Rugrats in Paris Review
by Ishmael Williams

Okay, got a kid? Take them to see this one. Borrow a kid if you have to. Or just bite the bullet and admit you like kid flicks.

This one is not heavy at all, so don't go expecting something fraught with meaning. The Wizard of Oz has more meaning than this movie does. But it does have a heart, and it has fun getting there.

Chuckie Finster is without a Mom. All we know from even the television series is that she died some indeterminate a length of time ago. He has been without a mom for most of his 2 years of life. Then one day, his best friend's father is summoned to Paris to fix his creation - a giant replica of the fictional Reptar. When thinking Reptar, think Godzilla. No not THAT godzilla, the other Godzilla.

You see, in the Rugrats world, Reptar is a giant dinosaur that tromps on cities and smashes everything in sight. He is, however, their hero. And in their "world" Reptar is business big enough to rival Mickey Mouse. So much so the rival, in fact, that Reptar has his own theme park. In Paris.

The children and families arrive in Paris in time for Chuckie to find a woman he wants as his new Mommie - the princess that tames Reptar. But the manager of the theme park has other ideas, including designs on Chuckie's dad.

Forget what you think you know about the Rugrats. Five of the six featured children are actually extremely good natured and well behaved. It is only 4 year old ( or so) Angelica that is the brat of the piece, and she almost always gets her come-uppance. The remaining five children are simply trying to get through life as best they can, and as best as they can understand it. Language goofs abound, including an hysterical homage to The Bobfather. I can't explain it - you have to see it.

What always amazes me about the Rugrats (my two-year-old is hopelessly hooked) is the writers' ability to actually see things from the toddler perspective. They clearly think like pre five-year-olds, and then can express that on paper and in the cartoons. But they also deftly handle the grown up perplexities of trying to understand children with equal aplomb. What is most remarkable is that while the adults come off as quirky as they are, this is not a series about cute kids always one-upping the parents.

As for the movie itself, it made for a first rate extended episode, with a kickin' soundtrack. And a juicy bit. "Re-united" in this move for the first time since their cult classic, Susan Sarandon and Tim Curry provide voice-overs. Interestingly, neither the Tim Curry page on IMDB nor Tim Curry's website credit his work in this movie.

There were tons of other things to delight both the children's eye and the grown up eye. One special thing to watch for: The send up of a famous Disneyland \ world institution. I went with 2 other adults, who had as much fun as the two year old we used as our excuse for going. Enjoy.

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