Film Reviews

Jimmy Neutron Boy Genius

• Rating:
• Director: John A. Davis.
• Starring: Megan Cavanagh, Mark DeCarlo, Debi Derryberry, Patrick Stewart, Martin Short, Jeff Garcia, Carolyn Lawrence, Rob Paulsen, Bob Goen, Mary Hart.
• Details: US / 83 mins / (G).

Based on the forthcoming Nickelodeon cartoon of the same name, Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius follows the title character, a youngster with an unfeasibly high IQ, whose inventions are the bane of his parents' existence. After one particularly ambitious creation - a modified toaster converted into a satellite - goes somewhat askew, all of the parents in Jimmy's hometown of Retroville are kidnapped by carnivorous aliens, and it's up to our intrepid hero to save the day. Not as visually striking or inventive as some other animation efforts, the makers of Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius seem content to try and cram as much colour and energy into each frame as is humanly possible. Although this leads to a lack of coherence when it comes to plot matters (the story seems to have been tailored to suit the animators), the film's kinetic delivery is infectious, it's packed full of dramatic incident, and the targeted demographic will find much to enjoy here.

Review by Garreth Murphy