Jimmy Neutron - Boy Genius film review

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JIMMY NEUTRON - BOY GENIUS

Jimmy Neutron - Boy Genius is a wee David amongst computer animated Goliaths.

This sweet and enjoyably chaotic adventure, based on a Nickelodeon television series, is pitted against box office behemoths Monsters, Inc. and Shrek for the inaugural Best Animated Feature Oscar. To be honest, Jimmy and his pint-sized pals don't stand a chance.

The visuals are awash with retina-searing colour, and the script has plenty of pop culture references to keep adults amused, but the various elements don't always gel.

The hero of our tale is James Isaac Neutron, a 10-year-old whiz-kid who is always creating nifty gadgets to make his life more simple.

His home is awash with ingenious gizmos, including a robotic pet canine called Goddard, a nifty Shrink Ray, and a one-man Jet Pack - excellent for avoiding the traffic jams around Retroville.

Jimmy's loveable and goofy father Hugh is fascinated by his son's inventions, unlike his mother Judy, who doesn't tolerate any explosions or distractions around her house.

While all of Retroville's youngsters are happily enjoying the thrills and spills of the local fun fair, a race of evil aliens descends on Earth and kidnaps all of the parents. When Jimmy uncovers the dastardly plot, he immediately gives chase, vowing to hunt down the alien leader led by dastardly King Goobot and his insidious hench-thing Ooblar.

Best friend Carl, who usually gets car sick just by looking at a parked Chevy, and computer nerd Sheen, comes along for the ride. Together, the children of Retroville embark on the adventure of a lifetime, doing battle with extra-terrestrial invaders for the sake of peace and harmony in their little community.

Jimmy Neutron - Boy Genius has a pleasing retro look, with big bouffant, gravity-defying hairdos for the adult characters, who all seem to be wearing costumes that wouldn't look out of place in a '50s television sitcom.

Every frame of the film is crammed with detail and colour. In fact, at times, there's so much going on and the editing is so brisk, watching Jimmy Neutron could easily induce a blinding headache.

Action set-pieces are expertly choreographed - an aerial dogfight between the kids and the egg-shaped aliens is thrilling - and the various players are sculpted with cute, larger than life features. The plot canters along at warp speed for most of the 82 minutes.