The film's release poster.
Dash and Dot's Wild Ride is anote 2009 animated film directed by Matthew O'Callaghan, produced by Imagine Entertainment and Relativity Media and distributed by Universal Pictures. It stars, of all things, the mascots of PBS Kids themselves, Dash and Dot.Dash and Dot are a pair of little kids who live happily in the suburbs with their parents, Dennis and Denise. That is, until one day, when their parents fail to show up to pick them up from school, Dash and Dot decide to go home themselves, only to discover why they haven't come recently; they've been kidnapped and held hostage by a kidnapper named Mason for a ransom of $5,000. Not willing to let that slide, Dash and Dot decide that they have a mission in mind: to get out there and go on a long search for their parents. But can these two children reunite with their beloved parents before it's too late?
Unlike the other theatrical films based on PBS Kids properties that came before it, the film was a success at the box office, grossing over $281 million against its $45 million budget. It was also for the most part loved by critics, audiences and especially people who grew up watching PBS Kids, enough so that it eventually developed a fandom from PBS Kids viewers. Today, it is now remembered fondly as a cult classic and has occasionally even been rerun on the PBS Kids network itself.
Two short films have been made since the films released, titled Shot-to-Dot
and Taking Flight respectively, both of which take place after the events of the film. Shot-to-Dot was released as part of the film's DVD and Blu-ray release on December 25, 2009 after previously premiering in front of Super Mario Bros. 2009, while Taking Flight was released before the 2011 film Hop.
You can read more about the film here and here.
Dash and Dot's Wild Ride contains examples of:
- Adaptational Angst Upgrade: The film does a pretty good job at humanizing Dash and Dot during its more serious moments.
- Though he is still his usual happy and friendly self most of the time, Dash actually loses his temper and rants at Dot in the most scathing way possible when she causes the disaster on their makeshift car ride that left them stranded in a forest, even ending their relationship as siblings and considering finishing their search mission without her. He gets better, though.
- Dot, while just as positive as her brother on a regular basis, has a massive fear of losing her parents forever that leaves her crying and weeping at the thought of never seeing them again. She is even hurt very deeply by Dash's brutal rant tossed against her after the disastrous makeshift car ride.
- Amazing Technicolor Population: Everyone in the film besides the titular characters themselves have lime green skin.
- Animation Bump: The characters may look very simplistic and stylized, but the film compensates for it with detailed and gorgeous animation that, while not in the same league as a traditionally-animated Disney film, is a massive step up from the PBS Kids bumpers featuring Dash and Dot.
- And the Adventure Continues: The film ends with Dash and Dot temporarily going outside to start another adventure, but this time for entertainment.
- Avoid the Dreaded G Rating: Surprisingly enough, despite being a PBS Kids-based movie, it got a PG rating due to having some darker and more mature elements that you would never expect from PBS Kids, like Mason's behavior being an eerily realistic portrayal of many real-life kidnappers and Dash and Dot coming dangerously close to dying a few times, like Dot almost falling to the road during the Outside Ride scene, their encounter with the bear in the forest and falling into a river while still in Mason's van. To a lesser extent, Dash and Dot also "swear" a few times via Gosh Dang It to Heck!.
- Badass Adorable: Dash and Dot themselves. Not only do they have the strength to go on an adventure for their kidnapped parents, they even fight off a bear when they're lost in a forest and manage to get the better of Mason when they are caught by him trying to free their parents. And keep in mind that they're only seven and four years old, respectively.
- Bears Are Bad News: When she is left behind in the forest by Dash, who had just gotten angry at her over wrecking their vehicle and getting them stranded, Dot is ambushed by a bear, only to be saved at the last moment by a remorseful Dash. When Dash is eventually confronted with the bear himself, Dot repays his bravery by tossing stones at the bear and yelling at it, effectively scaring it away.
- Beware the Nice Ones:
- Dash and Dot. Innocent and well-behaved as they are, but they do not take the abduction of their parents well and get into a fight with Mason, who is responsible for said abduction.
- Dennis and Denise, too. They refuse to let Mason have the $5,000 ransom, and when Mason leaves Dash and Dot to fall into a river in his van, the latter knocks him out with a hit from her slipper.
- Big Bad: Mason, the kidnapper responsible for Dennis and Denise's disappearance.
- Big Brother Instinct: Dash, who has just disowned Dot out of anger after she accidentally got them stranded in the forest, suddenly comes to his senses and comes to her rescue when she is almost killed by a bear.
- Big Budget Beef-Up: This film has some pretty detailed animation that could be compared to the 2008-2013 bumpers, and James Newton Howard's musical score is just as awesome.
- Big Damn Movie: The PBS Kids bumpers usually depict Dash and Dot engaging in regular, mundane activities and/or using their imagination. The film, however, has them going on an adventure to find their parents, who have been kidnapped without their knowledge until now.
- Canon Foreigner: Sally is a new child character created specifically for the film, as she was not featured in any of the PBS Kids bumpers from 1999 to 2008. Likewise, we have the Big Bad of the film, Mason.
- Changed My Mind, Kid: After their makeshift car ride ends in disaster and leaves them stranded in a forest, Dash all but completely snaps at Dot and goes into a harsh, scathing rant towards her (with Dot even retaliating by backtalking to him) before declaring that she is no longer his sister and abandoning her to finish their mission all by himself. However, once he hears her being ambushed by a bear in the distance, Dash suddenly starts fearing the worst and goes back to come to her rescue, and after he and Dot successfully ward the bear off, he apologizes to her for his cruel words earlier and makes up with her.
- Child Hater: Mason, serving as an effective arch-nemesis to Dash and Dot.
- Comedic Work, Serious Scene: Yes, this is a PBS Kids film with some pretty emotional moments.
- When Dash and Dot are unable to find their parents when they come home from school themselves, Dot eventually breaks down crying at the thought of them being gone, so Dash comforts her and allows her to sleep with him in his bed to make her feel better.
- Dash ranting at Dot after she inadvertently gets them stranded in a forest, eventually leading up to them arguing and the former disowning the latter and going off to find his parents alone. To make this even more upsetting, Dot struggles to hold back her tears before letting them out and sobbing, while Dash takes out a photo of his family from his backpack and looks at it with a hint of remorse before putting it back and going along.
- After Dash and Dot fall into a river while still in Mason's van, Denise fears the worst and breaks down sobbing, with Dennis being just as sad but having the heart to comfort his wife. Fortunately, it's revealed that Dash and Dot have survived by getting out of the van and swimming back up to the surface.
- Cue the Rain: Rain pours down not long after Dash angrily abandons Dot in the forest for wrecking their makeshift vehicle and ruining their chance of finding their parents.
- Dark Is Evil: Like most kidnappers, Mason wears a black hood and is the main antagonist of the film.
- Darker and Edgier: Somewhat. While the film has a friendly tone just like the Dash and Dot bumpers, there is also a criminal who has kidnapped Dash and Dot's parents as well as the kids getting stranded in a forest and almost getting attacked by a bear. This is probably why the film got a PG rating.
- Despair Event Horizon: After being yelled at and abandoned by Dash for the disaster that occurred from her fighting with him over the wheel of their now destroyed vehicle, Dot is so grief-stricken that she stays behind and silently cries, believing that Dash doesn't love her anymore. Thankfully, she gets better once she and Dash manage to drive away a bear trying to kill both of them.
- Determinator: Dash and Dot never give up on trying to find their missing parents. Not even when they get stranded in a forest and have a temporary falling-out with each other.
- Disney Death: After Mason's van falls into a river with Dash and Dot still in it, Denise assumes that they have died and breaks down crying. It turns out that they have managed to escape the van and swim to safety moments before it sank.
- Doting Grandparent: Duncan and Donnell, the grandparents of Dash and Dot, allow their grandchildren to temporarily stay with them when they spot them wandering alone in search of their parents, and eventually motivate them to keep going on their quest.
- Earn Your Happy Ending: Dash and Dot are put through hell throughout their mission to find their kidnapped parents. They get caught up in rush-hour traffic when they try to cross a traffic jam through the tops of vehicles, get stranded in a forest as a result of their makeshift car ride going wrong, and come face to face with a bloodthirsty bear, yet they finally manage to rescue and reunite with their parents at the end of the movie.
- Expy: Played with. Mason, the main antagonist, more or less serves as the movie's equivalent to Lawrence Quinn from The Cat in the Hat movie, also produced by Universal and Imagine. Though they are both the arch-enemies to the protagonists (Lawrence to the Cat, Sally and Conrad; Mason to Dash and Dot), plot a scheme against their parent(s), try to stop them from foiling their plans and receive their comeuppance at the end, they also differ a lot. Whereas Lawrence is simply a lazy slob and a Jerkass who wants to send Conrad off to military school and marry Joan, Mason is a straight up criminal who kidnaps Dash and Dot's parents, holds them hostage for a ransom and even leaves the two kids to die once.
- Extremely Protective Child: Upon learning of their parents' kidnapping by Mason, Dash and Dot go out of their way to travel through the city and find them in hopes of rescuing them. When they eventually make it to Mason's hideout where they are kept, they even get into a fight with him to protect them, and most importantly, they gang up on him inside his van during the climax as revenge for kidnapping their parents.
- Free-Range Children: Dash and Dot are eventually reduced to this once their parents are kidnapped, going alone to find them.
- Gadgeteer Genius: Dash and Dot manage to construct a makeshift car from several parts in the junkyard and use it as a means of traveling more painlessly. Unfortunately, Dot starts enjoying the ride to the point that she fights with Dash over who should drive, causing them to careen out of control and crash their vehicle into a forest, destroying it in the process.
- Good Parents: Dennis and Denise are shown to be loving and caring towards Dash and Dot.
- Hidden Depths: Dash and Dot are surprisingly adept at constructing a functional vehicle from a wagon, an engine and some car parts from the junkyard.
- I Want My Mommy!: When she and Dash try to search around their empty house for any sign of their parents, Dot repeatedly calls out for Denise as well as Dennis.
- Laser-Guided Karma: After everything that he did over the course of the film, Mason is knocked unconscious by Denise with her slipper and later taken into custody by the police for his crimes.
- Little Girls Kick Shins: During the scuffle between Dash, Dot and Mason at the kidnapper's hideout, Dot punts Mason in the shins at one point.
- Little Miss Badass: Dot has her fair share of badass moments, such as when she scares away the bear that has went from attacking her to attacking Dash, as well as helping beat the crap out of Mason in his hideout.
- Logo Joke: In a similar vein to the live-action The Cat in the Hat film, the Universal and Imagine Entertainment logos are modified in the style of PBS Kids' bumpers to fit in with the style of the film.
- My God, What Have I Done?: After being left behind by an angry Dash for unintentionally wrecking their makeshift vehicle, Dot comes to her senses and has a look of remorse on her face before she breaks down and quietly cries. It's not stated outright, but it's clear that Dot has regretted messing up their quest to find their parents.
- Mythology Gag: The film's theatrical poster shows Dash and Dot walking in an environment identical to the one used in the PBS Kids "Dot" logo, while the DVD and Blu-ray covers show them walking in a lavender and green environment with trees that is the same one used in the "Walking" bumper.
- Non-Standard Character Design: The bear that nearly attacks Dash and Dot in the forest is drawn in a slightly more realistic style to make it appear more threatening and dangerous.
- Not Now, We're Too Busy Crying Over You: Assuming that Dash and Dot have drowned inside of Mason's van after it has fallen into a river, Denise is reduced to a crying wreck and mourns her children, initially unaware that they are still alive. Once Dash and Dot start comforting their mother, it takes a few moments for her to realize that they're okay and hugs them out of relieved joy.
- Off-into-the-Distance Ending: The film concludes with Dash and Dot walking down the sidewalk to go on a new adventure just for fun.
- Oh, Crap!: The moment Mason is met with a very unhappy Dennis and Denise, he realizes that his goose is cooked before being incapacitated with a slipper to the face from the latter.
- O.O.C. Is Serious Business: Dash, normally a happy and positive kid, gets truly and genuinely angry when he calls out Dot for causing them to crash land in a forest and even gets into a big fight with her.
- Outside Ride: When Dash and Dot are stopped dead in their tracks by a heavy traffic jam, Dash gets the idea to jump down from a street light and on top of a car so that he and Dot can pass the highway via jumping on top of the other vehicles. Unfortunately, the traffic light flashes green before they can do so and they are sent on the ride of their life. They eventually manage to get back down after jumping from vehicle to vehicle.
- Parents in Distress: Dennis and Denise, who get kidnapped by Mason and need to be rescued by their children.
- Plot-Mandated Friendship Failure: After Dot inadvertently causes herself and Dash to crash land in a forest due to her fighting with her brother over the wheel of their makeshift car, Dash blames Dot for what she has gotten them into and gets into a big fight with her before disowning her as his sister and going off to find his parents alone. It isn't until she is almost killed by a bear that he has a change of heart, goes back to save her and reconciles with her before continuing their adventure.
- Put on a Prison Bus: The last we see and hear of Mason is a news broadcast at the end of the film revealing that he has been arrested with charges of kidnapping and child endangerment.
- "The Reason You Suck" Speech: While he and Dot are arguing after getting stranded in the forest and having their makeshift car wrecked, Dash has something to say to her.Dash: You are little more than an annoying little sister who puts a lot of stress on her big brother and ruins everything for him! She doesn't care if he is upset or not as long as she gets what she wants!
- Shoe Slap: Denise knocks out Mason with her slipper as payback for what he did to her and Dennis.
- Small Role, Big Impact: Duncan and Donnell, the grandparents of Dash and Dot. They only have a few minutes of screen time and are just there to look after their grandchildren when they stay with them for a while, but their words of wisdom towards Dash and Dot is what spurns them into continuing their search for their parents.
- The Stinger: After the credits roll, we are treated to a scene where Dash and Dot come home after their new outing they planned at the end of the film. As Dash greets their mother on the way in, he almost slips on a toy truck left on the floor by Dot and is caught by her, who apologizes and places it on the coffee table. The two kids then spend the rest of the day relaxing on the couch and watching TV.Dash: (sighs) Life just keeps getting even better by the moment.
- Title Drop: Almost. Near the end of the film, Dot remarks to Dash that the adventure they had yesterday was definitely a "wild ride".
- Vile Villain, Saccharine Show: Mason is a surprisingly threatening villain in a PBS Kids-based movie. He is responsible for kidnapping Dash and Dot's parents, doesn't crack any jokes whatsoever and even tries to stop the two kids when he spots them trying to untie their parents.
- Wham Shot: The scene where Dash and Dot discover Denise's necklace and the ransom note at their house one day after coming home from school themselves, leading them to realize that their parents have actually been kidnapped.
- Would Hurt a Child: If his attempts to stop Dash and Dot from freeing their parents in his hideout are of any indication, Mason probably has no qualms with harming kids. As if that wasn't enough, he even willingly leaves them to fall into a river while they are still in his van.
In case you didn't read the note in this page, "Dash and Dot's Wild Ride" is a fictional film. Obviously.
