Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius

I saw the trailers for Jimmy Neutron and was not at all impressed. The premise sounded way too kiddy and the fact that it was going to be a TV show made the whole thing scream, "Marketing!" Thankfully I just caught it on video and was wonderfully surprised. The animation is very good and nicely detailed, the humor is simple and G-rated for kids, which will please adults, and the story is fast-paced and creative. I liked all of the characters, from the whipped-cream hair sporting Jimmy to his nerdy friends and the evil booger aliens. There were some genuinely cool touches too, like the fight between a tiny teacher and the deadly apple worm or the detailed alien chicken. My only real complaint is the fact that the soundtrack is packed to the brim with dumb pop songs that pop up at the weirdest times and basically interrupt the flow of the whole movie. Also, any movie with Aaron Carter singing in it quickly gets a few points demoted from it. You can stick around after the video's credits for some music videos, one with the C arter kid and another with some girls singing "We're the Kids In America." They are not spectacular extras, which makes me yearn for a DVD player even more, now. All in all, though, Jimmy is a pleasant, short flick that won't keep adults in a coma and will definitely get the kids quiet for an hour. It may not be up there with the Pixar films or Shrek, but it is decent nonetheless. 3/4 stars.