The Clarence Movie

Hello. Now don't be scared that I'm just a voice. That chubby guy there is me, Clarence. That guy with the square head is Jeff, and that's Sumo. Why are we all going to this school besides Aberdale Elementary? Well, me and Jeff just transferred here yesterday so I could be schoolmates with Sumo again. But that's for another story.— Clarence, narrating the first lines of the movie.
The Clarence Movie is a 2023 feature film adaptation based on Cartoon Network's cult series, Clarence, directed by Mike Mitchell (Trolls, Sky High) and written by series staff member Andrew Overtoom, alongside Jonathan Aibel and Glenn Berger (also of Trolls fame). The film takes place in a time where Clarence and Jeff now attend West Aberdale Elementary.
The plot takes place on Clarence and Jeff's second day in West Aberdale, with Clarence, Sumo and Jeff going on a field trip to El Paso, only to be left behind accidentally. Fortunately, Gilben informs his fellow students from their previous class (via sending a taken photo of them on his phone) to rescue them with the help of their families. On the way, the trio meets a friendly prankster Carmen Ericson (voiced by Trey Parker) who helps them get home along the way.
The film was chronologically followed a Sequel Series called Clarence's New Adventures.
The character page to the characters featured in Big Break can be found here.
== The film provides examples of: ==
*Adults Are Useless: Averted with Mary and Chad, as they get informed by West Aberdale about the boys' absence, which has them travel out of Aberdale to find them.
*Anguished Declaration of Love: Kimby spills out her feelings towards Jeff during the Chase Scene.Kimby: Jeff, in case we die, I want you to know I freaking love you!
*Aside Glance: Kimby does this after Amy and the gang are setting out to El Paso. Subverted when it reveals she was talking to Belson.Kimby: Am I the only one that thinks this is a bad idea?[cut to Belson]Belson: Yes. Now get lost.
*Big Damn Movie: The series has always been known for its comedy and status quo, while the movie focuses more on drama between the friendship of Clarence and Jeff, along with a no-holds-barred fight scene, intense action, and a chase scene in the climax.
*Bloodless Carnage: Averted. At one point, Clarence punches Jeff in the face in anger, resulting in a small amount of blood dripping out of his nostril.
*Break the Cutie: Jeff does this to Clarence by blaming him for getting stuck in El Paso, leading to the former to walk home, so to not interfere with their trip home.
*Call-Back: During Amy's motivational speech to the others, she mentions the events of "Slumber Party".
*Call-Forward: As mentioned in the quote above, the premise of how Clarence and Jeff got transferred to West Aberdale Elementary is shown in the revival's finale "Clarence and Jeff Go West.
*Chase Scene: This one's a car chase example. The gang rescues a kidnapped Clarence and Jeff from Carmen's rival Burt.
*Character Development: Clarence receives his development, where he realizes his obliviousness put most of the people in his life in harm's way.
*Continuity Nod:
**Dustin is wearing a blue shirt throughout the whole movie, which is the same one from the show's first episode.
**Kimby's flashbacks to previous episodes are as followed:
***The ending of "Slumber Party" is revisited when the girls head back to Kimby's house to hit one another with sticks. As Courtlin and Malessica run back, Kimby pauses and looks on at Jeff's house warmly smiling before heading back. Cutting to Kimby's bedroom, the girls do hit each other with sticks while Kimby contemplates.
***"Detention" is picked up where Jeff was stripped of his hall monitor duties for redecorating the detention room into a night club. As he shamefully walks out, Kimby was near the door, looking at him sadly.
***A brief revisit at "Pizza Hero" shows Kimby turning to an unsatisfied Jeff with a worried expression.
***A flashback to where Kimby and the other kids were taking their group photo at their kindergarten age from "Big Trouble in Little Aberdale" is where Kimby eyes a glum Jeff.
*Dance Party Ending: The characters have a party, dancing along to "King of the World" in a yard with pool, which happens to be in Belson's backyard.
*Diegetic Soundtrack Usage: The "King of the World" song from the show's opening sequence is put around a few scenes in the sweet score of Alexandre Desplat. The theme song also appears in the Dance Party Ending.
*Easily Forgiven: Jeff apologizes for calling Clarence out and fighting with him, and your typical Clarence accepts his apology.
*Eye Scream: The kindergarten photo from "Big Trouble in Little Aberdale is revisited, revealing why Chelsea was crying in the picture; Sumo spit in her eye.
*The Film of the Series: Naturally, to Clarence.
*Fish Out of Water: Clarence, Sumo and Jeff get stranded in El Paso, Texas which kickstarts the plot.
*Flashback Cut: A brief one for how Carman and Burt were enemies ever since.
*Flashback-Montage Realization: Kimby has flashbacks from the episodes "Slumber Party", "Detention" and "Belson Gets a Girlfriend" which reveal she was hiding her affections towards Jeff..
*How We Got Here: After Mary and Chad arrive, Sumo explains their entire escapade in El Paso.Sumo: We got left behind from playing hide-and-seek, we met this guy Carman that wanted to help us get back, then Jeff and Clarence had a big fight and Clarence decided to huff it back home.
** This also implies with the opening lines quoted above.
*Insecure Love Interest: During the pre-credits scene, Kimby approaches Jeff, which he becomes shy about her in his space. However, he lightens up to her.
*Jerkass Has a Point: Jeff has a Rage Breaking Point and chews out Clarence for stranding them in El Paso (see "The Reason You Suck" Speech below).
*Jerk With a Heart of Gold:
**Carman. As much as he's a typical prankster, he's a kind, respectable kid.
**Jeff himself. He serves as the Only Sane Man to his closest friends and still finds Clarence's motives frustrating at times to the point where he calls him out near the third act, but he's still there for him regardless.
*Leaning on the Fourth Wall: Clarence, Sumo, and Jeff have been friends for five years, a reference to the show's original run from April 14, 2014 to June 24, 2018.
*Logo Joke: The Cartoon Network Studios logo is seen in a blue sky, then the logo fades away before the background pans down to the trio sitting on their couch next to West Aberdale.
** After the credits, the logo opens up to reveal the boys sitting on the sidewalk behind the Wendle house; rather than the wooden Clarence from the show.
*Long List: Jeff has one for things to do in El Paso.
*Loser Gets the Girl: Jeff, a germophobic and egocentric nerd, gets Kimby after the climax. And there's a kiss that proves it.
*Misfit Mobilization Moment: Parodied. As Kimby, Dustin and Nathan start bickering, they start to realize that their arguing isn't getting them anywhere, so they focus on the task at hand.
*Noodle Incident:
** Jeff had once helped Nathan with a science project prior to being transferred.
** Sumo once helped Dustin and Nathan fend for themselves.
** Carman once put a tracking chip in Burt's shirt to discover his whereabouts.
*Only Sane Man: Jeff takes on the role as the sane member in the movie, as opposed to Sumo in the the original series.
*Plot-Mandated Friendship Failure: Between Clarence and Jeff. Jeff finally calls out Clarence for accidentally stranding them in El Paso, followed by ending their friendship after the past five years, resulting in the two fighting each other.
*Police Are Useless: Subverted. The police arrest Burt for not kidnapping, but for crashing into their car.
*Real Song Theme Tune: The movie features various actual songs, instead of parodied versions like in the show.
*"The Reason You Suck" Speech: After Clarence and Sumo's attempt to shoplift food, Jeff finally has the balls to call out Clarence for getting them stranded in El Paso in the first place, as well as his constant stupidity.Jeff: That's it! I've had enough!Clarence: What?Jeff: I don't know. Oh, wait, yeah, now I remember. It's because of your constant stupidity, Clarence!Sumo: Hey! He may be dumb, and may put us in trouble at times, but he's our friend! He usually doesn't know any better.Jeff: That's the point; he's always going off the rails to put anyone, especially us, on his constant shenanigans! In the end, we ignore those events for new ones, yet, he goes un-blamed most of the times!Clarence: Really? I never knew that. I wonder how many things I got off the hook.Jeff: Clarence, throughout the past few years, which feels like five years, I've stayed loyal to you, even overlooked your behavior, but now, this is where I can't do this anymore.Clarence: What do you mean?Jeff: I mean it's all your fault for getting us into this mess! Look where we are! If you were like everyone else, you'd be a regular everyday guy like me: calm, less energetic, less imaginative, able to think, stay out of trouble. But instead, you wanna be stubborn, reckless, slow-minded, looking on the bright side, and having your head in the clouds![Clarence has his mouth wide open from Jeff's words.]Jeff: If you still think that everything's gonna be okay, tell me.
*Rhetorical Question Blunder: During the kids' mission to save the trio.Amy: Are you guys giving up now? Are you tough, or are you just chicken?Dustin: No, just tired. But some of us are a bit chicken. [beat] Buk-cock!Amy: Very funny.
*Road Trip Plot: Amy, Kimby, Dustin, Nathan, Mary and Chad travel to El Paso to rescue the trio.
*Rousing Speech: Amy gives one to the students after hearing about the trio's predicament.Amy: Listen up, guys. Even though some of you guys are better off or managing without them, they're our friends; and friends stick together no matter what. Nathan, who helped you with your science project?Nathan: Jeff did.Amy: That's right! And who taught you and Dustin to fend for yourselves?Nathan: Sumo.Amy: That's the spirit! And Kimby, who brought you into the world of actual fun?Kimby: Clarence did!Amy: There you go! They may be ordinary guys, but they're our friends, and they need our help to get them home![The four of them applaud for Amy, in which almost awakens Mr. Reese, so they clap quietly.]
*Shout-Out:
**Alan Tudyk's character's name Burt Ernest is a reference to Burt and Ernie from Sesame Street and Ernest "Ernie" Smuntz from MouseHunt.
**Same can be said with how Carman's name is a reference to South Park character Eric Cartman (a character voiced by Trey Parker, creator of South Park).
*Something Else Also Rises: When Jeff notices a magazine Carman took, which is filled with... suggestive stuff.Jeff: [after looking down] Uh, does anyone else feel their pants bunched up?
*Tracking Device: Carman had once placed a tracking chip into Burt's shirt a while back, which is used to follow the man to save Clarence in the climax.
*Tsundere: Kimby is shown to have romantic affections to Jeff. Near the end, she reveals to him that she was pretending to give him the cold shoulder to hide her affections from him.
*Unhand Them, Villain!: At the start of the car chase.Sumo: Let 'em go, you jerk!Bert: Yeah, not on your life, kid.
*What the Hell, Hero?: Jeff's reaction to Clarence and Sumo's attempt to shoplift snacks, leading to Jeff to call out Clarence for being stuck in El Paso.
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Home, sweet, home; no other place I would be but here.
Category:Cartoon Network Studios
Category:Animated films
Category:Theatrical films