The Rugrats Movie

For those who don't watch TV, the Rugrats are little kids. They wear diapers and talk about poo and stuff. They are not coochycoos as defined by Walt Disney. They have Bart Simpson in their genes. The animation is nursery basic, not great on detail, but connected to character. They speak garbled grown-up, mixed with baby burble ("lizard" for "wizard", etc). Language is a means to an end, not some conversational game plan.

The film is a genuine adventure. The kids find themselves lost and on their own in the wild, wide forest, while their idiot parents argue about who's to blame.

The arrival of a baby brother for Tommy is cause for alarm. Who is this howlsome puker, stealing all the affection? It's a pivotal moment. Once they are deep into the terrible journey, there are other things to think about. Like wolves. Oo-er!

The writing is what counts and the counting's good. Walt's wish that little children be sugar-and-spice is dashed by The Rugrats' attitude. Life is tough, especially when you've hardly started. What grownups don't understand is that little kids have a point of view. Also, babies are not nice. Geddit?