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Grade: B+

Verdict: An entertaining feature-length version of the Nickelodeon TV cartoon.

Details: Featuring the voices of Tim Curry, Jodi Carlisle, Marianne Thornberry, Lacey Chabert, Lynn Redgrave, Marisa Tomei, Brenda Blethyn, Alfre Woodard, Flea and Rupert Everett. Directed by Jeff McGrath and Cathy Malkasian. Rated PG for some adventure peril. One hour, 20 minutes.

See it: Local theaters and showtimes for The Wild Thornberrys Movie

Rate it: Write your own review

Review:
The Wild Thornberrys Movie knows its target market — fans of the Nickelodeon cartoon series. But it's a tribute to Nickelodeon's creative team that they've made the transition to the big screen in a way that will easily win over newcomers.

In case you're without the benefit of children in your house, the series is devoted to the escapades of the Thornberry clan, a safari-loving family that travels the globe for a TV show they produce. (Think "Brady Bunch" meets "National Geographic.") But while Mom and Dad are off following elephants into the wilderness, the children are up to a few tricks of their own. Young Donnie is pretending to be an orangutan. Big sister Debbie is wishing she could leave the jungle behind for the mall. And freckly-faced Eliza, the middle-child who's the apple of her father's eye, is talking to the animals.

That last part is the engine that drives both the series and movie. As part of a deal with a shaman, Eliza's gift is a secret from her family. It's also something she must learn to use carefully if she's going to be a true friend to wildlife.

In the film, she watches a helpless baby cheetah fall into a poacher's net and becomes determined to track down the cub and return it to its family. Along the way, she also learns of a plot by the same poacher to trap thousands of elephants. But her plans to save the animals are thwarted by her family's desire for her to attend boarding school in England — and by the temporary loss of her magical gift.

It's a strong enough premise to convincingly stretch Thornberrys into a feature-length treat. It also helps that the filmmakers, led by directors Cathy Malkasian and Jeff McGrath and screenwriter Kate Boutilier, know their characters well enough to create situations that seem perfectly plausible, but add considerably to the merriment.

Eliza's detour to the boarding school turns into a rambunctious ride, particularly when her chimpanzee friend pops up unexpectedly. The secondary characters also have a few notable adventures and misadventures. Even grandpa and grandma Thornberry — the latter voiced by Lynn Redgrave — manage to put in a couple of amusing appearances.

As for the animation, it tends to be of the more basic TV variety, but the jungle vistas are colorful enough to invite an occasional comparison with "The Lion King." Best of all, the movie has a great African-inspired soundtrack, featuring a new song by Paul Simon.

Of course, the film's target audience probably has no idea who Paul Simon is, but that's surely what motivated Nickelodeon — it knows that parents are also along for the ride. And they'll be able to enjoy Thornberrys almost as much as their kids.

— Charles Passy, Cox News Service