The Adventures of Rocky & Bullwinkle (2000)

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"The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show" was canceled in the mid-1960's, and ever since then the cartoon characters have been living in poverty. Through attachment to a movie deal, Fearless Leader (Robert De Niro), Boris (Jason Alexander), and Natasha (Rene Russo) escape into our real world. Fearless Leader begins a television network called RBTV (Really Bad Television) and begins hypnotizing the American public with his inane programming. His evil scheme is to brainwash the country into voting for him for president. The FBI sends untested Agent Karen Sympathy (Piper Perabo) to get Rocky, Bullwinkle, and the original show's Narrator out of their cartoon existences to fight the villains. Fearless Leader is in New York readying to make his speech, so he sends Boris and Natasha to Hollywood to stop Rocky, Bullwinkle, and Karen. Most of the film is essentially a road trip as the cast makes a mad dash for the Big Apple.

When I was a kid, I never really got into Rocky and Bullwinkle. I do remember liking the Narrator of the cartoon series, but I tired of the puns and lame jokes. I was a Looney Tunes kid, born and bred. In the feature film, the writer and director give more than enough humor to please kids and adults. There are a ton of cameos here, almost as many as in the Muppet movies. The puns and lame jokes are still here, as is goofy physical humor. The casting of DeNiro, Alexander, and Russo is so inspired I wished the trio had had even more screen time. Keith Scott does the voices of both Bullwinkle and Narrator, and June Foray does the voice of Rocky. Both voice actors do a fantastic job. My one casting complaint is with Piper Perabo as Karen. I thought the role called for someone way older than the actress. The mix of live action and animation is not as smooth here as it was in "Who Framed Roger Rabbit," a film this outing even mentions. While adults and children will find some funny stuff here, they will also have to sit through a "find your inner child" subplot and some very choppy editing in the middle third of the film. Mark Mothersbaugh delivers almost the exact same annoying music cues that came to ruin another live action/cartoon film- "Space Jam"...I know, I know, I'm in the minority on that one.

"The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle" turned a lot of people off, and the film tanked at the box office. I found it average, watch the trailer and cringe at all the pop culture references from before the year 2000 that will be lost on kids today. I have a feeling true fans of the show hated this as much as those who knew nothing of the show. I kind of fall in the middle of the two groups, and my rating falls in the middle of the scale.

Stats:
(2000) 92 min. (* * 1/2) out of five stars
-Directed by Des McAnuff
-Written by Kenneth Lonergan based on characters created by Jay Ward
-Cast: Piper Perabo, Robert De Niro, Jason Alexander, Rene Russo, Keith Scott, June Foray, Randy Quaid, Janeane Garofalo, John Goodman, Carl Reiner, Whoopi Goldberg, Jonathan Winters, Kenan Thompson, Kel Mitchell, David Alan Grier, James Rebhorn
(PG)