Recess: School's Out Review
by Laura Clifford (lcliffor AT genuity DOT net)February 18th, 2001
RECESS: SCHOOL'S OUT
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T.J. Detweiler and his pals know there's something even better than recess and that's summer vacation. T.J. is shocked to learn that Vince, Mikey, Gretchen, Gus and Spinelli are all going to speciality summer camps, though, leaving him the degradation of play dates with school snitch Randall. When T.J. falls upon mysterious goings-on at Third Street School that result in the kidnapping of Principal Prickly (voice of Dabney Coleman), however, he gathers his team to combat evil forces in "Recess: School's Out."
Expanded for the big screen from the Disney Channel's popular "Recess" series, "Recess: School's Out" is a terrific tale for kids that includes plenty for adults to enjoy as well. This is a rarity in the first two months of 2001 mainstream film releases - a movie with a smart script!
On the last day of school at Third Street, things are as usual - T.J. and his band are tormenting Prickly and no amount of Randall's snitching to Miss Finster can keep the troup from attaining their goals. When his pals are gone and T.J. sees weird thugs patrolling their school as odd green laser beams emit from the gym, neither his parents nor the town police will believe him. T.J. gets a reluctant Prickly to accompany him only to see the Principal disintegrated. Soon Prickly's become an unlikely ally to T.J. when they discover that ex-Principal Benedict (voice of James Woods), a former Secretary of Education who attempted to do away with school recess, is carrying out a master plan to squelsh summer vacation by moving the moon's orbit!
The story is smart enough to include a subplot where T.J. blackmails his older sister Becky (voice of Melissa Joan Hart) with her diary to get a ride to gather his friends. A former love triange among Benedict, Finster and Prickly is played for laughs ('That part still grosses me out sir' gravely intones T.J.) and pop culture references, particularly from the 60's and 70's, abound ('Teacher - leaves thoses kids lone!' cries Finster in full attack mode). Kindergarteners are presented as a pack of scrabbling savages without being condescended to.
Animation is fairly flat, although an improvement on the cable series. Computer animation is used for elaborate zoom shots and a couple of visual jokes are well drawn. Music is superbly chosen, from Martha & the Vandellas "Dancing in the Streets" to the 5th Dimension's "Let the Sunshine In." Robert Goulet provides the singing voice of operatic Mikey as well as a new version of "Green Tambourine."
"Recess: School's Out" is smart while encouraging kids to be kids.
B
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