Of all things children of the 1990s remember fondly, none evoke the same nostalgic warmth as Nickelodeon. In turn, few things came to define Nickelodeon in the 1990s ask Rugrats, the beloved Klasky Csupo cartoon that was one of three inaugural Nicktoons, running from 1991 to 2003. The series became a favorite of kids and adults alike, even earning a thumbs up from famed director Steven Spielberg, who called Rugrats “a TV Peanuts of our time.” Rugrats’ popularity would beget three feature films, the last of which, Rugrats Go Wild, served as a crossover between Rugrats and The Wild Thornberrys, another Klasky Csupo series. The film gave one silent Rugrats character, who had been with the series from the start, a voice. That character is Spike, the dog, and there could only be one iconic actor that could give the Pickles’ pooch that voice: Bruce Willis.
Bruce Willis’ Spike Talks in ‘Rugrats Go Wild’
It should be noted that Willis isn’t the first actor to give voice to Spike. That honor goes to long-time voice actor Michael Bell, who voiced the character in the Season 3 episode “In the Dreamtime,” appearing in Chuckie’s (Christine Cavanaugh) dream with a Cockney English accent. But Willis is the first on film, and the pairing of actor and character is perfect.
Rugrats Go Wild sees the babies and their families set off on a vacation. Not on a tropical cruise ship as expected, but a ramshackle boat, courtesy of Stu Pickles (Jack Riley), a boneheaded move on his part. It’s made even worse when a tropical storm flips the boat and sinks it, forcing them onto a life raft. The raft ends up on a small island the next morning, the same island where the Thornberrys, wildlife documentarians, are on the other side.
The babies take it upon themselves to seek out the Thornberrys for help. It’s incredibly disturbing just how often these babies crawl away from their oblivious parents, but more often than not, Spike has them under his watchful eye. This is one if those “not” moments, sending the worried Spike frantically searching the island for them. He runs into Eliza Thornberry (Lacey Chabert), who can talk to animals, and explains his plight in Willis’ distinctive voice.
‘Rugrats Go Wild’s Spike Plays to Bruce Willis’ Strengths
Spike serves as a “greatest hits” package for Willis, allowing his strengths to shine. That single-minded focus to save the ones he loves, which comes across in the urgency of his voice, hews closely to a certain New York City cop’s desperation to save his wife in Die Hard. We’ve seen the protective parent side of Willis and his comic touch in his memorable multi-episode appearance in Friends. The role also affords Willis the opportunity to showcase his singing skills, first heard on his debut 1987 album “The Return of Bruno,” performing a duet with fellow Friends guest star Chrissie Hynde.
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Of course, Spike isn’t the first voiceless character that Willis has provided a voice for on film. Willis famously narrated the verbose and articulate baby Mikey in 1989’s Look Who’s Talking. The Amy Heckerling film isn’t a critical darling (56% on Rotten Tomatoes), but the unique premise was a huge hit with moviegoers, bringing in just short of $300 million. The film became ground zero for a host of talking baby projects, from the highs of E*Trade Super Bowl commercials to the lows of “classics” like Baby Geniuses and its reviled sequel Superbabies: Baby Geniuses 2, TV spin-off Baby Talk, and two direct sequels Look Who’s Talking Too and Look Who’s Talking Now!, which has the dubious honor of being one of only 10 films in the 20th century with a 0% on Rotten Tomatoes. Willis didn’t return for the second sequel, so the voices were provided by Danny Devito and Diane Keaton. They weren’t voicing babies, however, they were voicing — oddly enough — dogs, and clearly not nearly as well as Willis could.
Rugrats Go Wild is available to stream in the U.S. on Prime Video.
Rugrats Go Wild brings together characters from the Rugrats and The Wild Thornberrys series. In the movie, the Rugrats and their families embark on a cruise that ends disastrously when their ship gets wrecked, leaving them stranded on a deserted island. On the island, they encounter the Thornberrys, who are there to film a nature documentary. Together, they navigate various adventures and challenges, including rescuing the babies from peril and encountering wild animals.
- Release Date
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June 13, 2003
- Director
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Norton Virgien
, John Eng - Cast
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Elizabeth Daily
, Nancy Cartwright
, Kath Soucie
, Dionne Quan
, Tim Curry
, Joe Alaskey
, Tress MacNeille
, Michael Bell
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