South Park's Kenny, Stan and Kyle before their dramatic transition to the big screen! © Comedy Partners, Inc. All rights reserved.

"Bigger, Longer and Uncut." These are the adjectives that subtitled the South Park feature film of 1999. These same adjectives brashly typify the mission statement, the ethos, upheld by animation studios when cartoons transition to the big screen. Then again, you should hope that after paying $5 to $10 for a movie ticket, the film represents something more than what is broadcast every Saturday morning. The innate pitfalls, and opportunities, in bringing a television show to the theaters successfully however are many. With millions in profits going to those who achieve the magic combo, and straight-to-video relegation for those who fail, it is a tight rope more studios are trying to rush across.

A Chance to Shine
When a cartoon like Disney's Recess makes it to the silver screen, it is a global testament to the endearment these characters have garnered in a relatively short period of time. A movie version of a cartoon justifies a show's popularity. On the other hand, it also indicates that the cartoon is edging that much closer to that big movie vault in the sky. Does anyone even watch South Park anymore? Exactly.

South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut hit theatres in 1999 successfully riding the wave from television to feature film. © Comedy Partners, Inc. All rights reserved.

Nevertheless, big screen cartoons are genuinely about the fans. True, this tribute to fandom often yields millions in profit dollars for studios if done well, but this is just an unfortunate side effect on which companies have to bite the bullet in chagrin! Think of the cartoon movies you dragged your parents to when you were younger, and then think about, in turn, how many of these movies you have had to sit through with your children or grandchildren. Now, think about how happy they were (and back to how happy you were) to attend the movie. The big screen is an experience, and for children especially, it becomes that much more of an experience when the movie features the world of characters they have spent their Saturday mornings and after-school hours watching. This creates the urgency of why big screen cartoons must be "bigger, longer and uncut" when compared with their small screen counterparts; studios are rewarding fans for devotion.

There are also some tremendous benefits when bringing cartoons to movie-form. While a typical television show is half an hour in length, cinematic versions average around eighty minutes. This added time allows for grander adventures with more complicated plot twists and character development. In the case of Tommy, Chuckie and the other Rugrats, their movie and its sequel allowed them to "boldly go where no baby has gone before!" Coupled with higher budgets that allow for better animation, sound and "celebrity" voice talent, big screen cartoons align all the intrinsic variables to maximize the potential of sending characters on their greatest adventure ever. Above all, the cinematic experience is a draw card in itself. This is why George Lucas chose to re-release the Star Wars Trilogy in 1997 -- not only to make a substantial amount of money but also to give an entirely new generation of Star Wars fans the opportunity to experience the movies on the big screen, the way they were intended to be seen. The hype around big screen versions draws a new crowd and re-invigorates fans that perhaps have strayed.

Rugrats in Paris, the latest feature to come forth from Nickelodeon's hit TV series Rugrats. TM & © 2000 Paramount Pictures and Viacom International Inc. All rights reserved.

Staying True to Character
There are, however, risks when transitioning cartoons to the big screen. How do you balance this call for high adventure with a property designed for an 11 or 22 minute venue? Disney's Recess: School's Out creators and writers Paul Germain and Joe Ansolabehere discussed with Animation World some of their first fears regarding the excursion. "When we were asked to [make a Recess movie,] our gut reaction was, 'No, let's not do it.' When we started playing with the idea, we were told it had to be big -- bigger than anything we've ever done before. It couldn't be a big TV show."

While they attribute the move of many small screen wonders to the big screen as a sign of studio commercialism -- "Genuinely we think it's kind of a commercial move on the part of studios...It has to do more with economics and business than art." -- they are advocates that big screen cartoons should maintain the integrity of the original series while taking it to the next level. "[Recess] has always been talking about the world within the microcosm of a playground -- taking small things and treating them as big... School is about more than just cramming information down kids' throats. Recess is where kids learn to interact socially. It's invaluable. We couldn't abandon that for the movie." This is in contrast to The Rugrats Movie, which Paul Germain feels "betrayed the idea of the series." He can justifiably make this comment being one of the co-creators of Rugrats in 1989 for Nickelodeon. "The success of The Rugrats Movie had to do with the success of the series. It betrayed the concept in terms of both animation and story." The televised Rugrats revolves around the "small" events of toddlers' first experiencing the world. Many felt that the first movie strayed too far by putting the children in such frightful situations as being alone in a forest. An adventure to the back of a closet is one thing...an overnight stay in a scary wood while being stalked by a wolf is quite another. This made many parents uneasy.