| Vanellope & Friends: Time Travel | |
|---|---|
| Directed by |
Audrey Wells Alicia Kirk Andrei Svislotski Bosco Ng |
| Produced by |
Audrey Wells David K. Lovegren David W. King Stephen Swofford |
| Screenplay by | Ashley Edward Miller |
| Story by |
Audrey Wells Alicia Kirk Andrei Svislotski Bosco Ng |
| Starring |
Sarah Silverman Owen Laramore Taylor Goll Neil Patrick Harris Dick Van Dyke Ginnifer Goodwin Ed O'Neill |
| Music by |
Hans Zimmer John Powell |
| Cinematography | Cory Rocco Florimonte |
| Edited by |
Sarah K. Reimers Tatiana S. Reigel Arthur D. Noda |
| Production companies |
Walt Disney Pictures Dice Productions |
| Distributed by |
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures |
| Release date |
April 5, 2019 (El Capitan Theatre) April 19, 2019 (United States) |
| Running time | 108 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $200 million |
| Box office | $1.919 billion |
Vanellope & Friends: Time Travel is a 2019 American animated science fiction comedy-drama film produced by Dice Productions and released by Walt Disney Pictures. Directed by Audrey Wells, Alicia Kirk, Andrei Svislotski, and Bosco Ng, it is the sequel to Vanellope & Friends: Wild Wild West and the fourth installment in the Vanellope & Friends film series. It features the voices of Sarah Silverman, Owen Laramore, Taylor Goll, Neil Patrick Harris, Dick Van Dyke, Ginnifer Goodwin, and Ed O'Neill. In the film, Vanellope von Schweetz, Judy Hopps, Hank, and her two new kid friends, Ryan Oliver West (Lawrence Broderick West's brother) and his school crush and best friend, Meredith H. Oak, are accidentally sent to the year 1967 in a time-traveling DeLorean automobile built by Ryan's eccentric scientist friend, Dr. Gordon Owens. However, their families' existence by accidentally preventing their future parents from falling in love, so they must reconcile the parents and return to the present, all while trying to stay ahead of the Dr. Owens' arch-enemy, Dr. Gremlin.
Vanellope & Friends: Time Travel premiered at the El Capitan Theatre in Los Angeles on April 5, 2019, and was released theatrically in the United States on April 19, by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. The film received universal acclaim from critics and broke several box office records including becoming the highest-grossing Vanellope & Friends film, the highest-grossing Walt Disney Pictures-released film, the second highest-grossing animated film, the highest-grossing PG-rated film, the second highest-grossing film of 2019, the eighth highest-grossing film of all time, and the highest-grossing film produced by Dice, earning $871 million in its opening weekend and eventually earning a collective total of $1.919 billion worldwide, becoming the eighth animated film to pass the milestone. It was nominated for Best Picture (the fifth animated film to be nominated for such an honor) and Best Animated Feature at the 92nd Academy Awards. It won the latter, making it Dice Productions' first film to win an Oscar. It was also nominated for the Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation. This was the last Dice film to involve producer Wells and executive producer John Lasseter, following Wells' death and Lasseter's exit from Disney, both in 2018. A sequel, Vanellope & Friends: Off To Adventure Camp, was released on February 28, 2020.
Plot[]
In Anythingville, Vanellope von Schweetz, Judy Hopps, and Hank witness the comeback of Lawrence Broderick West from a vacation, and that their respective parents have come to visit. They befriend his brother who just moved in with him: Ryan Oliver West. However, Ryan and a band of his fellow students struggle at an elementary school music audition. Ryan confides in his new classmate, friend, and love interest, Meredith H. Oak, that despite his ambitions, he fears becoming Anythingville's worst failure, but Meredith becomes loyal to him no matter what and comforts him. Overhearing this conversation, Vanellope, Judy, and Hank also show sympathy towards Ryan.
Late that night, Vanellope, Meredith, Judy, and Hank follow Ryan to the Anythingville Shopping Mall, where he meets and introduces them to his eccentric scientist friend, Dr. Gordon Owens. Dr. Owens unveils a time machine built from a modified DeLorean, powered by electric plutonium he swindled from Dr. Gremlin, a sadistic blue gremlin who is a mad scientist. After revealing that the date Vanellope, Ryan, Meredith, Judy and Hank are in is April 19, 2019, Dr. Owens inputs a destination time of November 30, 1967 (the time he first conceived his time travel invention), Gremlin arrives unexpectedly in his gremlin-shaped UFO. He briefly renews an argument with Dr. Owens about his past: Gremlin was adopted and raised as an infant, but when he grew up, he became obsessed with plutonium and betrayed him by tampering with it, for which Dr. Owens kicked him out of his life. Gremlin sedates Dr. Owens with tranquilizer darts and chases Vanellope, Ryan, Meredith, Judy, and Hank in the DeLorean, but the chase inadvertently activates time travel when they reach 88 miles per hour (142 kilometers per hour). Arriving in 1967, the group loses Gremlin, but realize that they are sans electric plutonium and therefore cannot return to 2019.
Vanellope, Ryan, Meredith, Judy, and Hank navigate through a 1967 Anythingville. They encounter Ryan's young father and discover Bennett was bullying Greg even then. Greg falls into the path of an oncoming Plymouth Barracuda while smitten by the voice of a young girl, and Ryan is knocked unconscious while rescuing him. He wakes up to find himself tended to and cared for by the girl and her friends, who turn out to be younger versions of Earlene, and the group's dads and moms. Vanellope, Ryan, Meredith, Judy, and Hank track down and convince a younger Dr. Owens that they've come from the future. Dr. Owens explains that the only energy source available in 1967 capable of generating the power required to travel through time is a lightning bolt. Ryan shows Dr. Owens a flyer that documents an upcoming lightning strike at the Anythingville courthouse. As he and Lawrence start to fade out from a photo Ryan is carrying with him, Dr. Owens realizes the group's actions are altering the future and jeopardizing their existence.
The five devise a plot to get each moms and dad acquainted, but the plan goes awry when they are apprehended by Gremlin, who had teamed up and made a deal with Bennett and his gang to sabotage the five as revenge on Dr. Owens for his past misery. After Gremlin takes off in his UFO with an evil laugh, Bennett claims the girls while his gang locks Ryan, Vanellope, Meredith, Judy, and Hank in the trunk of a car belonging to the Anythingville Elementary School dance's performing band. The boys arrive, expecting to find Ryan, but Greg is assaulted by Bennett. After Bennett hurts Tilly, an enraged Greg knocks him unconscious and escorts the grateful Earlene to the dance. The boys escort the girls to the dance as well. The band frees Vanellope, Ryan, Meredith, Judy, and Hank from the car, but the lead guitarist injures his hand in the process. Ryan takes his place, performing while the moms and dads each share their first kiss. Meredith and Ryan confess beginning to fall in love and share their first kiss as well.
With their future no longer in jeopardy, Vanellope, Ryan, Meredith, Judy, and Hank hurry to the courthouse to meet Dr. Owens. Dr. Owens receives a letter from the five warning him about their future and tears it apart, worried about the consequences. At the same time, To save Dr. Owens, the group recalibrates the DeLorean to return ten minutes before they left the future. The lightning strikes, sending Vanellope, Ryan, Meredith, Judy, and Hank back to 2019, but the DeLorean breaks down, forcing the group to head back to the shopping mall, arriving just as Dr. Owens had been defeated. While Ryan grieves at his side, Dr. Owens sits up, revealing he had pieced the group's note back together and faked his sedation by wearing a dart-proof vest.
The next morning, Ryan, Vanellope, Meredith, Judy, and Hank wake up to discover that Ryan's family is better: his father is now a confident and successful science fiction author, his mother is fit and happy to be successful professionally and socially, Bennett is a servile valet in Greg's employ, and Gremlin is an imprisoned fugitive. A school music show is held at Ryan's school, where Ryan and his fellow junior band members put on a successful performance, with Vanellope, Judy, Hank, Meredith, and their families attending.
Cast[]
- Sarah Silverman as Vanellope von Schweetz
- Owen Laramore as Ryan Oliver West, the 10-year-old brother of Lawrence, Biggie Benny, Earlene, and Mateo, and is Beth's best friend and later boyfriend.
- Taylor Goll as Meredith H. Oak, a 9-year-old who is Ryan's best friend and love interest and later girlfriend. She is unconditionally loyal to Ryan, as she is always there for him when he is feeling down.
- Neil Patrick Harris as Dr. Gremlin, a sadistic blue gremlin who is a mad scientist and Doc's arch-nemesis and former adopted son.
- Dick Van Dyke as Gordon "Doc" Owens, an eccentric scientist who is a friend of Ryan.
- Ginnifer Goodwin as Judy Hopps, a rabbit who is one of Vanellope's friends. This is the comeback of her, along with Lawrence, Hank, and Mr. Ziploc disappeared from the previous film.
- Ed O'Neill as Hank, an Eastern Pacific red octopus who is one of Vanellope's friends. This is the comeback of him, along with Lawrence, Judy, and Mr. Ziploc, after they disappeared from the previous film.
- Cassandra Lee Morris as Earlene Tabitha Pratt, a 1967 kid who grows into Lawrence, Ryan, Earlene and Biggie Benny's 2019 mother. Ryan Kiera Armstrong voiced Earlene as a child.
- Bill Wise as Greg Ivan West, a nerdy 1967 elementary schooler who grows into Lawrence, Ryan, Earlene, and Biggie Benny's 2019 father. Iain Arimtage voiced Greg Greg as a child.
- Vince Vaughn as Geoffrey Tennant, a 1967 elementary school bully-turned Greg's 2019 boss. Jackson Robert Scott voiced him as a 1967 child.
- Cameron Boyce as Lawrence Broderick West, the mayor of Anythingville and Ryan's big brother. This is the comeback of him, along with Judy, Hank, and Mr. Ziploc, after they disappeared from the previous film.
- Michael J. Fox as Mr. Ziploc, Lawrence's adviser and best friend. This is the comeback of him, along with Lawrence. Judy, and Hank, after they disappeared from the previous film.
- Megan Hollingshead as Toni Oaks, Beth's mother. Lila Sage Bromley voiced her as a 1967 child.
- Jason Mantzoukas as Colin Oakes, Beth's father. Asher Blinkoff voiced him as a 1967 child.
- Laura Silverman as Vanilla von Schweetz, Vanellope's quirky mother. Youtuber Jbunzie voiced her a 1967 child.
- Jack McGraw as Vic von Schweetz, a 1967 child who would be Vanellope's father, but, unlike all the other 1967 kids, his adult counterpart never appears in the film.
- Bonnie Hunt as Bonnie Hopps, Judy's mother. Darby Camp voiced her as a 1967 child.
- Don Lake as Stu Hopps, Judy's father. Zackary Arthur voiced him as a 1967 child.
- Mindy Sterling as Mary, a green octopus and Hank's mother. Chloe Coleman voiced her as a 1967 child.
- Brian Cummings as Frank, a red octopus and Hank's father. Beckett Hipkiss voiced him as a 1967 child.
Box office[]
In the United States, Vanellope & Friends: Time Travel was released alongside The Curse of La Llorona and Under the Silver Lake, and was projected to gross anywhere between $480---525 million in its opening weekend. The film grossed $940 million in the United States and Canada, and $979 billion overseas for a worldwide total of $1.918 billion, making it a box-office success. The film grossed $871 million in its opening weekend, ranking the box office with its $1.9 billion gross and breaking the record for the highest-opening for a Dice film, the highest-opening for an animated film, and one of Disney's highest box office openings. It crossed the $1 billion mark with $1.501 billion in its second weekend, becoming the tenth animated film to pass the milestone and the fastest animated film to pass $1 billion, passing the milestone in just 10 days. Its theatrical run ended on November 19, 2019. Produced on an production budget of $200 million, it surpassed Magic Tree House as the highest-grossing film produced by Dice to date.
Critical response[]
On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 100% based on 280 reviews. The site's consensus reads, "Emotional and engaging for fans of the franchise as it is deeply breathtaking to look at, Vanellope & Friends: Time Travel has enough real power to take children and adults alike an entertaining 88 miles per hour". It is the highest-rated Vanellope & Friends film on that site. Another website, Metacritic, signed the film to a score of 95 out of 100 based on 54 critics, indicating "universal acclaim", also the highest-rated Vanellope & Friends film on that site. Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film a rare grade of "A+" on an A+ to F scale.
David Ehrlich of Indiewire called the film "devastatingly emotional" and praised the ending scene, saying, "The scene where Beth stays in Anythingville is a tearjerker, and in this case, conceptually happy, and that's no joke". A.O. Scott of The New York Times gave the film five out of five stars. Richard Roeper of the Chicago Sun Times gave the film "Two Thumbs Up". James Berarddinelli of ReelViews commended Ben Stiller's performance of Creasy Corden. He wrote, "It's great to see Ben Stiller in such great movies like this one". Carrey Rickey of The Philadelphia Inquirer wrote, "As directed by Karey Kirkpatrick, Vanellope & Friends: Time Travel is a heartwarming melody".