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
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 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 a finale for the Doug TV 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 home 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 her, 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 Doug's neighbor, Mayor Tippy Dink, who warns them 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 is kidnapped 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, Doug and Skeeter recruit Roger and Al and Moo Sleech to help thwart it. On the night of the dance Doug has to give 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.

They bring Herman to Crystal Lake and release him into the fresh waters, where they are confronted and threatened by Bluff. Seeing this his daughter, Beebe, sides with her friends and Mayor Dink hints at revealing Bluff's practices to the government unless he volunteers to clean up Lucky Duck Lake himself. Defeated and threatened with a potential lawsuit that could bankrupt him, Bluff is reduced to crawling on his knees after Beebe, begging for her forgiveness. Then Herman reveals himself to Patti and she sees that Doug was right all along, and she dumps Guy and the gang says goodbye to Herman. Then Doug tries to reveal his feelings for Patti, but then Roger thanks 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 . However, the plans evaporated when Viacom acquired Paramount Pictures in 1994, and the deal expired in the following year. Only The Rugrats Movie materialized in November 1998. [2] [3]

In February 1996, when Disney bought Jumbo Pictures along with the cartoon, they decided to revive the project for the Doug film. [4] [5] 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

The film 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." [6] 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. [7]

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." [8]

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, barely creating a large profit for Disney and making it a box office failure.

Awards and nominations

The film was nominated for a Stinker Award for Worst Achievement in Animation, but lost to Pokémon the First Movie . [9]

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.

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.

Related Research Articles

<i>Who Framed Roger Rabbit</i> 1988 film by Robert Zemeckis

Who Framed Roger Rabbit is a 1988 American fantasy comedy film directed by Robert Zemeckis from a screenplay written by Jeffrey Price and Peter S. Seaman. It is loosely based on the 1981 novel Who Censored Roger Rabbit? by Gary K. Wolf. The film stars Bob Hoskins, Christopher Lloyd, Stubby Kaye, Joanna Cassidy, and the voices of Charles Fleischer and an uncredited Kathleen Turner. Combining live-action and animation, the film is set in an alternate history Hollywood in 1947, where humans and cartoon characters co-exist. Its plot follows Eddie Valiant, a private investigator with a grudge against toons, who must help exonerate Roger Rabbit, a toon framed for murder.

<i>A Goofy Movie</i> 1995 US 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. It features the voices of Bill Farmer, Jason Marsden, Jim Cummings, Kellie Martin, Rob Paulsen, Pauly Shore, Jenna von Oÿ, and Wallace Shawn. Taking place three years after the events of Goof Troop, the film follows Goofy and his son, Max, who is now in high school, and revolves around the father-son relationship between the two as Goofy embarks on a misguided mission to bond with his son by taking him on a cross-country fishing trip around the United States.

<i>The Great Mouse Detective</i> 1986 American animated mystery film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation

The Great Mouse Detective is a 1986 American animated mystery adventure film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures. It is based on the children's book series Basil of Baker Street by Eve Titus and Paul Galdone, and was 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 film's plot follows Basil of Baker Street, a mouse detective who undertakes to help the young mouse Olivia find and save her father from the criminal mastermind and Basil's sworn enemy, Professor Ratigan.

Klasky-Csupo, Inc., is an American animation studio located in Los Angeles, California. It was founded in 1982 by producer Arlene Klasky and her husband, Hungarian animator Gábor Csupó in a spare room of their apartment and grew to 550 artists, creative workers and staff in an animation facility in Hollywood.

<i>Doug</i> (TV series) Animated series and sitcom

Doug is an animated television series and sitcom created by Jim Jinkins and produced by Jumbo Pictures, airing from August 11, 1991 to June 26, 1999 on Nickelodeon and ABC. 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.

<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>Dinosaur</i> (2000 film) 2000 film by Ralph Zondag and Eric Leighton

Dinosaur is a 2000 American live-action/animated adventure film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation in association with The Secret Lab, and released by Walt Disney Pictures. The film was directed by Ralph Zondag and Eric Leighton and produced by Pam Marsden, from a screenplay written by John Harrison, Robert Nelson Jacobs, and Walon Green, and a story by the trio alongside Zondag and Thom Enriquez. It features the voices of D. B. Sweeney, Alfre Woodard, Ossie Davis, Max Casella, Hayden Panettiere, Samuel E. Wright, Julianna Margulies, Peter Siragusa, Joan Plowright, and Della Reese. The story follows a young Iguanodon who was adopted and raised by a family of lemurs on a tropical island. After surviving a devastating meteor shower, the family moves out for their new home and befriends a herd of dinosaurs along the way while on a journey to the "Nesting Grounds". However, they face harsh circumstances with its Darwinistic leader while being hunted down by numerous predators, such as Carnotaurus.

<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 is an American film production company 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 American film directed 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 Charendoff, 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. 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 comedy adventure 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">John R. Dilworth</span> Creator of Courage the Cowardly Dog (1999-2002)

John Russell Dilworth is an American animator, actor, writer, director, storyboard artist, producer and the creator of the animated television series Courage the Cowardly Dog. His work has mainly appeared on PBS, CBS, Showtime, HBO, Fox, ABC, NBC, Arte, CBC Television, YTV, Teletoon, BBC Two, Cartoon Network, Nickelodeon, Comedy Central and MTV, among others.

<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.

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, where 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. ↑ Hinman, Catherine (May 19, 1993). "Nickelodeon Adds Movies To Its Credits". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved July 15, 2018.
  3. ↑ "Nickelodeon gets into movie business". Toledo Blade. June 7, 1993. Retrieved July 15, 2018.
  4. ↑ 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.
  5. ↑ 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.
  6. ↑ Doug's 1st Movie at Rotten Tomatoes
  7. ↑ "DOUG'S 1ST MOVIE". screenit.com. Retrieved 2008-04-03.
  8. ↑ Ebert, Roger. "Doug's 1st Movie movie review (1999) | Roger Ebert". Ebert Digital LLC. Retrieved 17 June 2023.
  9. ↑ "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.