Review #935: The Adventures of Rocky & Bullwinkle (2000)

Title: Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle
Year: 2000
Director: Des McAnuff
Country: US
Language: English

The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show was an American animated television series that originally aired from November 19, 1959, to June 27, 1964, on the ABC and NBC television networks. Produced by Jay Ward, it was a variety show with  its main focus being on the serialized adventures of a talking moose and a flying squirrel (who also talked). It was is known for quality writing and wry humor. Mixing puns, cultural and topical satire, and self-referential jokes. 

When enemies Boris (Jason Alexander), Natasha (Rene Russo) and Fearless leader (Robert De Niro) escape into the real world with a nefarious scheme, Rocky & Bullwinkle do the same and team up with a young F.B.I. agent to stop the trio. 

Rocky & Bullwinkle was a bomb at the box office when it hit theaters in 2000, the film was not a hit with the critics at the time either  and overtime approval of the film steadily decreases. Many claim this is a poorly written picture that can't hold a candle to the original animated series. I put most of the blame on the Squirrel character. In the show he's the charming straight man to the oddball Moose, but here he's a wet blanket. Perhaps worse as the squirrel is constantly whining and complaining about every damn thing. He's supposed to be the good guy!? 

The humour is a bit off for most of the film. Why would children at the time laugh over De Niro's self referential "Are you talking to me?" bit!? How many children does this director expect to have seen Taxi Driver!?  The plot itself is really thin, and the romance angle with  the FBI agent doesn't add anything to the story. Granted, I did like that the Russian's mind control device was called the prophetic RBT (Really Bad Television)

The special effects in this film were particularly cringe-worthy. Rocky and Bullwinkle deserved a far better adaptation, hopefully in the future they will get one. There are far greater films to take your children to than this so only watch if you enjoy being considered a bad parent.