(out of ****)
_The_Rugrats_Movie_ (G) *** _I'll_Be_Home_for_Christmas_ (PG) * 1/2
November not only marks the unofficial start of the holiday season, it also signals the arrival of the first of a flock of films fashioned for families. Leading the opening wave are two films coming from less-than-distinguished cinematic pedigrees: a non-Disney animated feature, _The_Rugrats_Movie_; and a live-action comedy from the Mouse, _I'll_Be_Home_for_Christmas_. While Paramount is able to buck the generally lackluster non-Walt animation trend with the fun _Rugrats_, the Mouse strikes out once again in the flesh-and-blood arena with a most uninviting _Home_.
My experience with Nickelodeon's smash cartoon series _Rugrats_ has been confined to just an episode or two caught during breaks from channel surfing. But as limited as my familiarity with the show is, I have seen enough of it to know that it's not something strictly for the tykes, despite of its title's implication. While clearly targeted at the preschool demographic, the adventures of diaper-clad Tommy Pickles (voice of E.G. Daily) and his friends Chuckie Finster (Christine Cavanaugh) and twin siblings Phillip and Lillian Deville (both voiced by Kath Soucie) show mature flashes of wit, and that smartness extends to the film. Only adults will appreciate such wry touches as a hospital sign tracking the arrivals of newborns like flights at an airport, references to _The_Fugitive_ and _A_Cry_in_the_Dark_, and the children's numerous instances of malapropism (e.g. "custardy" for "custody").
The majority of the film, on the other hand, is equally accessible and amusing to grown-ups and wee ones alike. As can be expected, there is only a sliver of a story in David N. Weiss and J. David Stem's script. At center of the plot is the arrival of a new child in the Pickles household, Dylan a.k.a. "Dil" (Tara Charendoff), who, much to Tommy's chagrin, immediately dominates all the attention of their parents Didi (Melanie Chartoff) and Stu (Jack Riley). But Tommy must learn to live with and love Dil when they, Chuckie, Phillip, and Lillian find themselves lost in the forest, thanks to a runaway toy wagon. Not too far behind is Tommy's bratty cousin Angelica (Cheryl Chase), determined to reclaim her beloved Cynthia doll, which Dil has taken with him.
The adventures that ensue in the forest setting, ranging from some wild river rafting to an encounter with circus monkeys, are sure to keep the children enthralled (the kids at the screening I attended were noticeably silent) and amuse the adults. Part of the appeal for the older set is the distinctive art style, which is rough and simple yet remarkably expressive. Wisely, directors Norton Virgien and Igor Kovalyov resist the urge to punch up the visuals with gratuitous computer animation--at least, for the most part: a boulder, clouds, and Dil's head-trippy arrival into the world are the instances of CGI, and they are brief and effective. The directors' big misstep, though, was bowing to Disney animation tradition and grafting on a few musical numbers to the film, which feel like they're, well, grafted on, with the exception of one inspired number where Angelica breaks out into a modified version of Blondie's "One Way or Another," sung in reference to her missing Cynthia. Production numbers aside, _The_Rugrats_Movie_ is essentially just a big-screen episode of the series, and that's more than enough to satisfy any audience.
While Disney has a rich tradition in animated family entertainment, but its track record in live-action film is, to put it mildly, less than stellar. The wan _I'll_Be_Home_for_Christmas_ will do nothing to change that. This piece of warmed-over sitcom-level schmaltz casts _Tiger_Beat_ pinup du jour Jonathan Taylor Thomas as a cocky prep school student who goes on a cross-country road trip to make it home in time for Christmas. Sounds harmless enough, but then there's the gimmick: JTT is stuck in a Santa Claus outfit, and along the way he learns the true meaning of Christmas. As lame and predictable as the story is, the key problem is Taylor Thomas himself. His character is supposed to undergo a gradual attitude change as the film progresses, but he plays the character as such a smug bastard the whole way through that one senses no change, nor does one care if he changes. Less than halfway through _I'll_Be_Home..._, I wanted to go home myself.
Michael Dequina
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