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"'Rocky'
Road"
by Scott Mantz
"The Adventures of
Rocky and Bullwinkle"
Jason Alexander, Rene Russo,
Robert DeNiro
Directed by Des McAnuff
Movie magic
doesn't get any better than when films blend live action with cel
animation. Who can forget the "Zippity Do Dah" sequence from Disney's
"Song of the South," or Gene Kelly dancing with Jerry the Mouse
in "Anchor's Away?" By far the most effective blend of the two mediums
came in 1987, when Robert Zemeckis posed the question, "Who Framed
Roger Rabbit?" While the concept was far better than the actual
story, the resulting film proved to be an immensely enjoyable moviegoing
experience. Now, two classic cartoon characters finally get their
big-budget due, and all I can say is "Hokie smokes!" While the slapstick
humor in "The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle" doesn't always
work, it is so full of charm and optimism that it's hard not to
like it.
Rocky the Flying
Squirrel and Bullwinkle the Moose have fallen on hard times, living
off meager royalties from their classic TV show. Arch villains Boris
(Jason Alexander), Natasha (Rene Russo), and Fearless Leader (Robert
DeNiro) have resurfaced and are once again poised to take over the
world. They invade Hollywood and create RBTV (Really Bad Television),
where they plan to hypnotize the public with mind-numbingly awful
TV shows. It's up to Rocky and Bullwinkle to save the day, and with
the help of a kind-hearted FBI agent (Piper Perabo), they struggle
to find their place in a world that has changed drastically in the
past 30 years. Pulling a rabbit out of a hat would be like child's
play compared to this!
Jay Ward's crudely
drawn and simplistic cartoon series, which ran from 1959 to 1964,
was the perfect antidote to the Cold War paranoia that was infecting
the country at the time. It was an ironic touch to have baddies
like Boris and Natasha, who represented the very face of "the enemy,"
constantly defeated by, of all things, a moose and a squirrel. Between
Bullwinkle's thick-headed charm, Rocky's sympathetic intelligence,
and the straight-forward narration of the show, there was definitely
a tongue-in-cheek attitude in their week-to-week conflict.
"The Adventures
of Rocky and Bullwinkle" certainly captures the feeling of the classic
show, but once our heroes cross over into the real world, the narrated
"this is what's happening now" approach starts to wear thin. Bullwinkle's
clueless demeanor was always part of his charm, but the really bad
jokes that worked in the year 1964 just end up being really bad
in the year 2000. Rocky, on the other hand, once again comes across
as the one with the brains, and having June Foray back to give him
his voice is a nice touch.
Jason Alexander
and Rene Russo, who play Boris and Natasha respectively, certainly
resemble the cartoon images, but there's little for them to do except
fall victim to the slapstick humor that's aimed at the kiddies.
Piper Perabo is amiable enough as Agent Karen Sympathy (get it?),
but she seems like she'll be more at home in the upcoming Jerry
Bruckheimer picture. If there's a real sport among the cast, it's
Robert DeNiro. Not only did he co-produce the film under his Tribeca
Productions banner, but he dives into his role as Fearless Leader
with good nature, even sending up his own "you talkin' to me" monologue
from his classic "Taxi Driver."
There isn't
anything here that we haven't already seen before in "Who Framed
Roger Rabbit?" Even Fearless Leader knows this, and when he's reminded
of the similarities to that film, he's quick to reply "that's completely
different." In fact, it's not. Bullwinkle makes a few wink-wink-nudge-nudge
comments about how television hasn't changed much in 30 years, but
inside jokes like this, along with a few Hollywood cameos, will
only work on the adults for so long.
Rocky and Bullwinkle
lack the iconic status of legends like Bugs Bunny or Mickey Mouse,
and most of today's kids will probably never have heard of them.
Fortunately, the film is so charming and adorable that it gets by
with a lot of heart. Agent Sympathy learns to get back in touch
with her inner child, and Rocky gets his confidence back to fly
again. Check it out as a matinee, and "The Adventures of Rocky and
Bullwinkle" will surely stand out as something we hope you'll really
like.
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