Rugrats in Paris: The Movie | Gallery | Transcript |
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Rugrats in Paris: The Movie | |
Producer | Gabor Csupo Arlene Klasky |
Director | Stig Bergqvist and Paul Demeyer |
Writers | J. David Stem David N. Weiss Jill Gorey Barbara Herndon Kate Boutiler |
Released | November 17, 2000 |
Run time | 78 minutes |
Previous | The Rugrats Movie |
Next | Rugrats Go Wild |
Rugrats in Paris: The Movie, also known as The Rugrats Movie 2: Rugrats in Paris and Rugrats in Paris: The Movie - Rugrats II, is the sequel to The Rugrats Movie that follows the continuing adventures of the Rugrats. It introduces Kimi and Kira. Also in it, Chuckie takes the lead character role as he searches to find a new mother. The film was produced by Paramount Pictures, Nickelodeon Movies, and Klasky-Csupo. It was originally released in selected theaters on November 17, 2000.
Characters
- Chuckie
- Coco LaBouche
- Chas
- Kimi
- Kira
- Jean-Claude
- Tommy
- Angelica
- Phil
- Lil
- Dil
- Spike (1991)
- Didi
- Stu
- Charlotte
- Drew
- Susie
- Betty
- Howard
- Fifi
- Mr. Yamaguchi
- Priest
- Lulu
- Wedding DJ
- Sumo Wrestlers
- Princess
- Dog Catcher
- Paris Residents.
- Stewardess
- Inspector
- Street Cleaner
- Ninja
- Photographer
- Wawa
- Reptar
- Robosnail
- Animatronic Bus Driver
- Cafe Owner
- Melinda (seen in photos and mentioned)
Plot
Stu Pickles (1991), the father of Tommy Pickles, is invited to stay in Paris, France to rebuild a robotic Reptar used in a play. But when Stu's child-hating boss, Coco LaBouche, attempts to marry Chuckie Finster's father, Chas, just to become the head of her company, Tommy and the other Rugrats must stop her from becoming Chuckie's mom...and maybe even get him a nice new mommy!
Synopsis
The film opens with a parody of the 1972 drama film The Godfather with Angelica playing Marlon Brando's role with the babies calling her the "Bobfather" and her granting the babies' wishes if they do something for her in return. Tommy wishes for Dil to have a new binky after his was stolen on the playground (much to Angelica's annoyance, as she was hoping to hurt somebody in the process). Angelica instructs Dil to kiss her ring, to which he slobbers. Angelica is grossed out and tells Tommy to send in the next guests (Phil and Lil) who are busy trying to get the fake people on top of Lou and Lulu's wedding cake. We see Lou and Lulu's wedding reception for a moment, then switch back to Phil and Lil, who hold up a broken rocking horse head (another reference to The Godfather, in which a man who betrayed the family woke up with the severed head of a horse in his bed), to which Angelica says they deserve it for wiping their snot on Cynthia (Phil replying "So THAT'S where I left 'em). The next to enter is Chuckie, who annoys Angelica with his questioning of what to wish for. Susie interrupts by saying Grandpa Lou is about to throw the garter belt. Angelica walks around the wedding and steals the binky from another baby, giving it to Dil to make his wish true. Grandpa, Stu, and Drew talk about how great Lulu is and watch her play with the babies. Grandpa agrees, but tells his sons nobody will replace their mother, telling them it was his love for her in his heart that helped him fall in love again.
The reception DJ decides to play a slow song for all the kids attending and their moms. Each kid is then seen dancing with their mother except Chuckie who only watches sadly, since he doesn't have a mother. He then sees Angelica and finally tells her his wish- a new mommy. Angelica however, dismisses him, saying that the game is over, she is wanted on the dance floor, and goes to dance with Charlotte. Chuckie continues to watch, and wishes for his own mother, who died years earlier. Soon after remembering her, both he and his father Chas feel lonely. Chas notices his son watching then goes to him and tells him that it's getting late so they head home.
Later that night, Chas looks through old photos of Melinda, including their own wedding photo. He notices Chuckie awake and tells him he's just looking through some old things, pulling out Wawa, who Chuckie immediately realizes and hugs. Chas reveals the beloved bear was made by Melinda as a gift for him. Chas tells Chuckie that his mother was an amazing woman, and is now in Heaven looking down at them. He then starts to feel that Chuckie needs a mother's care, and the next day, Stu helps Chas set up a dating profile. The babies wonder what "dates" are, which Phil responds that they are "big raisins that help you poop" (which it isn't wrong). Angelica wanders by and tells the babies that dates are what grown up people do to fall in love- in other words, if Chas finds a new wife, that means Chuckie will have a new mommy. Chuckie is overjoyed and wonders what his new mommy will be like, hoping she is "Clean, cuddly, and nice". However, Chas doesn't appear to have a lot of luck, as none of the women interested in him seem to be his match (One's tag being "She likes sunsets, long walks on beaches, and is not allowed in the state of Kentucky).
Unexpectedly, Tommy Pickles's father Stu is summoned to the EuroReptarland, a Japanese theme park in Paris, France to fix the destroyed Reptar robot he sent the park to use in a live show (EuroReptarland is first mentioned in the TV special "Acorn Nuts & Diapey Butts"). During a rehearsal, the park director (Coco) watches. All is going well until the Reptar breaths massive flames which causes the head to go flying off, destroying the theater and almost hitting the director. Enraged, she calls for her assistant to get the robot's builder there at once. The assistant (Jean Claude) yells for the secretary (Kira) to call Stu at once. Due to the time difference, Stu answers at 3 AM (which would make it around 9 AM or so in Paris). Due to Stu's grogginess, his mishears the conversation, thinking Reptar is a hit and they are inviting him and his family and friends (which is not the case). Stu the hands the phone to Dil who sucks on its antenna, puts Dil's milk bottle on the phone cradle, and tells Didi they're going to France (she responds, just as tired "No, Stu, I'm too tired to dance"), but after a few seconds they both bolt awaken realizing what just happened. Tommy, Chuckie, Phil, Lil, Angelica, Dil, all of their parents, and Spike (1991) the dog, all travel by plane to EuroReptarland in Paris, France. Angelica brags to Susie that she's going to France and Susie will not be, and while she's there, she will learn to speak French. Susie laughs and insults her in fluent French (which translates to "I feel sorry for the people who will have to hear you.") Angelica then walks off, calling her a show-off.
During the flight to Paris, the babies get into all sorts of trouble. They believe the stewardess light is a "mommy" light, as someone who was letting his infant child press it is greeted by his wife, who embraces their infant child. They press it and get a rude stewardess who doesn't seem to like children. Lil suggests pressing it again, but Chuckie says not to, as he will wait for a new mommy. They find Angelica has snuck off to first class, and they ask her about Chuckie's new mommy. Angelica tells them she's "working on it", but manipulates Chuckie into stealing from the stewardess cart to get her some desserts. Chaos ensues, and Angelica causes all the oxygen masks to deploy, which Phil and Lil think are party hats. The babies including Angelica are kicked out of first class by the stewardess from earlier. Betty and Didi arrive to give the babies a diaper check and tend to them as Chuckie is once again alone, his dad across the aisles on the other side. Chuckie notices the clouds outside the plane and imagines some of them to be him and his Mom. He becomes lonely once again and watches as the clouds forming him and Melinda drift apart (implying their separation from one another due to her death).
The park's director, Coco LaBouche (Susan Sarandon) is looking to become the new president of her bosses' company (once he resigns) with help from her assistant Jean-Claude (John Lithgow), but her boss, Mr. Yamaguchi, tells her the candidate he is looking for must "have the heart of a child". On the spot Coco says that she adores children and is engaged to a man with a child of his own. When she discovers Angelica eavesdropping on the entire conversation, she tells Coco about Chuckie and Chas. In exchange, Coco promises Angelica that she would get to ride in her own float as a princess in the EuroReptarland Parade with "matching ponies", her own fashion show, and she'll also be the flower girl in Coco's wedding. Coco then pretends to take a sudden interest in Chas. However, when she attempts to bond with Chuckie, there are little results. The Rugrats soon meet Kimi, and her Japanese mother Kira, whom Chas takes a mutual liking to. Kira works in the park as one of Coco's assistants and puts aside her own feelings for Chas to help Coco win him over, thinking she loves him despite her doubts.
Kira explains the history of Reptar to the children, explaining that he was once feared by people but a princess taught them that the dinosaur was just lonely. Chuckie decides the princess would make a perfect mother, but his attempts to meet her (or rather, a clockwork version of her atop a "bolcano" guarded by ninja security guards and doors with frightening dragon-shaped knobs) fail. A performance of the story is shown at the park's theatre. After bribing Angelica with ice cream and sweets, and with a promise for Angelica to be the princess in the Reptarland Parade, complete with a new outfit, matching ponies ,and a float of her own (among other wishes). Angelica tells Coco that Chuckie wants the Princess for his mommy and plans to give her his favorite stuffed bear as a sign of his love, Coco steals the role of the princess during the show and forcefully hugs Chuckie on stage. Chas, ecstatic that Chuckie seemingly approves of Coco as a mother, decides he is going to marry her, much to the shock of Chuckie, his friends, Chas's friends, and even Kira.
On the wedding day, Coco has the Rugrats and Angelica locked in a warehouse where the Reptar robot is, with Jean-Claude to guard them and prevent them from ruining the wedding. Ashamed, Angelica reveals Coco's plot to the babies. Tired of being afraid, Chuckie decides he is going to crash his father's wedding with help from Tommy and the others. Coco tells Kira to destroy Chuckie's bear and certifies Kira's belief that she does not love Chas or Chuckie. She is determined to stop Coco from marrying Chas but she is thrown out of the wedding car. Using Stu's Reptar robot, the Rugrats stomp their way out of the park and across Paris to Notre Dame where the wedding is taking place. Angelica and Kimi both hitch a ride on the robot. However, the babies are pursued by Jean-Claude who drives a robot of Reptar's arch-nemesis, Robosnail. During this, Coco arrives and barges into the chapel earlier than expected. Everyone notices different things she is missing-no Wedding March (Didi), no Flower Girl/Angelica (Drew) and probably most importantly, without Chuckie (Chas).
Pandemonium breaks out as the babies make their way to the cathedral, including being swung around midair by Robosnail and rocketing up the side of the Eiffel Tower. Eventually, Chuckie takes on Robosnail and spins him into the Seine River while saying "Over my dad's potty" (instead of "Over my dead body"). Chas, unaware of Coco's plot and kidnapping, stalls for time (so Chuckie can arrive) by reading his (and what he believes to be Coco's) favorite poem about the joy of children. Just as Chas is about to reluctantly marry an irritated Coco, Chuckie bursts into the church and screams out "NO!"; his very first word which Chas is overjoyed to hear. Jean-Claude appears and accidentally reveals that Coco was keeping the babies locked away and Angelica reveals Coco's plot to everyone, including Mr. Yamaguchi, who then fires Coco. Chas, who finally sees the woman that Coco really is, calls off the wedding.
While storming out of the church as she's insulting the babies, Coco gets her dress torn by Angelica, revealing the back of her underwear. She runs away in humiliation, as tourists snap photos of her. Jean-Claude is chased off by Spike (1991) and his new girlfriend Fifi, whom he met on the street. Kira finally arrives at the church and returns Chuckie's bear. Chas and Kira reveal their feelings for each other and upon returning to the United States sometime later, they get married. Chuckie finally has a mother and a sister (Kimi) as well as having Fifi for a pet, completing one of the franchise's longest-running plotlines. During the wedding, Chuckie is now the "Bobfather", with Angelica asking for new stuff for her doll Cynthia (a parody of the Barbie doll). Susie comes in announcing the cake is being distributed and Angelica calls the game over as the gang minus Chuckie and Kimi rush to get a slice. Chuckie puts Wawa safely on a shelf as Kimi asks if he misses his first mommy. Chuckie says he does, but she is in heaven watching over him. He calls himself lucky for having "two mommies." as their parents come in. Chas asks Kimi to dance, and Kira asks Chuckie if he wants to dance with her, his "new mommy" as they dance to the song from earlier in the film (where the children danced with their moms, which motivated Chas to find a new wife). The film ends with the babies and grown-ups having a cake fight and the camera backs up and a piece of cake is thrown at the camera as the film closes.
Reception
The film grossed $76.5 million in North America and $26.8 million in other territories for a worldwide total of $103.3 million, against a $30 million budget.
In the United States, it opened at #2 behind How the Grinch Stole Christmas, grossing $22.7 million in its opening weekend for an average of $7,743 from 2,934 venues. In the United Kingdom, it opened at #1 spot before it was dropped at #3 by its second weekend, behind Bridget Jones's Diary and Spy Kids. Rugrats in Paris: The Movie was released on VHS and DVD on March 27, 2001.
In 2009, Paramount released the film via iTunes and the PlayStation Store.
On August 29, 2017, Rugrats in Paris was re-released on DVD.
The film was released on Blu-ray on March 8, 2022 through The Rugrats Movie Trilogy Collection.
Trivia
- The start of the film is a parody of The Godfather, with the opening logo also mimicking the logo of the original film.
- The scene where Angelica steps on Coco's wedding dress, revealing her panties, stockings, and garter belt in front of everybody (including people with cameras) is similar to the scene in It Takes Two, where the real Alyssa Calloway (having been pretending to be Amanda Lemmon) steps on Clarice Kensington's wedding dress (as she is storming out of the church, embarrassed). Clarice Kensington, the main antagonist of It Takes Two, shares several similarities with Coco, including being a child-hater and a gold-digger who was only marrying a protagonist’s father solely for personal gain.
- When the Reptar Robot approaches the church, the holy water rumbles with ripples, as a reference from Jurassic Park, when the water in the cups rumbles with ripples when the T-Rex approaches the tour vehicles.
- Lil's line "You can't handle the button!" may be a reference from A Few Good Men, which originally has that line as "You can't handle the truth!"
- This is the last Rugrats movie to use the 1986 Paramount Pictures logo and the 1998 Klasky-Csupo logo.
- This is one of the only Rugrats releases to be closed-captioned by Captions Inc. Los Angeles.
- Chas Finster (1991) was the only parent in this movie to appear in regular clothes instead of vacation clothes.
- The scene where Spike (1991) and Fifi fall in love and share a piece of pizza in a back alley is a reference to the 1955 film Lady and the Tramp, where a very similar scene happens involving spaghetti. Although in this movie the genders are reversed, as it is Fifi who is the stray and Spike (1991) (1991) the house pet.
- It's revealed that using paper clips & rubber bands keep Reptar's head attached.
- Angelica's doll Cynthia doesn't appear until the end of the movie.
- Susie Carmichael only appears in the beginning and end of the movie.
- Several scenes in the film’s original trailer differ greatly from the finished film; most notably Spike (1991) urinating on the Eiffel Tower (in the trailer this occurs during the daytime, while in the actual movie he does so at night).
- This is the second time Spike (1991) runs away from his family, the first was in "Spike Runs Away."
- The Klasky-Csupo logo is closed captioned in the VHS release.
- To date, this is the only G-rated film that Susan Sarandon has starred in.
- The song “It’s an Ooie Gooie World” is a reference to the song “It’s a Small World” and Coco’s line “Remind me to eliminate whoever wrote this hideous song” due to the fact she clearly hates it as she finds the song disgusting is a reference to the fact that a lot of people in real life hate “It’s a Small World” due to the fact that they find it extremely annoying.
- Minka don't appear at Chas and Kira's wedding at the end of the film.
- Boris, Marvin, Lou, Lulu and Susie are the only characters in the film who doesn't go to Paris with the rest of the gang.
- Lou and Lulu were most likely going on a honey moon when they went to Paris.
- Boris and Marvin didn't appear until at the end of the film.
- Lou and Lulu were most likely going on a honey moon when they went to Paris.
Goofs
- When Kira first calls Stu to tell him to come to Paris, the clock next to him says it's 3:03. Upon accidentally picking up the baby bottle, the clock is out of frame, and when it cuts back to it when he picks up the phone, it says it is 3:00. Kira's dress got turned to Yellow instead of Green.
- When Reptar's head falls off, it is shown crashing through many rows of seats. When the shot pulls back from the stage, the head has stopped in the first row.
- Coco LaBouche tells Kira that she wants Stu in Paris in 24 hours. After calling and telling them that he can bring his family and friends, the babies are shown getting passport photos taken. However passports, typically take 6 to 8 weeks to get back and therefore would not make the deadline.
- In the scene where the crew is on the plane, the babies are shown as being much larger relative to the seats than normal babies would actually be. It is possible (though not likely) that it was a small plane with small seats, but the adults are shown to be the same size relative to the seats.
- No one seems concerned or even notices that Spike (1991) is missing.
- at the Sushi Karaoke Restaurant Kira's Dress got changed to Yellow instead of Green again, this is the 2nd time this happens.
- When Spike (1991) urinates on the Eiffel Tower, we see it with a brick base. The real Eiffel Tower does not have that.
- When you see Chuckie just before his teddy bear is returned to him by Kimi's mother, you see him holding the bear already.
- When Angelica steps on Coco's wedding dress train causing it to tear, she is first seen stepping on it from a distance but as soon as it rips Angelica is seen directly behind Coco.
- When Lil is seen dancing with her mother in the beginning of the movie, her dress turns blue for a split second.
- When the parents are hugging and reuniting with the Rugrats after Coco and Jean-Claude are defeated, you can hear Charlotte exclaim "What a holiday!", but the Closed Captioning state that it was Betty who had said that.