Os Thornberrys: O Filme

As we all know, Eliza was blessed with the gift of talking to animals when she freed an injured animal who turned out to be a shaman. On safari with her family, she goes out to play with her lion friends when poachers pounce and steal one of the cubs. Eliza is determined to get her friend back but first has to escape from the English boarding school that her Grandmother has insisted she attend to make her more ladylike.

In my defence it is my inability to sleep on airplanes during the day that led me to watch this film – not just my desire to see a cartoon. I am vaguely aware of the series but have never cared enough to actually ever watch an episode – nor will I ever be likely to! However, as a way of passing 90 minutes, I was happy to have it and quite surprised to find that, although not aimed at adults, I was not put to sleep by it. The plot is very simple but has enough going on to keep the interest and keep the screen busy. It is rarely funny but it is quite amusing all the way through. It is simple stuff but I did enjoy it.

The animation is not that impressive but it is professional and colourful and I never felt that corners had been cut – it all looked big and fun. The cast and characters are good – hardly difficult or complex but still good enough to do the job. The main family are funny enough with their mix of accents (love that monkey!) from Curry, Chabert, Kane etc and the support cast is good with enjoyable little roles for Woodard, Redgrave, Tomei and Everett- who takes to the role with a bit of relish and his tongue in his cheek.

Overall, hardly a great film but one that I'm sure many parents will have to watch due to their kids watching the series. As such it is actually OK. The plot is simple but not simplistic or dull, the film is busy with a good amusing tone and the whole thing works well throughout. Young children will enjoy it and, while there is not much for adults in the way that Pixar delivers the goods, parents will not be bored senseless by it and may, if they are in the mood find it enjoyable if childish.

The underlying theme in this movie is about family. You have the two parent engrossed in their work, an older sister who is incredibly self-involved, a disapproving grandmother, and a little sister who is left to her own devices to amuse herself. But even though everyone is so different, they come together to do what is best for their family. Okay, so little Eliza's ability to speak with animals helps out a lot.

I enjoy the TV show, and I thought that the movie was a perfect extension of that. This movie is great for kids, and has talented talents like Tim Curry, Lyn Redgrave, and Flea (okay so that is an odd one to add to the mix) to appease the adults. But the story itself is one that is beautifully written, and told. It was worth the money to see it in the theater.

As an adult fan of the Wild Thornberrys TV show I was very happy to see the film. I was delighted by the fact that movie kept the feel of the TV show while letting us see a little more than we were accustomed to in a half hour. I am amazed though at how many professional critics have reviewed this movie without knowing much background -- to set the record straight Eliza is an American - only her father and paternal grandparents are British - Her mother and maternal grandparents (we know them from the TV show) are American so if Debbie talks like an American teenager that is because she is. Darwin had me laughing out loud -- I hope that there will be more films or at least more new episodes of the show - and thankfully Donnie was kept to a minimum !

I read a lot of reviews from people that seemed underwhelmed by this film. I wonder really what movie they were watching or if they went into the cinema with their bias against animated stories firmly in place.

We just watched this film and my daughter (8 going on 18!), my husband and I all thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. The story was interesting and didn't rely too heavily on prior knowledge from the show (if anything, the story ignored the show to the point of forgetting about an episode where Debbie tried boarding school and hated it). The writers also didn't rely too much on Donnie-antics to carry the story. The little there was didn't seem offensive or over the top to us. The soundtrack was terrific, especially the song "Father and Daughter" by Paul Simon and the music by Peter Gabriel. The animation was "Klasky/Csupo" style, but was smoother than the TV version is.

All in all, it was a fun and even (dare I say it?) thought provoking way to spend an afternoon. The discussions that we have had today about how some families are different from others, the environment and the poaching of animals and "daddies and daughters" were worth the price of admission alone. Add to that a good, fun film that didn't bore either the grownups or the daughter, and "The Wild Thornberrys" gets added to the "Must Buy" DVD list in our house!

I remember watching 'The Wild Thornberrys' TV show as a kid and always enjoyed it. I saw the movie when it first came out in 2002 and watched it again recently when I came across it on Prime. I'm really surprised at how relatively unknown the movie is, and the TV show has even fewer votes. I always assumed it was well-known and popular, but the measly 12000 votes and handful of reviews suggests otherwise.

'The Wild Thornberrys Movie' is identical to the TV show but with a more movie-appropriate story and added adventure. I always enjoyed the characters, especially Eliza's father who always made me laugh as a kid. I'm surprised and a bit disheartened to see how relatively unknown this movie is. It's nothing special but it definitely deserves more recognition, and a more fairer rating.