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Movie Review: "Doug's 1st Movie" Digging on Doug: Cartoon character's '1st Movie' is a low-key delight with an amusing plot Friday, March 26, 1999 By Scott Mervis, Weekend Editor, Post-Gazette
While he lacks the star power of a Tommy Pickles or Chuckie Finster, it's a safe bet that "Doug's 1st Movie" won't be his last movie.
Doug Funnie certainly doesn't carry his first feature with good looks or an abundance of personality. Oooh, maaan! But between his colorful supporting cast, a Spielbergian monster and a surprisingly intricate plot, this blank-faced 12-year-old isn't going to get kicked around for long.
The "Doug" cartoon, created by Jim Jinkins, can be found evenings on Nick at Nite and Saturday mornings on ABC. Disney Pictures now brings it to the multiplex and should be applauded for its restraint. The simply drawn "Doug's 1st Movie" is an antidote to the big-budget Disney epics that bombard you with hyped-up animation and overwrought musical productions.
Disney does, however, up the ante on the story line, and that's a good thing. Here's Doug's dilemma: He wants to take his boyhood crush, Patti Mayonnaise, to the school dance, but a smarmy upperclassman, Guy Graham, is cutting in on his action.
Meanwhile, Doug and his buddy Skeeter, computer chip designers of tomorrow, are harboring an E.T.-like creature who has a taste for crockery and the Funnie family library, particularly "Moby Dick."
They discovered the monster in Lucky Duck Lake, which is being polluted by industry tycoon Bill Bluff, the quintessential boorish white man, even if his face happens to be lavender. (In Doug's world, inexplicably, the rainbow coalition thrives like nowhere else.) Mr. Bluff will go to any extent to see E.T. buried back at the bottom of his Love Canal.
While Doug is busy trying to both expose and elude the rich bad guy, Patti is falling for wonder-boy and ace reporter Guy Graham. Like "Carrie" or "Jawbreaker" or that movie with the Ramones, it will boil down to a big finish at the high-school dance.
"Doug's 1st Movie" gets off to a slow start, but don't worry, the action and the laughs pick up around the time Doug and Skeeter dress the monster, now named "Herman Melville," as a hippie chick and take her to school.
As for the school tough guy, Roger (in green face), he's having a little problem with a robot that wants to turn him into a dork in a down jacket.
Add it all up and this big-screen "Doug" - part "E.T," part "Civil Action," part "Pretty in Pink" - is a low-key delight that will appeal to anyone, except maybe older kids, like Roger, worried about how hip they are. The script is smart and funny, with moments like Skeeter turning to a downcast Doug and saying, "You just had a fantasy about Patti, didn't you? You always get that blurry look."
"Doug" also comes with valuable lessons for our children: polluters are bad people, the media can't be trusted, nice guys get the girl and don't wear your underwear on the outside of your pants.
MOVIE REVIEW
'DOUG'S 1ST MOVIE'
RATING: G
STARRING: Voices of Thomas McHugh and Fred Newman
DIRECTOR: Maurice Joyce
cRITICS cALL: 3 STARS
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