Timeline-PMI/Betty Boop (2003 film)

Theatrical release poster

***Betty Boop***, released internationally as ***The Betty Boop Movie***, is a 2003 American traditionally-animated comedy film based on the character of the same name created by Max Fleischer. Directed by David Foster, produced by Jordan Kerner and Mort Walker and written by Leslie Cabarga and Joshua Quagmire, it features the voice of Sandy Fox as the titular character in her first feature length debut, with Michael Bell, Larry Storch, Bob Joles, Tom Kenny and Carolyn Lawrence.

The iconic animated character Betty Boop is transported to the modern era, navigating the challenges and hilarity of the 21st century. *Betty Boop* was produced by Nickelodeon Movies, Fleischer Studios and The K Entertainment Company, with animation produced by Munich Animation, Rough Draft Studios and Wang Film Productions. It was dedicated to Mae Questel, the original voice of the character, who died in 1998.

It premiered in Sydney, Australia on November 8, 2003 and was theatrically released in the United States by Paramount Pictures on November 21, 2003. It received positive reviews, with praise for its animation, faithfulness to the character's material, plot and screenplay, though criticized the runtime and humor. It was a box office success, grossing $194 million against its budget of $45 million. It was followed by a sequel, *Betty Boop 2: After Years*, in 2008, where it maintained its positive critical reception, though underperformed at the box office.

## Plot

> *NOTE: This movie's plot was generated by ChatGPT, an AI programming tool developed by OpenAI.*
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Betty Boop, known for her signature high-pitched voice, flapper style, and timeless charm, finds herself unexpectedly brought into the digital age when a malfunctioning time-traveling invention of Professor Grimsley, a wacky inventor from the 1930s, goes haywire.

Betty wakes up in a bustling metropolis that's a far cry from the black-and-white world she's used to. She's amazed by the technological advancements and the vibrant cityscape. However, her distinct vintage appearance and mannerisms attract both awe and confusion from the people she encounters. While Betty's old-fashioned charm initially captivates the city dwellers, it's not long before her unfamiliarity with modern technology and customs leads to a series of hilarious misadventures.

As Betty tries to adapt to her new surroundings, she stumbles into a quirky group of friends who help her navigate this unfamiliar world. Jane, a tech-savvy young woman, becomes Betty's guide and introduces her to the wonders of smartphones, social media, and streaming services. Jake, an enthusiastic retro enthusiast, is thrilled to meet Betty and takes her on a whirlwind tour of the city's vintage hotspots.

However, not everyone is thrilled by Betty's sudden appearance. Lucius Grimley, the descendant of Professor Grimsley, learns of Betty's time-traveling mishap and sees her as a potential threat to his modern world. He devises a plan to capture Betty and use her old-fashioned charm to manipulate and control the masses, capitalizing on nostalgia and turning it into a powerful marketing tool.

As Betty becomes an unwitting internet sensation and a symbol of retro revival, she starts to lose touch with her true self. The pressure to conform to modern trends and to please her newfound fans begins to take a toll on her genuine spirit. With the help of her new friends, Betty must reclaim her authenticity and find a way to return to her own time while thwarting Lucius Grimley's sinister plot.

## Voice cast

* Sandy Fox as Betty Boop
* Michael Bell as Bimbo the Dog
* Larry Storch as Koko the Clown
* Bob Joles as Professor Grampy
* Tom Kenny as Pudgy
* Carolyn Lawrence as Sally Swing
* John DiMaggio as Professor Grimsley
* Isla Fisher as Lucius Grimley
* Grey Griffin as Jane
* Trey Parker Jake

*More coming soon!*

### Additional voices

* Candi Milo
* Carlos Alazraqui
* Michael Jeter
* Bob Hoskins
* Billy West
* Alexa PenaVega
* Dan Castellaneta
* Alec Baldwin

## Production

### Animation and design

The animation was produced at Munich Animation in Germany, at Rough Draft Studios in South Korea, and at Wang Film Productions in Taiwan. Pre-production was handled at Warner Bros. Animation, who also supervised in animation. Panoramas and rotating shots, including the backgrounds, scenery and additional character animation was handled by Mercury Filmworks.

## Music

*Main article: Betty Boop (2003 film)/Soundtrack*
The music for *Betty Boop* was composed by John Powell. The soundtrack album was released on November 23, 2003 through Varèse Sarabande. It included music from various pop artists, with an exclusive single by Iggy Pop, titled *Taking It Back,* where it received 4x Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America.

## Release

*Betty Boop* was released on November 21, 2003 in the United States by Paramount Pictures after it premiered in Sydney, Australia on November 8, 2003. It was rated PG by the MPAA for "rude humor, mild language and mild innuendo".

### Home media

*Betty Boop* was released on VHS and DVD on January 25, 2004 by Paramount Home Entertainment. It was later released on Blu-ray on August 21, 2009 and on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray on April 29, 2017.

### Video game

> *Main article: Timeline-PMI/Betty Boop (2003 video game)*
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A video game based on the film was released on December 15, 2003, developed by Nick Games and published by Activision for the Xbox, PlayStation 2, GameCube, Gameboy Advance and DS.

## Reception

### Box office

*Betty Boop* opened theatrically on November 21, 2003 alongside *Dr. Seuss' The Cat in the Hat*. It grossed $58.1 million in its opening weekend, ranking first in front of the former, *Brother Bear*, *Elf* and *Looney Tunes: Back In Action*. The film ended its theatrical run on May 21, 2004. It grossed $87 million in the United States and Canada and $107 million internationally for a worldwide total of $194 million against its production budget of $45 million, becoming a box office success.

### Critical response

Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reported an approval rating of 83% based on 158 critic reviews, with an average rating of 6.55/10. The site's consensus states, "It's back to the 1930s with *Betty Boop*, a cartoon classic from Max Fleischer that captures the true personality, humor and wit of a beloved character in her second big screen hit with modern twists and gimmicks." On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 73 out of 100 based on 28 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore assigned the film an average grade "A-" on its A+ to F scale.

### Accolades

*Betty Boop* received five nominations at the 76th Academy Awards. It won three; Best Original Score (for John Powell), Best Original Song (for "*Taking It Back*" by Iggy Pop) and Best Supporting Actor (for Alec Baldwin), and lost two; Best Animated Feature (lost to *Finding Nemo*; Andrew Stanton) and Best Film Editing (lost to *The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King*; Jamie Selkirk).

## Sequel

> *Main article: Timeline-PMI/Betty Boop 2: After Years*
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A sequel, titled *Betty Boop 2: After Years*, was released in 2008.

## Trivia

* It is the first film produced by Paramount Animation under the Fleischer Studios name, to coincide with the original animated shorts produced by the now-defunct company.
* It is *Betty Boop*'s first feature length film, as well as the first in two sequels.
* It was one of Michael Jeter's last film roles prior to his death in March 2003, and thus was dedicated to him in his memory, alongside other movies like Disney’s *Open Range* in the same year and Robert Zemeckis' *The Polar Express* in 2004.
* Mae Questel, the original voice of *Betty Boop*, voices the classic version of the character via archived recordings. It was dedicated to Questel in her memory, after her death in 1998.
* The film was originally produced by Universal Pictures after the latter company purchased the rights in 1990. However, Paramount Communications, Inc. (later Viacom, then split in 2005 to form the second incarnation of Viacom and CBS Corporation; then re-merged to form ViacomCBS, later renamed Paramount Global in 2022) purchased back the rights to *Betty Boop* and other Fleischer Studios properties in 1993.

*More coming soon!*

## Transcripts

### Main

> *Main article: Timeline-PMI/Betty Boop (2003 film)/Transcript*
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### Trailers

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## Credits

> *Main article: Timeline-PMI/Betty Boop (2003 film)/Credits*
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