The Powerpuff Girls Movie; Cartoon Network's Box Office Mistake

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This week I take a look at the infamous Powerpuff Girls Movie from 2002, predicted to be a massive hit, the film performed so bad at the box office, that Cartoon Network ended up scrapping all future theatrical releases. Why did the film do so poorly, and did it deserve the failure?

[SteveReviews]

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[LumpyTouch]

lol I forgot how awesomely violent Powerpuff Girls was

[kristofgriffin]

I personally really liked this movie. While it isn't perfect, it feels like a complete origin story for the girls, while also working as a standalone movie. Sure, it can drag in a lot of places, but there's a lot of heart, effort, action and fun moments in it that makes me appreciate the original series even more and hate the reboot even more. It's not my favorite Cartoon Network movie (The honor goes to "Ed, Edd and Eddy: The Big Picture Show"), but it's definitely up there as one of my favorites.

[poweroffriendship.]

There is an episode where Mojo Jojo kidnapped Professor Utonium and drained the PPG's superpowers to make himself just as stronger as them, only to be revealed that Mojo is the one who created the Powerpuff Girls from a freak accident. So he muttered "It was me" in shock as the Girls fled with Professor in victory. The opening scene from the movie explained the plot twist even further.

[ethanahern]

You can’t forget about the time the movie released in, it came out nearly a year after 9/11 occurred, and back then there were complaints and articles saying how an action movie for kids that has this amount of destruction, shouldn’t have released just yet due to being partially sensitive to some people.

[TheChildofAuraReborn]

The movie has a special place in my heart. For my 8th birthday, my dad asked his friend who owned a movie theater if he could rent out one of the theaters to watch the PowerPuff Girls movie, since I loved watching the show so much. Getting to go to a theater with a sign that said "Happy Birthday!" with my name, and seeing a full-blown movie for one of my favorite cartoons at the time, will always stick with me, even if the movie didn't do so well.

[misterzygarde]

The film was definitely a case of poor advertisement. Should’ve been advertised more outside CN.

It’s a shame it didn’t do well since it would’ve been cool if we got a Samurai Jack film or even later CN shows

[xgaming]

I know this is going to be an unpopular opinion but I really like how Mojo Jojo was turned from this comical villain to a more serious villain it gave his backstory more depth.

[mechajay]

This movie is an amazing. It's sad it didn't do so well at the Box-office. It certainly would've encouraged CN to make more films from the TV shows.

[sonicmiku]

The boys not telling people that they like the Powerpuff girls is very true from my perspective. I have an older brother and when we were little my brother wasn't allowed to go see it despite being a huge fan of it, because according to parents back in the day, "the show only applied to little girls." Which is funny because you wouldn't believe how many female fans there are in the transformers fan base.

[NickoPlayz]

16:18 There was actually a deleted scene where not only the Professor was taken home earlier but he's also occasionally seen in the house talking to an officer who was suspicious while the girls build Mojo's lab

[russell]

One of my favorite movies growing up. Still has a special place in my heart.

[Tiffthehuman]

It wasn't "boring", it was just not for most kids with their little brains and even smaller attention spans.
It was too serious and dark, but I LOVED that about it. I guess I was a different kind of kid.

[Ryder-a-Blaze]

I’m glad I wasn’t one of those people who thought this show would be girly and lame and instead watched and enjoyed it

[hhgff]

1:01 the way she ripped one monster's horn and used it as a spear on the other one is some shit straight out of Doom: Eternal lmao.

[bearmation]

As a kid I always wondered why Cartoon Network shows weren't getting too many theatrical films based on them while every other Nickelodoen show was getting one (i.e Rugrats, Hey Arnold, Wild Thornberrys, Spongebob, and Avatar: The Last Airbender). This is probably why.

[spaceamundo]

I've watched this movie with the director's commentary track from the DVD, and one thing about it is that it was made with love, and respect for both the audience and the concept of the TV show. Ultimately it was Cartoon Network and Warner who made it flop, thinking it was rival for other blockbuster films like Men in Black 2. It wasn't budgeted like a Disney film either, but the crew did great with the resources they had (the 3D chrome ball destroying Townsville still looks pretty good), and they excelled the visual language of the Powerpuff Girls with this film. I love it because of all that effort, and I hold Craig McCracken in high regard for delivering such a kick-ass, yet endearing origin story. And btw, in the commentary track he mentions that several scenes were cut. Most of them are still yet to be seen, so I hope one day there will be a director's cut of the PPG Movie.

[galaxa]

This movie actually introduced me to the Powerpuff Girls, so it holds a special place in my heart despite its flaws

[hispanichuitzilin]

I remember seeing the movie at the drive inn when I was younger and the band No Secrets singing "That's what girls do" for the soundtrack

[theodoro]

I think what would make the PPG Movie a hit was if it was released around the spring or fall, that's when movies get a better chance to release
Also, it plays like an extended episode, so maybe a continuation or maybe a new villain would make it more interesting. . . Say, the return of the RRBs