The Wild Thornberrys Movie

(Jeff McGrath & Cathy Malkasian, USA, 2002)

If there is one branch of mainstream cinema in which so-called political correctness should be welcomed with open arms, it is animation for children.

Too often, feature-length cartoons for kids are a retrograde assortment of appalling stereotypes concerning race, gender and socially approved behaviour.

In this context, The Wild Thornberrys seems almost radical. An expansion of a Nickelodeon television series, it is a mélange of Born Free (1966) and contemporary fiction for children and adolescents.

The Thornberrys are a family who travel the world making wildlife documentaries. The ecological message of their quest is reinforced by the intrusion of sinister poachers.

The central intrigue centres on young Eliza (voiced by Lacey Chabert). She has the gift of being able to understand and talk to animals, on the strict condition that she never reveals this talent to humans. When a cheetah cub that Eliza befriends is poached, she is disciplined and sent to an English boarding school. But will she be able to resist the call of the wild?

At a time when the Lord of the Rings mythology has again swamped us with grand mythic tales of boys who have a divine destiny, it is great to have the stirring tale of a little girl who is not only smart and sassy, but also invested with a truly heroic stature.

As a film The Wild Thornberrys, directed by Jeff McGrath and Cathy Malkasian, struggles with the difficult task of making animated scenes of rugged action look exciting. As in so many films of this sort, a bunch of songs (including Paul Simon's "Father and Daughter") waft over the plot, only rarely connecting with what we see.

But, on the plus side, there are some wonderful evocations of landscapes and the animal kingdom, plus a healthy dose of childlike vulgarity.

© Adrian Martin April 2003