Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius is a 2001 American computer-animated science fiction comedy film produced by Nickelodeon Movies, O Entertainment and DNA Productions, and distributed by Paramount Pictures. The film was directed by John A. Davis and written by Davis and producer Steve Oedekerk. Its voice cast includes Debi Derryberry, Patrick Stewart, Martin Short, Rob Paulsen, and Jeffrey Garcia. The film follows the title character, a schoolboy with super-genius intelligence, who must save all of the parents of his hometown from a race of egg-like aliens known as the Yolkians.

The idea for Jimmy Neutron was first created by Davis in the 1980s, in which he wrote a script for a short film titled Runaway Rocketboy and starring a prototype character for Jimmy named Johnny Quasar. After coming across the abandoned script several years later, Davis decided that it would be a good idea to revisit it and retool it as a computer-animated short and potential TV series. A 40-second demo was animated using LightWave 3D and gained popularity at the 1995 SIGGRAPH convention where it was shown off, grabbing the attention of Oedekerk and leading DNA Productions to develop an extended TV Pilot. After a successful pitch to Nickelodeon, a 13-minute-long TV episode was developed, and Nickelodeon, impressed with both the character and the 3D technology, raised the possibility of making both a TV series and a full-length feature film. Davis, in turn, suggested that the film be made first, so that the development team could create the assets at theatrical quality and reuse them in the TV series. Production officially began in early 2000 and was completed in roughly 24 months, with the studio considerably raising its staff count and expanding its studio space. Animation was done entirely using commercial software, including LightWave and project:messiah.

Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius was released on December 21, 2001. Backed by a strong pre-release campaign, the film was a box office success, grossing $103 million worldwide against a $30 million budget. It earned generally positive reviews for its animation. It was nominated for the inaugural Academy Award for Best Animated Feature in 2001, ultimately losing to Shrek. It was the only animated Nickelodeon film to be nominated in that category for nearly a decade until Rango (2011) was nominated and won.

Plot

Eleven-year-old boy genius Jimmy Neutron lives in Retroville with his parents, Judy and Hugh, and his robot dog, Goddard. Jimmy's friends are overweight Carl Wheezer and hyperactive Sheen Estevez, and his long-standing rival, intelligent classmate Cindy Vortex, teases him for his small stature. After Jimmy launches a communications satellite into space, hoping to contact alien life, he crashes his makeshift rocket into his house's roof, upsetting his mother. When Jimmy, Carl and Sheen learn of the opening of Retroland, an amusement park, popular kid Nick Dean convinces the boys to sneak out and attend. Judy refuses to let him attend the park that night. After his jetpack accidentally starts a fire in the house, she grounds him. Taking Nick's advice, Jimmy uses his shrink ray invention to sneak out and meets Carl and Sheen at Retroland for a night of fun.

Meanwhile, Jimmy's satellite is intercepted by the Yolkians, a race of egg-like aliens from the planet Yolkus. Their leader, King Goobot, views Jimmy's message and notices a picture featuring his parents, declaring his search complete. The Yolkians arrive on Earth and abduct all the adults in Retroville, except Miss Fowl (because of her small size after being earlier shrunken by Jimmy's shrink ray). As their ships return to space, Jimmy, Carl and Sheen mistake their departure for a shooting star, prompting Jimmy to wish their parents were gone. The next morning, all the children notice the parents are missing and party recklessly. The following day, the children are miserable and realize they need their parents. Jimmy learns that his satellite has been found and deduces the parents have been abducted. He enlists the children to create rocket ships out of Retroland's rides and they blast off into space after their families.

After braving a meteor shower and camping on an asteroid, Jimmy and company eventually reach Yolkus and find the parents with mind control devices attached to their heads. When Jimmy tries to get the mind-control helmet off of Hugh, Goobot captures them and reveals that Jimmy had led the Yolkians directly to Earth to take their parents, whom they intend to sacrifice to their god Poultra. Jimmy is separated from Goddard by Goobot's bumbling assistant, Ooblar, and is locked in a dungeon with the other children, who blame Jimmy for their predicament. Taking pity on Jimmy, Cindy confesses she and the other children need him and encourages Jimmy to fix things by helping them escape. Using a cellphone owned by Cindy's friend, Libby Folfax, Jimmy contacts Goddard, who escapes from Ooblar and frees the children.

Jimmy and company reach the Yolkians' Colosseum where a giant egg is hatched, releasing Poultra, a gigantic three-eyed alien chicken. As Goobot arranges the parents to be eaten using a mind control remote, Jimmy rallies the children to storm the colosseum and battle the guards while Sheen retrieves an escape vessel, which knocks Poultra on the head upon his return. Jimmy steals the remote from Goobot and the children escape Yolkus with the parents. Goobot arranges a fleet to pursue them, which is all destroyed when the children fly their ship around the surface of the Sun, save for Goobot's vessel. When Goobot and Ooblar mock Jimmy's short size, Jimmy charges at Goobot's ship with Goddard in a flying bike form and uses his shrink ray to enlarge himself into the size of a planet. He then blows Goobot's vessel away into an asteroid, destroying it. Goobot survives and vows revenge. On the return trip to Earth, Jimmy reconciles with his parents, admitting that despite his intelligence, he still depends on them. The next day, Jimmy and Carl have eggs in an egg cup for breakfast, when Jimmy’s parents drink one of his scientific experiments, which causes significant belching, thinking it is a real soda can. They all laugh out loud while Goddard is seen outside flying to chase a bird.

In the mid-credits scene, the still-shrunken Mrs. Fowl is seen riding on an apple worm, named Mr. Wiggles, on her way to the cafeteria in the elementary school hall.

Cast

Debi Derryberry as Jimmy Neutron

Patrick Stewart as King Goobot V

Martin Short as Ooblar

Carolyn Lawrence as Cindy Vortex

Rob Paulsen as Carl Wheezer, Mr. and Mrs. Wheezer (credited as Carl's Mom and Dad), Kid in Classroom

Jeffrey Garcia as Sheen Estevez

Crystal Scales as Libby Folfax and Courtney Tyler

Frank Welker as Goddard (uncredited), Poultra, Worm, Demon, Girl-Eating Plant, Oyster

Candi Milo as Nick Dean, Britney, PJ

Megan Cavanagh as Judy Neutron (credited as Mom), VOX, Mrs. Vortex (credited as Cindy's Mom)

Mark DeCarlo as Hugh Neutron (credited as Dad), Pilot, Arena Guard, Mr. Vortex (credited as Cindy's Dad)

Carlos Alazraqui as Mr. Estevez (credited as Sheen’s Dad)

Kimberly Brooks as Zachery, Reporter, Angie

Andrea Martin as Ms. Winfred Fowl (Credited as Ms. Fowl)

Billy West as Bobby's Twin Brother, Butch, Old Man Johnson, Robobarber, Yolkian Officer, Jailbreak Cop, Anchor Boy, Flurp Announcer

Bob Goen and Mary Hart as Yolkian newscasters

Dee Bradley Baker as NORAD Officer

Greg Eagles as Mr. Folfax (uncredited)

David L. Lander as Yolkian Guard, Gus

Jim Cummings as Ultra Lord, Mission Control, General Bob

Paul Greenberg as Guard

Laraine Newman as Hostess

Jeannie Elias as Little Girl, Camera Person

Michael Hagiwara as Chris

Keith Alcorn as Bobby, Kid, Control Yolkian

Richard Allen as Digital Voice

Brian Capshaw as Screamer

Cheryl Ray as Screamer

Mark Menza as Yolkian Incubator Operator

Matthew Russell as Hyperactive Kid, Arena Yolkian

Official soundtrack

The movie soundtrack was released by Zomba Music, Jive Records, and Nick Records on November 20, 2001, a month prior to the film's release.[9][10] It includes covers of DJ Jazzy Jeff and The Fresh Prince's "Parents Just Don't Understand", Thomas Dolby's "She Blinded Me With Science" , and Kim Wilde's "Kids In America".

No. Title Artist Length

1. "Leave It Up to Me" Aaron Carter 2:59

2. "Pop" (Deep Dish Cha-Ching Remix) NSYNC 4:13

3. "Parents Just Don't Understand" Lil' Romeo, Nick Cannon, and 3LW 3:55

4. "Intimidated" Britney Spears 3:17

5. "He Blinded Me with Science" Melissa Lefton 3:15

6. "A.C.'s Alien Nation" Aaron Carter 3:23

7. "Kids in America" No Secrets 3:07

8. "The Answer to Our Life" Backstreet Boys 3:17

9. "The Chicken Dance" Werner Thomas 1:32

10. "I Can Count on You" True Vibe 3:46

11. "We Got the Beat" The Go-Go's 2:31

12. "Go Jimmy Jimmy" Aaron Carter 2:39

13. "Parents Just Don't Understand (Bonux Mix)" Lil' Romeo, 3LW, and Nick Cannon 3:52

14. "Blitzkrieg Bop" The Ramones 2:12

15. "Jimmy Neutron Theme" Bowling for Soup 2:08

Original score[edit]

Additionally, a promotional CD containing the score by John Debney was released for Academy Award consideration.

No. Title Artist Length

1. "Jimmy Neutron Theme" Bowling for Soup 2:08

2. "Leave It Up to Me" Aaron Carter 2:59

3. "Pop" (Deep Dish Cha-Ching Remix) NSYNC 4:13

4. "Parents Just Don't Understand" Lil' Romeo, 3LW, and Nick Cannon 3:55

5. "Intimidated" Britney Spears 3:17

6. "He Blinded Me With Science" Melissa Lefton and The Matrix 3:15

7. "A.C.'s Alien Nation" Aaron Carter 3:23

8. "Kids in America" No Secrets 3:07

9. "The Answer to Our Life" Backstreet Boys 3:17

10. "The Chicken Dance" Werner Thomas 1:32

11. "I Can Count on You" True Vibe 3:46

12. "We Got the Beat" The Go-Go's 2:31

13. "Go Jimmy Jimmy" Aaron Carter 2:39

14. "Parents Just Don't Understand (Bonux Mix)" Lil' Romeo, 3LW, and Nick Cannon 3:52

15. "Blitzkrieg Bop" The Ramones 2:12

16. "Nickelodeon Logo" 0:14

17. "Air Force" 1:00

18. "Jimmy's Rocket Machine" 1:20

19. "Parents" 1:17

20. "Ready-to-Go-to-School Machine" 1:49

21. "The Plan (Part 1)" 0:37

22. "The Plan (Part 2)" 0:17

23. "Nick" 0:50

24. "The Worm" 0:20

25. "RetroLand Theme Park!" 0:40

26. "Oyster & Diamond" 0:34

27. "Alien Space Craft/Jimmy's Message" 3:02

28. "Options" 0:49

29. "Sneak Out" 1:09

30. "Invasion Alert" 0:34

31. "RetroLand Main" 0:14

32. "Good Night" 0:58

33. "Alien Abduction" 1:13

34. "The Wish" 0:47

35. "Say Goodbye/Angry Mob & 75/Launch" 7:07

36. "Beauty of Space/Meteor" 2:25

37. "The Alien Planet" 1:12

38. "Flying Jimmy" 0:50

39. "King Goobot's Shock" 0:20

40. "Poultra: God of Wrath (Part 1)" 0:10

41. "Poultra: God of Wrath (Part 2)" 0:20

42. "Prisoners" 1:10

43. "Cindy & Jimmy" 1:34

44. "Ooblar's Danger/Cell Dog Phone/Rescue" 3:09

45. "Stadium" 0:23

46. "Bring on the Humans" 0:47

47. "The Incubation" 0:48

48. "Sacrifice" 0:29

49. "The Plan" 1:40

50. "Jimmy to the Rescue" 2:02

51. "Escape from the Planet/The Big Chase" 2:42

52. "Jimmy Is the Winner/Apologize" 2:15

53. "The End" 0:13