Paramount Studios presents

Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius: Jet Fusion (2004)

BTSO Chief: This is a dangerous mission. You may not come out alive.
Jimmy: Do I get out of school?
BTSO Chief: Of course.
Jimmy: Then you've got yourself a spy.- Michael Clarke Duncan, Debi Derryberry

Stars: Debi Derryberry, Rob Paulsen, Jeff Garcia
Other Stars: Christian Slater, Wendie Malick, Tim Curry, Dan Castellanata, Michael Clarke Duncan
Director: Mike Gasaway

MPAA Rating: Not RatedRun Time: 00h:43m:58s
Release Date: 2004-02-03
Genre: animation

Style Grade	Substance Grade	Image Transfer Grade	Audio Transfer Grade	Extras Grade
B+	B+	B+	B-	B

 

DVD Review

It's hard not to think that the creative team behind Jimmy Neutron see their creation as their dream versions of their own childhood. Inside of every geeky kid is a superhero busting to get out, if only the world would reward technical prowess and intelligence the way it does hitting the curve or throwing a perfect spiral. And these folks have also watched every James Bond movie over and over—it makes for an entertaining mix of kids entertainment and pop culture potpourri.

Here, Jimmy and his buddies, Carl and Sheen, get caught up in an international spy ring—don't you hate when that happens?—and they've got to foil the efforts of the bad guys as covert agents for B.T.S.O., or Big Top Secret Organization. The big kick in this one is: their favorite matinee idol, Jet Fusion, star of such classics as Die Again Tomorrow Forever, is, when he's not on the set, a big-time secret agent himself. So Jimmy not only gets to use all his insanely inventive toys; he gets to rescue his hero, too. How cool is that?

Christian Slater provides the voice for Jet, and he seems to be having a good old time, as does Wendie Malick, who voices the animated Bond girl, Beautiful Gorgeous. It's all good clean happy fun; the kids are likely to groove on it, but no doubt many of the pop culture references are going to go right by them. (You'll find here, for instance, shout outs to The Godfather and The Carol Burnett Show.)

The animation is really pleasing, too, visually inventive and colorful without looking tawdry, cheap or show-offy. Jimmy Neutron is the Nickelodeon equivalent of popcorn—yummy but not too nutritious. You don't want it to be the only thing in your diet, or your kids', but hey, it's the movies, live a little.

Rating for Style: B+
Rating for Substance: B+

 

Image Transfer

	One
Aspect Ratio	1.33:1 - Full Frame
Original Aspect Ratio	yes
Anamorphic	no

Image Transfer Review: The animation is snappy and deeply saturated, and the transfer is clean.

Image Transfer Grade: B+
 

Audio Transfer

	Language	Remote Access
DS 2.0	English	no

Audio Transfer Review: Everything is audible, but the dynamics are sometimes a little hinky, with things pushed up toward the higher end of the range. It makes Michael Clarke Duncan sound like a creature from the vasty deep.

Audio Transfer Grade: B- 

Disc Extras

Static menu
Scene Access with 7 cues and remote access
1 Original Trailer(s)
3 Other Trailer(s) featuring Spongebob Squarepants, Rugrats Go Wild, The Wild Thornberrys Movie
Packaging: Amaray
Picture Disc
1 Disc
1-Sided disc(s)
Layers: single

Extra Extras:

1. six bonus episodes
2. image gallery

Extras Review: Six bonus episodes from Jimmy's TV show make up the bulk of the extras, and bring the running time of the whole disc to just under two hours. In My Son, The Hamster, Jimmy's technology backfires, and he swaps bodies with Carl's new pet rodent—this of course explains Jimmy's new obsession with gathering nuts for the winter. Having had enough of being the big loser in gym class, Little Mister Neutron makes himself some supersonic shoes, so we can all See Jimmy Run—trouble is, he can't stop. (It's the Nick equivalent of "Jane, stop this crazy thing!")

Next, Jimmy gets his Willie Wonka on in Krunch Time, when he makes the ultimate, most delicious candy creation, turning all of the citizens in Retroville into crazed consumers, lusting after the candy like smack addicts after a fix. But it's nothing that an edible laser beam won't cure. Jimmy tries to stick it to the local bully in Safety First, but Mom and Dad get their wires crossed and try to talk to him about the birds and the bees—girls, phooey—and a flying saucer contraption Jimmy engineers to ward off the bad guys turns young Mr. Neutron into an unintentional bully himself.

The outlook wasn't brilliant for The Retroville 9 that day, as Jimmy's team once again is getting slaughtered by Butch's on the baseball diamond. But some Neutron engineering gets Jimmy's team to Japan, for a world championship game, and only then does Jimmy fess up that he's monkeyed with the equipment, Sammy Sosa-style. No 'roid rages here, though. Finally, in the quest for the latest ultraviolent video game, Jimmy ages himself and his buddies right into AARP eligibility, turning them into Grumpy Young Men.

Also on the disc is an Image Gallery of cool stuff from the title story, and a handful of trailers.

Extras Grade: B
 

Final Comments

For geniuses of all sorts, shapes and sizes, with enough respect for caretakers to keep them entertained as the little people lap this stuff up.

Jon Danziger 2004-02-25