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© St. Petersburg Times, published July 4, 2002
Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius (G)
Originally intended as a television series pilot, this animated sci-fi silliness impressed Paramount Pictures executives so much that it became a feature film. The TV series on Nickelodeon is due in September.
Jimmy Neutron is a nerd-genius creating a fleet of spaceships piloted by his elementary school pals after aliens steal their parents.
First impressions: "It's a simple story, cheerfully innocuous, with plenty of gags for both children and parents without resorting to potty humor. Rendered in an exaggerated, caricatured visual style, Jimmy Neutron doesn't boast the obsessive detail of Monsters, Inc., but whereas Monsters, Inc. was a celebration of childhood fears, Jimmy Neutron is a celebration of childhood flights of fancy." (Gary Dowell, Dallas Morning News)
Second thoughts: The movie somehow found its way into competition for the first feature animation Academy Award, losing to Shrek alongside Monsters, Inc. and shutting out Richard Linklater's more deserving Waking Life.
Rental audience: Ages 8 and under, or anyone with comparably immature tastes.
Rent it if you enjoy: SpongeBob SquarePants, The Powerpuff Girls.