Imagination! Creativity! Stop motion characters with memorable personalities. That’s what this film is all about. A group of characters make up two different teams in an inventors’ competition. The personalities include Bull (Eric Close), Jrayton (Tony Todd), Liz (Angelique Chase), Duffy (Tom Clark), and Corey (Bobby Deen). They are all distinct in their personalities. For example, Duffy likes to frequently quote famous lines from movies and TV shows, such as Schwarzenegger’s line from The Terminator, “I’ll be back,” or a “Danger, Will Robinson” line from the TV show Lost in Space, or a “Great Scott!” from Doc Brown from Back to the Future.
Bull, who has a blue mohawk, is confident but comes across as a bit cocky. His “I can do it alone” attitude doesn’t sit well with some of his fellow competitors. Liz says they all need to work together but Bull says they need a leader. But one of the charms of this movie is when his character changes to become more team-friendly. Liz is the one who believes each member needs the entire team and that anything is possible if they put their heads together.
Humor is a frequent staple of the film. For example, one character uses puns about Bull, saying, “He better not think he’s going to bulldoze his way in here,” or, if so, that would be “bulloney.” Some of their previous inventions include Geronimo gum, which allows a person to hang upside down without the fear of falling.
Mina is a bit high-strung, and when Liz wishes her good luck, she replies, “We don’t need luck.” But as the competition’s end date draws closer, it becomes clear that teamwork will be necessary to make good things happen.
The frustration of coming up with good ideas is clearly seen when Bull is shown tapping a notebook against his forehead. Yet the humor again helps keep it light. At one point, Duff says, “Atlanta, we have a problem.” A character replies, “You mean Houston.” Duff replies, “No, I’m a Braves fan!” And when one project goes well, Duff says, “It’s alive!” like Dr. Frankenstein from the famous Karloff movie. And then there’s the inclusion of the famous Humphrey Bogart line from Casablanca – “Here’s looking at you, kid.”
The growth of characters is fun to watch as Bull says to Liz, “It’s not about fun!” “It can be,” replies Liz. The tension between some of the characters lead to discussions and compromises – all good lessons for young viewers.
Without plot spoiling, one of the two teams is declared a winner, but then it’s decided there is no benefit to mankind from the invention, and unless the two teams work together, there will be no future Invent-A-Cons. Will they work together? Will a benefit to mankind be found?
Content Analysis: The content features the idea of working through tensions and disagreements, which is nice. The two teams ultimately must work together. However, there is the use of the word “da*n” about three times in a peppy song, about “da*n fun.” We assign an All-Ages Seal to the movie when there is no use of language, but when there is we assign the 12+ Seal if the movie has merit, and good examples in it, which this one does. So, it has earned our 12+ Seal.
Think About It: Good discussion topics with parents include why there are disagreements, the need for compromises, and unity. Also, caution about the use of bad language.
The Dove Take: This imaginative movie features terrific voice actors and characters, and themes, and it has earned our Dove Seal for Ages 12+.