A Great Family Film

Posted : 1 year, 9 months ago on 27 November 2006 03:12 (A review of The Wild Thornberrys Movie)

The Wild Thornberrys movie is proof that just because a film is animated doesn't mean its a family film. If you're a fan of the television show, you'll love the film. If you've never *seen* the television show, you'll still love this great movie.

THE PREMISE
Eliza Thornberry tromps around the world with her parents (the producers and star of a nature show) and has a special gift that nobody knows about: she can talk to animals. The catch is she can't tell anyone.

THE STORY
It's your standard family fare: greedy poachers are illegally killing endangered animals. Don't confuse "standard" with "bland" though, because the writing is sharp and the voice acting is great (as I've come to expect from Klasky/Csupo). When Eliza learns that a large herd of elephants is going to be slaughtered, she does her best to thwart the poachers.

You know how it's going to end from the moment you "get" the story, but that doesn't kill this movie (you forgive such things in a family film). I was interested in the goings on right up to the end.

COMPLAINTS
The music. While some of the music seemed very appropriate, there were a couple of montages that seemed forced. Donnie (the family's adopted animal-like child) gets a little too much airtime, but I'm sure that's to appeal to the "crazy fun" angle that little boys love and that parents cringe at.

FINAL WORD
Worth seeing if you like cartoons or family films. The unique look of this Klasky/Csupo creation makes the film stand out amongst a bunch of Disney-knockoffs and typical CGI fare.

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