Jungle Babies

Rugrats Go Wild did not require a theatrical film. Even if it did crossover Nickelodeon’s Rugrats and The Wild Thornberrys. I’m sure it was only done that way because both had successful movies. Although this is really more of a Rugrats movie that guest stars the Wild Thornberrys. Tommy, Chuckie, Phil, Lil, Angelica, Dil, Kimi, Susie (finally!), and their parents all wind up stranded on an uninhabited island. The whole situation is just a less funny rehash of The Rugrats Movie. Only in the jungle instead of the forest.

Meanwhile on the Thornberry side, Eliza and Debbie simply want to go on a family vacation. Both properties may be by Klasky Csupo, but it’s still hard to buy how coincidental this all is. Not that seeing the characters together wasn’t cool when I was younger. Angelica meets her bossy match with Debbie. Chuckie trades places with Donnie. The babies encounter Nigel “Strawberry” with the mind of a baby. A less funny rehash of Rugrats episode “Regarding Stuie.” The parents later meet Marianne and Eliza and Darwin talk to Spike. Who has the voice of Bruce Willis.

It was one of the three primary marketing tools for the paper thin plot. The crossover, Bruce Willis, and Scratch & sniff cards. They gave you the ability to smell parts of the movie. You could pick them up at either Burger King or Blockbuster. I still remember most of the smells. Unfortunately, Rugrats Go Wild is mostly just gross out humor wrapped in an unoriginal package.