Rugrats Go Wild
Paramount Pictures | Release Date: June 13, 2003 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
38
METASCORE
Generally unfavorable reviews based on 27 Critic Reviews
Positive:
6
Mixed:
11
Negative:
10
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
75
Christian Science MonitorDavid Sterritt
Don't expect much from the scratch-and-sniff "odorama" gimmick; the mischievous John Waters set a higher standard for that novelty in "Polyester" (1981). Read full review
67
Austin ChronicleMarc Savlov
It’s a message movie, as are all kids films these days, but these environmentally-aware messages are sweet and unforced, and well worth hearing. Read full review
63
New York PostMegan Lehmann
Harmless, if slightly hyperactive, fun. Read full review
63
USA TodayClaudia Puig
Last year's "TheWild Thornberrys Movie" and previous Rugrats films were more imaginative. And this one also suffers by coming on the heels of the exceptional "Finding Nemo." Read full review
63
Philadelphia InquirerCarrie Rickey
While Nemo's story line is as clear as its pellucid blues, Wild's narrative is as muddy as its colors. Read full review
63
Boston GlobeLouise Kennedy
Slapstick and potty humor for the kids, sly allusions and famous voices for the adults, and a light coating of aren't-we-lucky-to-have-each-other schmaltz at the very end - yep, Nickelodeon has the family-flick formula pretty much down. Read full review
60
Los Angeles TimesKevin Thomas
The number of characters makes Rugrats Go Wild somewhat bulkier than its less complicated predecessors, but fans are not likely to mind. Read full review
60
TV Guide MagazineAngel Cohn
It's an enjoyable ride. Read full review
58
Entertainment WeeklyBruce Fretts
Mildly amusing, but compared to Pixar's splashy fish story, the rudimentary drawings and childish gags of Nickelodeon's latest feature look, in a word, cartoonish. Read full review
50
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Jennie Punter
Too wildly ambitious in its goal to unite two powerful TV tribes to serve a common goal, but its unsentimental music (hip songs by Devo's Mark Mothersbaugh) and visual delights will capture the imagination of young and old. Read full review
50
New York Daily NewsElizabeth Weitzman
Though the energy occasionally flags, the movie does a nice job of exploiting the crossover potential. Read full review
50
Dallas ObserverLuke Y. Thompson
The animation looks good, especially when CG-enhanced, but the Rugrats babies' constant snot jokes, bug-eating and "cute" mispronunciations grate after a while. Read full review
50
Chicago TribuneAllison Benedikt
Though the Thornberrys provide some much-needed energy, asking them to carry the movie is like expecting a sweeps-week celebrity cameo to make an entire 30-minute sitcom episode funny. Read full review
50
Chicago Sun-TimesRoger Ebert
My own feeling is that the film is one more assault on the notion that young American audiences might be expected to enjoy films with at least some subtlety and depth and pacing and occasional quietness. The filmmakers apparently believe their audience suffers from ADD, and so they supply breakneck action and screaming sound volumes at all times. Read full review
50
The Hollywood ReporterSheri Linden
The frenetic pace detracts from the film's wealth of personalities and vivid visuals. There's the unshakable sense that Rugrats Go Wild is trying too hard to please kids and adults and as a result falls somewhat short for both sets of viewers. Read full review
50
PremiereLaine Ewen
Television-loving children will scream for Rugrats Go Wild!, and in this case, their parents can go ahead and let them—they won't be missing much. Read full review
42
Seattle Post-IntelligencerPaula Nechak
This collision of popular Emmy-winning TV shows is strangely uninspired and, well, a bit dull. Read full review
38
Baltimore SunChris Kaltenbach
Its pleasures are slight and fleeting, and so many movies have done what it does, and done it much better, that there's nothing to get even remotely excited about - much less to draw audiences into theaters. Read full review
30
The A.V. ClubNathan Rabin
Rugrats Go Wild! represents one giant leap forward for corporate cartoon synergy, but one similarly large step back for the Rugrats franchise. Read full review
30
Washington PostDesson Thomson
The exuberance of the Rugrats seems nullified by the effete quirkiness of the Thornberrys. Read full review
30
The New York TimesDave Kehr
There is little here to hold the attention of anyone older than 9. For families in search of entertainment, it may be time to find Nemo again. Read full review
30
L.A. WeeklyElla Taylor
Paramount Pictures proudly informs us that the PG rating is for “mild, crude humor.” Too mild, too crude by far. If I were you, I’d take the wee ones and run for the vastly superior “Finding Nemo.” Read full review
30
Chicago ReaderStaff (Not credited)
This frantic sequel finds the diaper-obsessed heroes and their foolish parents marooned on a desert island, where they encounter the family from a more charming Nickelodeon cartoon. Read full review
30
VarietyTodd McCarthy
Screechily abrasive and sorely lacking in elements that engage the imagination. Read full review
25
San Francisco ChronicleC.W. Nevius
The exception is Willis as Spike. He's got more energy than the rest of the cast combined. Read full review
20
Village VoiceMichael Atkinson
As matinee probations go, the movie's tainted by too many bad songs and too much of Bruce Willis. Read full review
12
Charlotte ObserverLawrence Toppman
It's an uncoordinated, flailing hodgepodge of music videos, chases, crashes and moronic plot twists. Read full review
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