A Scientist at the Movies Reviews by Greg Paris

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Title: Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius

Date Viewed: 1/2/02

Details:

Voice talent: Debi Derryberry

Guest voice talent: Martin Short (alien Ooblar)

Patrick Stewart (alien King Goobot)

Director: John A. Davis

Score: 0

The Review: Think of it as an exercise in "understanding science" targeted at the youth of Nickelodeon; or as a litmus test of what kids today might think about science ("geeks aren't totally nerdy"). Or think of it as the contemporary version of Tom Terrific (and Manfred the wonder dog) or of Tom Swift, Jr. (the Victor Appleton II series) -- but nowhere near as good.

Green, gooey, sadistic, chicken-worshipping aliens from a distant galaxy swoop down in their rooster-shaped ships and abduct (or induct, depending on your viewpoint, IQ, or choice of words) all the adults in sight, to turn them into zombie food sources for their monster hatchling god. Local boy genius, Jimmy Neutron, struggling with parental acceptance and classroom competition from a smart girl, enlists his fellow school-kids, invents tons o' stuff, converts a newly opened theme park into a fleet of wacky spacecraft, and flies to the rescue. Exceeding fluff; fast-moving pseudo-plot, with some clever (albeit short snippets with minimal screen time) background throwaways to keep amused those few adults who have not yet thrown up.

Yes, of course, it's only animated entertainment for a non-science crowd, but gross quibbles abound (when does a "gross quibble" become a "howler"?). I'd've expected a bit more accuracy and attention paid to the visual wonders of space -- the graphics are easy, and most school-children are familiar with our own solar system -- but I'd've been wrong. And did you know that your cell phone will work in a distant galaxy?, even though the billing plan may not cover it? Or that you can breathe interplanetary vacuum? But you will learn that some dads are cool. Not totally unredeeming.

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