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Friday, December 20, 2002

By Ron Weiskind, Post-Gazette Movie Editor

NEW YORK -- When the TV cable channel Nickelodeon first pondered the notion of turning its animated series "The Wild Thornberrys" into a movie, someone thought it might be a good idea to turn it into a live-action film.

	Eliza Thornberry, a normal kid with glasses, braces and animated adventures involving elephant poachers. Review: 'The Wild Thornberrys Movie'

Right. The show centers on a family of British naturalists who live and work in Africa. The younger daughter, Eliza (voiced by Lacey Chabert), has the ability to talk to animals, a power conferred upon her by a tribal shaman. The family also includes parents Nigel (Tim Curry) and Marianne (Jodi Carlisle), whiny teenage sister Debbie (Danielle Harris) and adopted brother Donnie (voiced by Flea, from the band Red Hot Chili Peppers), a bush baby on a perennial sugar high.

The plot of the movie involves the insidious plans of a pair of elephant poachers.

"Oh, my goodness, I don't know how we would have shown those elephants," producer Arlene Klasky said. "You can take a lot of creative license in animation."

Her partner and ex-husband, Gabor Csupo, said they couldn't have used the same story in a live-action film.

"It would look strange to have that kind of danger for a kid," he said.

But the poaching plot was important to the producers, who wanted to "send a message to love and respect the environment and the animals around you. We thought that poaching was maybe a good idea because then we can introduce some villains and some adventure, and then Eliza would have a goal," said Csupo, a native of Hungary.

	Whiny teenager Debbie (Danielle Harris) during a quiet moment with adopted brother Donnie (voiced by Flea, from the band Red Hot Chili Peppers), a bush baby on a perennial sugar high.

The Thornberrys are a strange-looking clan, with elongated faces and exaggerated features.

"We don't particularly want our characters to be beautiful and glossy and shiny," said Klasky, who also produces the "Rugrats" movies and TV series with Csupo.

"With Eliza, we especially wanted her to have glasses and braces, just like a normal kid would have at that age. Her strengths are being brave and intelligent and eager to learn, big-hearted, a big passion for animals."

They figured more kids could relate to a character who was not outwardly pretty. But when they first drew up the character, they went a little too far in the other direction.

"We had to even change her to make her a little bit prettier. When we started out, we wanted her to look just like Nigel, with a big nose. We had these drawings with them together -- it was so funny. But apparently the toy people didn't think they could sell her."

	Eliza got Mom's nose instead of Dad's.

Ah, yes, the toys. Nickelodeon executive Julia Pistor suggested that without the product tie-ins, even a great animated film can flounder. She cited as an example the 1999 movie "Iron Giant."

"It was a fantastic film, it was really wonderful. It did nothing because they released it so quickly they didn't have any promotional tie-ins. For animated movies especially, I don't think audiences take them seriously unless they see the toys or the macaroni-and-cheese box.

"I think parents think, 'That's going to be a movie that appeals to me because I'm seeing it in the Safeway.' It's snowballed. It's the cart before the horse."

There are other kinds of tie-ins as well. Klasky and Csupo have one in the works, an animated movie featuring both of their successful Nickelodeon franchises. It's called "Rugrats Meet the Wild Thornberrys," and it's scheduled for release next year.

Maybe Tommy and Chuckie can calm Donnie down -- or introduce him to Reptar and let nature take its course.

Ron Weiskind can be reached at rweiskind@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1581.