Doug's 1st Movie (1999) Poster

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5/10
Not Exactly the Best Movie
MovieTVRomanceFan2 August 2021
I was looking forward to seeing this movie, but after finally watching it I was quite disappointed. There were some good parts, but it wasn't the best film I ever saw. It was strange and it felt like a weird mix between a movie or a special episode. I think it's a good thing Doug only made 1 movie and didn't make any more after that. I also wasn't very fond of Doug and Patti's relationship and felt like it left it open ended instead of actually resolving it. Honestly, I feel like this movie had some areas in need of some serious improvement. Overall, it wasn't a great film and I'm not sure I would watch it again.
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4/10
Disney ruined Doug for good.
emasterslake15 March 2006
I saw this movie when I was a kid. I grew up watching the Nickeleon Doug but didn't see much of the Disney Doug.

At first I seemed to enjoyed it from the first time seeing it.

But years later I didn't felt like watching it again.

Getting the VHS was a waist of money if I didn't bother in watching it again.

This has to do with Doug and Skeeter trying to solve there monster in the Lucky Duck Lake mystery. They encounter the monster who's more friendly than it seems. They were going to show it to the public but didn't bother since the creature would get captured and imprisoned. Mr. Bluff over hears about it and has sent out agents to locate the creature, blah blah blah.

I thought it be great bu it stank. Disney ruined Doug for the last time.

Those who only like the Nickeleon Doug keep away from this movie if you dislike the Disney Doug. It just isn't the same as it was from the early 90s.
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4/10
Groan
ksaelagnulraon27 January 2002
This is one of those kids' films that adults can't sit down and watch as well. Okay, it's got nice morals, but pleeeeease, no DOUG'S 2ND MOVIE !!!!! Boring attempt to stretch a tiny DOUG episode into a feature-length production...didn't work. 4/10
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You know....
scmedeiros16 November 2011
I looked up this movie on Wikipedia a few weeks ago to see what it was about. When I read the plot summary, I honestly thought that somebody had trolled the page and typed in the weirdest s*** they could think of. Then, after checking IMDb's plot summary, I realized that it was ACTUALLY ABOUT A FRIENDLY MONSTER NAMED HERMAN MELVILLE.

And the funny thing about this: I actually DID see this in theaters when it came out (back in '99, which made me 9 years old at the time), but I literally had NO memory of this movie. I remember everything else I've ever seen in theaters, to some degree, but not this one.

The fact that this movie was SO ridiculous, yet SOOOOO forgettable is a testament to its quality. I was a fan of the show too (when it was on Nickelodeon, I hated what Disney did to it).

Btw, "Doug's FIRST Movie"? Obviously, that title isn't descriptive enough; should've put "and only" somewhere in that title...
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2/10
I don't understand the concept.
MK_Movie_Reviews23 August 2021
I kept watching for 40 minutes, but it wasn't interesting so I stopped halfway through.
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1/10
Doug's First & Hopefully Last Movie.
anaconda-4065825 May 2015
Warning: Spoilers
Doug's 1st Movie (1999): Dir: Maurice Joyce / Voices: Thomas McHugh, Fred Newman, Chris Phillips, Frank Welker, Alice Playten: Every bit as flat in its animation as The Rugrats Movie, with a story that is every bit as stupid. Doug is a smart kid who shares a secret with his friend Skeeter (and no, it doesn't include a secret stash of pornography). They manage to snapshot a monster that is dwelling in the lake. The creature is friendly and only shown to the Mayor but they take him home when the lake is threatened with pollution. Doug must protect it from exploitation while explaining things to a potential girlfriend. Yes, the dating subplot might be beyond the audience this film is directed at but in all fairness any child should be smarter than the intelligence presented here. Predictable and stupid in every manner but director Maurice Joyce knows the cartoon well. Let's just hope that he doesn't suffer long for it. A character like Doug should be in a story better than this. His friend Skeeter is a moron. The Mayor is either drunk or on heavy cocaine if he accepts these things at face value. The villain should study the Bond films so that he can pick a bigger target, like the world. The animation will not impress adults but perhaps children will not care. It is done in the most simplistic forms. The purpose is just as the title states. It is Doug's first embarrassing act on film. Score: 1 / 10
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5/10
One of the most forgettable movies ever
arielsiere23 September 2022
Not one of Disney's worst movies like Mulan (2020), Artemis Fowl, The Wild (2006), Underdog (2007), Mars Needs Moms, Strange Magic or the bad Disney direct to video sequels which are The Return Of Jafar to The Little Mermaid 3: Ariel's Beginning, it was based on the Disney cartoon named Doug and his pal Skeeter who need to find a monster that lurks in the lake of the ducks or something, the title is misleading, but at least the music is all right, not one of Disney's poor attempts to be funny, but i think it is one of the worst movies from 1999 along with South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut. I know that South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut is not from Disney, it's from Comedy Central but clearly is just a poorly written mess.
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7/10
I personally was looking forward to "Doug's 2nd Movie."
TheUnknown837-119 July 2012
Despite having watched the cartoon series "Doug" almost religiously as a child, it took until adulthood for me to get around to viewing the feature-length movie adaptation spun off of that wonderfully rich, beguiling television classic. I myself am surprised not only for that reason, but also because if I loved it so much as an adult, I surely would have loved it so much as a kid as well. Along with pictures such as "A Boy Named Charlie Brown," this is one of those animated gems I wish I had seen earlier in my life.

"Doug" was originally on Nickelodeon, and then later appeared on Disney's network. Believe it or not, I adored both versions. The film, "Doug's 1st Movie," is akin to the Disney version. You know, Mayor White is now principal, Patti Mayonnaise has shorter hair, Connie is thinner, there's an obnoxious upperclassman competing with Doug for Patti's attention...there goes my inner-child! In the film, we finally get a load of the infamous Lucky Duck Lake Monster, which Doug Funnie and Skeeter Valentine have been soulfully searching for over the years. It's a set up that might as well have been a live-action picture. Except "Doug's 1st Movie" takes things in a different direction...as it should, since it is in the same tradition and mood as its source material. The plot, the characters, the drawing style is all played for heart and for laughs. Furthermore, just like the show, the film allows itself to balance between the two media so the gags do not overpower the more gentle, touching moments. And the film's occasional message toward real-world issues (pollution, for one) are not pretentious.

Fans of the show will also be delighted in how well the film captures the memorable personalities of the characters. In 90-some minutes, we get almost all of the beloved traits and characteristics that the show made popular over the course of nine years. Doug is truly one of the better animated protagonists of recent years: whimsical, goodhearted, has soft spots. But the character does not wallow in his slightly silly manner and thereby render himself insufferable. Doug's fantasy moments, most of them depicting his romantic affections for Patti--a likable character--are oddball, but in the slightly bogus way everybody not only appreciates, but can recall from their own lives. Those secure enough to admit to it, anyway.

"Doug's 1st Movie" is also a fine aesthetic accomplishment. It's beautifully drawn, with a wide variety of colors here and there. That is partially because many of the characters do have purple, green, or blue tint to their skin. But it doesn't stop with there. The detail of the city, the sky, the water, the forest. There's a lot of detail; Doug and his co-stars do not merely stand against flat walls. Complimenting the show, it remains true to its source material in that regard as well. That comes to show just how much children have lost now that the show, as far as I know, has virtually vanished from television. True, it's now on DVD (the show, not the movie, unfortunately) but with so much poorly drawn and abysmally dull junk populating the children's programming guides, it really does beg Disney to reconsider their plans.

I adored "Doug's 1st Movie" for a great many reasons, but the primary one was the way it recalled what it was like to be a child without making me feel as though I were sinking into immaturity. I have no guilty feelings in proclaiming that I liked this movie very much and am hoping to see a restored DVD release of it someday. And the song that plays over the credits is truly beautiful, something I cannot say of most songs I hear over animated films today.

I personally was looking forward to "Doug's 2nd Movie."
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3/10
Environmental Hippie Propaganda
SusieSalmonLikeTheFish10 September 2014
Warning: Spoilers
I bought this for my little brother, and thought he'd enjoy it. I also vaguely remember seeing Doug as a kid on TV before I stopped getting satellite/cable reception. When it was over, both of us were ready to burn it, it was so bad. That's a little kid (intended audience) and adult both saying this! I bought him a new movie, because this one was okay, even kinda funny and entertaining, until it got to the businessman Mr. Bluff (now that's not biased at all!) trying to keep the protagonists from reporting him for polluting the lake. It's bad enough I see all this crud all over the place about recycling and green living and anti-pollution these days, now it's showing up in films for children? Well, I like pollution, and I couldn't care less if I went right out to the nearest lake and dumped chemicals in it! And this "villain" Mr. Bluff, if this film were real I'd be shaking his hand for a job well done, pollution is wonderful. Now, that's an opinion from an adult who watched it for nostalgic value, so here's an opinion from a kid. My brother thought it was about hippies, he also didn't like the soundtrack. He quickly got bored of it and said it was like Captain Planet, Toxic Crusaders and The Waterhorse all shoved into one. I took him shopping later that day and we bought Goosebumps: Welcome to Dead House on VHS instead. If you're one of those parents who wants to teach your kid (or kids) all that "go green" hippie junk, this movie is right up your alley. If you're smart though, and want an entertaining movie that doesn't shove its environmental messages right in your face, a movie with great acting/voices, soundtrack and an original plot, try something else.
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6/10
Very basic but somehow engaging
briancham199423 January 2021
This is a very "basic" kind of animated movie. It feels like an extended TV show episode with low stakes, lacklustre animation and nothing particularly exciting. In this way, it reminds me of the first Hey Arnold! movie. The characters are stupid, the events are meandering and the cutaway gags are long and distracting. The moral of the story is drowned out in contrived drama and bizarre and cliché antics. Yet somehow I was quite engaged with the emotional arc of the characters so I can't fault it too much.
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5/10
Doug's 1st Movie
phubbs11 February 2015
Warning: Spoilers
This was one of those Nickelodeon cartoons that ran during the early 90's which I used to watch religiously. Along with 'Rugrats' and 'Hey Arnold!' the toons of that time were really decent and quite fresh in terms of originality and artistic style. 'Doug' being the most simplistic to look at compared to the others, yet I still can't recall how or why I actually got into this.

The movie has the same age old issue, can it work when stretched out to a films length? Quite plainly I would say yes, this will not appeal to adults in the slightest unless like me you like the toon. Its purely 100% for kids and not meant to be anything more, hence its extremely errr...childish, simple and unoriginal.

I thought everything here worked really well to be honest, all the characters seem to be voiced by the regular people, give or take. Everything visually is recognisable from the daytime cartoon, its been spruced up of course but it still looks like Doug and there hasn't been any CGI tomfoolery. That fact I like, the fact they kept it pure like the original material and didn't use CGI, that's good (at least I don't think they used CGI).

The only thing I didn't really like here was the plot believe it or not. Now I know this will sound stupid but the plot was unrealistic, let me explain. I'm reasonably sure that in all the 'Doug' cartoons the plot has always been relatable, in other words about problems kids face in school, at home, growing up, daily life we all can understand etc...It has never ventured into the realms of complete fantasy, I don't think. So this movie to have the plot based around a dinosaur lake monster running amok is kinda crappy frankly, just seems totally lame and as if they couldn't think of anything else. 'Ah lets just stick a monster in their and they make friends with it blah blah blah', a cartoon version of 'Splash' or 'Free Willy'.

If you know this franchise then you'll know what to expect, good morals, good-natured harmless silliness and plenty of sickly kiddie romance. Although it doesn't seem as witty with Doug's regular daydream interventions which he had in the daily cartoon. There does seem to be a clear difference between the early Nickelodeon Doug and this Disney Doug, early Doug did seem cheaper with those corny tacky homemade sound effects and sketchy animation, but that was its charm. I never saw the later Disney Doug episodes but I've heard bad things.

This big screen adventure does lack that charm but it still manages to do what it set out to do. The film is enjoyable and still looks nice but admittedly isn't as rich or pretty as other animations. You really have gotta be a fan to enjoy this, otherwise I can fully understand if you think it looks terrible. I think time has passed for this franchise and film now, the moment has gone and it doesn't really stand the test of time, plus no Billy West! its still OK though.

5/10
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9/10
Hugely entertaining for real Doug fans like me
kbruce0012 June 2001
This is an interesting movie. I really enjoyed it and was perfect for the kids and also a great film for the young at heart aswell. The plot is gripping with the Lucky Duck lake monster and the fact that his secret love for Patti is almost over in just over 1hr and 30mins which is just perfect for the kids who want to go to bed soon. But over all a fine film and I will watch time and time again. Hopefully there will be Dougs Second Movie, now that would be great
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6/10
All too slow
r96sk5 July 2020
A few decent moments, but 'Doug's 1st Movie' is largely flat.

If you like the television series from Nickelodeon/Disney then you'll probably enjoy this, though for those who haven't - including me - it's a meh watch. The animation is average, while the voice cast are mostly fine but some are a little irritating. Plot-wise it's basic and rather predictable.

Tom McHugh (Doug) and Constance Shulman (Patti) are alright in their respective roles, though Fred Newman is kinda annoying as Skeeter. The film doesn't do anything to make you actually care for the characters, so I can cut the cast some slack in that regard.

There's not really much more to note. Some will like this, some won't... I can understand both sides to be fair. For me, though, it is all too slow.
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Okay
Strawberry01 October 2001
Personally, I think "Doug's 1st Movie" was boring and a waste of time. I think when the Doug TV Series was on Nick was good, then Disney came in. Probably kids from the ages of 4-9 will be able to sit through this movie, and maybe their parents, but nobody else. It was okay though I guess, I'm sure the younger kids probably liked it and it still has problems that everyone can relate to. But come on, what was up with that monster? And why did they have to show those people giving it a shot?(well, I felt sick!). I would give it 4 stars out of 10. And by the way, why was Disney's "Doug" TV series canceled that same year? And why the heck was the movie PG? Oh well!
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10/10
A great one!
doug_funnie19 August 2000
This movie is awesome! It's really a great movie for all die-hard Doug fans (like me). Doug fans (as well as kids and adults, not to mention teenagers) will really like it. The movie answers all questions that Doug fans have like, is there really a monster in the lake? And will Doug and Patti get together? The animation is a step higher than the TV show which is great! I had teenage friend who saw it and laughed! It's funny, sweet and smart! Lots of fun to watch!
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Questions about Doug answered at long last!
Maxi-148 October 1999
This animated film answered all my questions about Doug. The 8 and 6 year olds that I watched it with thought it was Awesome! This is a good animated film. It has a moral lesson about doing the right thing even if it doesn't make you look cool. It's a film for kids that isn't so lame that it'll make adults want to run and hide. In reality we all should be able to relate to some of that Jr. angst that Doug and Skeeter experience. There's a really neat question and answer session with Doug's creator after the cartoon is over. For all the hype in the 6 through 10 set about this movie it was actually enjoyable which came as a pleasant surprise to this viewer. As a foot note I'd like to mention that Herman Melville is really an endearing character.
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8/10
finally...an intelligent children's cartoon
thecynicalone4 April 1999
Children's Cartoons have long been showcases for slapstick silliness and poorly written humor. Doug stands out in stark contrast to the rest.

This movie is sharply written, humorous with a message that is not laid on in a schmaltzy manner. The creative script is intelligent enough to keep the attention of adults while still entertaining children.

Doug himself is a likeable protagonist. He isn't really one dimensional, the kid has feelings. Its fun to watch him deal with the pressures of dating, (albeit at the ripe young age of 12...) he and Patti actually have a sort of chemistry (as far as cartoon characters are concerned.) I was actually able to watch this movie without feeling silly for being there....its dark elements are nicely balanced out with some traditional cartoon absurdities. All in all, its a surprisingly intelligent, fun, ride.
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10/10
I LOVED This Movie
Ginger877 August 2004
Warning: Spoilers
*Contains Spoilers*

"Doug's 1st Movie" was one of the best Disney movies I've seen in a long time. I saw the movie the day it came out in the movies and remember waiting on line for a long time to get tickets for it.

The movie takes place after the series with Doug and his friends looking for the "Lucky Duck Lake monster". They find the monster at Skeeter's house (I love that scene) and help the monster adapt to human civilization by helping her wear clothes and go to school. But alongside this part Doug is getting ready for Valentine's day and trying to prepare for the Valentine's day dance with Patti.

One thing that I was unhappy about was that Doug and Patti didn't kiss at the end of the movie. I was really hoping they would since it was Valentine's day. But at least the movie revealed the truth about the "Lucky Duck Lake Monster".

Overall I loved this movie (10/10 stars) and watch it whenever I get a chance to.
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10/10
Not at all bad
nikb29 October 1999
I'll admit it, I'm a guilty fan of the TV show. Doug is a geniunely likable character, and the movie is entertaining. Its not going to win any awards, but for a good babysitting movie, or ever something to do when you're bored, you really can't mess this one up.
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Good movie, but where was the "real" Doug?
haunted-21 January 2001
This Doug movie was very much in keeping with the TV show BUT, Billy West who does the voice for Doug on the TV show didn't do the movie. I'm not sure why, but it was the first thing I noticed and it annoyed me through the whole movie that the "real" Doug had been replaced.
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9/10
I love this movie
jonasrox26 February 2023
It isn't so bad I love this movie. Roger and Doug become friends and Doug and Patti become a couple and I just love those two together. I ship them! Like the episode called "Doug and Patti sitting in a tree"

Overall love the series and the movie it's a great ending for the show.

Wish there was more movies and definitely wish the show got renewed. For new kids and old alike. But it did end perfectly. I loved how Doug was in the chip and Dale movie and also the graphic novel that's coming in may. I'll definitely can't wait for it all hopefully that'll tell Disney to get some stuff out. I just love Doug overall wether it's Disney or nick I love it.
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10/10
Doug!!!
dramaqueendiamond12 April 2022
I love this movie and series I don't like the rep it's getting it's not that bad. The show was a success but same ppl trashing it smh and the movie was a success as well but of course ppl trashing it. The show was 2nd popular show on Disneys one Saturday morning first being recess. I love this movie.
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Harmless animated feature
dukemantee30 November 2000
I don't process much working knowledge about Doug and his adventures. I think he started as a program on the Nickelodian cable channel. So, I have no idea if a lack of insight impaired my opinion ; I wondered why some people were green and blue. The story and animation are average. I imagine they are similar to the television show. Patti Mayonnaise reminded me of a cartoon version of Sandy Duncan. 2 out of 4 stars.
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Do You like That Herman Melville?
kylehaines963 November 2011
Warning: Spoilers
Back when I was born in 1998 I never really grew up watching the show Doug but when reruns came on TV I was pretty entertained by it. But when I was 6 years old my mom found out that I liked Doug she bought me the movie on VHS. I watched this movie all the time for the next year. Recently now in the year 2011 I came across a box of VHS Tapes and found this movie. I sat down and watched it and now I can happily say that I sold it and never want to see it again.

The films plot, if you want to call it that, is about Doug and his friend Skeeter find a monster in Lucky Duck Lake and name it Herman Melville the author of Moby Dick. They go through every cliché in the book in order to hide the monster but soon the villain Mr. Bluff wants to kill the monster and keep the 2 boys quiet about him polluting in the lake.

This movie is just a downright mess. The story, again if you want to call it that be my guest, is so clichéd and tired that I get sick of looking at it, The animation looks like a six year old colored his coloring book at 4 in the morning, and the voice acting is just annoying and terrible which is a first of me saying that because usually in an animated film I praise the voice acting. The only redeeming factor this movie has is that it is under an hour and a half. I suggest you steer clear of this one.

Raetd G.

1hr 23min/83min.

BOMB/****
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