The Wild Thornberrys Movie
The Wild Thornberrys Movie ★★★½ 2002 (PG)
Big-screen adaptation of the popular Nickelodeon toon provides all the action, sly wit, and fully-realized characters that fans would expect. Newcomers will be entertained as well, no matter what age. The Thornberrys are nature documentary filmmakers, led by dad Nigel (Curry) and mom Marianne (Carlisle). Their intrepid brood includes angsty teen Debbie and halfferal Donnie, but the real star is daughter Eliza (Chabert), who can communicate with the animals and has a sarcastic monkey pal, Darwin (Kane). When Eliza's new playmate, a cheetah cub, is taken by poachers (Everett and Tomei), she has to escape a stuffy boarding school, where she was sent by her proper English grandmum, to save him and her family. African setting and rollicking action translate well to the big screen, but shouldn't lose anything when it returns to your TV for the numerous video viewings. Some scenes involving the poachers may be a little scary for younger kids. 88m/C VHS, DVD . USD: Jeff McGrath, Cathy Malkasian; W: Kate Boutilier; M: Drew Neumann; V: Lacey Chabert, Tom Kane, Tim Curry, Lynn Redgrave, Danielle Harris, Flea, Jodi Carlisle, Rupert Everett, Marisa Tomei, Kevin M. Richardson, Obba Babatunde, Alfre Woodard, Melissa Greenspan, Brock Peters, Brenda Blethyn.