Under the Boardwalk

Under the Boardwalk is an computer-animated musical comedy film directed by David Soren and written by Soren and Lorene Scafaria. Produced by Paramount Animation and animated by DNEG Animation, it was released in limited theaters on October 27, 2023, before being released on Digital HD on November 7.
== Plot ==
A community of land crabs underneath a New Jersey beach boardwalk often play host to a community of sea crabs that come to the land for vacation and both species of crabs can't stand each other. Armen, a timid land crab, is reluctant to go out and socialize due to how his mother and father died in a storm when he was younger and his rotting shell, inhabited by a fun-loving organism named Anemone, is the only reminder of them. However, three muscular crabs and Armen's friends, Bobby, Manny and Jimmy, drag him to a club owned by his uncle Bruno. The crabs get into a fight with an arrogant sea crab named Mako when Armen inadvertently bumps into Ramona, a tourist sea crab he fell in love with earlier. The land crabs get evicted as a result and Armen frustratedly takes his leave. As he is sulking by the seashore, Mako and his goons come to hassle him and steal his shell. Ramona intervenes, but she and Armen get swept away in a high tide that ruins the land crab civilization.
Armen ends up in the far end of the beach and above the boardwalk where he is captured by a human collector to sell as a pet and is given an artificial shell to boot. He soon reunites with Ramona and together, they escape and work together to get back home. On their journey, they each share their insecurities, Armen for being too frightened to do anything besides stay in his shell and Ramona from wanting to get away from her overbearing mother Val, who expects perfection from her. Armen and Ramona's disappearances soon intensifies the rivalry between the land and sea crabs, mostly due to how Mako made up the story of how Armen tried to steal Ramona way from him. Bobby begins second-guessing his tendency to use physical force against his enemies and soon encounters Ramona's deaf sister Shelly looking for Ramona. However, as he walks her home, Val sends him away and when he tries to break up a fight between his friends and Mako's gang, he snaps off Mako's arm. Mako vows revenge and claims that Armen is dead, giving them Armen's shell. The land crabs then declare war.
As Armen and Ramona fall in love, two of the crabs they met while at the pet shop begin judging them, making Armen feel hesitant about his feelings, much to Ramona's distress. Eventually, Ramona begins to get dehydrated and passes out, prompting Armen to carry her into the water, moving past the conflict between the land and sea crabs, who cease their fighting to see Armen carrying Ramona and dragging her into the water. Ramona wakes up and kisses Armen and they go back to the surface where Armen is praised for his heroism and Mako is outed as a liar. The land and sea crabs work past their differences with Mako giving Bobby a new shell as a peace offering and Armen giving his shell to a new crab who needs it more
== Cast ==
* Michael Cera as Armen
* Keke Palmer as Ramona
* Bobby Cannavale as Bobby
* Russell Brand as Mako
* John Magaro as Manny
* Jonathan Rudnitsky as Jimmy
* Steven Van Zandt as Bruno
* Vanessa Bell Calloway as Val
* Shoshannah Stern as Shelly
* Ron Funches as Anemone
* Mario Cantone as Mr. Cacciatore
== Songs ==
* Welcome to New Jersey
* Anyone Else
* Line in the Sand
* Look Around
* More Than a Meathead
* Going Out
== Production ==
In June 2019, a film titled Jersey Crabs was announced as part of Paramount Animation's upcoming slate, with Lorene Scafaria writing the screenplay and David Dobkin producing. In July 2020, it was reported that David Soren was hired to direct the film, which was retitled Under the Boardwalk. New Republic Pictures co-financed the film.
The film was animated by British studio DNEG Animation, with production underway by February of 2021.
==Release==
Under the Boardwalk was originally scheduled to be theatrically released by Paramount Pictures on July 22, 2022. However, in January 2022, it was removed from the release schedule with Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank taking the date. On July 26, 2023, Paramount CEO Brian Robbins announced that the film would be released straight to Paramount+ instead of theaters. It was released in limited theaters on October 27, 2023.
== Trivia ==
*The third Nickelodeon Movies film to reuse the old 2008-2009 logo after Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem and PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie. It is also the first theatrical film to only use the logo without Paramount.
**However, this only occurred on the theatrical release of this film, as the Paramount Animation logo is used instead on the digital release.
*For unknown reasons, the film did not receive any promotion or marketing, and the trailer was released just three days before release.
*David Soren previously directed the two DreamWorks films, Turbo and Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie. This is his first film outside the company.
*This is Keke Palmer's first involvement with Nickelodeon since True Jackson, VP.
**This is also her second voice role in a film released the 2020s, with the first being Disney and Pixar's Lightyear.
*This is Bobby Cannavale's third voice role in a film released in the 2020s, after Warner Animation Group's Tom & Jerry and Illumination's Sing 2.
*This is composer John Debney's sixth collaboration with Nickelodeon Movies.
*Bobby Cannavale (Bobby's voice actor), Jon Rudnitsky (Jimmy's voice actor), and Steven Van Zandt (Bruno's voice actor) were either born in or originated from New Jersey, where the film takes place.
*While the film was released by Nickelodeon Movies in theaters, it was released by Paramount Animation on digital.
=== Cultural References ===
* The film's title is a reference to the song of the same name by The Drifters.
* The entire plot is based off of William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, as well as the 1961 film, West Side Story, and the 2011 film, Gnomeo & Juliet.
* Bobby is named after his voice actor, Bobby Cannavale. His hair also resembles that of Cannavale.
* Mr. Cacciatore has a similar name to that of his voice actor, Mario Cantone.
* Gates of Shell, the shop where Armen and Ramona get trapped in a cage, is a play on the phrase "Gates of Hell."
* A few references to SpongeBob SquarePants are made in this film:
** Big Sal shouting "Freedom!" is a possible reference to SpongeBob saying the same thing after he frees all of the jellyfish in the episode "Jellyfish Hunter".
** The burger from which Ramona takes two pickles to throw at Armen during Look Around bears a striking resemblance to a Krabby Patty.
** Ramona becoming weaker and weaker as a result of being dehydrated is also what happened to SpongeBob in "Tea at the Treedome".
* The song More Than a Meathead may have been inspired by I'm Just Ken from the live-action Barbie movie, which was released theatrically a few months prior.
** Its title is also a likely reference to the Bee Gees song, More Than a Woman.
* The final song, Going Out, has a very similar tempo to the Electric Light Orchestra song, Mr. Blue Sky.
** The song itself is also very similar to Best Summer Ever from Teen Beach 2.
*This marks Michael Cera's return to Nickelodeon after the end of Wayside in 2008, Michael voiced Todd in the pilot for that series
== Videos ==
Under the Boardwalk - Official Trailer - Paramount Movies
== Gallery ==
== External Links ==
Category:Under the Boardwalk
Category:Movies
Category:Theatrical movies
Category:Films
Category:PG-rated movies