Jimmy Neutron - Boy Genius (2001)

Way, Way Sub Par

In my opinion, the true mark of a good children movie is one that can entertain and speak to children and adults at different levels. This is a movie children will enjoy but not likely grow into discovering grown-up jokes or a more sophisticated understanding of its theme as they mature. It is very much a vapid story within a framework so arbitrary that anything can happen. Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius it's not so much a children movie as it is a children's movie.

I saw this with my daughter when it was first released in theaters and two minutes into it I realized there was just no comparison between it and anything from Pixar or Dreamworks. Prior to the theatrical release Nickelodeon had for months played a number of JN sketches and some were quite funny, but they were all so disjointed I realized after a while they couldn't all possibly be in the movie. And they weren't! This movie was just an attempt to capitalize and promote a show that was going to be on TV.

The voice talents are excellent and the animation is good. The characters themselves are funny (especially the dad and Sheen) and stand out from one another, unlike other shows in which several characters seem to speak with the same voice, both physical and from script. Yet the story line is halting and, even for a kid show, inconsistent, i.e. Jimmy travels around the world (before breakfast) in a rocket he made which is faster than military planes but his family is still middle class and makes no money off his super talent/He is a genius but still attends the same class as non-genius -and downright loopy- kids/He travels through space without a space suit, etc. Fantasy is not the issue, but there has to be consistency within the fantasy; there are "rules" even in the most fantastic children fantasy universe that keep the story concordant with itself and not, like in JN, flying off the handle and going wherever it wants to. You'd never see a story so loose from Pixar or Dreamworks.

Eventually, Jimmy Neutron TV episodes went on to be refreshingly original and unusual for a children show (open endings/bad guys winning) but this movie was a letdown, it surprises me the mostly good reviews it has gotten. Whereas I'm just as excited -if not more- than my daughter about whatever new CGI movie is released, with JN I kept glancing at my watch and mentally balancing my check book.

There are worse children movies you can buy, but there are not many of them.
June 30, 2008

Science Geeks Unite

It was a great movie for me(oh yeah, and my kids). It brought back lots of memories of wanting to be a space explorer. Plenty of fun stuff and action! June 17, 2008

A great family movie!

I thought that this movie was a great one to watch any day. It is about a genious boy who I think is in the 5th grade. His parents are abducted by aliens, so Jimmy and his friends go to save them. It is a very lighthearted punchline. I think it is great for kids- and adults alike- who enjoy funny, funny films!

Also, try the TV show! July 29, 2007

Funny

I Love this movie and i think it is great for kids. I bought this movie because i had seen it on tv and loved it. this movie is about Jimmy Neutron who is a boy genius. He sends a Communicater into outter space to contact alien species. so while the thing is floating around space, jimmy and his friends on earth go about their day. one night while jimmy is out with his friends his parents disappear long with the rest of the grown ups and they go wild and do what ever they want. jimmy relises through an alarm going off in his lab, he discovers that the Aliens are responable for the parents disappearents. after the kids have their fun they relise that life with out their parents is no fun so they devise a plain to get their parents back. June 20, 2007

I know son, but if all your friends were named Cliff, would you jump off them?

I would like it if everyone took a page from the Tao of Jimmy Neutron, and before you laugh hysterically at the thought of this, I would encourage you to see Boy Genius yourself. I went into this film expecting childish humor, a mediocre plotline, and animation that would make the boys at South Park seem like they were working at Pixar ... but alas, I was wrong - dead wrong. Now, I don't want to say that Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius is the best movie I have ever seen, in fact, it is very rare that I deem any film with those words, but it was worth an hour and a half of my time. What stood out immediately was the animation, the coloring, the bold attention to detail, and the fact that none of it was lost on the DVD. Occasionally, you find yourself watching an animated film wondering how many drinks the animators may have had while attempting to create artwork, which suddenly becomes even more visible in the comfort of your own home. There has been, in my time reviewing these films, one film that has been animated flawlessly. That was The Incredibles, and while Neutron is not that film, the two do stand very well together. Aside from the standing ovation animation, the rest of the film is actual a fun watch. Going into this film with no knowledge of the character Jimmy Neutron or his history, I found myself eager to enjoy more of his adventures and further deeper into his world.

One of the enjoyable elements of this film has to be the pacing. While some will argue that you cannot judge a film by the mere merit of time, for Jimmy Neutron you can. I didn't want to get bogged down, I didn't want to loose my attention span, and thankfully - with the skilled penmanship of one Steve Oedekerk - I learned to sit back and thoroughly enjoy what Jimmy had to offer. I wasn't distracted by small, insignificant plot alleys or forgettable characters; with Neutron what you see is what you get. For approximately 82 minutes we are packed with one exciting element after another without getting sidetracked. From the opening "pull" sequence to the center amusement park transformation, all the way to the final climactic scene which incorporated all the themes and elements from earlier in the film, Neutron honestly didn't let you down. Strange to hear that coming from a critic that typically goes harsh on the children's films. For some strange reason, Neutron hooked me and kept a smile on my face during the entire time. The humor was crisp, the characters were actually enjoyable to watch, and unlike other films of this genre, you knew what was going to happen, but you weren't quite sure how. I think that is what kept my attention the longest, with the brain power of Neutron; I was never quite sure what he was going to combine next. The opportunities were endless, and I enjoyed seeing them unfold right before me. Laugh all you want, but Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius was an enjoyable experience.

Why is it that women can do pre-pubescent boy voices better than anyone else? Just like in The Simpsons we have a young woman doing the voice behind our heroine with the perfect blend of emotion, excitement, and honesty. I loved the voices in this film mainly because it didn't focus on trying to give you the "who is that voice" quiz game, but rather employ unknowns and allow the film to do the talking. While I have to give the entire cast excellent marks on their work with this film, it was Patrick Stewart and (I can't believe I am saying this...) Martin Short's comical combination that did it for me. They aren't big stars, so I didn't hear the voice and immediately see the actor, I saw the Martian counterparts that they were trying to portray! Coupled with the fact that they looked hysterical (humorous physical depictions of alien life), I found myself laughing at this pair more than I imagined. Stewart controlled his voice and delivered (with ease) some of the best one-liners of this film, while Short added the final punch needed to make the kiddies in the audience laugh. For me, the two worked brilliantly together and could honestly carry a show of their own together. Short wasn't over the top, and the two created a strong balance which coupled well with the seriousness of Neutron's quest.

With all this praise, one would think that this is a perfect film. Alas, I cannot give it the full five stars, mainly because of an issue of redundancy. Perhaps that isn't the right word, but what I am trying to say is that this is a show that prides itself on the genius of the main character, Jimmy. What makes this show work is that he is by far the smartest child on the Earth, yet his parents keep him grounded (which creates likeability for the viewers) by making him do chores, get in trouble, and create boundaries. Yet, for all the inventions that Jimmy creates, for all the tests that he passes in school, he seems to forget that there is no air in space and therefore the entire plausibility of all the children in his town flying to this obscure planet is debunked. I realize that this is a cartoon, a-hem, an animated feature and that I should just accept the fact that in this world there is air in space, but I couldn't buy it. Without the masks or helmets, I felt cheated and was pulled away from the truth, thus forcing me to realize I was watching a film. Make sense? I was deeply involved with this film until the kids rallied together and shot into space, because of the fake nature of it. I couldn't move past it, and was a discouraging element to the film.

Overall, I would strongly suggest this film to families, and in fact, friends. I thought this was a very funny, very smart, and exceptionally well animated film, especially during the age of Pixar. The voices were perfect, the pacing (as mentioned before) was a slice of perfection, and the overall molding of this film was nearly flawless. Outside of the scientific elements that should have been caught (due to the intelligence of our main character), there were moments of pure Oedekerk that made me grin from ear to ear. Also, if you look closely, there is a great Beetlejuice montage at the beginning and end of the film. Perhaps it is obscure, but it made me want to watch that classic Keaton film again. I liked Jimmy Neutron, and while it may get me laughed at on the playground, I thought that for what it was worth, it gave a good 92% -- and that is still an A isn't it? Check it out - you will be happy!

Grade: **** out of *****
February 10, 2007

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