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The StoryBots in Mexico (also known as StoryBots: The Next Chapter during production) is a 2011 animated comedy film that is the second film based on the StoryBots franchise and the sequel to The Adventures of the StoryBots: The Movie (2009). Produced by WildBrain Entertainment, Crest Animation Studios and The Britt Allcroft Company in association with Revolution Studios and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, it is directed by Jerry Rees and Mark Dindal, with the screenplay by Jonathan Aibel, Glenn Berger and Phil Lord and Christopher Miller based on a story by Norman Grossfield, Tad Stones, and Mike Verb. The StoryBots in Mexico premiered at the Kodak Theatre on June 23, 2011, before it was theatrically released in the United States on August 16. The film received acclaim from critics, with praise for its plot, character development, voice performances, musical score by Hummie Mann, story, screenplay, consistency to the show and faithfulness to the source material. Grossing $103.3 million worldwide against its $30 million production budget, it became the tenth-highest-grossing film and the fifth-highest-grossing animated film of 2011. Two sequels were released: The StoryBots Go Wild in 2012; and The StoryBots and the Lost Golden Treasure in 2013.
Plot[]
At the wedding reception of Ash Ketchum and his new girlfriend Misty, a toon dance saddens the bots with memories of the good times with Hap, their boss. Realizing that he and the other bots miss that presence in their lives, Hap starts thinking of re-marrying. Bo, the purple bot is then summoned to Cartoonversal, a Universal-themed amusement park and studio backlot in Saltillo, Mexico, to fix a malfunctioning Woody Woodpecker robot she designed for the park's stage show.
The whole gang then travel to Cartoonversal, run by the ill tempered, cold-hearted and robot-hating Jetty the Jet Plane, who is hoping to succeed his boss, Mr. Flanigan Jones, as president of Toons Entertain Inc. When Flanigan tells him his successor must love the StoryBots, he lies and tells him he is engaged to their boss. Beep overhears their conversation and, when discovered eavesdropping, saves herself by telling Jetty about Hap.
Jetty begins pursuing Hap with the help of his put-upon but kindhearted assistant, Joy, who tells the bots how Woody Woodpecker was a feared monster before his gentler side was revealed by a prince and a firefly. Hearing this, Bing decides he wants the park's animatronic prince to be his husband and goes in search of him along with the others (except Bo) and Joy's daughter Darla. Meanwhile, the bots' dog Poochini gets lost in the streets of Saltillo in pursuit of a stray poodle named Caroline.
While Jetty wins over Hap, Bing remains deeply distrustful of him. At the Woody Woodpecker show's premiere, Beep informs Jetty of Bing's wish to have the prince for his wife, prompting Jetty to infiltrate the show disguised as the prince. She lures Bing on stage, where he is horrified to see his true identity; however, seeing his worker go to Jetty convinces Hap that he should marry him straight away. On the day of the wedding, Jetty orders his accomplice, Diesel 10, to keep the bots and Darla from intervening. Joy learns of Jetty's plot and threatens to tell Hap, but is thrown out on the way to the ceremony and hurries there by a yellow city bus.
Diesel 10 locks the bots and Darla in the warehouse where the show's robots are kept. When Bing despairs of having a new husband who doesn't like him, a guilt-ridden Darla reveals Jetty's plan and her part in it and apologizes to Bing. Knowing the truth, Bing rallies the bots to stop the wedding and they hurry to the Saltillo Catedral in the Woody Woodpecker robot, picking up Darla along the way. Diesel 10 pursues them piloting Woody Woodpecker's nemesis, Curious George, but is defeated by Woody and knocked into the nearby Madero Ballpark.
Arriving at the church, Bing interrupts the wedding by screeching the word "No!". Diesel 10 follows, unintentionally revealing Jetty's true nature, and Hap cancels off the wedding in disgust. Mr. Flanigan, who is in attendance, fires Jetty after Darla informs him about Jetty’s plan. Darla then breaks Jetty's propeller when she knocks down the bots; humiliated, Jetty flees the chapel, and Poochini chases Diesel 10 away. As Hap apologizes to Bing and the others for everything Jetty put them both through, Joy arrives and apologizes to him for not speaking up sooner. Realizing they have much in common, Hap and Joy develop feelings for each other. Returning home, they marry and the the bots and Joy (who also adopt Caroline) become a new family.
Voice cast[]
Main[]
- Rachel Lillis as Beep Boopalot
- Drew Nelson as Bing Badaboom
- Robert Klein as Bang Biddlebop
- Brian Drummond as Boop Bunklebee
- Renee Cudmore as Bo Bumblefoot
- Ashley Peldon as Darla Dimple
Supporting[]
- Will Ferrell as Jetty the Weak Jet Plane
- Keith David as Diesel 10
Guest[]
- Sarah Natochenny as Ash Ketchum
- Dorothy Eilas-Fahn as Misty
- John Hodgman as Hub and Bub
- Martin Sherman as Flanigan
- Anthony Gonzalez, David Castro and Phil Robinson as the Villagers of the "The Prince and the Woodpecker" Show
- Chris Phillips, Jim Cummings and Susanne Blakeslee as the Ukelele Singers
- Bob Bergen as the Street Cleaner
- Danny Mann as the Dog Catcher
- Jess Harnell as the Animatronic Bus Driver
- Tom Kenny as the Mexican Worker
- Fred Tatasciore as the Park Inspector
- Dee Bradley Baker as the Ninja
- Billy West as the Priest
- Jeremy Blaido as the Prince
- Phil Vischer as the Male Party DJ at the beginning of the film
- Lara Jill Miller as the Female Party DJ at the end of the film
- Kari Wahlgren as the Stewardess
- Grace Rolek as Joy
Release[]
Originally scheduled for an March 2010 release, Universal Pictures slated the release back to August 2011 for additional time to animate the film, and to promote the film more. The 96-minute feature film premiered at the Kodak Theatre on June 23, 2011, before being theatrically released in the United States on August 16 by Universal. It was rated PG by the Motion Picture Association of America for "strong language, mild sexual themes and gay marriage".
Home media[]
- Main article(s): The StoryBots in Mexico/Home media
The StoryBots in Mexico was released on Blu-Ray and DVD on November 8, 2011 by Universal Studios Home Entertainment. The DVD release of the film contains:
- Behind the Scenes
- Audio Commentary with Director Jerry Rees and Producer Bryon Vaughns
- Dolby Digital 5.1 English Audio
- SDDS 5.1 French Audio
- DTS 5.1 Spanish Audio
- Audio Description 5.1 English
- The Sounds, Smells and Sights: Bringing the Film Together
- Making The Bots' First Overseas Trip Come To Life: A Animation Production Featurette
- Giving the Characters a Voice: How The Voices Were Created
- How It Came To Be: A Educational Development Featurette