Directed by: | Des McAnuff |
Written by: | Ken Longergan |
Starring: | Rene Russo, Jason Alexander, Piper Perabo, Randy Quaid, Robert DeNiro |
Released: | January 11, 2001 |
Grade: | C+ |
The Bullwinkle Show aired from 1961 but was cancelled in 1964 due to low ratings. All this time, poor Rocky and Bullwinkle have been stuck in their cartoon world with no adventures and little to do. Imprisoned for the last thirty-five years, their great enemy, the Fearless Leader (DeNiro), and his sidekicks, Boris (Alexander) and Natasha (Russo), have developed a devious plan.
Using digital television, they are going to take themselves into the human world. Once there, they will take over television networks and create television shows so bad, audiences will become mindless zombies. The Fearless Leader will then have total control over their helpless minds making him a shoe-in to become the new U.S. president.
FBI agent Karen Sympathy (Perabo) has been assigned to case of stopping the Fearless Leader and knows there are only two “people” who can stop him. Using technology of her own, she brings Rocky and Bullwinkle to life and they begin a road trip across America to get to New York in time to stop these villains. It won't be an easy journey with Boris and Natasha following them all the way.
The animation is great and it's an interesting concept but there isn't a lot to laugh about in The Adventures Of Rocky And Bullwinkle. The screenplay is from upcoming talent Kenneth Longergan (You Can Count Of Me, Analyze This) but you get the feeling it tries to be a little too smart for its own good.
The film has been a big underachiever in the U.S. which exemplifies its lack of a target audience. Clearly the best aspect of the film is Piper Perabo who is really dazzling on screen and has followed this film with the recently released Coyote Ugly. She'll be one to watch in the future.