Under the Boardwalk (2023 film)

Last updated

Under the Boardwalk
UnderTheBoardwalk2023.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by David Soren
Screenplay by
Story by
Produced by
  • David Dobkin
  • Dagan Potter
  • Allison Gardner
Starring
Edited by David Ian Salter
Music by
Production
companies
Distributed by Paramount Pictures
Release date
  • October 27, 2023 (2023-10-27)
Running time
86 minutes[ citation needed ]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Under the Boardwalk is a 2023 American animated musical comedy film directed by David Soren, who co-wrote the screenplay with Lorene Scafaria. Co-produced by Paramount Animation and Big Kid Pictures, and animated by DNEG Animation, the film features the voices of Keke Palmer, Michael Cera, and Bobby Cannavale.

Contents

Under the Boardwalk was released in select theaters on October 27, 2023, followed by a video-on-demand release on November 7.

Plot

A community of land hermit crabs underneath a New Jersey beach boardwalk often play host to a community of sea hermit crabs that come to the land for vacation and both species of crabs can't stand each other. Armen, a timid land crab, is reluctant to go out and socialize due to how his parents died in a storm when he was a child and his rotting shell, inhabited by a fun-loving organism named Anemone, is the only reminder of them. However, three muscular crabs and Armen's friends, Bobby, Manny and Jimmy, drag him to a club owned by his uncle Bruno. The crabs get into a fight with an arrogant sea crab named Mako when Armen inadvertently bumps into Ramona, a tourist sea crab he fell in love with earlier. The land crabs get evicted as a result and Armen frustratedly takes his leave. As he is sulking by the seashore, Mako and his goons come to hassle him and steal his shell. Ramona intervenes, but she and Armen get swept away in a high tide that ruins the land crab civilization.

Armen ends up in the far end of the beach and above the boardwalk where he is captured by a human collector to sell as a pet and is given an artificial shell to boot. He soon reunites with Ramona and together, they escape and work together to get back home. On their journey, they each share their insecurities, Armen for being too frightened to do anything besides stay in his shell and Ramona from wanting to get away from her overbearing mother Val, who expects perfection from her. Armen and Ramona's disappearances soon intensifies the rivalry between the land and sea crabs, mostly due to how Mako made up the story of how Armen tried to steal Ramona way from him. Bobby begins second-guessing his tendency to use physical force against his enemies and soon encounters Ramona's deaf sister Shelly looking for Ramona. However, as he walks her home, Val sends him away and when he tries to break up a fight between his friends and Mako's gang, he accidentally snaps off Mako's right arm. Mako vows revenge and claims that Armen is dead, giving them Armen's shell and a shell-shocked Anemone. The land crabs then declare war.

As Armen and Ramona fall in love, two of the crabs they met while at the pet shop begin judging them, making Armen feel hesitant about his feelings, much to Ramona's distress. Eventually, Ramona begins to get dehydrated and passes out, prompting Armen to carry her into the water, moving past the conflict between the land and sea crabs, who cease their fighting to see Armen carrying Ramona and dragging her into the water. Ramona wakes up and kisses Armen and they go back to the surface where Armen is praised for his heroism and Mako is outed as a liar. The land and sea crabs work past their differences with Mako giving Bobby a new shell as a peace offering and Armen giving his shell to a new crab who needs it more.

Voice cast

Production

In June 2019, the film was announced under the name of Jersey Crabs, as part of Paramount Animation's upcoming slate, with Lorene Scafaria writing the screenplay and David Dobkin producing. [1] In July 2020, it was reported that David Soren was hired to direct the film, which was retitled Under the Boardwalk. [2] [3] New Republic Pictures co-financed the film, but was not credited. [4] The animation was done by DNEG Animation in Montreal, with production underway by February 2021. [5] Production was done remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic. [6] By June 3, 2022, the film was in post-production, [7] with production being completed by August 7, 2022. [8] Braam Jordaan was an animation consultant for the film. [9]

Music

In June 2021, it was reported that Sean Douglas would write original music for the film. [10] On May 23, 2022, scoring was announced to be underway. [6] In October 2023, it was announced that John Debney and Jonathan Sadoff had composed the film's score, with Sadoff co-writing the songs. [11] Sony Masterworks released a soundtrack EP for the film on November 3, 2023. [12]

Track listing

All songs are written by Douglas and Sadoff. [12]

Under the Boardwalk (Songs from the Motion Picture)
No.TitlePerformer(s)Length
1."Welcome to New Jersey"Under the Boardwalk cast3:20
2."Anyone Else"
  • Keke Palmer
  • Michael Cera
2:00
3."Line in the Sand"Cast2:33
4."Look Around"
  • Palmer
  • Cera
2:17
5."More Than a Meathead"Bobby Cannavale2:07
6."Going Out"Cast2:28
Total length:14:51

Release

Under the Boardwalk was released in select theaters on October 27, 2023, followed by a wide video-on-demand release on November 7. [13] It was previously scheduled for release on July 22, 2022, but in January 2022, it was removed from the release schedule with Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank taking the date. [14] On July 26, 2023, it was announced that it would be released on Paramount+. [15] In October 2023, it was given for a limited theatrical release on its current date under the Nickelodeon Movies imprint, followed by its video-on-demand release. [16]

It was released on DVD on December 19, 2023. [17]

Reception

Calum Baker of the Radio Times wrote, "There's nothing surprising about this bright, loud musical adventure, with its themes of social acceptance and being true to oneself. But the tunes aren't too bad, there are some fine gags and the animators have inventive fun with their crustacean designs". [18] Common Sense Media's Sandie Angulo Chen gave it a score of three out of five. [19]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hermit crab</span> Superfamily of crustaceans (Paguroidea)

Hermit crabs are anomuran decapod crustaceans of the superfamily Paguroidea that have adapted to occupy empty scavenged mollusc shells to protect their fragile exoskeletons. There are over 800 species of hermit crab, most of which possess an asymmetric abdomen concealed by a snug-fitting shell. Hermit crabs' soft (non-calcified) abdominal exoskeleton means they must occupy shelter produced by other organisms or risk being defenseless.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tide pool</span> Rocky pool on a seashore, separated from the sea at low tide, filled with seawater

A tide pool or rock pool is a shallow pool of seawater that forms on the rocky intertidal shore. These pools typically range from a few inches to a few feet deep and a few feet across. Many of these pools exist as separate bodies of water only at low tide, as seawater gets trapped when the tide recedes. Tides are caused by the gravitational pull of the sun and moon. A tidal cycle is usually about 25 hours and consists of two high tides and two low tides.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dark Castle Entertainment</span> American media production label

Dark Castle Entertainment is a film, TV, and digital projects production label. It is owned by North American sports and entertainment company, OEG Inc. The firm is led by co-CEOs Hal Sadoff and Norman Golightly.

<i>Coenobita cavipes</i> Species of crustacean

Coenobita cavipes is a species of land hermit crab native to the eastern parts of Africa, the Indonesia, Philippines, China, Japan, Malaysia, Taiwan, Polynesia, and Micronesia. While these hermit crabs are terrestrial, they prefer to reside near the shores for access of both water and land.

DNEG is a British-Indian visual effects, computer animation and 3-D conversion studio that was founded in 1998 in London, and rebranded as DNEG in 2014 after a merger with Indian VFX company Prime Focus; it was named after the letters "D" and "Neg" from their former name.

<i>Clibanarius tricolor</i> Species of crustacean

Clibanarius tricolor is a hermit crab that lives in shallow water of the Caribbean Sea and is popular in the home aquarium trade. Its common names include blue-legged hermit crab, tricolor hermit crab, blueleg reef hermit crab, equal handed hermit crab and blueleg hermit crab.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sea anemone</span> Marine animals of the order Actiniaria

Sea anemones are a group of predatory marine invertebrates constituting the order Actiniaria. Because of their colourful appearance, they are named after the Anemone, a terrestrial flowering plant. Sea anemones are classified in the phylum Cnidaria, class Anthozoa, subclass Hexacorallia. As cnidarians, sea anemones are related to corals, jellyfish, tube-dwelling anemones, and Hydra. Unlike jellyfish, sea anemones do not have a medusa stage in their life cycle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coconut crab</span> Species of crustacean

The coconut crab is a terrestrial species of giant hermit crab, and is also known as the robber crab or palm thief. It is the largest terrestrial arthropod known, with a weight of up to 4.1 kg (9 lb). The distance from the tip of one leg to the tip of another can be as wide as 1 m. It is found on islands across the Indian and Pacific Oceans, as far east as the Gambier Islands, Pitcairn Islands and Caroline Island and as far west as Zanzibar. While its range broadly shadows the distribution of the coconut palm, the coconut crab has been extirpated from most areas with a significant human population such as mainland Australia and Madagascar.

<i>Dardanus pedunculatus</i> Species of crustacean

Dardanus pedunculatus, commonly referred to as the anemone hermit crab, is a species of hermit crab from the Indo-Pacific region. It lives at depths of up to 27 m and collects sea anemones to place on its shell for defence.

<i>Shelldon</i> 2008 multi-national TV series or program

Shelldon is an animated children's television series directed by Jirayuth Chusanachoti. The series debuted on Channel 3 in Thailand on October 13, 2008, and on Qubo on October 16, 2009, later being removed from its line-up on September 30, 2012.

<i>Calliactis parasitica</i> Species of sea anemone

Calliactis parasitica is a species of sea anemone associated with hermit crabs. It lives in the eastern Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea at depths between the intertidal zone and 60 m (200 ft). It is up to 10 cm × 8 cm in size, with up to 700 tentacles, and is very variable in colour. The relationship between C. parasitica and the hermit crab is mutualistic: the sea anemone protects the hermit crab with its stings, and benefits from the food thrown up by the hermit crab's movements.

<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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Soren (animator)</span> Canadian animator

David Soren is a Canadian director, writer, voice actor, and storyboard artist at DreamWorks Animation. His most notable work are TV specials based on the Madagascar film franchise: Merry Madagascar and Madly Madagascar. He directed the 2013 animated feature film Turbo, which is based on his own original concept, as well as the 2017 animated film Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie based on Dav Pilkey's Captain Underpants book series.

<i>Calliactis tricolor</i> Species of sea anemone

Calliactis tricolor, the tricolor anemone or hitchhiking anemone, is a species of sea anemone in the family Hormathiidae. It occurs in the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico. It can be found attached to rocks but is often attached to a living crab or mollusc or an empty shell occupied by a hermit crab.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thinstripe hermit crab</span> Species of crustacean

The thinstripe hermit crab, Clibanarius vittatus, is a species of hermit crab in the family Diogenidae. It is found in the Caribbean Sea, the Gulf of Mexico and the western Atlantic Ocean.

Calitoxin, also known as CLX, is a sea anemone neurotoxin produced by the sea anemone Calliactis parasitica. It targets crabs and octopuses, among other invertebrates. Two isoforms have been identified, both of which are formed from precursors stored in the stinging cells of the anemone. Once the toxin is activated and released, it causes paralysis by increasing neurotransmitter release at invertebrate neuromuscular junctions. Along with several other toxins derived from anemones, CLX is useful in ion channel research. Certain structural aspects of calitoxin are dissimilar from sea anemone toxins that also target the sodium ion channels. Other toxins resembling calitoxin function in completely different ways.

<i>Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank</i> 2022 animated film

Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank is a 2022 animated martial arts comedy film directed by Rob Minkoff, Mark Koetsier and Chris Bailey. A loose remake of the 1974 live-action film Blazing Saddles, it stars the voices of Michael Cera, Ricky Gervais, George Takei, Gabriel Iglesias, Michelle Yeoh and Samuel L. Jackson with supporting roles done by Mel Brooks, Aasif Mandvi, and Djimon Hounsou. The film takes place in a world of anthropomorphic animals, in which a dog named Hank learns to become a samurai to save a cat village from a conniving landlord.

Locksmith Animation is a British-American independent computer animation feature film studio owned by Sister Group. Headquartered in London, England with an office in Los Angeles, California, Locksmith is best known for producing and developing independent computer-animated feature films.

<i>Dardanus deformis</i> Species of crustacean

Dardanus deformis is a species of nocturnal hermit crab that is found in the Indo-Pacific. Its common name is pale anemone hermit. The species is known to transfer sea anemones from one shell to another when it moves to a different shell. It can be kept in an aquarium.

References

  1. ↑ Giardina, Carolyn (June 12, 2019). "'Spice Girls' Movie in the Works as Paramount Unveils Animation Slate (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter . Archived from the original on June 12, 2019. Retrieved April 21, 2023.
  2. ↑ D'Alessandro, Anthony (July 23, 2020). "'A Quiet Place II' & 'Top Gun: Maverick' Moving To 2021". Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on April 27, 2021. Retrieved April 21, 2023.
  3. ↑ "Under the Boardwalk and The Tiger's Apprentice Get Dated". Paramount Animation. Archived from the original on April 7, 2021. Retrieved April 21, 2023.
  4. ↑ Fleming, Mike Jr. (August 20, 2020). "New Republic Pictures Signs 10-Pic Co-Fi Deal With Paramount Pictures; 'Top Gun: Maverick' Among Films". Deadline. Archived from the original on November 6, 2020. Retrieved April 21, 2023.
  5. ↑ "DNEG Hires Two New Heads of Feature Animation Team". Cartoon Brew. March 1, 2021. Archived from the original on November 8, 2021. Retrieved April 21, 2023.
  6. 1 2 @David_Soren1 (May 23, 2022). "Scoring my new movie! After working remotely for more than 2 years, being amidst a full-size orchestra playing brilliantly together is music to my soul! More on Under The Boardwalk soon…" (Tweet). Retrieved January 21, 2024– via Twitter.
  7. ↑ David Soren (June 3, 2022). "Almost finished… #UnderTheBoardwalk #paramount #DNeg". Instagram . Retrieved January 21, 2024.
  8. ↑ @David_Soren1 (August 7, 2022). "I finished a movie this week thanks to the efforts of an army of incredibly talented people! We're all proud of what we've made. #UnderTheBoardwalk" (Tweet). Retrieved January 21, 2024– via Twitter.
  9. ↑ "Braam Jordaan: Der gehörlose Animationsberater bei Paramount "Under the Boardwalk"". taubenschlag (in German). October 11, 2023. Retrieved March 29, 2024.
  10. ↑ Aswad, Jem (July 27, 2021). "Rapper Jack Harlow, Songwriters Sean Douglas and Nova Wav Join Range Media Partners". Variety . Retrieved January 20, 2024.
  11. ↑ "John Debney & Jonathan Sadoff Scoring David Soren's 'Under the Boardwalk'". Film Music Reporter. October 25, 2023. Retrieved January 20, 2024.
  12. 1 2 "'Under the Boardwalk' Soundtrack EP Released". Film Music Reporter. November 3, 2023. Retrieved January 20, 2024.
  13. ↑ Kuperinsky, Amy (October 27, 2023). "Under the Boardwalk movie stars Jersey Shore hermit crabs (sea tourists vs. land townies)". NJ.com . Retrieved October 28, 2023.
  14. ↑ Galuppo, Mia (January 21, 2022). "Paramount Lands Animated 'Blazing Samurai' Starring Mel Brooks, Michael Cera (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on January 22, 2022. Retrieved April 25, 2023.
  15. ↑ "After a Decade in Limbo, Brian Robbins Is Giving Paramount a Makeover With 'Ninja Turtles,' Tom Cruise and 'Gladiator 2'". Variety. July 26, 2023. Retrieved January 19, 2024.
  16. ↑ Lang, Jamie (October 19, 2023). "Paramount Will Give 'Under The Boardwalk' A Limited Theatrical Release On October 27". Cartoon Brew . Retrieved January 19, 2024.
  17. ↑ "Under the Boardwalk DVD". Blu-ray.com. Retrieved December 6, 2023.
  18. ↑ "Under the Boardwalk (2023)". Radio Times . August 30, 2024. Retrieved October 27, 2024.
  19. ↑ Chen, Sandie Angulo (December 9, 2023). "Under the Boardwalk Movie Review". Common Sense Media . Retrieved October 27, 2024.