Doug's 1st Movie

Last updated

Doug's 1st Movie
Doug's 1st Movie Poster.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Maurice Joyce
Written byKen Scarborough
Based on Doug
by Jim Jinkins
Produced byJim Jinkins
David Campbell
Melanie Grisanti
Jack Spillum
Starring
Edited byAlysha Cohen
Christopher Gee
Music by Mark Watters
Production
companies
Distributed by Buena Vista Pictures Distribution [a]
Release date
  • March 26, 1999 (1999-03-26)
Running time
83 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$5 million
Box office$19.4 million [1]

Doug's 1st Movie is a 1999 American animated comedy film based on the Disney-produced episodes of the Nickelodeon and ABC television series Doug . The film was directed by Maurice Joyce, and stars the regular television cast of Tom McHugh, Fred Newman, Chris Phillips, Constance Shulman, Frank Welker, Alice Playten, Guy Hadley, and Doris Belack. Produced by Walt Disney Television Animation and Jumbo Pictures with animation provided by Plus One Animation, it was released by Buena Vista Pictures Distribution under its Walt Disney Pictures label on March 26, 1999. The film serves as the series finale to the show. An accompanying Mickey Mouse Works short "Donald's Dynamite: Opera Box" was released with the film.

Contents

The film received generally negative reviews, who criticized its story, screenplay, and characters, however, the voice acting received some praise. Despite the title and its mild success at the box office, no further films based on Doug were made.

Plot

BluffCo has been dumping waste into Lucky Duck Lake under the command of CEO Bill Bluff. This pollution creates a friendly creature that is discovered by Doug Funnie and Skeeter Valentine. They bring the creature in Doug's house, where they name him Herman Melville after he tries to eat a copy of Moby-Dick . Not wanting him to be discovered, they disguise him as a foreign exchange student called Hermione, causing Doug's love interest Patti Mayonnaise to become jealous from all the attention he gives him, leading school paper reporter Guy Graham to make a move on her. Meanwhile, Roger Klotz and his cronies, after learning about Herman, build a robot to kidnap him, but instead it becomes very overbearing toward Roger.

Doug and Skeeter show Herman to Mayor Tippy Dink, who warns them that Bluff will kill the story if they try to get it into the press. After being mocked by Guy in front of Patti, Doug calls a press announcement where he promises to expose what Bluff is doing to the lake. While initially dismissive, Guy finds a picture of Herman and realizes Doug is telling the truth. He notifies Bluff, who sends BluffCo agents to Doug's announcement posing as reporters to capture Herman. Doug sees through the ruse and calls off the conference, but Herman ends up being captured and Patti now believes Doug to be a liar.

The next morning, in the school newspaper office, Doug finds an article by Guy detailing how Herman attacked students at the upcoming Valentine's Day dance and was killed by BluffCo agents. Realizing Guy and Bluff's plan to cover up the pollution, Doug and Skeeter recruit Roger and Al and Moo Sleech to help thwart it. On the night of the dance, Doug gave up his last chance to win Patti back in order to save Herman. The Sleech's reprogram Roger's robot to act like the monster in Guy's article, distracting everyone while Doug and Skeeter find Herman and sneak him out of the school in a giant Valentine's decoration.

Doug and Skeeter bring Herman to Crystal Lake and release him into the fresh waters, where they are confronted and threatened by Bluff. However, Bluff's daughter Beebe and Mayor Dink overheard Bluff's tirade, and Beebe defends both Doug and Skeeter while Mayor Dink hints on revealing Bluff's practices to the government unless he discuss things over with her. Threatened with a potential lawsuit that could bankrupt him, Bluff concedes defeat by agreeing to have his company clean up Lucky Duck Lake. Herman reveals himself to Patti, who realized that Doug was telling the truth before dumping Guy for lying to her. After the gang says goodbye to Herman, Doug tries to reveal his feelings for Patti, only for Roger to suddenly appear, thanking him for reprogramming his robot, which then chases him away. The movie ends with everyone going back to the dance except for Doug, Patti, Skeeter, and Beebe, who dances with each other by the lake.

Voice cast

Additional voice artists

Production

Nickelodeon was originally making a Doug film adaptation in May 1993 when they made a deal with 20th Century Fox to make films based on their properties along with films like Rugrats and Ren & Stimpy . [2] [3] However, the plans evaporated when Viacom acquired Paramount Pictures in February 1994, [4] and the deal expired in the following year. Only The Rugrats Movie materialized in November 1998.

In February 1996, when Disney bought Jumbo Pictures along with the cartoon, they decided to revive the project for the Doug film. [5] [6] This film was originally planned as a direct-to-video release under the title The First Doug Movie Ever as shown in trailers, but due to the success of The Rugrats Movie, they decided to make it a theatrical release.

This is the last American theatrical animated film to use traditional cels, in which the title sequence of the film used digital ink and paint.

Release

The film was theatrically released with the short "Opera Box", featuring Donald and Daisy Duck, from the television series Mickey Mouse Works .

Critical reception

Doug's 1st Movie garnered a 26% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with 9 of a total 34 reviews being determined as positive. The critical consensus reads, "Doug's 1st Movie may entertain very young fans of its main character, but essentially amounts to a forgettable feature-length episode of his show." [7] Critics were harsh to Doug's 1st Movie when it was released theatrically. Many noted that the film felt too much like an extended episode of the show (story- and animation-wise) and many mention that the film should have stayed a direct-to-video release. Most of the criticism came from the plot, writing, and music, though they praised the animation, voice acting and ending. Screenit.com awarded the film 4 out of 10, determining that it was mediocre and did not have "that magic or cinematic feel to warrant the big screen treatment" and it felt like the regular series. [8]

Roger Ebert gave the film 1½ out of 4 stars, quoting "Doug's 1st Movie is a thin and less than thrilling feature-length version of a Saturday morning animated series, unseen by me. Chatter on the Web suggests it was originally intended to go straight to video, but was rechanneled into theaters after the startling success of The Rugrats Movie. Since Doug originally started on Nickelodeon, where Rugrats resides, the decision made sense – or would have if this had been a better movie." [9]

Box office

Doug's 1st Movie opened at #5 in its opening weekend with $4,470,489, for an average of $1,971 from a very wide 2,268 theaters. While this may be deemed as low for an average Hollywood film, Doug only cost $5 million to make due to its direct-to-video budget and a somewhat low-key promotional campaign. As such, the film still managed to gross $19,421,271 in ticket sales, creating a large profit for Disney and making it a box office success.

Awards and nominations

The film was nominated for a Stinker Award for Worst Achievement in Animation, but lost to Pokémon the First Movie . [10]

Home media

The film was released on VHS on September 21, 1999, and on DVD as a Disney Movie Club exclusive on July 20, 2012. The VHS featured, after the movie, a "Never-Before-Seen Dougumentary" that featured the creators of the show offering trivia facts and answering questions from fans; also featured is voice actor Fred Newman who demonstrates his ability to make sound effects while doing the voice of Skeeter Valentine. The DVD used a TV edit, with fade-ins and fade-outs to make way for commercial breaks, as well as sped-up closing credits. As of 2024, the film has still not officially been released on Blu-ray.

The film, along with Disney's Doug, was released on Disney+ on November 12, 2019, its first day of release. This used a new transfer of the film sourced from the master print, allowing the end credits to be seen at their intended speed.

Notes

  1. ↑ Distributed under the Walt Disney Pictures banner.

Related Research Articles

Modern animation in the United States from the late 1980s to 2004 is frequently referred to as the renaissance age of American animation. During this period, many large American entertainment companies reformed and reinvigorated their animation departments, following the dark age, and the United States had an influence on global and worldwide animation.

<i>A Goofy Movie</i> 1995 American animated film by Kevin Lima

A Goofy Movie is a 1995 American animated musical comedy-adventure film produced by Disney MovieToons and Walt Disney Television Animation. Directed by Kevin Lima, the film is based on The Disney Afternoon television series Goof Troop created by Robert Taylor and Michael Peraza Jr., and serves as a standalone follow-up to the show. Taking place three years after the events of Goof Troop, the film follows Goofy and his teenage son Max as they embark on a misguided cross-country father-son fishing trip across the United States.

<i>The Rescuers Down Under</i> 1990 American animated adventure film

The Rescuers Down Under is a 1990 American animated adventure film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures. It is the sequel to Disney's 1977 animated feature film The Rescuers, which was based on the novels by Margery Sharp. In The Rescuers Down Under, Bernard and Bianca travel to the Australian Outback to save a young boy named Cody from a villainous poacher who wants to capture an endangered golden eagle for money. Directed by Hendel Butoy and Mike Gabriel from a screenplay by Jim Cox, Karey Kirkpatrick, Byron Simpson, and Joe Ranft, the film features the voices of Bob Newhart, Eva Gabor, John Candy, and George C. Scott.

<i>The Great Mouse Detective</i> 1986 animated mystery film

The Great Mouse Detective is a 1986 American animated mystery adventure film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures. Based on the children's book series Basil of Baker Street by Eve Titus and Paul Galdone, the film is written and directed by John Musker, Dave Michener, Ron Clements, and Burny Mattinson in their feature directorial debuts. Featuring the voices of Vincent Price, Barrie Ingham, Val Bettin, Susanne Pollatschek, Candy Candido, Diana Chesney, Eve Brenner, and Alan Young, the plot follows a mouse detective who undertakes to help a young mouse find and save her father from the criminal mastermind Professor Ratigan.

<i>Doug</i> (TV series) American animated sitcom (1991–1999)

Doug is an American animated sitcom created by Jim Jinkins and produced by Jumbo Pictures. It originally aired on Nickelodeon from August 11, 1991, to January 2, 1994, and on ABC from September 7, 1996, to June 26, 1999. The show focuses on the early adolescent life and zany hijinks of its title character, Douglas "Doug" Funnie, who experiences common predicaments while attending school in his new hometown of Bluffington. Doug narrates each story in his journal, and the show incorporates many imagination sequences. The series addresses numerous topics, including trying to fit in, platonic and romantic relationships, self-esteem, bullying, and rumors. Many episodes center on Doug's attempts to impress his classmate and crush, Patti Mayonnaise.

<i>Home on the Range</i> (2004 film) 2004 American film

Home on the Range is a 2004 American animated Western musical comedy film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures. It was the last Disney traditionally animated film released until The Princess and the Frog in 2009. The film was written and directed by Will Finn and John Sanford, and produced by Alice Dewey Goldstone, from a story by Finn, Sanford, Mark Kennedy, Michael LaBash, Sam Levine, and Robert Lence. It features original songs written by Alan Menken and Glenn Slater, and an original musical orchestral score also composed by Menken.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nicktoons</span> Animated series brand used by Nickelodeon

Nicktoons is a collective name used by Nickelodeon for their original animated series. All Nicktoons are produced partly at the Nickelodeon Animation Studio and list Nickelodeon's parent company in their copyright bylines.

<i>Hey Arnold!: The Movie</i> 2002 animated film by Tuck Tucker

Hey Arnold!: The Movie is a 2002 American animated adventure comedy film based on the Nickelodeon animated television series of the same name. Directed by Tuck Tucker and written by series creator Craig Bartlett and Steve Viksten, with music by series composer Jim Lang, the film stars Spencer Klein, Francesca Smith, Jamil Walker Smith, Dan Castellaneta, Tress MacNeille, Paul Sorvino, and Jennifer Jason Leigh, and follows Arnold, Gerald, and Helga on a quest to save their neighborhood from a greedy developer who plans on converting it into a huge shopping mall. The events of the film take place during the series' fifth and final season.

Nickelodeon Movies Inc. is an American film production company based in Los Angeles, California and owned by Paramount Global. Originally founded in 1995, it serves as both the film production arm of the American children's network Nickelodeon and the family film distribution label of Paramount Pictures, operating under its Paramount Players division.

<i>The Rugrats Movie</i> 1998 film by Igor Kovalyov and Norton Virgien

The Rugrats Movie is a 1998 American animated comedy film based on the Nickelodeon animated television series Rugrats. It was directed by Igor Kovalyov and Norton Virgien and was written by David N. Weiss & J. David Stem. The film features the voices of E. G. Daily, Tara Strong, Christine Cavanaugh, Kath Soucie, Cheryl Chase, Cree Summer, Jack Riley, Melanie Chartoff, Michael Bell and Joe Alaskey, along with guest stars David Spade, Whoopi Goldberg, Margaret Cho, Busta Rhymes, and Tim Curry. The film takes place between the events of the series' fifth and sixth seasons, and it follows Tommy Pickles as he and the rest of the Rugrats along with his new baby brother, Dil, eventually get lost into the deep wilderness after taking a high-speed ride on the Reptar Wagon, and embark on an adventure to find their way home in the forest while being pursued by circus monkeys and a predatory wolf along the way. The Rugrats Movie is the first feature film based on a Nicktoon and the first installment in the Rugrats film series.

James Jinkins is an American animator, cartoonist, and children's author. He is best known as the creator of the animated television series Doug, which was later the basis for a feature film. Jinkins also created PB&J Otter, as well as several other shows produced by his two companies, Jumbo Pictures and Cartoon Pizza.

<i>Recess: Schools Out</i> 2001 animated Disney film directed by Chuck Sheetz

Recess: School's Out is a 2001 American animated adventure comedy film based on the Disney television series Recess, and features the voices of Andrew Lawrence, Rickey D'Shon Collins, Jason Davis, Ashley Johnson, Courtland Mead, Pamela Adlon, Dabney Coleman, Melissa Joan Hart, April Winchell, and James Woods.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nickelodeon Animation Studio</span> American animation studio

Nickelodeon Animation Studio, is an American animation studio owned by Paramount Global through the Nickelodeon Group. It has created many original animated television programs for Nickelodeon, such as SpongeBob SquarePants, The Fairly OddParents, Rugrats, Avatar: The Last Airbender, and The Loud House, among various others. Since the 2010s, the studio has also produced its own series based on preexisting IP purchased by Paramount Global, such as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Winx Club. In November 2019, Nickelodeon Animation Studio signed a multiple-year output deal for Netflix, which will include producing content, in both new and preexisting IP, for the streaming platform, while also doing so for Paramount+.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paramount Animation</span> Animated media production division of Paramount Pictures

Paramount Animation is an American animation studio, serving as the animation division and label of Paramount Pictures, a subsidiary of Paramount Global. The division was founded on July 6, 2011, following the box office success of Paramount's own Rango and the end of their distribution deal with DreamWorks Animation in 2012.

Events in 1960 in animation.

The Roger Rabbit shorts are a series of three animated short films produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation from 1989 to 1993. They feature Roger Rabbit, the animated protagonist from Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988), being enlisted the task of caring for Baby Herman while his mother is absent, resulting in a plot defined by slapstick humor and visual gags. Each short concludes with a sequence involving live-action and animation, in which the characters interact with live-action human beings, akin to the 1988 film. Droopy Dog from MGM makes a cameo in all of the shorts.

Events in 1953 in animation.

References

  1. ↑ Doug's 1st Movie at Box Office Mojo
  2. ↑ Catherine Hinman (May 19, 1993). "Nickelodeon Adds Movies To Its Credits". Orlando Sentinel. Archived from the original on October 30, 2017. Retrieved January 18, 2011.
  3. ↑ "Nickelodeon gets into movie business". Toledo Blade. June 7, 1993. Retrieved July 15, 2018.
  4. ↑ Fabrikant, Geraldine (February 15, 1994). "Executives Say That Viacom Has Won Paramount Battle". The New York Times . p. A1. Archived from the original on December 18, 2020. Retrieved August 15, 2020.
  5. ↑ Burbank, Calif (January 14, 1999). "Disney and Jumbo Pictures Get Animated This March With the Theatrical Release of "Doug's 1st Movie"". Business Wire. Archived from the original on July 15, 2018. Retrieved July 15, 2018.
  6. ↑ Eller, Claudia (March 9, 1999). "The One That Got Away : With 'Doug,' Nickelodeon's Loss May Be Disney's Gain". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 15, 2018.
  7. ↑ Doug's 1st Movie at Rotten Tomatoes
  8. ↑ "DOUG'S 1ST MOVIE". screenit.com. Retrieved April 3, 2008.
  9. ↑ Ebert, Roger. "Doug's 1st Movie movie review (1999) | Roger Ebert". Ebert Digital LLC. Retrieved June 17, 2023.
  10. ↑ "The Worst of 1999 Stinkers Winners". thestinkers.com. The Hastings Bad Cinema Society. Archived from the original on April 13, 2001. Retrieved June 11, 2020.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.