The MetroToons Movie is a 1993 animated comedy adventure film produced by Tinseltown Animation and released by Columbia Pictures. Based on the animated television series MetroToons, it was the first feature film from Tinseltown. Directed by Kristian Madson in his feature directorial debut, the film stars the regular television cast of Rob Paulsen, Joe Alaskey, Charlie Adler, TBD, TBD, TBD, TBD, TBD, TBD, TBD and TBD, with guest roles from Tim Curry, Catherine O'Hara, Cathy Moriarty, Karen Allen, Cathy Cavadini, John Goodman, Dan Aykroyd, and Richard Kind. In the film, Philip F. Fox, Baxter D. Dog, and Tricky Rabbit learn that a corrupted selfish businessman who wants to destroy the wacky cartoon world to build his own world. So, it's up to these wacky trio embark on a crazy zany adventurous journey to stop him and save their world. The film also follows two subplots who go through the entire film, Prince Kane set out on a quest to rescue his lovely princess, but he ends up in several misadventures by having encounters with many strange characters; Jack and Ruby arriving in Hollywood to become a star, but sine Ruby become a better actress, a greedy and selfish agent hires Ruby to be her very own star.
The MetroToons Movie premiered at Mann Village Theatre in Los Angeles on July 22, 1993, and was released theatrically in the United States on July 30 by Columbia Pictures. The film received mixed reviews from critics, praising the film's animation and humor but criticizing its story. Despite receiving mixed reviews, the film was considered a moderate success. Through home video releases and television syndication, the film gathered a cult following. A standalone sequel, titled Epic MetroToons, was released on August 3, 2001. In November 2013, Warner Bros. Pictures and Tinseltown produced and released a revival film titled MetroToons, to critical acclaim and financial success.
Plot[]
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Cast[]
- Rob Paulsen as Philip F. Fox
- Joe Alaskey as Baxter D. Dog
- Charlie Adler as Tricky Rabbit
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Additional voices[]
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Production[]
Development[]
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Casting[]
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Animation[]
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Music[]
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Release[]
The film held its premiere on July 22, 1993, at Mann Village Theatre in Los Angeles, and was released into theaters across the United States on July 30. During its theatrical release, it competed directly with Turner Entertainment's Tom and Jerry: The Movie, released on the same day in the United States. Ironically, MetroToons and Tom and Jerry are both owned by Warner Bros., after Time Warner's merger with Turner in 1996 and acquisition of Tinseltown Animation in 2008.
Marketing[]
Sony and Tinseltown teamed up with several marketing partners in the United States and Canada to promote the film including Burger King, who produced a line of MetroToons toy figures that were given away with a Kid's Meal and ran a series of MetroToons-themed television adverts to promote this.
Home media[]
The MetroToons Movie was released on VHS and Laserdisc on November 3, 1993 by Columbia TriStar Home Video. The film was re-released on VHS on March 12, 1996 as part of the Columbia TriStar Family Collection. In March 1999, the film's distribution rights were purchased by Tinseltown Animation from Sony Pictures and transferred to New Line Cinema before reverting to Warner Bros. in 2008. On July 3, 2001, the film was released for the first time on DVD by New Line Home Entertainment as a 2-disc collector's edition in widescreen and fullscreen formats. It also includes an audio commentary by the filmmakers, behind-the-scenes footage, deleted scenes, games, and supplements detailing the film's development.
The film was released on September 10, 2013 on Blu-ray by Warner Home Video, coinciding with the franchise's 35th anniversary, as well as the film's 20th anniversary. The MetroToons Movie was released for the first time on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray on September 19, 2023.
Reception[]
Critical response[]
The MetroToons Movie received mostly mixed reviews from critics and fans. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 58% based on 189 reviews, with an average rating of 4.8/10. The site's consensus reads: "The MetroToons Movie's sparkling self-image won't compensate for three messy stories stretched way too thin to meet the theatrical-length standards."
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Legacy[]
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Follow-ups[]
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Transcripts[]
Main[]
To see the main transcript of the film, click here.
Trailers[]
To see the transcript for the trailers of the film, click here.