Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman April 15, 2022

The typical trajectory for feature film adaptations and/or versions of any given television series tends to start with (perhaps obviously) the television series itself, and that has certainly almost always been the case with regard to animated fare like The Flintstones which gave birth to big screen entries like The Man Called Flintstone. It's kind of interesting in that regard then that, perhaps due to uncertainties about then new(ish) 3D computer generated imagery, Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius was produced as a kind of "test balloon" (rocket?) for what became The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius. If there were any naysayers about a then nascent technology and its suitability for an animated feature film and then a proposed spinoff television outing, they certainly were proven wrong (as naysayers so often tend to be). The feature film was an enormous hit, actually garnering an Academy Award nomination (losing to another CGI showstopper, Shrek), and the television series (which was pretty quickly greenlighted after the towering box office returns for the film) became one of Nickelodeon's defining productions for the next several years. It's not hard to see why Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius was so instantly popular, because it's the rare outing that offers something for a wide variety of age ranges, with a sense of wonder, whimsy and, yes, wackiness that is perfect for kids, while also providing a surplus of heart and more nuanced and at times rather brilliantly written humor for the older viewers.

My now adult sons were pretty big fans of The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius back in the day, and in fact one of the first CD- ROM computer games I bought for them was some kind of Jimmy Neutron outing, though I don't think we ever saw the film in a theater, and I probably bought it, too, on disc when it was first released on DVD. Revisiting it now years later, I have to say my first thought was, "Well, obviously someone either at or near Disney saw it and then pitched Mars Needs Moms", since there's at least a passing resemblance between certain plot points of the two films, not the least of which is aliens kidnapping parental units. In the case of Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius, though, an explanatory subtitle might be most accurately offered as Yolkians Need Moms and Dads, since the story revolves around egg-like baddies taking all the parents of both genders of Jimmy's hometown captive in order to feed them to their immense chicken god, Poultra.

Before we get to that calamity, the stage has already been set by Jimmy (and his hapless "assistant" Carl) attempting to respond to a message from outer space that Jimmy has received in the top secret underground lab that resides beneath his suburban house. Things of course don't go completely according to plan, and the film leaves that plot point by the wayside for moment as Jimmy, Carl and Sheen find out that there's a new amusement park opening that night and that Sheen's "personal lord and savior" Ultraman will be making a personal appearance. But rats -- it's a school night, and pesky parents aren't likely to approve a night on the town. Bad boy Nick advises Jimmy and his buddies to simply sneak out and ignore their parents' wishes, and after some interstitial nonsense, that's exactly what happens. In the meantime, the film then detours to the evil Yolkians, who it turns out were the ones Jimmy was responding to, and who are on they way to Earth for some late night snacks (or something like that).

Once the parents are abducted, the kids have a free for all for a couple of days until they predictably realize that maybe a little supervision might be a good thing. In the meantime Jimmy and his trusty robotic dog Goddard have discovered that the Yolkians are behind it all, and a quick conversion of the amusement park's rides into interstellar craft allows the kids to mount a rescue mission. Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius is almost always sweetly good natured and warm hearted, and it delivers its admittedly hoary lessons with a minimum of post-modern irony, two things that help to make it a wonderful "all ages" entertainment.

Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Paramount and Nickelodeon with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.85:1. There's no information about any restoration or new scan provided on the back cover of this release, but while perhaps showing a few signs of its computer rendering era, this is a very enjoyable presentation, especially with regard to a beautifully bright and vividly suffused palette. Everything from the almost psychedelic greens of the Yolkians to equally fervid oranges, purples and reds that populate various scenes really pop incredibly well throughout. Detail levels are a little variant, though the vast majority of the scenes provide sharp, clear characters and well designed backgrounds. A few less detailed wide shots do pervade things at times, as can be seen in some of the screenshots I've uploaded to accompany this review. The DVD I bought years and years (and years) ago had both a widescreen and "full screen" version, and it looks like some fans on our forum wish this release had offered the same options, though I have to say watching this film after so long I really didn't "miss" any visual information in any sense of that term.

Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius features a nicely immersive Dolby TrueHD 5.1 track. The surround channels are regularly engaged in the expected moments like Jimmy and Carl's opening trip to the stratosphere and the later interstellar journey to rescue the parents. A meteor shower the kids encounter is especially well designed, with both nice panning and discrete channelization of individual effects. A fun score which includes a couple of source cues also resonates nicely. Dialogue is rendered cleanly and clearly throughout. Optional English subtitles are available.

Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• The Making of Jimmy Neutron (SD; 16:05) is a fun archival featurette with some funny interviews and brief but interesting looks at the computer animation and (especially fun) the foley artists.


• Music Videos

  Leave It Up to Me (SD; 3:30) is by Aaron Carter.

  
  

  Kids in America (SD; 3:15) is by No Secrets.

• Promotional Spots

  Interstitials

  Pain, Pain Go Away (SD; 1:27)

  
  

  Ultralord vs. the Squirrels (SD; 1:48)

  
  

  Sea Minus (SD; 00:57)

  
  

  Hypercorn (SD; 1:48)

  
  

  New Dog, Old Tricks (SD; 1:29)

  
  

  Cookie Time (SD; 1:23)

  
  

  Carl Squared (SD; 1:47)

  Cliffhangers - Calling All Aliens

  Leave a Message After the Beam (SD; 1:04)

  
  

  The Night the Light Went Out in Retroville (SD; 1:11)

  
  

  Sound Wave Hello (SD; 1:20)

  
  

  Rocket Tear (SD; 1:10)

  
  

  Arthmeticket to Ride (SD; 1:06)

• Teaser Trailer SD; 2:14)


• Theatrical Trailer (SD; 2:24)

Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius makes no bones about dispensing with "little" things like the laws of physics (note how all the kids are in "open air" vehicles in outer space) while also remaining emotionally acute and weirdly "real" feeling. This film has a few weird lapses in story development and continuity, but it's so sweet and heartfelt that it's hard to complain about things too much. Technical merits are solid and while the supplements are all in standard definition, they're very enjoyable. Recommended.