30 Second Bottom Line: Building on its TV series premise, this lively animated feature is centered around the exploits of the unique Thornberry family. The parents travel around the globe shooting nature documentaries with their two daughters in tow as well as an adopted "wild nature child" and a chimp. When poachers snatch a baby cheetah in the African Serengeti, 12 year-old Eliza Thornberry and her pet chimp Darwin are off to the rescue. Of course it helps that Eliza can talk to the animals-a gift she earned when she saved a shaman disguised as a trapped warthog. Only catch-she must keep this a secret from everyone. And that stipulation is challenged head-on in Eliza'a precarious mission to stop poachers from killing 1,000 elephants.
Story Line: After the cheetah episode, Grandma declares that this nomadic life is unsuitable for raising a young child and promptly ships Eliza off to London's Lady Beatrice School for Girls. Debbie, Eliza's teenage older sister, is disgusted by this whole turn of events since she has been dying to escape from the beginning-the whole family is crazy as far as she is concerned.
The plot thickens when Eliza learns that poachers plan to trap 1,000 elephants with an electrical fence and then kill them for their valuable black market ivory. With the savvy of a seasoned traveler and the zeal of a true animal conservationist, Eliza bolts from school and heads back to Africa, accompanied by pet chimp Darwin. Her mission involves dangerous encounters with villains, speeding trains and a raging river.
Tell Me More About It: Nickelodeon has struck gold. In this cable station's third feature film based on one of their animated TV series ("Rugrats Movie," "Rugrats in Paris" and "Hey! Arnold!"), Nickelodeon has exacted the perfect combination of quirky characters and clever story lines. Stretching the notion of nuclear family to its limit, the Thornberry family is both familiar and unusual¾a comforting and hilarious twist. Donnie, the "wild child" who was raised by apes, voiced (if you could call his grunts and yowls a voice…) by Flea from Red Hot Chili Peppers, is not your normal adoption case. And how many families decide that a chimp would be an ideal pet? And take a look at the family car. Yet Debbie is your typical bored, dissatisfied teen whose prickly disposition comes off as pretty funny set against the dangers of the Africa savanna. Ditto their hapless dad, who seems clueless to Debbie's snarling sarcasm. Eliza, with her red, braided hair, freckles and braces is the winning heroine, with all the insecurities that makes her an "everykid" to young viewers and enormously likable. Throw in a cinematographer mom and set of daredevil grandparents and this unique family portrait is complete.
With the airwaves crowded with mindless drivel, "Wild Thornberrys" proves to be a refreshing step up for Nickelodeon. Conservation is the series' predominant theme and every episode contains nuggets of information about animals and the environment that make the stories not only fun but educational as well. In previous TV episodes the family has traveled to Australia, Brazil, Wyoming and Kenya in search of the perfect footage for their nature television show. This feature film continues this mission and finds its non-stop action and suspenseful plot well suited to the big screen.
Like the Rugrats features, "Wild Thornberrys" adds a hearty helping of sophisticated humor to its sobering story line, making it a delight for adults as well as the kids. A worthwhile expedition.
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