lay the sentiment on with a trowel. This movie is genuinely moving.
And genuinely funny, as a scheming Frenchwoman (voice done by Susan Sarandon) conspires to trap Chas in a marriage of convenience... "She's not a very nice lady. She's too pointy," one observes. Good point, kid.
True fun for all ages in this one.
Northwest Cable News (Seattle) (Richard Reid) [From an ad for the film]
These babies rock! "Rugrats" will charm the diapers off you.
Now (Toronto) 3 stars (Kim Linekin)
RUGRATS IN PARIS -- THE MOVIE knows how to keep its audience happy -- Godfather in-jokes for the parents and innocent poopy jokes for the kids.
Fans of the TV series won't be disappointed; those turned off by the kids' post-apocalyptic appearance will be pleasantly surprised. These rugrats are blissfully raunch-free.
The Onion (Nathan Rabin)
The tykes' maiden foray into film [with "The Rugrats Movie"] blunted the series' gentle satire by focusing almost entirely on the show's youngest characters, a move that helped make the film a blockbuster, but also made it something of a chore for adults. Thankfully, Rugrats In Paris restores much of the show's understated appeal, sending its cast of precocious toddlers and babies (along with their parents) to Paris, where electronics whiz Stu Pickles is sent to help fix a robot gone awry at EuroReptarland, an amusingly surreal Parisian theme park.
[The] free-flowing meanness [of Susan Sarandon's character, Coco LaBouche,] provides a bracing antidote to the film's inevitable pro-believing-in-oneself message. Theme parks have long been a source of satirical fodder for The Simpsons, and while RIP never approaches that show's sharp wit, the filmmakers fully mine EuroReptarland's comic possibilities, particularly during a scene in which Sarandon and her intended suitor endure a noxious boat ride. A clever script, a surprisingly resonant subplot involving Chuckie's wish for a new mother, and a brisk 80-minute running time combine to make RIP a significant improvement over its predecessor. And, if nothing else, the film affords audiences a rare opportunity to hear The Baha Men's obscure single "Who Let The Dogs Out?"
Orange County (CA) Register 4 stars (Holly McClure); via Crosswalk
Say Oui to family entertainment at its best! Funny antics, clever dialogue and cute kids combined with an interesting setting make this adventure one that parents will enjoy along with the kids. Combine a great soundtrack with a few adult gags and you have animation at its best for the whole family.
The theme of Chuckie's dad finding a new wife and Chuckie getting a new mom is handled in a positive, upbeat, kid-friendly way, but it still may raise a few questions from your little ones. Scenes like Coco trying to woo Chas into marriage just to get a promotion, a group of sumo wrestlers in authentic garb (the kids think they're big diapers on big fat babies) singing Karaoke and two giant reptile machines battling it out on the streets of Paris aren't offensive, but, again, may require some adult explanation to little ones.
This is one parents can take the kids to and enjoy the laughs, jokes and clever one-liners together. Adults, if your children/grandchildren have lost a parent to death or divorce (even though it's delicately handled) this may be one of those movies that would be good to discuss afterward.
Orlando Sentinel 3 stars (Roger Moore)
It's a mildly amusing collection of parodies of movies parents will recognize (The Godfather, Jurassic Park), theme park jokes and way, way, way too much potty humor. And it's all glossed over with Chuckie Finster's search for a new mommy.
It's a cheerful and cheerfully gross children's movie, with a few forgettable songs tossed in, including the novelty ditty of the moment, "Who Let the Dogs Out?"
Disney-lovers will appreciate the "Small World" ride send-up, "Oooey Gooey World," which takes riders through a sea of muck where animatronic dolls dance in muck and sing about muck.
Yuck.
There's a little flavor of Paris in the film--rude Frenchmen, Notre Dame (sans Hunchback) and the family dog piddles on the Eiffel Tower. Sarandon stands out among the voice performers. She sings for the first time since Rocky Horror.
This is modestly clever animation that has characters kids can identify with and enough grown-up jokes to keep parents from settling into catatonia.
Orlando Weekly 3 stars (Philip Booth)
Even the adults in the crowd need some comic relief during a kiddie movie, and the Rugrats' second big-screen adventure offers exactly that, in a front-loaded reference to "The Godfather."
The moral: Make sure the kids are sound asleep the next time you pop a mafia movie into the VCR.
"Rugrats in Paris," probably a wee bit more entertaining than 1998's The Rugrats Movie, eventually gets around to making hit-and-miss references to all sorts of films, including "A Few Good Men," "Godzilla," "King Kong," "101 Dalmatians" and Jackie Chan movies. There's also a montage set to the ubiquitous Baha Men hit "Who Let the Dogs Out." All, of course, are likely to sail over the heads of the intended audience -- say, toddlers up to those in second-grade or so.
But that won't matter a whit to the tiny tykes, sure to be caught up in the ultra-bright colors; the quirky, attractively askew design, a mix of computer and hand-drawn animation; the bouncy, imaginative score, by Devo founder Mark Mothersbaugh; and a straightforward story told strictly from the point of view of the kids.
It might be argued, as one parent suggested to me, that Tommy, Chuckie,
Angelica and their mischief-making cohorts aren't exactly good role models.
Then again, this typically messy crowd of kids seems far less of a threat
to the Republic than some other animated television characters we might
name.
| # Ouest-France |
|
(Pierre Fornerod) |
(Icon above is equivalent to 3 stars out of 3; icon © Ouest-France.)
Les affreux garnements sont de retour, et ils feront une nouvelle fois le plus grand bonheur des spectateurs qui pourraient être leurs compagnons d'âge. Car toutes les insolences, pitreries et débrouillardises leur sont permises, en toute impunité. C'est, au final, pour la bonne cause, il est vrai.
Les parents chargés d'accompagner leur progéniture au cinéma trouveront aussi matière à se divertir dans l'état d'esprit ironique qui imprègne ce dessin animé. Ça commence sur une parodie du Parrain 2, en version féminine, et ça se poursuit notamment avec une jolie charge contre les us et coutumes de l'empire Disney.
The dreadful young imps are back, and they will, once again, make movie-goers of all ages very happy. All insolences, tomfooleries and smartnesses are allowed to them, in all impunity. It is finally okay, for a good cause.
The parents charged to accompany their offspring to the cinema will also find matter to be diverted in the ironic state of mind which impregnates this cartoon. That starts with a parody of The Godfather -- Part 2, the feminine version, and that continues in particular with a pretty load against the customs and habits of the Disney empire.
Oxygen -- "Girls On" B+ (Shannon Star)
...you'd have to be a pretty big tinklehead not to enjoy some part of this movie. At the very least, you have to admire Nickelodeon's unwavering devotion to its core audience—kids! Unlike Disney flicks, RUGRATS IN PARIS is not trying to be all things to all people. The songs, action, and humor are clearly dedicated to the little ones. Not one scene of this movie will leave your kid scratching his head or wondering what it was all about.
At the same time, there are subtle inside jokes for the discriminating parent: the parallel impracticality of Euro-Reptarland and Euro-Disney, the oblique movie references from THE GODFATHER and A FEW GOOD MEN, and jokes about Internet dating to name a few. Make no mistake, though: the funniest stuff is intended for kids. Scenes that particularly made me laugh? Any situation where Phil or Lil pick some formerly edible item off the ground and pack it into their diapers for later consumption. Vomit and poo are rarely this funny.
Just as gooey and slightly less smelly are the lovey-dovey moments between parents, children, and canines. Be forewarned: this is a very family-centered cartoon. There is a lot of hugging and support going on here. Your family may run the risk of not seeming quite as wonderful as the cute squishy folk up on the big screen.
# Página/12 (Buenos Aires, Argentina) (Martín Pérez)
A casi una década de su debut en el canal de cable Nickelodeon, y a un par de años del estreno de su primera película, los populares personajes de la pareja de animadores Arlene Klasky y Gabor Csupo han llegado a Francia. Y, una vez emprendido el viaje, todo puede suceder. La endiablada Angélica se creerá la reencarnación infantil de El Padrino, Reptar será Godzilla en París y el perro de los Rugrats se creerá una nueva versión de aquel Vagabundo que enamoraba a la Dama en el clásico de Disney. Y no sólo eso: el perro también levantará su patita para dejar su húmeda y olorosa firma al pie de la mismísima torre Eiffel.
Rugrats en París es una película con mucho más valor como tal que el primer largometraje de la serie. Tan divertida y simpática como sus pequeños protagonistas, el film dirigido por Bergqvist y Demeyer no se olvida de ningún tópico pegajoso y / o maloliente del más reciente cine infantil a la hora de recorrer las aventuras a la altura de la rodilla de sus Rugrats. En los casamientos habrá tortas, en el avión habrá bolsas para el mareo, en los hoteles habrá bandejas con restos de comida. Y en el parque de diversiones habrá incluso un mundo pegajoso, como para que los pequeños – y sus padres – no olviden la parte más sucia de su universo.
At almost one decade since their debut on the Nickelodeon cable channel, and two years since the opening of the first film, the popular characters of the pair of entertainers Arlene Klasky and Gabor Csupo have arrived in France. And, once they made the trip, anything can happen. The bedeviled Angelica will be believed as the infantile reincarnation of The Godfather, Reptar will be Godzilla in Paris and the Rugrats' dog will be believed in a new version of Disney's "Lady and the Tramp". And not only that: the dog also will raise its leg to leave its humid and odorous mark at the foot of the very same Eiffel Tower.
Rugrats in Paris is a film with much more to like than the series' first big screen film. So amused and likeable as its small protagonists, the film, directed by Bergqvist and Demeyer, did not forget any sticky topic and / or bad point of the most recent children's cinema at the time of crossing the adventures to the height of the knee of its Rugrats. In marriages, there will be cakes; in the airplane will be bags for air sickness, in the hotels will be trays with food. And in the theme park there will even be a sticky world, like so that the small ones - and its parents - do not forget the dirtiest part their universe.
People (Leah Rosen)
Remember those old Irish Spring ads where the man would praise the soap and then his wife would chime in, "But I like it too"? That's what adults will want to say as kids giggle through "Rugrats in Paris: The Movie", a cute comedy featuring Tommy, Angelica and the rest of the toddlin' tykes from Nickelodeon TV's cartoon series. This time out, the diaper-wearing wisenheimers fly to Paris and show the Eiffel Tower who's boss. Paris will never be the same.
[Paper does regular, short movie reviews in a form of a haiku poem.]
A haiku:
Weird-headed babies:
Grin, you will never grow
up,
and you'll never die.
Philadelphia Inquirer 3 stars (Carrie Rickey)
Although the animators' whimsical line often recalls that of Ludwig Bemelmans, particularly around the wavy mouths and dots-for-eyes, understand that this is not the vine-covered Paris of Madeleine. This is the City of Bite. This show and tell has thorns, most of them on Coco La Bouche (voice of Susan Sarandon), the Cruellaesque manager of EuroReptarland.
Most of the film's action takes place in the hermetically sealed world of EuroReptarland, providing ample opportunities for the filmmakers to satirize the control freaks at Disney World, but limiting the possibilities to discover Paris from a toddler's tilted perspective. (I had hoped that the malapropping Angelica would regard certain landmarks and dub them the Arc de Harumph and Awful Tower; I expected an encounter with escargot; I waited for a jaunt through the Louvre; I am still waiting.)
Whatever it may lack in the geography department, "Rugrats in Paris" is remarkably poignant (and pungent) when it comes to child psychology. Mourning Mom, Chuckie at first thinks a new one is all he needs. It takes time to reconcile his dream of a Princess Bride with the reality of a living human who is as good a fit with Dad as she is with him. Finding the missing puzzle piece who completes the family picture is the fun — and the adventure — of this keenly felt romance.
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette 3 stars (Scott Mervis)
In what can only be described as reality-based filmmaking, "Rugrats in Paris" takes poop, pee and booger jokes off the scale. Because, as anyone who's spent time watching a bunch of babies knows, those things come up a lot over the course of a day.
A trip abroad gives them a perfect backdrop to do what babies do, from the turbulence they create in the skies to the overturned hotel room to a scene at the Eiffel Tower that recalls King Kong. Phil and Lil do their part by eating gross things, and along the way, the baby wisdom comes fast and furious in lines like, "Wow, Reptar's boogers look just like Angelica."
Like the first "Rugrats" adventure, "Rugrats in Paris" is a fast, funny and hilariously messy romp that still makes room for an important subject, this time single-parenting. Next time they go away, though, they should pick up a travel guide: After all, who goes to Paris and doesn't make a stop at the Louvre?
The Plain Dealer (Cleveland, OH) (Clint O'Connor)
"The Rugrats Movie" was a drab, mushy mix of the two that did nothing to elevate the "Rugrats" franchise. At least artistically. Financially, it was a big hit two Thanksgivings ago.
If you are a parent with children of a certain age, you know you're going to the sequel, "Rugrats in Paris," no matter what. But here's the bonus: It's a much better movie. There are two reasons. The gang is given more to do this time, and we are introduced to a villain who is far more evil than the conniving Angelica. Her name is Coco La Bouche.
Other new characters are introduced, including Kimi, the 2-year-old daughter of Kira, Coco's secretary. If Kimi is a new Rugrat, she is a faint echo of the others. The filmmakers give her virtually no identity and very little to do.
Another oddity is that one of the movie's sub-plots is a spoof of "The Godfather," with Angelica becoming The Bobfather. It's cute, but how many 5-year-olds know who Don Corleone is?
Those are minor quibbles. It's a fun film. But don't take my word for it. The five youngsters I saw it with, ranging in age from 5 to 11, gave "Rugrats in Paris" 10 enthusiastic thumbs up. They rated it good, fun, funny, funny and good, and good and funny.
Planet Sick-Boy (website) 6 out of 10
Rugrats in Paris is a pretty decent film. As an adult, I enjoyed this sequel a lot more than the first Rugrats picture, especially the hilarious send-up of The Godfather's opening scene.
The kids spurt out funny malapropisms, like "over my dad's potty," instead of "over my dead body," just like the television series. Paris also includes some really slick animation, save the crudely drawn characters, especially with shadows and reflections.
I was really enjoying the film until they started in with the "Who Let the Dogs Out" song (not a great way to teach little kids to keep their traps shut while they're in a movie theatre). Also glaringly evident was the fact that Paris had more [gas, pee and poop] gags than Adam Sandler's new film (which was rated PG-13 to Paris' G). While the film's story would probably have been better suited for an hour-long television special (with commercials) than an 80-minute film, Paris is still heads and shoulders above most recent children's films.
# Première (France) 3 stars (Jean-Baptiste Drouet)
En cette période d'invasion massive de Pokémons et autres Digimons, le retour des sympathiques bouilles des Razmoket, trois ans après leur premier film, est une sacrée bonne nouvelle, et pas seulement pour les 3-11 ans...
Musiques pop et bariolées... galeries de personnages... et scénario tout terrain où émotions bien pensées dansent avec provocations bien dosées font de ce divertissement pour bambins un aliment complet tout à fait comestible pour leurs parents.
In this period of massive invasions of Pokemons and Digimons, the return of the sympathetic faces of the Rugrats, three years after their first film, is considered good news, and not only for the 3-11 year olds...
Pop music and a multi-coloured... cast of characters... and an all-terrain plot where well-thought emotions dance with well-proportioned provocations make of this entertainment for small children a completely edible feast for their parents.
Press Association (UK) 3 stars (Damon Smith) (from Ananova)
With the Easter Holidays upon us, Rugrats In Paris is destined to be a favourite with audiences of all ages for many months to come.
Preview Family Movie & TV Review (Christian)
Constant action and loud music make this a frantic, fast-paced experience sure to be a hit with the pre-teen crowd. And like the first Rugrats movie, this film is virtually free of foul language, excessive violence and sexual content. There are some comical quips about dirty diaper contents and nose "boogers", [etc.] Some of the action, like cake throwing fights, threatening chases and property destruction, is done on a grand scale, but always with a humorous touch. Chucky does have a scary dream that could frighten younger viewers. But the babies are loved by their parents and Chucky's father assures him that his mother is probably in heaven. Parents may even enjoy the adventures of RUGRATS IN PARIS.
Prime Time Newspapers (San Antonio) 3 stars (Bob Polunsky)
This week we have one with a family reminiscent of the see-through morals of "The Godfather" and the kind of horror that made "King Kong" an adult horror story. It also has nudity! You'll see bare buttocks. You'll also see a chorus line of singers practically falling out of their G-strings. This time the shallow characters, nudity, horror and suggestiveness are so neatly done they give the movie old-fashioned family appeal, and neatness always counts.
It's about an unattached man searching for a woman through the streets and alleys of Paris. It's also about a female tyrant who bullies her way into a society that's too rich for her blood. Not to worry. Nobody stops a determined bully.
That's what movie realism is all about. Especially in a movie with one-dimensional characters who act, talk and look like the dregs of society. They're hand-drawn and computer-generated but have so much bubbling personality they're fun to watch.
In case you haven't guessed, the movie is "Rugrats in Paris." No matter how young or old you are, you're not likely to be disappointed with its realism.
The Rugrats TV series owes its success to having so much grownup humor that parents enjoy it as guiltlessly as children. The same spirit has carried over into the big-screen versions of the animated hit, especially in Rugrats in Paris: The Movie (Paramount).
Rugrats in Paris is better focused than the first Rugrats movie, but it has just as many oddball moments.
Provo Daily Herald B (Eric D. Snider)
Those cute little rugrats called "The Rugrats" are back in a second big-screen adventure that is better than the first, with potty jokes for the kids and parodies of "The Godfather" and other films for the grownups.
Fans of the TV show, particularly, will find nothing not to like in this version, and even non-fans may find themselves wondering why they haven't been paying attention to the show all these years....
# RTBF (Belgium) (Philippe Reynaert & Bernard Polet)
...si vos enfants sont scotchés devant la télé lorsqu'elle diffuse les Simpson, emmenez les au cinéma voir les Razmoket, ils vont adorer et vous allez bien vous amusez aussi d'ailleurs.
Voilà, du bon cinéma pour les enfants et les accompagnateurs.
...if your children are stuck in front of the TV when The Simpsons are on, take them to the cinema to see the Rugrats, they will adore and amuse you.
This is a good film for the children and their parents.
Pour leur seconde aventure dans les salles obscures, la famille Cornichon monte à Paris ! Le doublage de l'excellente VF a été confiée à Stéphane Bern et Anne Roumanoff, et le résultat est très convaincant!
For their second adventure in theaters, the Pickles family goes to Paris! The dubbing of the excellent French version was entrusted to Stéphane Bern and Anne Roumanoff, and the result is very convincing!
Radio Times (BBC's TV magazine)
Much more of a crowd-pleaser than the original Rugrats film, this sequel takes TV's adventurous babies to Paris. In a possible nod to the success of Pokémon, they invade a Japanese-owned amusement park, where one of the robot movie monsters is malfunctioning.
Children will enjoy the utterly fantastic thrills and spills, all viewed through the Rugrats' eyes. Their parents will have fun spotting the references to movies such as The Godfather, King Kong and 101 Dalmatians. Of course, the theme park is a thinly disguised Disneyland and, at one point, the Rugrats even board a version of Disney's gooey "Small World" ride. But this is one of those rare occasions where fun for all the family really is guaranteed.
The Red And Black (University of Georgia student newspaper) (Steven Clark)
It's a great time to go to the movie theaters if you're a kid. Both theaters [the Beechwood and Carmike 12 theaters in Athens, GA] are currently playing more G rated movies than those rated R ... so the SEC championship game is this week, huh?
Reel.Com 3 stars (Mary Kalin-Casey)
If mention of Rugrats in Paris sparks visions of mischievous carpet-crawlers destroying the Louvre, then you may be disappointed at the near irrelevance of the film's French backdrop. But the sophomore feature film based on the popular Nickelodeon cartoon still offers the team's trademark combination of energetic shenanigans, potty humor, and kaleidoscopic animation, with an ample canon of parent-pleasing jokes and a poignant all-ages story about Chuckie's quest for a new mom.
Like its predecessor, Rugrats in Paris moves along at a good clip, with animation so color-saturated and active that the visuals alone help keep the pacing brisk. But what this follow-up really does best is marry upbeat, goofy children's entertainment with a meaningful tale that should resonate even for the most jaded older viewers. When Chuckie softly sings, "I want a mom that will last forever," parents know all too well that even if he gets his wish, someday he'll lose her, too. Try not getting all misty-eyed over that.
ReelInsider.Com (website) 4 stars (Ted Pfeifer)
[Chuckie's search for a new mom] is done in a very touching way that most adults will understand but kids probably won't.
My son truly enjoyed the movie, he laughed out loud at parts and also curled up next to me in excitement at others. It is a very fun film. One thing I did notice was that 45 minutes into the movie the kids in the audience began to get restless but that only lasted a short time as the action picked up again.
...if you have to go see "Rugrats" with your kids there is enough inside jokes to keep you awake.
Rochester (NY) Democrat & Chronicle 7 out of 10 (Jack Garner)
While Rugrats the Movie was content to introduce Nickelodeon's amusing TV infants and their families to the big screen, the sequel -- Rugrats in Paris: The Movie -- has more of a story to tell.
[The storyline] is a bit of an improvement over the first film -- a refreshing thing to say about any kid-flick sequel. Curiously, the filmmakers make almost no use of Paris or its landmarks. The film is set almost exclusively in the amusement park, which could just as well be in Orlando. Still, there's plenty of action for the youngsters, along with a lot of the sort of mild bathroom pre-schoolers seem to love.
And viewers of all ages will chuckle at the way the Baha Men's Who Let the Dogs Out is worked into the film.
And, oh yes, here's more good news for Mom and Dad: the G-rated Rugrats in Paris is only 76 minutes long.
Ross Anthony's Hollywood Report Card (website) A-
I enjoyed this film so much, I wondered if it overshot the intended audience...a strong follow-up to the first "Rugrats - The Movie."
Though most of the animation is painted in the old fashion 2-D style; the colors are Starburst juicy, and the action paced for those with little tiny attention spans - so don't expect to be bored.
You'll no doubt be singing "Who let the dogs out" during your walk to the parking lot. But there are a few other notes of note as well: "Chuckie Chan," the dream sequence, and "Reptar I love you" (a refreshing poke-funnery of those Disney classic odes).
SSG Syndicate 6 out of 10 (Susan Granger)
The theme of wanting to have a complete family is particularly resonant today - what with death, divorce and remarriage so prevalent.
There's potty humor and a kid-pleasing climactic chase involving the Rugrats and Jean-Claude... Musically, there's Sinead O'Connor's rendition of "When You Love" and the Baha Men's catchy "Who Let the Dogs Out."
..."Rugrats in Paris" is a fast-paced, amusing [film] for tiny tykes - and it's quite tolerable for adults.
St. Louis Post-Dispatch 3 stars (Joe Williams)
Kids need to be entertained. That's why we invented television. But so do adults. That's why we invented politics.
On rare occasions, children and grown-ups have to co-exist, and a movie that can keep both groups from fidgeting in their seats is the pot of gold at the end of the Hollywood rainbow.
Like "The Simpsons," the Rugrats franchise is the antithesis of cuddly, condescending kid stuff. Both cartoons are animated by a cutting-edge company called Klasky Csupo (which also did "Duckman"). The