The Powerpuff Girls Movie

The Powerpuff Girls Movie is a 2002 American animated superhero action-adventure comedy film based on the Cartoon Network animated television series of the same name. Produced by Cartoon Network Studios for Warner Bros. Pictures and Cartoon Network and the twelfth Warner Animation Group, the film debuted in the United States on July 3, 2002. It is a prequel to the series, telling the origin story of how the Powerpuff Girls were created and how they came to be the defenders of Townsville.

In theaters, a Dexter's Laboratory short entitled Chicken Scratch was shown prior to the film, which later aired as part of the series' fourth season. The film made its TV debut on Cartoon Network on May 23, 2003.

Plotedit | edit source
Professor Utonium creates a mixture of sugar, spice and everything nice in hope of producing the perfect little girl to improve Townsville, a fictional city plagued by crime. He is shoved by his laboratory assistant, the destructive chimpanzee Jojo, causing him to accidentally break a flask of a mysterious substance called Chemical X, which spills into the mixture and explodes in Jojo's face. The experiment is successful, producing three little girls whom the Professor names Blossom, Bubbles and Buttercup. He discovers that the girls also have superpowers from the added Chemical X. Despite the girls' recklessness with their powers, they all immediately grow to love each other as a family.

During their first day of school, the girls learn about the game tag and begin to play among themselves, which quickly grows destructive once they use their powers. The girls take their game downtown, accidentally causing massive damage to the city until the Professor calms them down. The next day, the girls are treated as outcasts by the citizens of Townville as a result of the destruction they have caused, and the Professor is arrested for creating the girls. Realizing that using their powers again will only anger the townspeople more, the girls try to make their way home from school on foot. They become lost in an alleyway and are ambushed by the Gangreen Gang, only to be rescued by Jojo, whose brain has been mutated by the Chemical X explosion, giving him superintelligence.

Planning control of the city, Jojo gains the girls' sympathy by saying he is also hated for his powers. Jojo convinces the girls to help him build a laboratory and Chemical X-empowered machine over a volcano in the middle of town, which he claims will gain them the affections of the city. Jojo rewards the girls with a trip to the local zoo, where he secretly implants small transportation devices on all the primates there. That night, Jojo transports the primates into his volcano lab and uses his new machine to inject them with Chemical X, turning them into evil mutant primates like himself. The next morning, after the Professor is released from prison, the girls show him all the "good" they have done, only to discover the city is being attacked by the primates. Jojo, renaming himself Mojo Jojo, publicly announces the girls as his assistants, turning everyone—including the distraught Professor—against them. Dejected, the girls exile themselves to an asteroid in outer space.

Mojo Jojo announces his intentions to rule the planet, but becomes frustrated when his minions begin concocting their own plans to terrorize the people of Townsville. Overhearing the turmoil from space, the girls return to Earth and rescue the citizens, realizing they can use their powers to fight the primates. With his army defeated, Mojo injects himself with Chemical X and grows into a giant monster, overpowering the girls after an intense battle. Rejecting his offer to join him against the people who have shunned them, the girls push him off a decrepit skyscraper as the Professor arrives with a newly developed antidote for Chemical X to help the girls. Mojo lands on the antidote, which shrinks him down to his original size, battered and defeated.

The girls consider using the Antidote X to erase their powers, thinking they would be accepted as ordinary girls. The people of Townsville protest, apologizing for misjudging the girls and thanking them for their heroic deeds. At the insistence of the Mayor, the girls agree to use their powers to defend Townsville with the Professor's blessing, thus becoming the city's beloved crime-fighting superhero team: the Powerpuff Girls.

Voice castedit | edit source

 * Cathy Cavadini as Blossom, the intelligent and dutiful leader of the Powerpuff Girls
 * Tara Strong as Bubbles, the sweet and cheerful member of the Powerpuff Girls
 * Elizabeth Daily as Buttercup, the tough and brash member of the Powerpuff Girls
 * Roger L. Jackson as Mojo Jojo, a chimpanzee mutated by Chemical X who becomes the Powerpuff Girls' archenemy
 * Tom Kane as Professor Utonium, the Powerpuff Girls' creator and surrogate father; and the Talking Dog
 * Tom Kenny as the Mayor of Townsville; the Narrator; Mitch Mitchelson, the Powerpuff Girls' classmate; and Gangreen Gang members Snake and Lil' Arturo
 * Jennifer Hale as Ms. Keane, the Powerpuff Girls' school teacher
 * Jennifer Martin as Ms. Sarah Bellum, the Mayor's secretary
 * Jeff Bennett as Gangreen Gang members Ace, Big Billy, and Grubber
 * Grey DeLisle and Phil LaMarr as additional character voices
 * Rob Paulsen, Kevin Michael Richardson, and Frank Welker as various evil primates

Productionedit | edit source
When developing the film, series' creator and director Craig McCracken did not want the film to appeal exclusively to girls as the merchandise made it out to be (with jewelry and necklaces being sold with the characters plastered over it) and wanted to make an action-comedy film that felt closer to his conception of the Powerpuff Girls. When deciding what the final plot would be, the crew had "one that was purely an action show, and then one that was more of a subtle character piece"; Cartoon Network liked both of them, so the result is an hybrid. McCracken said that there was no real difference when directing a film in comparison to a standard TV episode:


 * "When we make the TV show, we look at them as mini films. The show is really condensed, it always keeps moving and it's got an energy level to it because of the time limitation, so my first concern was, are we going to lose that pacing going into a long form? But as it turned out, the movie still moves at the same pace that the show does. It still has that distinctive feeling to it."

The Powerpuff Girls ' TV series was also known for its audience being highly composed by "underground" adults; the movie's intend was in part to appeal to that demographic, and - according to Cartoon Network executives - "spark sales of DVDs and home videos, pack in crowds overseas and set kids scrambling to buy cartoon-themed merchandise", while also calling the attention of more girls and teens. During production, McCracken was encouraged by Cartoon Network to make an edgier movie; he recalled via Tumblr:


 * "When we started the film I was encouraged by CN to make the movie for “25 year old guys.” So we upped the seriousness and action and down played the funny. By the time we finished there was a regime change at CN and the new heads of the Network were upset we didn’t make a poppy, colourful kids movie... This was when they first had the idea that they wanted to try producing animation for older audiences, Samurai Jack was a part of this thinking as well. We were sort of the guinea pigs for what would later evolve into Adult Swim."

During production, The Hollywood Reporter reported that voice actresses Cathy Cavadini, Tara Strong and E.G. Daily had gone on strike, protesting that they weren't being paid enough to star in a feature. The studio publicly mulled replacing them with new actresses, not just for the movie, but for the rest of the series too. Eventually, a deal was reached and the trio returned to voice the Powerpuff Girls again.

The behind-the-scenes feature on the DVD reveals an extended version of Mojo Jojo's rant on the monkeys for plotting against him.

The movie was originally going to be released in August 17, 2000. It was changed to July 3, 2002 for unknown reasons. The film was rated PG by the Motion Picture Association of America for non-stop frantic animated action.

The film's animation was provided by Rough Draft Korea, with additional animation done at Mercury Filmworks and Munich Animation Film. All the work done overseas was then shipped to Los Angeles, where the main crew put every single shot together digitally at the then newly opened Cartoon Network Studios. The movie keeps the staple look of the television series, with characters such as the Powerpuff Girls and the Professor having a mostly geometric look. The backgrounds are hand-drawn with some computer-generated enhancements. It also went on to have some minor edits in pacing for the final cut, but "nothing so disastrous that it affected the final film", in McCracken's words. It was noted that the promotion was rather limited when compared to that of other animated feature films that premiered around the same year, such as Hey Arnold!: The Movie. However, the creator said that Warner Bros. was putting $20 million into promoting the film. Some of the production process was also documented for subsequent home releases of the product. According to McCracken, 49 half-hour episodes of the TV series had been made up to that point, but they went on hiatus to focus on the making of the movie.

The crew was also against including pop songs or any musical numbers that could interfere "in the body of the story", in order to respect audience expectations. However, the final credits are accompanied by a punk-rock version of the TV show's ending theme by Bis, Black Francis' "Pray for the Girls" and a song by the pop group No Secrets, titled "That's What Girls Do". James L. Venable composed the original score blending traditional orchestration with electronica. He had listened to "old monster movie scores" and acts such as The Chemical Brothers and Propellerheads to achieve the series musical style, which was then poured into the movie. McCracken thought the band Gorillaz was fitting to bring the film's final credits song, considering that the plot was about "evil monkeys attacking Townsville" and the band members are animated. Gorillaz' creators Jamie Hewlett and Damon Albarn showed interest in making the song, but their schedule made it impossible to accomplish.

Releaseedit | edit source
The film was released in theaters on July 3, 2002, before making its television debut on Cartoon Network on May 23, 2003. In theaters, the film was accompanied with a Dexter's Laboratory short titled Chicken Scratch, which later aired as part of the series' fourth season.

Home mediaedit | edit source
The film was released on Region 1 DVD and VHS on November 5, 2002 in the US. The DVD included extras such as deleted scenes, behind-the-scenes footage and audio commentaries. Despite being filmed in 1.85:1 aspect ratio, the DVD and VHS are in fullscreen only, much akin to that of the original series. The Region 2 DVD release presents the film in its original widescreen aspect ratio, but omits the audio commentary, deleted scenes and bonus features and is also in the PAL format. As of 2021, the film has yet to be released on Blu-ray and Digital.

Critical responseedit | edit source
Reviews of the film were mixed to positive. As of October 2020, on Rotten Tomatoes, the film had an approval rating of 63% based on 103 reviews, with an average rating of 6.14/10. The site's critics consensus read: "It plays like an extended episode, but The Powerpuff Girls Movie is still lots of fun." As of October 2020, on Metacritic, the film had a weighted average score of 65 out of 100, based on 25 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B" on an A+ to F scale.

Bob Longino of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution praised the film, writing: "The intricate drawings emanate 1950s futuristic pizazz like a David Hockney scenescape. The inspired script is both sinfully cynical and aw-shucks sweet". He also called it "one of the few American creations that is both gleeful pop culture and exquisite high art." Nell Minow of Common Sense Media gave the film four stars out of a possible five, saying that the film "may be a treat for the fans of the show, but its non-stop excitement and sense of humor is going to win over just about anyone". Virginia Heffernan of The New York Times said that "the movie is cute [...] but its violent, snickering style is pure Americana", and that it evokes the "outlandish classic" look of McCracken's inspirations. Ben Nuckols wrote for The Associated Press that the protagonist's big eyes were the "only remarkable thing", which he considered "a shame, because the girls are delightful and the movie is skillfully made". New Sunday Times praised the animation - particularly the sequence were the Powerpuff Girls play tag - and said that "there's a lot to like about this movie"; overall, it called it a "a good first movie".

Jerry Beck wrote for Animation World Network that the film was "good looking [...] but suffered from story problems", whereas Christene Meyers, from Billings Gazette, thought that the story could have been told in a few minutes. Dan Via, writing for The Washington Post, said that "even with its flaws, The Powerpuff Girls Movie offers dramatic pacing, cleverness and charm that are hard to come by in the summertime multiplex", ranging from moments of "epic stillness to the crash-bang-kapow flash of the action sequences". Mariano Kairuz, from the Argentine newspaper Página/12, wrote: "It's one of the happily bizarre cartoon movies to hit theaters in quite some time. One might even wonder how Cartoon Network and Warner authorized the multi-million dollar budget for something that looks and feels somewhat uncommercial". Marc Savlov from The Austin Chronicle gave the film 3 and a half stars out of 5, describing it as "retro fun that contains a serious self-empowerment message for little girls and little boys alike", as well as "brilliant, wacky, and utterly charming fluff". In 2019, Paste magazine ranked it 72nd on its list of the 100 best superhero movies of all time.

The film also received some mild criticism for its violence, which many felt was too extreme and highly inappropriate for a family-oriented film. The most negative review was from the show "Ebert and Roeper." Roger Ebert said the film was upsetting to watch after the 9/11 attacks, and Richard Roeper called it a freaky and annoying little film. Controversy surrounded the movie, mainly that the movie was released the first summer after the September 11th attacks and people said the buildings being destroyed reminded them of the attacks. Although this is only an animated feature, the buildings the girls destroyed could set a bad example. McCracken himself has come out with his own thoughts on the movie. In the documentary The Powerpuff Girls: Who, What Where, How, Why... Who Cares?, he said that "In hindsight, maybe I wish it was a little sillier, a little more lighter, a little more... not so heavy the whole time."

Despite the decent reviews, however, the film was facing rough competition with Spider-Man, Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones, Lilo & Stitch, Stuart Little 2, Men in Black II, which was released on the same day, and other films. And the fact that the show lost much of its popularity. It was released straight-to-VHS and DVD in some countries.

Box officeedit | edit source
The Powerpuff Girls Movie premiered in multiple theaters around the US on July 3, 2002. Because of the popularity of the TV show, analysts predicted that the movie would generate $15 million over the Fourth of July weekend. However, It only earned $6.1 million over its first five days of showing, ranking ninth at the North American box office. Brandon Gray, a Box Office Mojo editor, asserted that "it didn't help that at many of the venues the picture didn't have evening showings, alienating many of the TV show's older fans". By July 26, 2002, the film had dropped to #34 on the US box office ranking. Ultimately, it grossed $11.4 million domestically and $5 million overseas, for a worldwide total of $16.4 million, making it a box-office bomb considering its $11 million budget. Shortly after its poor commercial performance, a Samurai Jack movie that had been in development was canceled. Screen Rant lists it as one of the 25 lowest-grossing superhero movies at the global box office.

Triviaedit | edit source

 * Production on this movie began in October 1999 and ended sometime in May 2002.
 * During the PPG argument, the first channel shown in this movie was CTN News. It might stand for Car(C)toon(T) Network(N) and a parody of CNN News and the CTW (from Sesame Street (until Season 32)) sign. It was later seen again as Buttercup flew upward and left the Talking Dog in front of the building.
 * During the part where all three girls lose their self-esteem from watching the news, Master Shake, Meatwad and Frylock from Aqua Teen Hunger Force make a cameo in one of the TV screens.
 * The Movie takes by the flashback in Prime Mates where Mojo Jojo saws a mutated monkey with no brain named Mopey Popo.
 * This is the first theatrical film with a wide release to be based on a Cartoon Network TV series, preceding Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi (2003), The Ed, Edd n Eddy Movie (2004), Mike, Lu & Og: Journey Back to Manhattan and Class of 3000 (2005), Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi 2 (2006), Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters and Dexter's Laboratory: The Movie (2007), Camp Lazlo The Movie and Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008), Codename: Kids Next Door: The Movie (2009), Regular Show: The Movie (2015), Steven Universe: The Movie (2019), and We Bare Bears: The Movie and Ben 10: The Movie (2020).
 * Fuzzy Lumpkins makes a cameo appearance at the beginning, robbing the grocery store. And at the end, he is seen in jail with Mojo Jojo and The Gangreen Gang. Also, he does not speak whatsoever.
 * The Powerpuff Girls Movie is the first Hollywood film to be based on a Cartoon Network show.
 * The Powerpuff Girls Movie is also the first movie to be produced by Cartoon Network and Moving Pictures.
 * The drawing Bubbles drew of herself, her sisters and the Professor and the wanted poster of the four are pieces of fan art used in it. They were winners of a drawing contest Cartoon Network held.
 * At the end of this movie, during the newly introduced 2002-2005 animated episode outro, the Narrator doesn't say the "once again" part of "The day is saved" narration because the movie explains how the girls were first created, The Narrator says "for the very first time" instead.
 * The British virtual band Gorillaz makes a cameo in a newspaper.
 * Townsville gets the most destruction in the movie, more than any other time in the series.
 * Bubbles was the only Powerpuff Girl glaring at the camera.
 * According to a deleted scene on the movie DVD, the timeline of the movie was supposed to be two weeks, with the time-span of the girls helping Jojo build the volcano-top lair taking place over four nights, instead of one.
 * This movie seems to contradict the flashback scenes in "Mr. Mojo's Rising", but the beginning of the movie could possibly reflect how much Jojo was being ignored and forgotten, given that we never see him.
 * Mojo Jojo's Mo' Mojo form makes another appearance as his special attack in Cartoon Network: Punch Time Explosion.
 * Professor Utonium didn't wear his overcoat the first day.
 * At the time of its original release, June 2002, the film received some criticism for being dark and having Townsville destroyed, the late was because of 9/11 attacks at the World Trade Center in New York, critics and parents at the time didn't find suitable that the creators wrote a film with scenes of destruction on a kids movie, the movie was a disappointment at the box office and Craig McCraken became dissatisfied with it. HOWEVER, with the 2016 series' reboot and the 20th anniversary of the show, the film has received more acceptance and appreciation from the fans that it has gathered some "cult following", later in 2018 fans had started a petition for Warner Bros. to release the film for a Blu-Ray remastered edition.
 * It is unknown why the powers Mojo gained when the Powerpuff Girls were created weren't drained away by the Antidote X.
 * Bubbles beats up Snake and Grubber at the end of this movie in the exact same way Blossom beats them up in the episode "See Me, Feel Me, Gnomey".
 * Dexter made a cameo on a car when Blossom said that the people are safe.
 * This is the only time The Gangreen Gang went to jail.
 * As the Powerpuff logo zooms out, the word "Movie" doesn't appear on the bottom.
 * The Narrator only narrates at the beginning and end of the movie.
 * Despite being a major box office bomb during original theatrical release, the film was soon rushed to home video and has managed to gain a cult following ever since among Powerpuff Girls fans.
 * Buttercup saying the phrase "Get your hands off him, you darn dirty ape!" is a reference to the 1968 film Planet of the Apes.
 * In theaters, a Dexter's Laboratory short entitled "Chicken Scratch" was shown prior to the film, which later aired as an episode of that series' fourth season.
 * The film was reserved poorly by critics because it was dark. The film also bombed at the box office.
 * This is Phil LaMarr's first theatrically released animated film, later he'd go onto voice the Prawn Shop Owner in Shark Tale (2004), the Fabric Merchant in Battle for Terra (2007), a tour guide in Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa (2008), Ernesto the Rat and Wood the Pig in Hoodwinked Too: Hood vs Evil (2011), the Announcer Bird in Zambezia (2012), one of the elders in Khumba (2013), and Helectrix, Krushaur, and the Judge in Incredibles 2 (2018) as well as appearing as an additional voice in Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi (2003), TMNT (2007), Bolt (2008), Cars 2 (2011), Monsters University (2013), Inside Out (2015), Minions (2015), Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie (2017), Cars 3 (2017), The Emoji Movie (2017), and Smallfoot (2018).
 * The film tells the origin story of how the Powerpuff Girls were created and how they became the defenders of Townsville.
 * The film could possibly explain why later on the series the Girls have some pity on Mojo Jojo despite he always tries to destroy them. But in the other side, it could also explain why they deeply hate the Gangreen Gang and rarely pity them, although they are very dumb.