What if humans could talk to animals? One of two
things could happen. The animals would be able to override
the humans and come to power, or the two races would have
a better understanding of each other, and live in harmony.
In The Wild Thornberrys Movie Eliza
Thornberry, a nerdy animal lover, has the power to do
this. She lives in a powerful convey, and travels far and
wide around the continents of
Africa and
South America. Her parents host a
nature show, with dad as the host and mom as the
camera-woman. She also has a sister, named Debbie, who is
an ignorant teenage rebel into glamour and fashion.
Eliza was
granted the ability to talk to animals by a tribal priest,
whom of which she saved from a warthog. This is power is
given to her upon one condition, however; that she is not
tell anyone about it. Over the years, Eliza has come close
to revealing the secret, but has always kept her promise
to the tribal priest. If she says anything about it to
family or friends, the powers will be taken away from her,
too. This would leave Eliza at a terrible inconvenience;
she would not be able to have conversations with the many
animals her family comes upon, or communicate with her pet
monkey,
Darwin. This ability is
one of her most prized possessions, and according to her,
without it would just be another face in the crowd.
The script is
witty and clever, one thing that the recent
Scooby Doo lacked. Eliza’s sister, Debbie’s, dialogue
is some of the most colorful in recent memory. Despite the
bad reputation of Nickelodeon made films, The
Wild Thornberrys Movie is fun for all members of the
family. While parents might not find it to be one of the
most enriching experiences, it is durable enough. Kids
will find it to be colorful and imaginative. The children
in the audience that I saw the film with obviously loved
it. As the credits began to roll, their small jaws dropped
in amazement, which I had never witnessed before. The
entire feature is full of comical jokes, touching
hardships, and fun and exciting moments.
The animation
isn’t any different from that of the cartoon, but the
action onscreen is more lively and fast-paced. There is an
amazing sense of adventure, which is amusing to watch and
very engaging. This concept would make a great live-action
movie, because of the intriguing plot and the interesting
abilities of Eliza. I for one, am a fan of the show (don’t
kill me over this!), and was overjoyed to see that a
“Thornberrys” movie was being made. This is a swift and
snaky little film with eccentric characters. It should do
great business, and is one of the better kids’ movies to
reach release this year.
The
Wild Thornberrys Movie is a pleasing animated feature.
It is chocked full of clever dialogue, beautifully done
action sequences, and fun characters. The interesting
concept is entertaining to watch, and keeps youngsters on
their toes. I was pleasantly to see that it wasn’t a
waste, and raised the bar for creativity in children’s
films. The voices, animation, and writing are all very
unique and thoughtful. The Wild Thornberry’s
movie is an animated trip worth taking. Kids and adults
will both thoroughly enjoy the ride.
-Danny, Bucket Reviews