The Alex Adventure Movie

**The Alex Adventure Movie** is the first, and only, *Alex Adventure* feature film to date. It was released in the United States and Canada on July 3, 2002, a direct four years after the series' broadcast, becoming the fastest TV-to-Film adaptation in history.

It received positive reviews, stating it's "brilliant in its own twisted way." Though it amassed $11.4 million in box office, this is commendable considering that it was, for its time, the highest grossing animated movie to be rated "PG". The film, a musical, constrasting the Disney Renaissance, containing memorable songs, was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Song for "They Need Me".

The film contains many underlying messages, including censorship lessons, the views of the Motion Picture Association of America, and that you should accept what is your fault, and not try to blame it on someone else.

## Plot

It is the 300-year (tricentennial) anniversary for the town of Tremorton. However, Queen Vexus and her Cluster drones have invaded once more and are again embroiled in a fierce and destructive battle with Alex. Vexus is beaten, but escapes, leaving her portal-generating device behind. As a result of the fight with the Cluster, Alex accidentally ruins everybody's day and the ceremony by causing massive collateral damage to the town. Furious by the incident, everyone in town, except for Brad, Tuck, and Stevie, shuns him very presence, labeling him as nothing but an irreverent troublemaker, even his own mother, Dr. Blackman.

Alex is deeply hurt by the townspeople's attitude and is overall fed up with being unappreciated by humans. While wandering the wreck site, Alex stumbles onto the teleporter Vexus used to escape and is transported to Cluster Prime. Although terrified at first, Alex soon finds that Cluster Prime is actually a peaceful robotic paradise where he actually fits in quite well as a normal teenager. At the Cluster Prime high school, he even forms a friendship with the friendly robot girl Vega (voiced by Thora Birch), and a group of her three close friends, Drab, Tuff, and Stem, who are robotic counterparts of Alex’s human friends (Brad, Tuck, and Stevie).

Alex soon learns that the Cluster people have been lied to through Queen Vexus’ Cluster propaganda; they are being told that Alex (shown as a grotesque and evil metal monster) is responsible for stealing the people's golden chips which grants them advanced robotic powers, like fighting or flight. When Alex sees that the Cluster citizens need help when there is trouble, he disguises himself with a helmet and Cluster flag so he can perform his heroic deeds without revealing himself to be the infamous HA-9. However, his deeds soon draw attention from Cluster forces loyal to Vexus, who put a bounty out on her head and attempt to lure her into a trap.

Cluster forces led by Vexus, Krackus, and Smytus invade Earth with their army of Cluster Drones and enslave the humans. The citizens of Tremorton soon find themselves in an extremely ironic predicament when they hope for Alex to come and save them, but he doesn't show up because of the previous incident at the tricentennial resulting in him being trapped on Cluster Prime. Meanwhile, Vexus also grows impatient as to why Alex hasn't shown up to stop the invasion, as she is believes Alex is still on Earth. Brad is determined to be a revolutionary leader and actually succeeds with some childish pranks and the help of his little brother Tuck. Dr. Blackman, revealing herself to be a former member of the Skyway Patrol, joins forces with Sheldon to invent a portal device and confront Vexus.

Alex is soon exposed on Cluster Prime and is forced to flee from the Cluster authorities. But he discovers, while inadvertently sneaking through Vexus’ palace, that Vexus had stolen and hid the citizens' golden chips while scapegoating Alex for the theft. She also learns that Vega is Vexus' daughter, making her Crown Princess of Cluster Prime. With the help of Vega and her friends, Alex returns all of the chips to the Cluster Prime robot citizens, who learn the truth and realize Vexus had deceived them. They call for her removal from the throne. Alex is forced into a fight with a furious Vexus, with Vega, Dr. Blackman, and Stevie coming in to assist and save him. Vexus is then defeated and forced to flee Cluster Prime, and Vega becomes queen, liberating the planet.

Alex quickly returns to Earth to save the people from Smytus, who had set the planet to self-destruct. He successfully defeats the Cluster Commander, and is welcomed back home with cheers and much love from the citizens of Tremorton, especially his mother and friends.

## Home video

The film was released on Region 1 DVD and VHS on November 5, 2002 in the US. The DVD included extras such as deleted scenes, behind-the-scenes footage and audio commentaries. Despite being filmed in 1.85:1 aspect ratio, the DVD and VHS are in fullscreen only, much akin to that of the original series. The Region 2 DVD release presents the film in it original widescreen aspect ratio, but omits the the audio commentary, deleted scenes and bonus features.

## Production notes

During production, The Hollywood Reporter reported that voice actresses E.G. Daily, Chad Doreck, and Audrey Wasilewski had gone on strike, protesting that they weren't being paid enough to star in a feature. The studio publicly mulled replacing them with new actresses, not just for the movie, but for the rest of the series too. Eventually, a deal was reached and the trio returned to voice Alex, Brad, and Tuck again.

The behind-the-scenes feature on the DVD reveals an extended version of Vexus' rant on the aliens for plotting against him.

The movie was originally going to be released on August 17, 2000. It was changed to July 3, 2002 for unknown reasons. The film was rated PG by the Motion Picture Association of America for non-stop frantic animated action.

## Design

The film featured substantially revised designs for many of the TV show's characters, with a much more angular look and Alex received new and friendlier designs, replacing the old circle and oval designs, which had been in place since April and May 2000 respectively. The circle and antenna designs of Alex were designed back in the year 1999 and looked pretty dated by that time because when the new designs of Alex were introduced, the staff felt the old designs were "so Japan and so 1999" and would no longer be needed as a result. Many of these changes were incorporated in the future seasons of the show, such as the Dr. Susan Blackman's new eyes and Smytus' sharper teeth. Also, at the end of the movie before the closing credits begin, the end graphic with the pulsating and concentric hearts and Alex appearing in an explosion of stars switched to the slightly more elaborate version (this will be like that in the future seasons of the show. Also, the ending is much longer than usual (running at a length of almost 40 seconds, longer than any other episode outros in the series) and for the first time since "The Internet Pedo", the "THE END" sign does not appear at all in this movie as the practice for using these two words at the end of a movie had pretty much ceased by now), meaning Alex in his normal pose stay on-screen in place of the "THE END" sign for the rest for the newly introduced animated episode outro for this movie. Also, unlike other episodes, the episode outro for this movie cuts to black instead of fading. The film ended up having a maximum budget around $15-20 million despite for the style of limited animation.

## Reception

Reviews of the film were mixed to positive. On Rotten Tomatoes, it currently has a rating of 63% from selected critics with an average reviewer score of 6.1/10 and a slightly better rating of 69% from top critics on the site with an average reviewer score of 6.2/10. The site's consensus reads: "It plays like an extended episode, but *The Alex Adventure Movie* is still lots of fun." On Metacritic, the film currently has a rating of 65 out of 100, which indicates "generally favorable reviews." On IMDb, it gained a 6.5/10 rating based on 7,874 votes.

Bob Longino of the *Atlanta Journal-Constitution* gave the movie perhaps the highest praise of all, saying "The intricate drawings emanate 1950s futuristic pizazz like a David Hockney scenescape. The inspired script is both sinfully cynical and aw-shucks sweet." He also called it "one of the few American creations that is both gleeful pop culture and exquisite high art."

However, it was also criticized by some for its violence, which many felt was too extreme and highly inappropriate for a family-oriented film. The most negative review was from the show "Ebert and Roeper." Roger Ebert said the film was upsetting to watch after the 9/11 attacks, and Richard Roeper called it a freaky and annoying little film. Controversy surrounded the movie, mainly that the movie was released the first summer after the September 11th attacks and people said the buildings being destroyed reminded them of the attacks. Although this is only an animated feature, the buildings Alex destroyed could set a bad example.

Despite the decent reviews, however, the film flopped at the box office due to poor marketing and publicity, and facing rough competition with *Spider-Man*, *Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones*, *Lilo & Stitch*, *Stuart Little 2*, *Men in Black II*, which was released on the same day, and other films. And the fact that the show lost much of its popularity. It was released straight-to-VHS and DVD in some countries. Shortly after its poor commercial performance, a *Samurai Jack* movie that had been in development was canceled. *The Alex Adventure Movie* grossed only $11.4 million domestically and $5 million internationally, grossing $16.4 million worldwide.[1]