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Rocky and Bullwinkle was the last Jay Ward-created cartoon adaptation after a boon that started with 1997’s wildly successful George of the Jungle. Smelling money, Universal also adapted Dudley Do-Right two years later, which was an unmitigated disaster, costing $70 million and not even cracking $10 million at the box office. This proves that cartoon adaptations work, but they still have to be popular, which goes to show why CGI-live action hybrid Scooby-Doo in 2002 was a big hit compared with Bullwinkle.

Opening in fifth place in only 2,460 theaters (a sign of little faith from Universal) to a laughable $6.8 million, Rocky & Bullwinkle didn’t even have typical legs that movies aimed at the younger-set have to beef up the box office. Overall, the flying squirrel and 400-pound moose only managed to squeeze $26 million of nostalgia ($38 million adjusted), with $9 million coming from overseas (although it was released in just a handful of markets).

Critics were fairly kind as far as this type of movie goes, with a 50% rating among Top Critics on Rottentomatoes.com (Scooby only got 41%, Alvin received 24%, Yogi Bear got 18%, and Garfield scrapped the bottom of the barrel at 12%). Roger Ebert gave the movie the most noted praise that appears even on the DVD cover. Critics enjoyed the nostalgic fun, yet some found the cynicism too snarky and the acting all around got booed. I found the snarky cynicism one of the highlights.

June Foray, the only surviving voice actor of the original cartoon at the time (still alive today), reprised her voice acting role as Rocky. Keith Scott took over for the deceased Bill Scott (no relation) for the voice of Bullwinkle as well as the narrator. While the voice acting is fine and actually a highlight, the live-action actors are a sore spot. Piper Perabo, who found fame a few weeks later that summer with the fun trash fest Coyote Ugly (which you probably unassumingly stumbled upon before since it seems to be aired on TV at least once a day), could not seem to adjust to talking to something that would be digitally added in later. With frequent mood swings (more the script's fault) and long disappearances and reappearances, her character really never forms.

Rene Russo and Jason Alexander are broad generalizations at best, and the latter actually publicly apologized for the film on Howard Stern’s radio show. De Niro acts as if he is on Saturday Night Live, which actually works for the part since it is more of a spoof than a character. It is clear that De Niro had childhood memories of the series, for his production company TriBeCa Productions is behind the film.

Loaded with cameos (John Goodman! Whoopi Goldberg! Billy Crystal! Keenan & Kel!) it is obvious that The Adventures of Rocky & Bullwinkle was trying to be reheated after the Cold War; yet, nothing ever truly works. I admire the biting entertainment industry commentary the film uses to make our heroes welcome to the 21st century, but when a movie wasn’t even with audiences 11 years ago, it still is not with us today.

In the film, Rocky the flying squirrel has lost his ability to soar after years of ennui. Just like Rocky, the film has all the elements needed to succeed, but the energy is missing to truly get off the ground.


Verdict: Not With Us
6 out of 10

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