Regular Show: The Movie

Theatrical release poster

***Regular Show: The Movie*** is a 2015 American animated science fiction comedy film based on the Cartoon Network original series *Regular Show*. It was produced by Cartoon Network Studios and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. The film was directed by J. G. Quintel (in his directorial debut). The events of the film take place during the seventh season of the show and it features the voices of William Salyers, Quintel, Sam Marin, and Mark Hamill reprising their respective roles from the series, with Jason Mantzoukas and David Koechner joining the cast. The film follows Mordecai and Rigby, along with their groundskeeping co-workers, Benson, Pops, Muscle Man, Hi-Five Ghost, and Skips, as they embark on a mission to save the universe, and their friendship, from a volleyball coach. Mark Mothersbaugh, John Enroth and Albert Fox, who composed the score for the series, composed the film's score.

*Regular Show: The Movie* went into production while Season 5 was being written. It marked Warner Bros.' return to traditional animation, as it was the mainstream film studio's first traditionally animated film since *Codename: Kids Next Door: The Movie* (2009). The film is the first Cartoon Network original film since 2009's *Ed, Edd n Eddy's Big Picture Show*, as well as the third film based on a Cartoon Network property to receive a theatrical release after *The Powerpuff Girls Movie* and *Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters*. This film along with fellow animated films, Paramount Pictures's *Anomalisa*, GKIDS's *Boy and the World*, StudioCanal's *Shaun the Sheep Movie*, Toho's *When Marnie Was There* and Disney/Pixar's *Inside Out* were nominated for the first Academy Award for Best Animated Feature in 2016, ultimately losing to Inside Out. It was the third Cartoon Network theatrical film to be nominated for an Academy Award, first being *Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi* and second being *Class of 3000*.

The film premiered on June 28, 2015, at The Downtown Independent theater in limited release in Los Angeles, and was theatrically released in wide release on July 3, 2015. In theaters, a *Long Live the Royals* short entitled *Curfew Sneakout* was shown prior to the film. The film received positive reviews from critics, praising the voice cast, score, humor, and storyline. The film has grossed $44 million worldwide against a $6 million budget, making it a box office success. The film was released digitally on September 22, 2015, and on DVD and Blu-ray on October 13, 2015. The film ultimately had its network television premiere on April 26, 2016, on Cartoon Network.

## Synopsis

After a future, dying Rigby comes to warn the gang about the future, they must time travel back in time to when Mordecai and Rigby were in high school to stop a evil, crazy volleyball coach from destroying time. Will it work? Can Rigby tell the truth even if it will cost him and Mordecai their friendship?

## Plot

In the distant future, Rigby leads Benson, Skips, Hi-Five Ghost, Muscle Man, and Pops against a madman named Mr. Ross, who is plotting to destroy Earth by erasing all of time. They find Mr. Ross' weapon is guarded by a cyborg version of Mordecai, who attempts to kill Rigby for a transgression he did in the past. When the entire team is killed, Benson sacrifices himself so that Rigby can use a timeship, a space vehicle that can travel through time, to reach the past and stop the chaos. Rigby does so, but not before Mordecai shoots him with a plasma shotgun.

In the present, Mordecai and Rigby barely convince Benson not to fire them after running late due to Rigby's idea to get breakfast burritos. When the timeship crash lands in the park, future Rigby appears to tell Mordecai, Rigby and their co-workers that when Mordecai and Rigby were in high school, they created a time machine that backfired and created a "Time-nado", a tornado with the ability to travel through space and time, which was harnessed and weaponized by their former science teacher and volleyball coach, Mr. Ross, who was held responsible for the incident and sent to prison. Before dying, future Rigby also reveals future Mordecai shot him (to the shock of the group as they don't believe it's possible) and says Rigby must soon reveal a secret from his past in order to save the universe, even if it costs him his friendship with Mordecai. When questioned for details, Mordecai explains they created the time machine because Rigby got into their dream college, College University, but Mordecai did not.

After preparing for the mission, the employees use the timeship to travel back in time to Mordecai and Rigby's high school days but damage the ship's engines in the process. Skips, Muscle Man and Hi-Five Ghost stay behind to repair the ship's engines while Benson and Pops follow Mordecai and Rigby to the science lab to find the time machine that Mordecai and Rigby's past selves were working on with past Mr. Ross, who is angry at Rigby for costing the volleyball team the championship but was forced to let him do an extra credit assignment to pass his class. However, the volleyball team, thinking they were spies from their rival school, Riverdale, attacks Benson and Pops, forcing Mordecai and Rigby to get help from their past selves.

After convincing past Rigby to make a model volcano instead, the group destroys the time machine and returns to the timeship only to find the repairs stalled due to an encounter with Muscle Man and Hi-Five Ghost's past selves. Complicating matters further is that temporal ruptures begin appearing just as the repairs are finished. Rigby, who had slipped away earlier, informs the group that past Mordecai and past Rigby are heading to the high school to finish a second time machine future Mr. Ross planted. The employees race back to the science lab but are held up by future Mr. Ross and future Mordecai, allowing past Mordecai and past Rigby to botch the second time machine and create the Time-nado. Future Mr. Ross then forces Rigby to admit the truth while holding Mordecai hostage: he never got into College U, but Mordecai did and he created Mordecai's fake rejection letter in order to maintain their friendship. Future Mr. Ross tries to kill Mordecai with a volleyball bomb in the confusion, but future Mordecai, having a change of heart, jumps into the bomb's path, taking a heavy wound and forcing future Mr. Ross to retreat.

Enraged over the duplicity that has affected his life, Mordecai ends his friendship with Rigby, prompting a heartbroken Rigby to run off with the timeship and leave the group behind. Before dying, future Mordecai gives his present version his timeship and instructs him to patch things up, saying what Rigby did was no excuse to side with future Mr. Ross. As the group tries to rebound, a distress call from future Gene the Vending Machine prompts them to help out. Meanwhile, after a failed suicide attempt to fly into the Sun, Rigby encounters Father Time, who is falling apart due to the Time-nado, and convinces Rigby to apologize to Mordecai. Rigby heads to the future and races back to the Time-nado space station, but gets intercepted along with Mordecai by Mr. Ross at the temporal crystal power core. With Techmo's help, they manage to defeat Ross and restore their friendship before using the plutonium from Mordecai's timeship to destroy the Time-nado. They later return to the past and convince past Rigby to apologize to past Mr. Ross before he's taken to jail for life, thus ending the feud between them.

Arriving back to the present, Mordecai and Rigby agree that, despite how cool their future selves turned out, they won't let their friendship degrade into trying to kill each other, which alters the future and erases their dead future selves from the timeline. The following day, as Benson catches them out of the park, the pair race back in the timeship from a fast food place with Rigby saying they'll "never be late again" before using the timeship to travel back in time to the point before Benson catches them.

## Voice cast

* William Salyers as Rigby, Future Rigby, High School Rigby
* J. G. Quintel as Mordecai, Hi-Five Ghost, Future Mordecai, Future Hi-Five Ghost, High School Mordecai, Past Hi-Five Ghost
* Sam Marin as Pops, Benson, Muscle Man, Future Benson, Future Muscle Man, Future Pops, Past Muscle Man, Past Benson, Past Pops
* Mark Hamill as Skips, Future Skips, Past Skips
* Jason Mantzoukas as Mr. Ross, Future Mr. Ross
* David Koechner as Principal Dean
* Minty Lewis as Eileen
* Roger Craig Smith as Francis Jablonski, Frank Smith, Fast Food Guy
* Ali Hillis as Ship Computer, Barbara
* Kurtwood Smith as Gene
* Eddie Pepitone as Sherm
* Paul F. Tompkins as Gino
* Fred Tatasciore as Father Time, Security Guard, Timenado Mechanic, Willy, News Reporter
* Steve Blum as Techmo, Brit, Commander, TV Game
* Janie Haddad as Margaret Smith

## Production

The film was first announced in September 2014 during the Cartoon Network upfront. Series creator J.G. Quintel announced on April 9, 2015, via Twitter that the production of the film had been completed. A trailer for the film was shown at the 2015 Comic Con International event on May 8, 2015 and was later released online on May 10, 2015. The trailer was later shown in theaters in front of *Tomorrowland* on May 22, 2015. Despite the film being announced in September 2014, the film began production in 2013.

During production of the fourth season, the network asked the creator if he would like to do a forty-minute special episode. Quintel turned down the offer and asked to do a film instead. The network agreed. The idea was then put into development. As work on the fifth season was completing, in late 2013, Quintel and company engaged in the production of the film, titled *Regular Show: The Movie*. The project was originally produced for television and digital media, but eventually the TV film was reworked into a 73 minute theatrical film when executives at Warner Bros. Pictures decided to release it theatrically after successful test screenings. According to animation veteran Doug Anderson, the decision was also buoyed by the financial success of *Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi*, *The Ed, Edd n Eddy Movie*, *Mike, Lu & Og: Journey Back to Manhattan*, *Class of 3000*, *Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi 2*, *Dexter's Laboratory: The Movie*, *Camp Lazlo The Movie* and *Codename: Kids Next Door: The Movie*.

Quintel confirmed that the film is canon to the events of the show, and is set between the first two episodes of season seven, "Dumptown U.S.A." and "The Parkie Awards".

The sixth season of *Regular Show* was affected by the film. It was set to have 40 episodes, but due to the production of the film, only 31 were produced. Season seven featured 39 episodes.

### Music

On January 20, 2015, Mark Mothersbaugh, John Enroth and Albert Fox, who all composed the music for the television series, also composed the film's score, blending traditional orchestration with electronica.

## Soundtrack

 Released
 Recorded
 Genre
 Length
 Label
2. "Friends to the End"Released: 2015

The soundtrack for the film was released on CD and digital download on June 26, 2015 by Rhino Records. The soundtrack features an eclectic mix of pop rock songs and classic new wave singles played in the film.

Counting Crows contributed an original song to the film, "Good Enough", which was released as a single in 2015. American Hi-Fi also contributed an original song for the film titled "Friends to the End", which was used in the trailer advertising the film's theatrical release on TV and played over the closing credits. One Direction's "One Way or Another" was also included in the album.

### Track listing

 Total length:

## Release

### Theatrical release

The film first screened at the L.A. Downtown Independent on June 28, 2015 before it hit theaters worldwide. The film was then theatrically released on July 3, 2015, in the United States and Canada, in Australia on August 6, 2015, and in the United Kingdom on September 18, 2015. The film also screened at Alamo Drafthouse Cinemas across the United States and it had a showtime at the SVA Theatre of New York and at the Cinema Montreal CANADA during October 2015. The film's theatrical release was preceded by *Curfew Sneakout*, a short film based on Sean Szeles' forthcoming *Long Live the Royals* miniseries.

### Home media

The film was released on digital platforms such as iTunes and Google Play Movies & TV on September 22, 2015. The film was later released to DVD and Blu-ray by Warner Home Video on October 13, 2015. It includes the *Long Live the Royals* short film *Curfew Sneakout*, an audio commentary, deleted scenes, movie animatics, the trailer, original board pitch, concept art and movie art galleries. It is estimated to have grossed $155,392 in domestic DVD and Blu-ray sales. The film is available on HBO Max.

### Television premiere

*Regular Show: The Movie* premiered on Cartoon Network United States and Cartoon Network Canada on April 13, 2016. It premiered on Cartoon Network in the United Kingdom and Ireland and Cartoon Network in Australia and New Zealand on April 16, 2016. The film premiered in Asia (including Philippines) on April 18, 2016, and in Central and Latin America on May 2, 2016. The film premiered in France on May 13, 2016, on Cartoon Network.

## Reception

### Critical response

*Regular Show: The Movie* received positive reviews from both critics and audiences alike. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 84% based on 92 reviews, with an average rating of 4.1/5. The site's critics consensus read: "*Regular Show: The Movie* brings its beloved slackers to the big screen for an animated adventure that should prove entertaining for all ages." It also earned a 7.5/10 on IMDb. On Metacritic, the film has a score of 67 out of 100 based on reviews from 25 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B+" on an A+ to F scale.

Emily Ashby of Common Sense Media said in her review, "*Regular Show: The Movie* is full of far-fetched scenarios and story tangents. There's a lot of cartoon violence, including some fistfights, explosions, the use of hand-held blasters, and the disintegration of some characters. Language is marginal ("stupid," "butt," and the like), and the characters sometimes act on selfish or vengeful urges. That said, a main character realizes when his actions affect others in a negative way and attempts to set things right in the end." Felix Vasquez Jr. of Cinema Crazed called it "a great treat for devotees of the series; it’s simple, very entertaining, and never loses sight of what makes the show so excellent."

### Ratings

The film was watched by 2.17 million viewers and received a 4.5 rating in adults 18-49.

### Box office

Opening on July 3, 2015, in the United States, the film grossed $44 million worldwide against a budget of $6 million.

## Gallery

*Main article: Regular Show: The Movie/Gallery*
## Trivia

* This is the first movie based on a Cartoon Network series since "Ed, Edd n Eddy's Big Picture Show" in 2009, and the first one to be released theatrically since "The Powerpuff Girls Movie" back in 2002.
* According to J.G. Quintel, they started production on the movie when they began writing Season Five and finished it before they began writing Season Eight.
* The original cast reprised their roles in the movie.
* A trailer was first shown at Comic-Con on May 8, 2015.
* On April 9, 2015, J.G. Quintel announced via Twitter that the film had been completed.
* Quintel has also confirmed that the movie is canon and is set in the middle of season six and season seven.
* The animation of the movie is the same as the show, although CGI was used for the moving spaceships, the Timenado, the time beams, Father Time, as well as the hallway inside the Timenado.
* Mordecai and Rigby's designs as teenagers are the same from "A Skips In Time", although Mordecai does not have braces.
* Originally the movie was supposed to be a 40-minute special, but J.G. Quintel refused and acknowledged Cartoon Network to make it a full movie and both agreed.
* The movie was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, although it ultimately lost to "Inside Out". This also marks it as the third Cartoon Network Feature to be nominated for an Academy Award, after "Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi" and "Class of 3000".
* The movie revealed that Mordecai and Rigby been best friends since they were toddlers.
* The movie focuses more on Rigby than Mordecai.
* Fred Tatasciore voices Father Time instead of Alan Sklar in "It's Time".
* During the end of the credits, the second song that is playing is American Hi-Fi's Friends to the End and is also the first single for their sixth album American Hi-Fi Acoustic. There also was a music video for the original soundtrack of the movie.
* This is the first appearance of Mordecai and Rigby's old High School principal, Principal Dean, who will be a recurring character in Season 7 during the High School arc.
* Although Rigby is the main protagonist of the movie, ironically, it is Hi-Five Ghost who is the first one to note that strange things were happening, because he tells the others when future Rigby's ship crashed into the park.
* Despite teenage Mordecai and Rigby getting expelled for blowing up the science lab, Mordecai is shown to have still graduated and received a diploma in "More Smarter". It's likely Mordecai's grades were good enough to receive his credits and qualify for graduation, just not attend school or the graduation ceremony. Mordecai also states that he went to a junior college instead.
* It is revealed that Benson, Pops. Skips, Muscle Man, and Hi Five Ghost have been working at the Park since Mordecai and Rigby were in High School.
* It is revealed that Margaret has been riding in Chopper 6 since Mordecai and Rigby were in High School, Which explains her fascination in the news.
* It is revealed that Mordecai and Rigby accidently created the Timenado from "A Skips in Time" when they were teenagers in High School.
	+ This was foreshadowed when a portal to Mordecai and Rigby's teenage selves appeared when they tried to send teenage Skips back to his time.
* It is revealed that Rigby is the reason that he and Mordecai work at the Park.
* This is the 5th and last time Benson's car gets destroyed.
* The is the first appearance of Principal Dean and Francis Jablonski.

### Episode Connections

* The response Mordecai said to Past Mordecai when he asked him if he gets into College U is a callback to the episode "Mordecai and the Rigbys".
	+ In the episode, "Wouldn't want to ruin the surprise," is the same response Future Mordecai (the one that turned into a Rockstar) said when Mordecai asked about future events. If he got together with Margret to be precise.
		- In each scenario, the phrase meant no.
* The following is a list of episodes that are seen when Rigby go around the time portals: "Limousine Lunchtime", "Rigby in the Sky With Burrito", "The Real Thomas", "Temp Check", "Death Punchies", "The Power", "Lunch Break" and "Mordecai and the Rigbys".
* This entire movie revolves around destroying the Timenado, which first appeared in "A Skips in Time".
* The movie's future timeline is foreshadowed in some Season 7's episodes, which is soon happening in the finale of that season and all part of the Season 8's storylines. Except it is now in a brand new timeline, retconning some of the previous timeline's fate of Mordecai and Ross' future, thanks to Rigby's atonement.
* Past Muscle Man and Hi Five Ghost have the same appearances in the flashback from "Struck by Lightning."
* Father Time makes his first appearance, since his debut in "It's Time."
* Some of the video games at the arcade were Lemonade Stand, Hats 4 Sale, Candle Maker, and two Ball of Yarns from "Just Set Up the Chairs."
* The movie foreshadows the High School arc in Season 7 and the events of Season 8.
* In the movie Future Mordecai's ship gets destroyed while Future Rigby's ship survives. The same things happens again but mirrored in "A Regular Epic Final Battle," where Rigby's ship gets destroyed but Mordecai's ship survives.
* Benson's car has previously been destroyed in "Picking Up Margaret," "Benson's Car," "Paint Job," and "Dumped at the Altar."

### Pop Culture References

* The movie includes three real-life songs, "March of the Swivel Heads", "The Future's So Bright, I Gotta Wear Shades" and "Pale Blue Eyes".
	+ The movie also features two original songs by Counting Crows, and American Hi-Fi, as well as One Direction's cover of "One Way or Another".
* The real-life show, *Everybody Loves Raymond*, is mentioned.
* West Anderson High School may be a reference to the filmmaker Wes Anderson.
* Also, another real-life media referenced by Ross (but not exactly mentioned) is the movie is *Back To The Future*.
* When Mordecai and Rigby rush to the park, the situation is a reference to *Ferris Bueller's Day Off*. In Fact, the music was taken directly from the aforementioned movie.
* A tune similar to Tears for Fears' "*Head Over Heels*" plays when West Anderson High School first appears, making this sequence a slight reference to the cult movie *Donnie Darko*.
* The plot of the movie is almost based on the combination of the *Back to the Future* and *Star Wars* plots.

### Goofs

* When future Rigby runs to his ship saying Stupid, stupid, the lip syncing is off.
* Muscle Man wants to go to the restroom when he and Hi Five Ghost are guarding the spaceship. When they enter the restroom, Muscle Man's clothes are sucked by the toilet and he gets naked. After they go out of the spaceship, Muscle Man seems not to be naked. But when Muscle Man and HFG go out of the bush, Muscle Man is naked again.
* During the scene in that Mr. Ross forced Rigby to reveals the truth to Mordecai, their past selves were seeing the confession of the present Rigby, yet the past Mordecai and past Rigby were unfazed for the revelation about the lies, leaving a strange plot hole because the past Mordecai don't get angry with the past Rigby to learned about his lies of the university, and also, the past Rigby wasn't nervous to see as his lies were being exposed by his present self in front of his best friend.
* The movie reveals that Mordecai and Rigby both got expelled from High School, but in "Rigby in the Sky with Burrito" Rigby was revealed to have dropped out of High School.
* After Future Rigby dies and is placed on the living room table, there is a jump cut that shows a view out the front window. After the camera pans back toward the table, Future Rigby's corpse is no longer present for the rest of the scene.

## Transcripts

### Main Transcripts

*Main article: Regular Show: The Movie/Transcript*
### Trailer Transcripts

*Main article: Regular Show: The Movie/Trailer transcripts*
## Credits

*Main article: Regular Show: The Movie/Credits*