Having grown up watching the Nickelodeon children’s channel, it’s almost ingrained in my subconscious to see movies based on Nickelodeon characters as soon as they are released.  Lately, I seem to be the oldest person who's not a parent attending these cinematic outings. The year 1998 marked my first entry into the fray with the blockbuster The Rugrats Movie, followed two years later by Rugrats in Paris (which I saw in a a theatre filled with kids who all knew the words to “Who Let the Dogs Out”).

Now comes Rugrats Go Wild, a  Freddy vs. Jason for kids too young for horror films, and a crossover of two budding film franchises: the hit Rugrats movies and last winter’s moderately successful The Wild Thornberrys Movie, both spin-offs of hit Nickelodeon programs. Although these previous Nickelodeon films are brighter, more sure-fire experiences,  Rugrats Go Wild contains harmless fun. It's  adventurous without getting too scary for youngsters and funny enough not to resort to potty jokes all the time.

The toddlers from “Rugrats” are preparing to embark on the vacation of a lifetime. Along with their parents, Tommy (voice of E.G. Daily), Chuckie (voice of Nancy Cartwright), Phil and Lil (voice of Kath Soucie), Kimi (voice of Dionne Quan), Dil (voice of Tara Strong), Susie (voice of Cree Summer), and, last but not least, Angelica (voice of Cheryl Chase) are headed for seven days of fun and excitement on a cruise vacation. Too bad Tommy’s dad Stu (voice of Jack Riley) traded in a comfy ship for a rickety boat that easily cracks when a tropical storm hits the gang. Luckily, they wash up on a deserted island and try to figure out how to get home.

Meanwhile, we learn that the Rugrats aren’t the only ones on the island. Sir Nigel Thornberry (voice of Tim Curry) is shooting an episode of his popular nature show, and his free-spirited daughter Eliza (voice of Lacey Chabert) uses her ability to talk with the animals to try and find a leopard for the show. The two groups eventually encounter one another, and as the Rugrats try to find their way back to their parents through the big, scary jungle, Spike (voice of Bruce Willis), their dog, makes enemies with the leopard and sets out to protect the toddlers from the beast.

Although Rugrats Go Wild combines two properties that have resulted in very charming and entertaining family films, it isn't as satisfying as those other pictures. The Rugrats movies discussed family-related themes, and The Wild Thornberrys Movie turned a message about protecting wildlife and the environment into a lush, adventurous flick. Rugrats Go Wild feels more like an experiment, a test to see what would happen if the babies met the animal-loving Thornberry family without having to worry about incorporating a message to interrupt the fun for kids in attendance. You know you’re not in for something deep and intense when the experience of watching the film includes smelling peanut butter and baby feet from a scratch-and-sniff card.

Rugrats Go Wild’s only goal is to entertain fans of the cartoons. It does so with colorful animation and the same humor and adventure the kiddies have come to love from TV. They'll have fun watching Angelica get tips on being bossy from Debbie Thornberry (voice of Danielle Harris), Chuckie trade places with wild child Donnie (voice of Flea), and all of the Rugrats going on many adventures throughout the jungle (Lil even takes the time to decide not to eat anymore bugs, a prospect that Phil dreads). And I think adults might enjoy hearing Tommy's beloved pooch Spike speak for the first time, simply because he's voiced by Bruce Willis. There are also various references made to other similarly-themed movies (Angelica belts out “The Morning After” from The Poseidon Adventure and tells the babies about seeing Lord of the Flies), but this is a kid’s movie all the way. Parents should wait for the video so they won’t have to think about how they’re missing The Hulk while watching Phil and Lil discuss not eating bugs anymore.

Although I did have fun watching the adventures of Tommy and Eliza unfold together, Rugrats Go Wild mostly reminded me of how great “Rugrats” was when it first aired on Nickelodeon. Ah, those were the good old days.

MY RATING: ** 1/2 (out of ****)

(Released by Paramount Pictures and rated "PG" for mild crude humor.)

Review also posted on www.ajhakari.com.