The Powerpuff Girls - The Movie (2002)

63% of critics liked it
(101 reviews)
54% of users liked it
(9,876 ratings)

The most adorable little superheroines in all of Townsville make the jump to the big screen in this feature-length animated adventure based on the popular Cartoon Network series The Powerpuff Girls. Brilliant scientist Professor Utonium (voice of Tom Kane) is performing an experiment in his lab when… More The most adorable little superheroines in all of Townsville make the jump to the big screen in this feature-length animated adventure based on the popular Cartoon Network series The Powerpuff Girls. Brilliant scientist Professor Utonium (voice of Tom Kane) is performing an experiment in his lab when Jojo, a monkey trained to assist the professor, accidentally drops a bottle of hyper-powerful Chemical X into a mixture of sugar, spice, and everything nice. To the professor's surprise, what should emerge from the subsequent chemical reaction but three little girls: bright and practical Blossom (voice of Cathy Cavadini), sweet and sunny Bubbles (voice of Tara Strong), and tomboyish Buttercup (voice of Elizabeth Daily). Professor Utonium discovers that the girls have remarkable powers and super-human strength, and he hopes they'll be able to improve life in the crime-infected City of Townsville. However, after their first day at Pokey Oaks Kindergarten with Ms. Keane (voice of Jennifer Hale), the girls learn that having super powers can be both a blessing and a curse. Rejected by their classmates and quite unhappy, the girls are easily swayed when Mojo Jojo (voice of Roger L. Jackson), a superintelligent monkey in a turban, asks them to help him with a campaign to save the city. What the girls don't know is that Mojo Jojo is actually the monkey who once assisted the Professor; now he's embraced evil and hopes to use the Powerpuff Girls as part of his criminal scheme to wrestle control of Townsville away from the dense but well-meaning Mayor (voice of Tom Kenny). The Powerpuff Girls Movie was directed and co-written by Craig McCracken, who created the original television show as well as writing most of the episodes. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: PG, 1 hr. 14 min.
Directed By: Craig McCracken
Written By: Craig McCracken
Genres: Action & Adventure, Animation, Kids & Family, Comedy

In Theaters: Jun 22, 2002 Wide
On DVD: Nov 5, 2002
Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures

Critic Reviews

Hank Sartin, Chicago Reader
This Cartoon Network feature-length animation manages to teach kids some good lessons and amuse the grown-ups without overdosing on pop-culture references.
Joe Leydon, Variety
The slam-bang superheroics are kinetic enough to engross even the most antsy youngsters.
Dan Via, Washington Post
Even with its flaws, The Powerpuff Girls Movie offers cleverness and charm that are hard to come by in the summertime multiplex.
Richard Roeper, Ebert & Roeper
This is one freaky and annoying little film.
Jane Horwitz, Washington Post
For the first two-thirds of this sparklingly inventive and artful, always fast and furious tale, kids will go happily along for the ride.
Mike Clark, USA Today
The X potion gives the quickly named Blossom, Bubbles and Buttercup supernatural powers that include extraordinary strength and laser-beam eyes, which unfortunately don't enable them to discern flimsy screenplays.
Nell Minow, Common Sense Media
Funny, exciting, and involving.
Mark Halverson, Sacramento News & Review
The animation is refreshingly retro minimalist and saturated with pastels (including the colored vapor trails of the little heroines), and the action is nonstop.
, Film4
More fun than any cartoon has a right to be.
Alan Morrison, Empire Magazine
Utilising the cheapest-looking animation ever to grace a cinema screen, this Cartoon Network spin-off will only appeal to a fraction of pre-teen girls.
, Time Out
Stretched beyond its usual episode length, the Girls' adventure doesn't pack the nifty punch they're famous for.
Michael Dequina, Film Threat
[It] may be formulaic but never fails to find other ways to entertain.
Scott Nash, Three Movie Buffs
Funny, light-hearted, with something for all ages.
Michael Dequina, TheMovieReport.com
Click to read review
Margaret A. McGurk, Cincinnati Enquirer
The movie is just not fun enough.
John R. McEwen, Film Quips Online
Although this film is only 1 1/2 hours long, I wouldn't recommend it to anyone with high blood pressure, epilepsy, or any type of stress disorder.
Wesley Lovell, Oscar Guy
A movie so entertaining that you'll think you're a kid again.
Peter Bradshaw, Guardian [UK]
This is one of those features that, unless you are hooked on the cartoon channel, or have children hooked on the cartoon channel, might just pass you by.
Robert Lloyd, L.A. Weekly
It is not boring, and looks fantastic, and maintains the wit and spirit of the original.
Ian Waldron-Mantgani, UK Critic
How can anyone resist a cartoon in which the arch enemy of three crime-fighting schoolkids is a monkey called Mojo Jojo?

Read all 23 critic reviews

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Featured Audience Ratings

Brad W

I loved the show, but this was really stupid. The animation was only a little better than the show. The story was actually pretty good and gave a good backround of their past. I didn't hate this, but it wasn't very good.
Michael E

Though most people would think of the powerpuff girls as a girl show it really wasn't and by far its one of the best cartoons on cartoon network. You don't have to be a kid to watch it. but heres my argument with the critics of rotten tomatoes, you give the powerpuff girls… More
Though most people would think of the powerpuff girls as a girl show it really wasn't and by far its one of the best cartoons on cartoon network. You don't have to be a kid to watch it. but heres my argument with the critics of rotten tomatoes, you give the powerpuff girls movie a 65% but you give the pokemon movie 14% WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU
Lafe F

A fun introduction to the crazy and sweet superheroines "The Powerpuff Girls"! It includes their origin story. It's great when they trash an entire city with their new powers. Their monkey adversary "Mojo Jojo" and his legion of other bad monkeys is hilarious.… More
A fun introduction to the crazy and sweet superheroines "The Powerpuff Girls"! It includes their origin story. It's great when they trash an entire city with their new powers. Their monkey adversary "Mojo Jojo" and his legion of other bad monkeys is hilarious. It's quite trippy. There's a "Dexter's Laboratory" short to endure before the girls come onscreen.
Luke B

A rather lovely family film that is more than just an extended episode. I manages to explore the depths of the characters and their motivations. However most importantly it kicks ass and rides up there with some of the better Superhero films of recent years.
Bradley W

I loved the show, but this was really stupid. The animation was only a little better than the show. The story was actually pretty good and gave a good backround of their past. I didn't hate this, but it wasn't very good.