The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle

I will give this feature length take on the popular old animated television series this: The makers of the movie do deserve an "A" for effort. You can really sense the director pumping in the energy and the screenwriter rapidly writing one joke after another. Sometimes all this energy does work for the movie's benefit, being that there are some amusing gags and the cast gives it their all. But all the same, the movie doesn't work in the end. The reason why the movie fails is its inadequate script. While I said there were some jokes that worked, there are also a lot of jokes that feel really lazy and unfunny. But bigger problems can be found with the characters and the narrative. ALL the characters in the movie are really thin, and seem to assume that you'll already be familiar with them. People who have not watched the show may be kind of lost. Just as big of a problem is with the story. The story is quite thin, frequently content to just move from one vignette to another with little to no advancement in the story. This is clearly padding, though at the same time there are some really big leaps in the narrative that suggest that some key plot turns got cut out before being released. Maybe kids who are familiar with the old TV show may get more out of it than I did, though I sense even they will get a feeling that the movie doesn't get anywhere near its full potential.

Maybe it was the many puns or hilarious play-ons, but "The Adventures of Rocky & Bullwinkle" is one of the most enjoyable comedies I have seen.

Robert DeNiro leads an all-star cast that includes Rene Russo, Jason Alexander and newcomer Piper Perabo in a comedy that will knock everyone's socks off. I was very impressed by everyone in this film especially De Niro because this is quite a departure from his dramatic and action roles.

Newcomer Piper Perabo looks a lot like Renee Zelwegger and that is what I first noticed about her. I subsequently realized that she was more than just a pretty face, she is a real talent that will go far in Hollywood if she puts forth the effort.

Another aspect of the film that impressed me were the puns and play-ons the writer came up with since it were that made the film that much more enjoyable to watch as they were able to poke fun at others and yet still be funny enough where it didn't become silly.

"The Adventures Of Rocky & Bullwinkle" far succeeded my expectations of being one of the best made from a television show. I hope everyone can enjoy this film as much as I did because it is sure to make you laugh throughout the movie. This is a must-see movie for all ages to enjoy.

First of all, it should be noted that the film makers here had respect and affection for the source material, and it shows. Rather than just enticing audiences with known characters and titles, then assaulting you with a worthless script (as happens all too often in TV show "adaptations"), this movie pays due homage to the irreverent satire that was the original Rocky & Bullwinkle cartoon, by staying close to its theme.

Much of the original schtick is here: the frantic narrator, the inside jokes, the brutal political satire, the cluelessness of "our heroes," and of course, the wonderfully awful puns. The oaf super spies from Potsalvania, Boris and Natasha are here, as is their "Fearless Leader."

On top of that, several celebs drop by for some clever cameos, in a "Muppet Movie" style way. There are some good one-liners, and everybody seems to be having fun doing the movie.

But it just doesn't click. Jokes seem to be presented in an "in your face" manner, slapstick routines are overdone, and end up just looking like pale impressions of the original. The story and script seem contrived just to set up situations for the "comedy." The animation of Rocky, and even more so of Bullwinkle, look awkward, almost eerie. I almost felt like asking Moose and Squirrel: "Wassamatta U?"

Sincere but misguided. Gets lost somewhere between Pottsalvania and Frostbite Falls, and just isn't worth the time to find it again. Rent compilations of the original cartoon series instead.

I really liked it as a kid, but I saw it again after 5 years or so, and it doesn't wow me as much. It isn't a terrible film, but it isn't a great one either. I will confess I haven't seen the show, so I can't judge whether Rocky and Bullwinkle were out of character, though I did read somewhere, that the voice of Bullwinkle was not the same as the one in the show. Well, the show is 35 years old or so. The biggest flaw, and I really hate to say this, is Robert DeNiro, yet another talented actor wasted in a thankless role. Here, he acquires a German accent and all, and it really doesn't suit him at all. There was a attempt to liven it up, but here DeNiro seemed ashamed of himself, and it showed in his delivery, though I did like the "Are You Talking To Me?" bit. Also the plot, it was a nice idea, but the pace was uneven, sometimes it dragged, and other times when it felt rushed. It is pretty much the same with the script, which could have been so much better, had it been more focused, as far too many times it went off target, particularly with the syrupy "romance" between Karen and the prison security guy. I felt also there could have been a little more of Rocky and Bullwinkle, and less of Boris and Natasha, though I liked the enthusiasm that Jason Alexander and Rene Russo put into the roles. There are comments saying that these two were chosen because they looked the part and that's it. I personally don't think that's true, because some of the funniest bits were with these two, especially the part when the computer falls on Boris's head. Piper Perabo was good also as Karen Sympathy(most of the jokes are in the characters' names), though she has been better. I really liked the girl in the eye, that is contradictory of her adult counterpart, which causes Rocky to say "There's something in your eye". There are some very good visual jokes, though lots of them are retreads of other films, and have been done better. I really liked Rocky and Bullwinkle- Bullinkle was funnier, when he says "...forgot the line," and I liked the aeroplane scene. The joy were the cameos by the likes of John Goodman and Whoopi Goldberg. In conclusion, a good film, but could have been much better, with better casting and more inspiration. 6/10 Bethany Cox

Underwhelming attempt to capture the fun of the original cartoons. On the other hand, it features some of De Niro's best work ever.