Adventures Of Rocky And Bullwinkle, The
They're back! The colorful cartoon icons share the screen with Hollywood heavyweights.
Story
Moose and Squirrel have spent the decades since their cancellation exiled in reruns until their arch foes, Pottsylvanian evildoers Boris Badenov and Natasha Fatale (along with Fearless Leader), cross over from cartoon to the real world. Sunny FBI agent Karen Sympathy must recruit our antlered hero and his flying rodent sidekick to stop the villains' scheme to turn America into television watching zombies. (Oops, too late!) Screenwriter Kenneth Lonergan ("Analyze This") cleverly modernizes this dusty Cold War cartoon while staying faithful to the spirit of Jay Ward's creations. But despite a handful of sharp sight gags, snappy visuals and a slew of cameos, the moose will fail to charm anyone over age 12 who isn't a Frostbite Falls fanatic.
Acting
There's a reason why Robert DeNiro's name seems out of place on the cast list. The gritty actor, in the thankless role of Fearless Leader, never scores the comedy triumph he did in last year's "Analyze This." Instead, he's uncomfortably reduced to sending up his "You talkin' to me" speech from "Taxi Driver," making clear that this isn't where he belongs. Jason Alexander and Rene Russo click as the spy duo bumbling their way through comic capers. Newcomer Piper Perabo provides the perfect perkiness (and warmth) playing opposite the animated leads. The mix is peppered with fun cameos from John Goodman, Whoopi Goldberg, Billy Crystal and Janeane Garofalo.
Direction
At best, Des McAnuff delivers an imaginative blend of animation and live action, preserving the 2-D whimsy of the cartoon stars. Early on, the flick promises "Airplane"-like sight gags, but the goods are few and far between. The self-mockery of the narration makes it difficult to be too critical of the film's corniness, but the juvenile antics might prove cloying for post-adolescent filmgoers.
Bottom Line
Semi-animated fun and games.
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Starring Robert De Niro, Jason Alexander and Renee Russo, with voices of Keith Scott and June Foray.
Directed by Des McAnuff. Produced by Robert De Niro. Screenplay by Kenneth Lonergan. Released by Universal.