The Wild Thornberrys Movie

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What’s the Story?

In this feature-length adventure, The Wild Thornberrys of the TV series set off to Africa to film a nature documentary. The family is comprised of relentlessly cheerful father Nigel (voice of Tim Curry), efficient but affectionate mom Marianne (voice of Jodi Carlisle), and their daughter, Eliza (voice of Lacy Chabert), a kind of Dr. Dolittle in braids and braces who understands and communicates in animal language. Also along are typical teen sister Debbie, pet chimpanzee Darwin (voice of Tom Kane), who is Eliza's best friend, and adopted toddler Donnie (voice of rock star Flea). In Africa, Eliza is playing with some cheetah cubs when one is snatched via helicopter by a poacher. Eliza risks her life to save the cub, but is knocked to the ground when the poacher cuts the rope ladder. Her parents, worried for her safety, send her to England to boarding school and Darwin goes with her by hiding in her suitcase. But she and Darwin return to Africa when she learns that the poachers are after a herd of elephants. It's up to Eliza to save the day, and it will require great courage and the willingness to sacrifice anything, even her ability to talk to animals.

Is It Any Good?

THE WILD THORNBERRYS MOVIE is wholesome enough to appeal to parents and funny enough to appeal to kids. The series is affiliated with the conservation group the National Wildlife Federation and so occasionally there are nuggets of nature facts thrown in to add a little substance. Eliza is in the grand tradition of adventuresome pre-adolescent fictional heroines like Alice, Pippi, Dorothy, and Pollyanna. She is brave, smart, loyal, and empathetic. She has good judgment most of the time, but when she doesn't, she learns from her mistakes.

The voice talent is first-rate, including Rupert Everett, Lynn Redgrave, Marisa Tomei, and Alfre Woodward. The action sequences are handled well and there are some witty moments, as when Debbie tries to explain to her father that she is trying to be sarcastic. It is nothing more than a supersized version of the television series projected onto a theater screen, but it never pretends to be anything more and is relatively pleasant for children and relatively painless for parents.