Film review: 'Doug's 1st Movie'
A familiar Saturday morning ABC face, Disney's "Doug" takes the big-screen leap with "Doug's 1st Movie". But the results, for the most part, are as flat and uninspired as the animation technique.
Requiring a greater level of inventiveness and depth of storytelling to successfully fill the larger format, the Jim Jinkins creation instead settles for a generic spit and polish.
While it may be distracting enough for 5- or 6-year-olds, those either older or younger will likely find Doug to be a drag -- particularly, restless toddlers who proved to be considerably less than enraptured at a recent preview screening.
Given the built-in awareness factor, "Doug's 1st Movie" could still see a little movement at the boxoffice, but home video looks to be the most viable venue for the animated adolescent.
Looking a lot like the older brother Charlie Brown never had, 12 1/2-year-old Doug Funnie (voiced by Thomas McHugh) and his blue-faced buddy Skeeter (Fred Newman) get a little more than they bargained for when their search for the mythical monster of Bluffington's Lucky Duck Lake turns up the real thing.
Although the creature in question turns out to be no more threatening than a Furby, its presence leads to even bigger fish -- like a nasty industrial waste cover-up by the powerful Bill Bluff (Doug Preis), who's willing to stop at nothing to prevent Doug from revealing his find.
To add to Doug's dilemma, his eternal secret crush Patti Mayonnaise (Constance Shulman) is being wooed by Guy Graham (Guy Hadley), the slick editor of the school newspaper who also happens to be Bluff's eyes and ears.
Doug is ultimately faced with having to risk losing Patti forever by doing the right thing.
Pillaging a plot line that's pure "E.T.", screenwriter Ken Scarborough, who has been with "Doug" since its days on Nickelodeon fails to give the feature-length version a fuller-bodied flavor. Missing is that larger-than-life aspect that made Nick's "Rugrats" such a successful motion picture transition without losing sight of the series' charm and imaginative core.
Rather than taking advantage of the big-screen canvas to fill out character development or create more ambitious challenges for Doug and company, Scarborough, Jinkins and director Maurice Joyce simply offer up more of the same but take longer to do it.
There's more ingenuity in the average "Scooby-Doo" episode.
It's all the more disappointing given that the series' pleasant pastel color palette has made it intact and the characters' voice work is dependable, as is composer Mark Watters' bright score.
Hopefully next time -- if, indeed, there is a call for seconds -- they'll do "Doug" justice.
DOUG'S 1ST MOVIE
Buena Vista
Walt Disney Pictures
A Jumbo Pictures production
Director: Maurice Joyce
Producers: Jim Jinkins, David Campbell, Melanie Grisanti, Jack Spillum
Screenwriter: Ken Scarborough
Editors: Alysha Nadine Cohen, Christopher K. Gee
Music: Mark Watters
Color/stereo
Voices:
Doug Funnie, Lincoln: Thomas McHugh
Skeeter, Mr. Dink, Porkchop, Ned: Fred Newman
Roger Klotz, Boomer, Larry, Mr. Chiminy: Chris Phillips
Patti Mayonnaise: Constance Shulman
Herman Melville: Frank Welker
Mr. Funnie, Mr. Bluff, Willie, Chalky, Bluff Agent #1: Doug Preis
Guy Graham: Guy Hadley
Beebe Bluff, Elmo: Alice Playten
Running time -- 84 minutes
MPAA rating: G...
Requiring a greater level of inventiveness and depth of storytelling to successfully fill the larger format, the Jim Jinkins creation instead settles for a generic spit and polish.
While it may be distracting enough for 5- or 6-year-olds, those either older or younger will likely find Doug to be a drag -- particularly, restless toddlers who proved to be considerably less than enraptured at a recent preview screening.
Given the built-in awareness factor, "Doug's 1st Movie" could still see a little movement at the boxoffice, but home video looks to be the most viable venue for the animated adolescent.
Looking a lot like the older brother Charlie Brown never had, 12 1/2-year-old Doug Funnie (voiced by Thomas McHugh) and his blue-faced buddy Skeeter (Fred Newman) get a little more than they bargained for when their search for the mythical monster of Bluffington's Lucky Duck Lake turns up the real thing.
Although the creature in question turns out to be no more threatening than a Furby, its presence leads to even bigger fish -- like a nasty industrial waste cover-up by the powerful Bill Bluff (Doug Preis), who's willing to stop at nothing to prevent Doug from revealing his find.
To add to Doug's dilemma, his eternal secret crush Patti Mayonnaise (Constance Shulman) is being wooed by Guy Graham (Guy Hadley), the slick editor of the school newspaper who also happens to be Bluff's eyes and ears.
Doug is ultimately faced with having to risk losing Patti forever by doing the right thing.
Pillaging a plot line that's pure "E.T.", screenwriter Ken Scarborough, who has been with "Doug" since its days on Nickelodeon fails to give the feature-length version a fuller-bodied flavor. Missing is that larger-than-life aspect that made Nick's "Rugrats" such a successful motion picture transition without losing sight of the series' charm and imaginative core.
Rather than taking advantage of the big-screen canvas to fill out character development or create more ambitious challenges for Doug and company, Scarborough, Jinkins and director Maurice Joyce simply offer up more of the same but take longer to do it.
There's more ingenuity in the average "Scooby-Doo" episode.
It's all the more disappointing given that the series' pleasant pastel color palette has made it intact and the characters' voice work is dependable, as is composer Mark Watters' bright score.
Hopefully next time -- if, indeed, there is a call for seconds -- they'll do "Doug" justice.
DOUG'S 1ST MOVIE
Buena Vista
Walt Disney Pictures
A Jumbo Pictures production
Director: Maurice Joyce
Producers: Jim Jinkins, David Campbell, Melanie Grisanti, Jack Spillum
Screenwriter: Ken Scarborough
Editors: Alysha Nadine Cohen, Christopher K. Gee
Music: Mark Watters
Color/stereo
Voices:
Doug Funnie, Lincoln: Thomas McHugh
Skeeter, Mr. Dink, Porkchop, Ned: Fred Newman
Roger Klotz, Boomer, Larry, Mr. Chiminy: Chris Phillips
Patti Mayonnaise: Constance Shulman
Herman Melville: Frank Welker
Mr. Funnie, Mr. Bluff, Willie, Chalky, Bluff Agent #1: Doug Preis
Guy Graham: Guy Hadley
Beebe Bluff, Elmo: Alice Playten
Running time -- 84 minutes
MPAA rating: G...
- 3/22/1999
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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