VOTD: New ‘Rugrats’ Short Remakes a Classic Scene from the Original Series

New Rugrats Animated Short

The new computer animated reboot of Rugrats is coming to Paramount+ on May 27. Dubbed as a reimagining of the classic ’90s hit from Nickelodeon that helped define the unique style of Nicktoons, the series brings back Tommy, Chuckie, Phil, Lil, Susie and Angelica as they explore the world from their pint-sized and wildly imaginative point-of-view. But first, they’re doing some digging into the past for the sake of nostalgia.

Paramount+ has released an animated short featuring the computer animated style of the new Rugrats. But it’s not an original short. Instead, it’s almost entirely a shot-for-shot remake of one of the classic scenes from the original Rugrats series. In the scene in question, Angelica takes Tommy’s favorite ball, and when she throws it into the yard next door, the babies have to come up with a plan to get it back. Watch the new Rugrats animated short below.

New Rugrats Animated Short

In case you couldn’t tell, the new Rugrats series has the voice actors from the original series reprising their roles as the babies. that includes E.G. Daily (Tommy), Nancy Cartwright (Chuckie), Cheryl Chase (Angelica), Cree Summer (Susie) and Kath Soucie (Phil and Lil). Unfortunately, the original voice of Chuckie, actress Christine Cavanaugh, passed away in 2014, but Nancy Cartwright inherited the role for 29 episodes of the series.

As for the voices of the parents, that’s where the new Rugrats series is shaking things up. Tommy’s parents Didi and Stu Pickles will be voiced by Ashley Rae Spillers (Vice Principals) and Tommy Dewey (The Mindy Project) while Tony Hale will play Chuckie’s father Chas. Phil and Lil’s mother will be voiced by Natalie Morales (Parks and Recreation), and Angelica’s parents Charlotte and Drew will be voiced by Anna Chlumsky and Timothy Simons. Nicole Byer (Nailed It!) and Omar Miller (Ballers) are playing Susie’s parents Lucy and Randy. And finally, Michael McKean (Better Call Saul) will be Tommy’s Grandpa Lou.

Honestly, I’m not sure it’s a smart move to recreate a classic scene from Rugrats in this new hideous animation. That’s not to say that the animation of the original series was beautiful. But it was charmingly warped. It was ugly with style. It had an artist’s sensibility about it. This revamp feels like the show was put into an artificial intelligence machine that churns out remakes of things. Watch the original scene below for a frame of reference:

There are three more Rugrats animated shorts coming before the new series arrives on Paramount+ towards the end of the month. “The Slide” and “The Lamp” will recreate two more classic scenes from the original series, but then they’ll shift into original territory with “Night Howl.” The new short will follow Tommy going on an adventure with his dog Spike when the canine companion wakes up the toddler for a nighttime outing to see a full moon.

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