Blue's Big Musical Mishap
Okay look, I want to start this review off by saying that I don’t consider myself to be a Blue’s Clues expert, but I have watched the show for nearly my entire life, and I’m pretty confident that I know what makes it work a majority of the time, and to me, Blue’s Big City Adventure was not one of those times.
Now before we skidoo into the wacky world of Blue’s Clues movies, I want to make it clear that I don’t not like Blue’s Big City Adventure because I like the original series better (Even though I do like the original series better.), and as is the case with everything else I’ve reviewed so far, there are good things about it, but I feel this movie really seems to lack what made Blue’s Clues so awesome in its prime. To illustrate my point, I’m going to be going through both this movie, as well as the first movie, “Blue’s Big Musical”, and comparing how each movie tells its story, handles the characters, and uses the format that makes up each episode, among other things. So grab your Handy Dandy Notebooks, because we’ve got a LOT of ground to cover.
We’ll start with Blue’s Big City Adventure, which starts out with a curtain and a big opening musical cue, before taking us into the signature house where we’re greeted by most of the house crew, and gifted a pretty good opening number. No joke, I think “It’s A Brand New Day” might be my favorite song of the movie, at least thus far.
But before I go any further, I want to briefly discuss the animation. In my review of Blue’s Clues & You, I talked about how I enjoyed that while the show was still animated in CGI, it was done so in a way that’s faithful to the source material, where the backgrounds and most of the characters are animated in the same vain as The Peanuts Movie, in a way that looks two-dimensional even though it’s not. But in this movie, the whole Blue’s Clues universe is entirely CGI, depth, and all. And while it can make for impressive shots, like Shovel catapulting the disco ball into the bathroom, it can also make for some awkward and off-putting shots like this 360-degree revolve that completely ruins the illusion of the Blue’s Clues house.
Anyway, today Josh is excited because he auditioned for a Broadway show put together by his friend Rainbow Puppy, not too long ago, and today is the day he gets his callback letter. And after two lackluster versions of the Mailtime tunes, Josh receives his callback via singing telegram.
Rainbow Puppy: Hi, Josh! (Singing) Please come to New York City today at 3:00 to audition for a Broadway musical with meeeeee!
Josh: I got the audition?
Rainbow Puppy: You got the audition with (singing) meeeeee!
If you couldn’t tell, most of these first few minutes are spent building up Josh as the underdog with big dreams, as is further illustrated by a flashback sequence of him singing as a kid and a moment where he says his audition is making him nervous.
However, his struggles here don’t really engage me as much as they intend to, because the movie never takes enough time to actually illustrate Josh’s feelings/struggles in a meaningful way, because they’re almost immediately followed up by something else less serious like in this scene I just told you about. Josh just says the audition is making him nervous before Mr. Salt directs his attention to getting to New York City, and that undercutting really weakens the attempt for a heartwarming or serious moment.
But before Josh heads to the Big Apple, let’s start going over Blue’s Big Musical Movie.
Now, I’m going to start off this section of the review by saying that the vibes for both of these movies are significantly different from each other. Even though on the surface, they may just seem like the same film, Blue’s Big City Adventure is grandiose and high energy with very few slow moments, while this movie is much more laid back and simple, as is evident with the title sequence.
We start off with another curtain, but instead of grand lead-in music and the characters toying around with the logo, we just have Blue holding up a title card, while what can only be described as an orchestra tuning their instruments plays in the background. We’re then treated to the usual intro sequence, which is another good example of how the original show felt so fresh despite its formulaic-ness. As I’ve said before, with the original Blue’s Clues, you know what you’re going to see, but you don’t know how you’re going to see it.
The movie gives us the intro we’ve grown accustomed to seeing, with the book opening to reveal the house, with the iconic intro music I can’t get enough of. But this time, it’s shown to be much earlier than when we normally come to Blue’s world. The sun is rising in the back, and instead of Steve calling out to us, it’s Blue herself. But that’s not all. Normally Steve would open the door for us when got up to it, but this time, we go through the doggy door, so we can meet Blue at her eye level, as well as the Spice Family, who despite looking like they’ve just woken up, give us warm greetings.
Mr. Salt: Hey, look who’s here!
Paprika: Hi-dee-hi!
Mrs. Pepper: Oh good, you’re here! Now we can really get ready for the music show!
Mr. Salt: Ah, we are really going to need your help today.
I think this is why Blue’s Clues struck a chord with so many people. While the intro to Big City wasn’t bad, by any means, it just doesn’t have the same interpersonal feel as this one does. There’s no cheerful music playing, no fast actions going on, it’s just spice containers and a blue dog saying hello to us, and that does a better job of making us, the audience, feel like we’re old friends stopping by to see what shenanigans these characters will get up to today.
Now, as Mrs. Pepper just said, the house crew is putting on a music show today, so while she and Mr. Salt get breakfast ready, we go with Blue to help Tickety Tock wake up our leading man.
Tickety Tock: (to the audience) Oh, hi! Maybe you can help me! It’s time to wake up Steve, but he’s not getting up!
And here’s another thing, Blue’s Big Musical Movie does a better job of making us a part of the action. I’m not sure if you noticed, but in everything we’ve gone over so far of Big City, there wasn’t a single moment where any of the characters asked us to do or say something. Sure, they say hello to us, but that’s about it. There haven’t really been many chances for audience participation, which is what Blue’s Clues is all about. Here, Blue and Tickety are asking us to help them do something, which while impractical for a theater experience, helps people, mostly kids get engrossed in what’s going on.
And that engrossment continues after Steve wakes up and realizes what’s going down today.
Steve: (panicked) The big music show is today, and I overslept! There’s so much to do! We have to build a stage! We have to make snacks! We have to make costumes! We gotta rehearse! I-I don’t think I’m gonna get everything done in time. (to the audience) Unless I have your help! Will you help me get everything ready? You will?!
Compared to when Josh asked us to come with him to New York, Steve asking us to help with this production feels a lot more personal. Probably, because Steve Burns is such a master at talking to people one on one. That’s to say nothing bad of Josh Dela Cruz who is a good actor, but he just doesn’t have the same laid-back energy that drew everyone to Steve.
So then we get our first song, and I know I said I liked “It’s A Brand New Day”, but “At The Show” blows it out of the water every time. From lively brass music to how each main character (Except for Sidetable Drawer, more on her later) gets a line, this number tells us exactly what need to know about the event that’s taking place, and gets us excited to see the final production. But besides that, because we spent the first two or so minutes casually interacting with the characters, this song speeds up the pace in a way that’s not too fast to feel jarring, but noticeable enough to get us energized for what’s to come next. Not to mention it gives us a different view of the house that doesn’t look jarring.
After everyone (Except Sidetable) is assembled, and Steve is properly dressed, Blue gives us something to help us keep track of the many tasks that they, and by proxy, the audience need to take on. With the first task, of course, being the most important meal of the day.
And once again, this feature hits us with another, albeit shorter, banger. I’m probably not the only one who thinks this, but the original BC soundtrack is on par with OG Thomas and Sesame Street soundtracks, as some of the greatest music in a children’s show that cannot be duplicated. And while 2019 and beyond Blue’s Clues music is not the worst in the world, and even great in some cases, it does seem to lack that original feel it had back in the day.
While Steve, Blue, and the house crew dig in, this is where their cat neighbor, Periwinkle’s subplot gets kickstarted. He’s been spying on them for a few minutes wondering what they’re up to, and while they’re talking about the music show, he mishears it as them talking about a magic show and being a magician himself, he wants in, so he rushes home to practice his stuff. And as we’ll see later on, getting his moment to shine will be easier said than done.
Meanwhile, Steve & co. decide to have a brief overview of the “You Can Be Anything You Wanna Be” show, which is about what kind of jobs/professions they aspire to do in the future. Slippery is singing about being the captain of his own boat, Shovel & Pail are singing about being veterinarians, Mailbox is singing about being a stand-up comedian, and Blue & Tickety are singing about being teachers. They decide to give us a run-through of their bit, but then… It happens.
Yep, it would appear our clock gal has strained her voice. What will the gang do now?! We’ll find out, as soon as we get back to Blue’s Big City Adventure.
So, to get to NYC, Josh and Blue are taking the Skidoo Express. And no, that’s not a train, it’s a talking bus, and after a quick song, the three skidoo through an NYC billboard, and land right in the middle of Times Square.
Then, after the bus leaves, the movie tries to pull off a scene where Josh and Blue are intimidated by all of the loud noises the city produces, but it just doesn’t work as well as should. Why is not working for me? Well, to put it simply, there’s too much showing and not enough telling. And I know that sounds kinda ridiculous, but just hear me out.
In the original show, Steve spoke to us about nearly everything that was on his mind. If he wanted to show us something, he would tell us, if he was feeling a certain way, he’d let us know, and if he ever needed help with something, you’d better believe he’d ask us to give him a hand. And that helped build that interpersonal relationship I was talking about beforehand that the show wanted to cultivate, and it really helps us feel for Steve in certain moments when he feels vulnerable. The biggest example of this is actually featured prominently in Blue’s Big Musical Movie, but we’ll get to that later.
My point is, if Steve was in this scenario, being freaked out by all the New York noises and getting to his audition on time, he would most certainly be confiding in us, the audience, telling us about how he feels and asking us if we have any ideas for what to do. And you would think this would apply to Josh as well, but it doesn’t. At no point during this two-to-three-minute scene does Josh ever address the viewers or say how he’s feeling. Sure he comforts Blue for a second, but that’s about it. If this movie really wanted to strike an emotional chord with its audience, it needed to make them feel like more of an actual presence in the movie. Cause as is, we’re just watching this unfold from the sidelines.
But afterward, we are treated to a pretty good musical number, with a nice melody, an epic drum circle, and stellar choreography, that manages to capture that dreamy New York feel most movies go for when portraying this location. However, this is the part where we get introduced to a running gag that really creases me.
(Josh and Blue run up to an inanimate mailbox.)
Josh: (to the mailbox) Your turn, New York mailbox!
Blue: (barks)
(Beat)
Josh: (to the mailbox) No? Oh. Uh, okay. My friend Mailbox at home LOVES to sing. Maybe next time.
(A random guy comes up and puts a letter in the mailbox, which startles Josh and Blue. They shrug it off and leave. But then, some blue sparkles start shining, and the mailbox gains a face.)
And before you say anything, I know what the joke is supposed to be. They’re going for the whole “Ha ha, the guy who lives in a world full of talking objects can’t figure out that objects in OUR world don’t talk.” but the problem is that this doesn’t work with what we know about the Blue’s Clues world, where inanimate objects don’t just talk, they’re alive. They’re actual living, breathing beings who can move on their own, never go inanimate, and have faces that don’t disappear or reappear. (Barring Sidetable) And I would believe that, based on this logic, Josh would know if something was alive or not, because it would have a face and talk to him, so to see him and Blue just walk up to any actually inanimate object and try to talk to it when it clearly has no life, just feels really dumb to me, and so does watching them freak out when they see it being used the way it’s supposed to be used. Come on guys, I’d like to believe you’ve seen how a mailbox is used before. And the objects finally becoming sentient whenever Josh and Blue leave also creases me because it completely contradicts the concept of the joke, and doesn’t make the objects look that favorable. The joke is supposed to be that Josh doesn’t realize that objects in our world aren’t alive, so by making them come to life, you’ve ruined the entire premise of that joke concept. Plus, if the objects were alive in the first place, why did they not say anything when Josh and Blue were talking to them? This is just one of the many examples of this movie wanting to have its cake and eat it, too, so strap in, cause we’re just getting started.
Josh: Let me check my Handy Dandy Notebook to see where the audition is! (Josh attempts to pull out his notebook but only pulls out air. Blue barks in confusion.) Um, Blue? Have you seen my Handy Dandy Notebook?
(Blue barks, saying that she hasn’t.)
Josh: You haven’t? Oh. Well then, (to the audience) Have you seen it? No? Well then, I guess I don’t have my notebook.
(Blue barks in alarm.)
Josh: (in a panic) I DON’T HAVE MY HANDY DANDY NOTEBOOK!!!!! WHICH MEANS, I DON’T HAVE THE ADDRESS, SO, I DON’T KNOW WHERE MY AUDITION IS!!!!!
So, as you heard, Tickety strained her voice, and can’t make a sound louder than a mouse, which is a problem, because the music show is today, but luckily, she has a backup plan.
Tickety Tock: I-I could ring my bells! (does just that)
Hmm, not sure if a bell ringer is the best aspiration to yearn for Tickety, but you do you.
So, this new plan works out for everyone… except Blue, who isn’t too keen on singing alone. But, she too has a backup plan on how to find a new partner.
Yep, we’re finally getting ready to play the namesake of this show, which is another agenda on our to-do list. But little do we know, we’re given the answer before we’ve even started.
Now, before we go on, I want to talk about Sidetable for a moment, and why this special does her so much justice. When the show started, she was just the character whom Steve would go to for his notebook, and her dialogue only consisted of two phrases:
“Blue’s Clues, I’m so excited!”
Or…
“I just love Blue’s Clues!”
But as the show went on, she started getting more things to say, and more opportunities to banter with Steve, and they were some of the best parts of the show. No joke, Sidetable is one of Steve’s top 2 on-screen partners, after Mailbox. But anyway, this special introduces some character information to flesh her out more, and it’s awesome. Essentially Sidetable wants a singing part in the music show but is too shy to ask Steve to let her join. And as we’ll see throughout the movie her struggle is a lot better portrayed than Josh’s, but we’ll talk more about that later.
For now, Sidetable chickens out at the last minute and instead asks Steve if she can give him his notebook, to which Steve happily obliges because it’s time for the iconic Blue’s Clues song, which is always a treat to listen to, especially with the added beginning and ending saxophone riffs this time around. And it’s through this song that Steve finally figures out what his music show profession should be: A songwriter.
Steve: I wanna be a, a song-maker-upper!
Exactly, Steve. A songwriter. And since that’s what Steve’s doing, that’s what we wanna do, as well. This means the task of writing a song takes its rightful spot as the last to-do on our checklist. So now that we’re aware of everyone’s goals, it’s time to start looking for those clues, but not before we skidoo back to Blue’s Big City Adventure.
So, back at the house, Mr. Salt has decided what the best course of action is:
Mr. Salt: I must go to New York City, to find them! My dream is to be Josh’s hero! (singing) I will make my dreams a reality. I’ll be the hero that I’m supposed to beeeeee! (talking) I will go, alone. And face the big city, all alone! One small saltshaker, one big city, all, alas, all alooone!
Mrs. Pepper: Wait!
(The music stops)
Slippery Soap: You are NOT alone!
Mr. Salt: (gasps) I’m not?
Mrs. Pepper: Of course not! Your family is ALWAYS there for you.
Tickety Tock: And Josh and Blue are OUR family!
Slippery Soap: We HAVE to help find them!
Oh boy. I know what this film is going for, and it’s just not working. First off, they kinda dumbed down Mr. Salt for this scene. He and Mrs. Pepper are the only true adults in the household, who look after everyone else, so you’d think he’d know by now that he doesn’t have to do everything himself. If anything, this lesson is something I picture him telling someone else. As for his wanting to be Josh’s hero, that’s also something I don’t buy. As I said, Mr. Salt is essentially the dad of everyone in the house, including Josh, and Josh is definitely the kind of person to say how much he appreciates the people in his life. This scene just feels so generic and corny and lacks the actual heart/charm that the other BC film had.
So, Mr. Salt, Tickety, and Slippery decide to form a search party and travel to NYC using their jet. You know, that tiny jet in their cabinet that they always had and always use? That one.
We then cut to the theater where Rainbow Puppy is putting on her musical and going through auditions, and it looks like Josh doesn’t have that much competition because the other auditioners aren’t that good.
Meanwhile, Josh and Blue are asking everyone they come in contact with for help, but to no avail.
Josh: (to a random man) Excuse me, do you know the address to the theater?
Man: Which theater? There are over 100 theaters in New York City.
Josh: (shocked) Uh, I, I I… I don’t know which theater.
Yeah, you gotta love how Rainbow Puppy didn’t give Josh ANY information on where in New York he should go. Seriously, even though the address was in Josh’s notebook, I doubt it would have hurt for Rainbow Puppy to name-drop the particular theater she was putting this production in. And this wouldn’t have messed up the plot, cause the only thing that would change would be that Josh and Blue would at least know the name of the building they’re supposed to find.
But then we get to a scene that really really annoys me.
(Josh and Blue spot two ladies eating at a table with two random salt and pepper shakers, and stop dead in their tracks.)
Josh: (overjoyed) Mr. Salt!! Mrs. Pepper!!! Am I glad to see you!!
Blue: (Barks in agreement)
Josh: I have had a day. I lost my notebook! Have you seen it?
(One of the ladies grabs the salt shaker and uses it to salt her fries.)
Josh: AH! OH MY G-! (realizing) Oh. Well, I guess it isn’t you.
Now look, I can somewhat ignore this gag when it comes to the mailbox, the mustard container, and the trash can and coffee cup they try to talk to a scene later because those are all new beings that the two have never interacted with before. But, if the writers of this movie are really expecting me to believe that Josh, AND Blue, for that matter, would mistake two random spice containers with no faces OR arms for their parental figures that they see pretty much EVERY DAY of their lives, they must think I’m a real fool.
I mean come on guys, you really can’t figure out that these stagnant things aren’t your parents that you see all the time? I think there are a few things that should’ve already clued you in. (Pun not intended) You know, like how they’re missing their faces, as well as their arms, or I don’t know, the mere fact that they’re not trying to get your attention and express how happy they are to see you?! I mean there’s being oblivious to your surroundings, and then there’s this.
So, Josh and Blue decide to sit on a bench and ponder what to do about their current issue, until...
(Blue perks up and smacks her pawprint on the screen.)
Josh: (gasp; singing) We’re gonna play, Blue’s Clues! Cause it’s a really great game! YES!
That’s right folks, it took us 22 minutes to get to the game the show was named after, whereas in the original movie, it only took us 12 minutes. This scene feels like it should’ve taken place earlier in the movie. Like, directly when Josh realized that he doesn’t have his notebook.
So then we immediately jump to the BC&Y version of the Blue’s Clues song, and not even a saxophone solo can save it from its usual mediocrity, and the inclusion of the random kids singing along feels tacked on and unnatural.
Elsewhere, the salt shaker, clock, and soap bar arrive at their destination and land on top of the Statue of Liberty, and the only thing unrealistic thing about this scene is that Slippery hasn’t slipped and fallen off of this landmark.
So Josh and Blue set off to find the first clue, and that’s when the kid voice that was absent for the first 25 minutes of the movie decides to pipe up. But they're not the ones who actually get Josh to see it.
Josh: You see a clue? Where?
Kid Voice: Right there!
Josh: (turns around and sees the piano sign) Oh, wow. THAT is a gigantic piano. No time to play. …Okay, maybe just a little! (pretends to play the piano by wiggling his fingers)
Off-screen voice: It’s, it’s a-
Off-screen voice 2: A clue!
(Josh turns to his right and finds two kids and their mom pointing up to the sign.)
Kid #2: A clue!
Josh: (looks at the sign again and notices the pawprint.) Oh, the piano is a clue!
Kids: Yeeees!
So as you can see, random kids butting into our clue-finding is gonna be a thing throughout this journey, and I don’t know about you, but I think this takes away some of the interpersonal charm of Blue’s Clues. I mean, what made it so special was that it was a game that only the audience and the human host were playing. Yeah, other characters would contribute every now and then, but never to the point where they were tag-alongs, plus they were all characters in-universe who knew about the game. Here, these random kids we’ve never even seen before and whom Josh and Blue have never interacted with before, are pointing clues out to us, like they know this game better than we or Josh do, and that also makes it so we feel more like bystanders than actual main characters in the story.
So anyway, Josh and Blue decide to go inside the theater of this piano clue, and they find a strange sight:
You just heard Tony Award winner Ali Stroker perform a not-so-good cover of the Planet Song from season two. And sorry, but after revisiting it, the Planet Song was the right combination of very smooth and calm, yet electric in a way that made for a very soothing experience. Here, Ali and Josh are trying WAY too hard to make their rendition grandiose and epic when it didn’t need to be, the end result is just not that pleasant on my ears.
And speaking of the Planet Song, I’d like to talk about how the movie handles what came before it. Spoiler alert, but the only songs and ditties of Blue’s Big Musical that are taken from the show are ones that are relevant to the format and story going on: We are gonna play/just figured out Blue’s Clues, the Blue’s Clues song, Blue Skidoo, and the So Long Song. Every other song in this movie is an original that hadn’t been heard in the show up until now. Big City Adventure seems to follow that same idea for the most part, but I do have to wonder why they had to stick a fan-favorite tune in here when an original song would have sufficed or in some cases would have been an even better fit. I don’t want to say that the people behind this movie just saw this as an easy way to cash in on grown-ups’ nostalgia so they’d react more positively to the movie, because they liked hearing the same song they’d listen to as a child, but considering how pretty much the entire first season of Blue’s Clues and You was just episodes from the original show but with Josh, it’s not out of the realm of possibility.
So, after Ali gives Josh and Blue her life story and some vocal exercises, the two head on their way, while the notebook recovery team decides to get some help from a special someone. Who is that someone? We’ll find out after we check in on Blue’s Big Musical.
So the search for Blue’s Clues has officially begun, as we follow Steve into the backyard, while smooth jazz music accompanies the scene. We get a glimpse of the show stage, Mailbox tells us how many people are expected to show up, and a few seconds later, Steve has a realization:
Steve: (singing slowly while realizing) Why can’t I ever find a clue like you? (talking) Yeah, why is that? How come I never find the clues first? You know, just once, I’d like to find a clue first!
And for you to understand why this moment is so groundbreaking for the show, I have to go over something:
I’m sure all of you reading this review know by this point that Blue’s Clues was a very audience-heavy show. Its goal is to get kids to actually interact with whatever is going on on the screen, with the titular game playing the biggest part in that. Steve never finds the clues by himself, because that allows whoever’s watching to actually play along. I guarantee anyone who grew up watching BC has shouted “A clue! A clue!” at least once in their lifetime.
And while yes, Steve suddenly having this realization does kinda feel like it comes out of nowhere, I actually think this is the perfect time for Steve to be having this kind of conundrum. Because really, what better place for Steve to have an existential crisis than their first longer-than-average special? And again, this special does a much better job of portraying Steve’s struggle than the other movie did with Josh’s. Mainly because Steve’s subplot is basically the show questioning its own formula.
So, we find the first clue on our notebook, and after drawing the notebook in the notebook, we have a brief moment to ponder on who Blue’s new singing partner could be with the information that we have, which is another thing that Blue’s Big City Adventure lacks: Actual time to absorb the information. In the piano clue scene I described, there wasn’t a moment where Josh asked us:
“So, what theater could my audition be in, with a piano?”
This is a question that would actually give the audience a chance to participate in figuring out where Josh and Blue should go, and it wouldn’t have taken up that much time. But instead, we just find our first clue, and just move on to the next activity without any time to ponder the answer. I know I probably sound like a grandpa here, but these moments of Steve asking questions to the audience and giving them time to respond, is how the show made our brains turn, but in Big City Adventure, this moment to think is replaced with a mediocre version of a classic song that has nothing to do with the topic of the movie: Broadway.
Anyway, Periwinkle then comes along to show us a magic trick that he needs Steve’s clipboard for, and I’m going to sound like a broken record again, but Periwinkle’s struggle is a lot better portrayed than anyone’s struggle in Blue’s Big City Adventure. Mainly because the stakes are lower and not everything is happening at such quick-neck speed. A cat just wants to show us that he can do magic, and he sounds so cute and endearing while he’s going through the process that it’s really hard not to enjoy him.
Periwinkle: Do you think Steve will like my magic trick? You do?! I’m gonna go show him right now! (runs off) Steve! Steve, where’d you go?! I wanna show you my big magic trick, so I can be in your big magic show!
Steve: (appearing on-screen; confused) Magic show? Did Periwinkle just say something about a magic show? Huh. Oh, he probably meant “music show.”
If only he did, Steve. If only he did.
Anyway, there are still a lot of things that still need to be taken care of, before the YCBAYWB show gets underway, so let’s check back in on Blue’s Big City Adventure before we go any further here.
So, as I said before, Mr. Salt, Tickety, and Slippery have decided to get help from an old friend. An old friend who was pretty much the main reason at least 50% of adults who watched this movie decided to watch this movie.
(A door opens to reveal Steve in his detective uniform.)
Steve: Yello? (looks around; confused) That’s weird. Thought I heard a knock. (is about to go back inside, but then notices the audience) You? Is that you?! (looks the camera up and down) It IS you! Wow! W-What are you doing here?! Oh, you got so big! You look great! Hi!
…Okay… Not gonna lie, this scene made me feel really good inside. And I think we all know that was by design. This is one of the best scenes, but only because it’s a reunion for a character that people who grew up watching the original Blue’s Clues cherished. A lot. I’m certain that the people behind Big City Adventure knew that the surefire way to get adults to watch this movie was if they had a scene like this that reunited fans with their friend whom they hadn’t seen since that 25th-anniversary message he left for us two years ago.
Now I’m not gonna say the movie is inherently wrong for giving us this fan service, but I will say that it needs to do more than it’s already doing. I should point out that this is one of the only scenes that actually make us feel like we’re part of the action.
So anyway, the house crew fills Steve in on what’s happening, and he decides to help them track down Josh and Blue. While they were walking I noticed a little detail that I really liked. In the pages of Steve’s notebook, I know it's a little hard to see, but there are actual words written down. Why does this matter? Well, if you paid close attention to the original series, you’d notice that Steve almost never wrote anything down. In his notebook, or anywhere for that matter, he pretty much used pictures instead of words for everything he needed to jot down. Even in Blue’s Big Musical, you can see that instead of the checklist containing words, there’s an icon for every task they need to attend to. But now, Steve has grown, and he’s actually writing words down instead of just drawing everything. It’s a neat little sign of Steve’s evolution.
Steve: This is… a mystery. (jazz riff plays) Okay, so who is doing that? (looks down; chuckles) Oh, ha. Hey, Snail. (Cuts to Snail with a saxophone, who winks) Good one, buddy. Looking good. Did you change your shell?
Okay, this moment was also pretty cute.
I’d also like to point out that Steve has gotten the best lines in this movie so far.
Steve: To be honest my friends, these days I sometimes need 4 clues. Sometimes 5.
Steve: A pretzel. Helps me think. Without the Thinking Chair, I’ve been leaning into Thinking Snacks.
Steve Burns still has it, even all these years later. Anyway, Steve comes up with the idea to give Josh and Blue a sky message, and he knows another familiar face that can help them, but we’ll get to that soon enough.
Speaking of Josh and Blue, we cut back to them in, what I assume is Central Park, and looking for their second clue, to which another kid extra points it out, even though they’ve never met us before or likely played Blue’s Clues before. And again, no time is given for us to ponder on how the clues we have go together. We haven’t even found a way to write them down. I know Josh forgot his notebook, but there are definitely other ways and things to keep information in. Like, there could definitely be a scene where a street vendor comes by selling notebooks and Josh could get one to use temporarily. It wouldn’t take that long, and it would help keep the formula more intact. As is, this important part of the game feels like it goes by way too quickly, and lacks any kind of time to put the clues we have together.
Josh: (to the audience) You know, you are good.
You mean that kid was good, Josh. Cause we didn't do jack squat.
So after that, we find out that the guy Steve knows is his brother and the middle child of Blue’s Clues hosts: Joe, who is also pretty great here, all things considered.
Steve: (To Joe) Do you remember that time you couldn’t figure out the answer to Blue’s Clues, and it was a duck, a duck, and a goose?
Uh, Steve? I think you’re a little confused there, buddy. Joe didn’t-
Joe: Well, a duck, a duck, and a goose could be anything. Also, that was you.
Steve: …Oh yeah.
Huh. That was a great joke AND a callback. I’m impressed.
So Steve tells Joe that his idea is to make an air message with balloons in the sky, so Josh and Blue know where to find them, which could work or not work depending on the circumstance, but fortunately, Joe has enough balloons to make it happen. Sidenote, Joe’s present store looks amazing. If it were a real place in NY, I would totally visit it.
Elsewhere, Josh and Blue hear a band performing a pretty catchy version of the BC&Y theme song. When they finish, American rapper Taboo comes into the picture and when Josh fills him in on the plot, Taboo says he can help by… helping Josh find his song? Um, Mr. Taboo, I really don’t think finding Josh a song is going to help him find his notebook OR get him to his audition on time. This seems like you’re trying to kickstart a pointless and distracting side quest to keep us from reaching our goal.
But Josh takes Taboo’s advice anyway, and admittedly, what he does come up with is kinda catchy, all things considered. I just wish it didn’t have to showcase talking trees and flowers, as well as those other objects from before. But there’s no time to dwell on that now. Let’s skidoo back to Blue’s Big Musical Movie.
So, Sidetable has finally worked up the courage to ask Steve about a role in the music show but finds herself in the middle of an amazing tango number about silly hats. Sorry Ali Stroker, Sorry Taboo, but there’s no way you can compete with the musical brilliance of Michael Rubin and Nick Balaban. By the way, I highly recommend you listen to the full version of this song.
Anyway, Sidetable does manage to bring to Steve’s attention that she wants to take part in the show, but can’t bring herself to say what she wants to do, which gives Steve a heck of an idea.
Steve: Y-You know how you’re a SideTABLE, right?
Sidetable Drawer: Right.
Steve: Well, you know how sometimes you hold things on top of tables, right?
Sidetable Drawer: …Right.
Steve: Right! You could hold all of our hats on top of your table! That’s what you could do!
Slippery Soap: That’s a great idea, Steve! (puts the hats on top of Sidetable)
Sidetable Drawer: Alright.
Steve: See? You’re a natural!
Sidetable Drawer: …Thanks.
I really like how this scene isn’t painting anyone as the bad guy, and I can see where both sides are coming from. Steve may seem a bit insensitive here, but he honestly had no idea Sidetable had an interest in singing and was just trying to help his friend out. At the same time, I get why Sidetable still had trouble telling Steve what she wanted.
Sidetable Drawer: (singing) Being shy is oh so tough. Now I’m stuck holding this stuff. I’m not just a drawer. A fact that’s ignored.
And it’s here where I want to take some time to talk about how Sidetable’s arc in this movie is a lot better written and portrayed than something like Mordecai’s love life arcs in pretty much the entirety of Regular Show. In that show, Mordecai is an adult who keeps making the same stupid decisions over and over again until he severs any chance to build any kind of romantic relationship with Margaret OR CJ. Here, Sidetable is very much a kid, and kids aren’t always as confident as they seem, so I totally buy that she would have trouble speaking up for herself, and her voice actor gives such an endearing performance that I can’t help but feel for her. Plus, she’s not negatively affecting anyone else, which is something that Mordecai definitely did.
Immediately after Sidetable’s lament, the rest of the house crew comes to Steve with a bunch of stuff for the music show that they’re not sure what to do with. Luckily, Blue has the bright idea to put things that go together, together. And what follows next doubles as both a song and a game for the audience to play, where between verses and the chorus, Steve and the gang present us with a thing and three other things, and we have to figure out which of the three things goes with the singular thing. The song itself is once again amazing, and it makes for a great ensemble number. In fact, I think now would be a good time to recap how each film has handled its cast so far:
For Blue’s Big Musical Movie, Steve and Blue are at the forefront as always.
Sidetable is the tritagonist of the story and the answer to Blue’s Clues.
Periwinkle is the fourth character of main importance, as he wants everyone to notice his magic skills.
Tickety is the catalyst for the main objective of the story: Finding Blue a new singing partner.
Slippery has a tiny subplot of his own.
Shovel, Pail, and Mailbox all have their own moments throughout the feature.
The Spice family is really only present near the beginning, greeting us and making sure everyone is fed.
And the supporting characters like Snail, Magenta, Green Puppy, Purple Kangaroo, Orange Kitten, Baby Bear, Felix, and the Felt Friends are littered in crowd/group shots. Which means, all around, each member of the main cast gets something significant to do and has a chance to leave an impact.
Now let’s observe the cast in Blue’s Big City Adventure:
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Josh and Blue take center stage.
Rainbow Puppy is the herald that sets the journey in motion.
Tickety, Slippery, and Mr. Salt form the notebook recovery team.
Steve and Joe are recruited to join said notebook recovery team.
Mrs. Pepper had a very brief moment with Mr. Salt before he left.
And Sidetable, Shovel, Pail, Paprika, Cinnamon, and Mailbox only appear in the opening sequence and are never seen again after that.
This movie clearly wanted to shove most of its ensemble aside in favor of the three hosts and the dog, which isn’t really that bad, but in what’s supposed Blue’s first theatrical film ever, I kinda wanted all of the main cast to get something to do, and it seemed like there were opportunities for that to happen. Like what I mentioned earlier with Sidetable, she could have noticed that Josh’s notebook was left in her drawer and brought this to Mr. Salt and Mrs. Pepper’s attention. Also, here’s another idea: Shovel and Pail, and maybe Mailbox could join the NRT and along with the others, use their skill sets to get by certain obstacles that they could encounter.
I guess what I’m trying to say is if the original team could find a way to significantly incorporate all the main characters in their roster for a direct-to-DVD/VHS movie, then this movie doesn’t have much of an excuse since it had more time and resources.
Anyway, character conversation over, back to the movies.
So thanks to the song/game, the BC crew got both their costumes and stage ready, which means snacks are next on the itinerary.
As Steve makes his way back to the house, he’s pulled in two different directions yet again, Periwinkle wants to show off his magic act, and Mr. Salt needs help finding chocolate chips, so he has us wait with Periwinkle, while he tends to the concessions. So with us as his only audience at the moment, Peri shows us his trick with the same enthusiasm he’s been bursting with ever since the beginning of the film. In fact, something I just noticed when rewatching is that Sidetable and Periwinkle’s subplots are the inverse of each other. Whereas Sidetable knows what she wants, but is too scared to ask for it even with multiple chances presented to her, Periwinkle has no problem with asking, he just never gets the chance to do it, because Steve is pulled in so many directions throughout the journey. Just something to think about.
So Periwinkle runs off to locate Steve, and in doing so, triggers our second clue, a blue knob, to reveal itself. As usual, Steve has trouble locating it, but he does, and after retrieving his notebook somewhere off-screen and missing Periwinkle in the process, the clue is recorded and we ponder what the answer could be.
Now it’s time for a status update. Breakfast has been eaten, costumes have been made, the stage has been dressed, and refreshments have been baked, which means the only agendas left to take care of are finding Blue’s singing partner, and making a song. Luckily, Blue knows just the right place for songwriting: A blank piece of sheet music.
Once we skidoo inside, we’re greeted by a big floor piano and a sentient music note named G-Clef, voiced by the late and great Ray Charles. And let me just say right now, Ray Charles’ involvement in this film completely puts Ali Stroker, Taboo, and whoever else guest stars in Big City Adventure to shame. Do you know why? Because his presence is necessary for the story, and moves it forward. G-Clef’s role in this story is to help Steve figure out the basics of songwriting, and the songs they generate during these parts are the greatest the music in this movie is gonna get. Also, unlike Josh, who probably already had a song that he was supposed to sing in the show he was taking part in, Steve actually needed to make up his own song, like he said he wanted to do for his show, so while the former feels like a glorified side quest, the latter is actually crucial to the plot.
So after Steve picks out notes, generates a rhythm, and chooses a tempo, he still feels like the song he just made is missing something. So G-Clef sets him straight.
G-Clef: (singing) Now you got the pieces, but they don’t make a whole. In order to make music, you have GOT to give soooooooul.
Steve: Soul?
G-Clef: Yeah. (singing) Reach down, deep inside you, and pull up something real. And that’s what makes it special. Something you can feeeeeel.
This is a really great lesson for kids (especially future musicians and/or songwriters) to learn. Music on its own is just music, but when the people making it put their heart and passion into it, it can truly be a work of art.
Steve takes G-Clef’s advice and leads us through his new song with much more heart and soul put into it, and that’s when we get the best song of the whole movie. Seriously, There It Is is my favorite original track of Blue’s Big Musical. I highly recommend you give it a listen down below.
So now that we have our song for the show, the only thing left to do is to finish our game of Blue’s Clues and find Blue’s new singing partner. But before that, let’s skidoo back to Blue’s Big City Adventure.
So, we find out that the balloons our Notebook Recovery Team is using are… balloons that spell Josh and Blue’s names and balloons that are pictures of them. …That’s it.
Joe: There’s no WAY Josh and Blue are gonna miss this!
Steve: Pretty good clue message, am I right?
Uh, no Steve. You’re actually not right this time, and Josh and Blue definitely COULD miss those balloons. For one thing, they’re too small, so if they were far away they wouldn’t be able to see them without a telescope. Second, these balloons don’t have any useful information that would help them know where you were. You just have their names and what they look like, and they already know both of those things. In my opinion, instead of using balloons, the NRT should have used a banner, and gotten a plane or even a blimp to fly over the city, and the banner would say something along these lines:
Now isn’t that a much better clue message? It lets them know who sent it, where Josh’s notebook is, and where to go to get to his audition in time. Way more useful than just spelling out their names.
But just then, they hear Josh singing and Blue barking, so they go to investigate, but can’t get past Josh’s posse of backup dancers. Meanwhile, one of the sentient trees tells Josh that he’s gonna be late for his audition if he doesn’t find his last clue, despite the fact that the two of them have never interacted before this moment. I don't think I need to explain how off that feels. On the plus side, it is rather humorous to see Steve and Joe’s dejected faces while the happy crowd of people dances around them.
We cut back to Rainbow Puppy’s theater, and thank God this picture is a picture and not a video, because this next auditioner is bad. Like really bad.
After Rainbow Puppy wonders as to where Josh could be, we cut to him, as he comes into contact with his last clue, which is a stage. And who points this out to him? Not us, that’s for sure!
Lady: (walking up) My whole life I’ve been finding clues. (points to the stage behind Josh) It’s right there. (Josh turns around) See it now?
Josh: (gasps) Oooooh! I see it now.
(The lady pets Blue and walks off)
…Um… What was that? No seriously, what was the point of that scene? This lady only said two or three lines of dialogue, one of which gave off a tiny hint of character, but nothing comes out of it. Was she supposed to be a fan of the show? Or a detective of some kind? We’ll never know, because she’s just another soulless vehicle that the movie thought was SO necessary to keep the narrative going, when allowing just the audience to point things out to Josh would be more effective and more true to the source material.
So now that Josh has all three clues, it’s Thinking Chair time. And you might be thinking to yourself: “Wait, how can Josh go to the Thinking Chair if he’s nowhere near it?” Well, that tree from earlier who knew about Josh and his audition was somehow able to teleport the Thinking Chair to the stage behind them. (…I don’t know about these trees, you guys.) So anyway, Josh puts all the clues together, and… this happens.
Josh: So, where could my audition be?
Kid #4: (running up) Theater!
Josh: (realizing) Right! A theater! But which one?
Kid #5: (appearing out of nowhere) Rainbow Curtains Piano!
Josh: (realizing) Wait a second. That’s it! We need to find a theater with a piano, a stage, and rainbow curtains! (Stands up) We just figured out Blue’s Clues!!
Secondly, the answer we come up with is not a satisfying one. As we already know Josh’s audition is in a theater, and it probably has both a piano and a stage, and maybe even rainbow curtains. Plus, we still don't know where this theater is or where we should go to find it. This would be a lot better if an actual theater was name-dropped, and Josh figured out that was the theater he needed to go to.
Third, these kid extras just shouting the clues out doesn’t add or help anything. I really don’t get why this movie is so keen on having its extras butt into a game that’s specifically for the host, and the person watching the program.
All in all, this scene falls flat on its face and feels like a huge time-waster.
We then cut back to Rainbow Puppy’s theater, where the next auditioner is… Hamilton Legend Phillipa Soo?! Dang!
Phillipa Soo: Hi.
Rainbow Puppy: Hi!
Phillipa Soo: (gasps and squees) Sorry, I’m, I’m a huge fan.
Why? She’s not that great. Yeah, I said it. I think Rainbow Puppy is a bland character. She’s just a generic puppy who happens to be multi-colored and can speak full sentences. At least Magenta has the gig of being Blue’s best friend, and at least Green Puppy has the character quirk of being rowdy and a passion for knocking over blocks. With Rainbow Puppy, all she has going for her is her colorful appearance and her singing voice, and that just doesn’t do it for me. And I definitely don’t see why she had to replace Plum, an actually interesting and fun character, as Periwinkle’s old city friend.
Anyway, Miss Soo sings the song, and she sings much better than the rest of the auditioners, but she’s still not what Rainbow Puppy is looking for. Meanwhile, Josh and Blue still need to get to Josh’s audition, so they hail a taxi.
Taxi Driver: Okay, where can I take you?
Josh: A theater! That was the answer to Blue’s Clues.
Taxi Driver: Great. So, what theater?
Josh: What theater? Oh, it has a stage, rainbow curtains, and a piano!
Taxi Driver: Sounds fancy. But where is it?
Josh: (realizing) Oh. Well… we don’t, know, exactly.
…WOW. It’s like we spent all this time playing Blue’s Clues for the wrong reason. We’re 49 minutes into this movie and Josh still has no clue where he should be going. So what does the driver suggest?
Taxi Driver: Sometimes, you just need to have a little patience.
Josh: Patience.
Taxi Driver: What I always say. You have to have patience and trust the journey. Life always has a way of taking you on the adventure you need to go on.
Josh and Blue: Life is an adventure?
Taxi Driver: Now you’re getting it. Okay, so how about a little New York City adventure?
Um, dude? Yeah, any other time I would be down for all this talk of waiting and enjoying the sights and wonders of life, but right now, Josh has a big opportunity, and if he doesn’t get to where he needs to be ASAP, that opportunity will be gone. We really don’t have time for this. And to add to that, Josh and Blue have already been on quite the New York City adventure for the majority of this movie.
But it doesn’t really matter, because right after he finishes saying that, they run into the Notebook Recovery Team, who all pile into the taxi and give Josh his notebook, so they can head to the address of 12345 Broadway. But what they don’t realize is that Rainbow Puppy’s audition trial ended at 3:00, which means they missed the deadline. We’ll see what happens after we check back in on Blue’s Big Musical, and narrowly avoid a very bad heavy metal cover of the BC&Y theme song.
So Steve is ready to find his last clue, by himself, when Perwinkle shows up again to show Steve his magic act. He tells Steve to wait, so he can get something, but then Blue and Tickety alert him about a situation with Slippery, so he goes to see what’s going on and asks us to tell Periwinkle about what happened, and he obviously feels dejected about it, but in fairness, he probably should’ve gotten what he needed before he decided to get Steve’s attention.
Speaking of Steve, he brings us over and fills us in on the situation. Apparently, every time Slippery tries to practice his song, he slips and falls over. (Makes sense. He IS a bar of soap, after all.) And he’s afraid he’s gonna do that when the music show actually starts. Luckily, Tickety knows just the thing to tell him.
Tickety Tock: When something goes wrong, don’t give up!
And that’s actually a really nice message, that is portrayed beautifully throughout the entire feature. All throughout this special, whenever the characters have been confronted with a problem or difficult task, they’ve always tackled it head-on. Whether it be Tickety’s lost voice, Steve’s song, finding out where everything goes, or even later, with Sidetable and Periwinkle and their desires, the theme of this movie is to persevere when things get hard. And Slippery decides to take this to heart, as he slides off to practice more.
Afterward, Mailbox brings to Steve’s attention that an audience is starting to turn up to their show and that their tickets need to be collected. Luckily, Steve knows just the right person for the job.
Steve: (To Sidetable) Sidetable, you don’t have to hold those hats anymore!
Sidetable Drawer: I don’t?!
Steve: Nope. I’ve got something else for you to do.
Sidetable Drawer: You do?!?!
Steve: Yep. It’s another job. You’re perfect for it!/Okay, so, you know how you’re a sidetable DRAWER, right?
Sidetable Drawer: Right?
Steve: Right, and you know how sometimes drawers hold things, right?
Sidetable Drawer: Right?
Steve: Well, here’s what I was thinking: You could stand by this post and collect everyone’s tickets for the show and hold them in your drawer! What do you think? You think you could do that?
Sidetable Drawer: (melancholy) …I guess so.
Steve: (sighs in relief) Thanks, Sidetable.
Don’t worry, Sidetable. Your moment will come soon enough.
So Steve treks on to find the last clue, and on his way runs into each of the other main characters who pester him about it, with Mailbox getting the best line.
Mailbox: Hey Steve, did you hear the one about the guy who was taking a really long time to find a clue? (beat) …Sorry.
So eventually Steve starts to seriously doubt himself, as he sits down and laments.
The reason this scene works is that it revolves around an issue that Steve has been struggling with since the show’s debut. It makes sense that he would feel insecure about this and doubt himself.
(Side note, I listened to a song made for the tie-in album that this special had called “As Smart As You”, which is basically a longer version of Steve’s various laments throughout the special. And while I do think they made the right call to go with the song they went with for the feature, as I feel this song would kinda kill the mood, it’s still an amazing song with a somewhat sad and very touching core that you should definitely listen to.)
But luckily, his friends, us included, encourage him to not throw in the towel, like we’ve been doing all throughout this feature. So with his confidence restored, Steve walks right into a pile of boxes, and fate does the rest.
I’m not saying this was the greatest movie payoff of all time, but it was satisfying and touching, which was all it needed to be.
So Steve draws the third clue, which is a drawer, in his notebook, and then rushes back to the Thinking Chair to piece this mystery together.
This is what Big City Adventure should have featured: Clues that only we and Josh can find, somewhere to write them down, time to ponder what each of the clues means as we find them, actual time to figure out how these clues go together, and an answer that’s actually an answer and serves the plot. These are all things that the original show was able to pull off spectacularly.
So now that we know who Blue wants as her singing partner, everything on our checklist is complete. There’s just one more thing to take care of now: Finding Sidetable, but we’ll take care of that, as soon as we get back to Blue’s Big City Adventure.
So the taxi driver drops our heroes off at the theater and wishes Josh good luck, while inside, Rainbow Puppy and her assistant have thrown in the towel. And just as everyone else comes inside the building.
Janitor: Sorry son. Miss Rainbow Puppy left the building for the day.
Josh: (confusion) Wait, I-I missed it?
Janitor: You missed it.
(Blue barks “We missed it.”)
Josh: (dejected) I…I missed it. I missed my one chance.
(Blue barks consolingly and licks a tear off of Josh’s cheek, as Steve and Joe come over.)
Joe: Josh, we’re so sorry.
Steve: There’ll be other chances.
I mean, Steve is right, there’ll always be other chances. You just have to put yourself out there more. I’m sure if the gang found some way to contact Rainbow Puppy and let her know where they are, she’d be happy to let Josh perform, especially considering how she’s been favoring him throughout this feature.
So, as Josh mopes about missing his chance, the mailbox, trash can, and coffee cup from earlier have somehow found this place, and are now part of the movie again. How great.
So all of Josh’s friends tell him to sing something on the stage right now, and compared to when Steve’s friends encouraged him in the other movie, it just doesn’t hit the way it intends to. And I think it all boils down to their motivations. You see, in Steve’s case, up to a few seconds later, he had never found a clue by himself, and everyone was encouraging him to achieve what he thought was impossible. When it comes to Josh, he sings all the time, especially in front of his friends, and even strangers. Sidetable at least had the excuse of not really singing to anyone prior to Blue’s Big Musical, at least from what we know, but right now, Josh doesn’t need to be as nervous as he is, because he’s doing something he’s been doing since his debut, and even in this movie, in front of the characters he interacts with on a regular basis. Throw in the fact, that he never talked about auditioning for Broadway at any point before this movie, and I just can’t get into this moment. They also try to bring up stuff that the celebrities in this movie were saying (vocal exercises, finding your song, “Life is all about the adventure”, etc.) to make it seem like they were crucial to the film, but they really weren’t.
Josh: (to the audience) Do you think I can do it?
No Josh, I KNOW you can do it because you’ve been doing it all your life, and all throughout this movie! And also, this scene would be a lot more impactful if Josh had actually spent more time interacting with us, the audience, instead of random extras that serve no purpose other than to do stuff that we already do.
But, in spite of all this, when he actually does sing, it’s pretty good, all things considered. The beat is catchy, and Josh can sing. And somehow this has been broadcast to every jumbotron in the city, which really doesn’t make any sense because I don’t how they were able to get their small phone to live stream something on a bunch of big screens that already have other stuff to show off, as it’s happening. But anyway, Rainbow Puppy and her assistant see this and rush back to the theater, just as Josh and the gang wrap up their song.
Josh: (to the audience) And thank you for making this a day and an adventure I’ll never forget.
Oh, don’t be so modest Josh, we didn’t do much of anything. …No seriously, we didn’t. You should really be thanking all those extras who actually helped you out and did things with you.
So RP and the other guy come in, tell Josh they’re impressed with his performance, and that they want him to be the star of their show. Then, this is said:
NY Mailbox: Josh, your kindness and happiness is, is-
Coffee Cup: Magical!
Trash Can: You made us come alive and fulfilled our dreams!
WHOA WHOA WHOA WHOA WHOA! Stop! Hold it! Hang on! WHAT? Are you actually telling me that because Josh was kind and happy, he created life?!?! Look, I know this is a kid’s movie, but my suspension of disbelief can only be stretched so far. If Josh can make things come to life by being kind and happy, or just talking to whatever he feels like, that’s kinda unsettling. Are we sure Josh isn’t the second reincarnation of God?! Steve and Joe never had this ability in the original show. Granted, they never really ventured outside of their universe, but I’d like to believe they were just ordinary people that can’t bring inanimate objects to life. This just feels like a cheap way to pay off a joke that was somewhat funny at first but wore out its welcome really fast.
So anyway, Mr. Salt tells Josh that they were able to broadcast his singing onto the Times Square jumbotrons from Josh’s notebook. How? They never explain, and at this point I don’t really care. Josh gives his predictable heartfelt speech, yadda yadda yadda, and everyone decides to get RP’s Broadway show going. We’ll find out how it goes, as soon as we jump back to Blue’s Big Musical.
Steve rounds up the house crew to tell them the news and to go get Sidetable, but she’s left her post, which puts us in a bit of a pickle. Suddenly, Periwinkle appears wanting to show Steve his magic, which Steve agrees to do, as soon as they find Sidetable. So, while everyone else splits up, we go with Periwinkle to the backyard, and after a few seconds, we find Sidetable sitting with a bunch of miscellaneous junk.
Sidetable Drawer: Hi, Periwinkle. I’m sad because I’m not going to sing in the show. I never told Steve that I wanted to.
Periwinkle: I know how you feel. Steve never got to see any of my magic tricks.
You’d never expect these two characters ever to interact, but they’re brought together by the fact that Steve can’t notice their talents, and I love it. What I love even more, though, is how they decide to work together to finally show Steve what they can do once and for all. Periwinkle will make Sidetable appear in front of everyone, and Sidetable will say, or sing what’s on her mind. Needless to say, the plan goes perfectly. And while Sidetable finally conquers her fears and it’s great, Periwinkle is about to get slapped in the face by reality.
Steve: Periwinkle, that was a FANTASTIC trick! Now that we have Sidetable Drawer, we can go on with our big music show!
(The camera zooms in on Periwinkle as he looks stunned.)
Periwinkle: (confused) Music show? You mean, magic show?
Everyone Else: No, it’s a music show!
Periwinkle: (mortified) …Oh. …A music show? Is it really a music show?
Yeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaah, sorry you had to find out this way, buddy.
So, as you can imagine, Periwinkle is pretty upset about his misunderstanding, but thankfully, none of his friends give him a hard time for it, with Tickety even quoting the same mantra they’ve been using to get through things all day.
Tickety Tock: Peri?
Periwinkle: (dejected) What?
Tickety Tock: Don’t give up! Maybe there’s something else you can do.
But just then, Purple Kangaroo pops up and asks when things are gonna get started. Unfortunately, none of our stars are ready yet, and the audience is hungry for entertainment, so Steve and the gang decide there’s only one logical course of action:
Let Perwinkle perform his magic as an opening act, giving him the big break he always wanted, and them the extra time they need to get truly ready.
So as the young cat dazzles the audience, our house crew convenes backstage for a group huddle.
Steve: Slippery, do you have your costume on?
Slippery Soap: I’m ready!
Steve: Great! Shovel?
Shovel: Yeah!
Steve: Pail?
Pail: Ready!
Steve: Mailbox?
Mailbox: Ready, Steve.
Steve: Tickety?
(Tickety gives her bells a ring)
Steve: Blue and Sidetable?
(Blue barks “Ready”)
Sidetable Drawer: Ready! La la la!
Steve: Wait, where’s my partner?
Uh, I’m right here.
Steve: Oh, there you are. Are you ready?
Almost, Steve. First, I gotta wrap up Blue’s Big City Adventure.
So, this movie completely skips past the process of creating the actual show and takes us straight to opening night. Unlike the other movie, which showcases the struggles and stress that come with putting together a production of your own, this movie kind of sugarcoats and simplifies the theater world.
But getting to actual performance, it’s also good. The song is nice, and so is the choreography.
But we finally come to the big finish, where all the characters come onto the stage, and I have several issues with it: 1. Why is Magenta here, when she’s been absent all throughout this movie? 2. If you’re about to say, “Because Blue invited her to watch the show.”, then what about the rest of the house crew back home? Why weren’t they invited? They’re Josh’s family, they should definitely be here to see him in his big moment. 3. Why are this random mailbox, trash can, and coffee cup taking more precedence over characters we already know and are familiar with? One of which being a different mailbox who has more charisma and likability than this one will ever have?
So the show is over, and you might think the movie is over, but it’s not. Not yet, at least. We still have one last post-credit scene, where Josh, while getting ready for bed, sings his version of the So-Long Song to us, and as someone who doesn’t mind that version, it’s actually pretty good. I just wish it wasn’t lying to me. I didn’t work hard during this movie at all. Blue’s Big Musical is where I worked the most at. Speaking of which, let’s finish that one up, shall we?
So, Periwinkle has finished his act, and the You Can Be Anything You Wanna Be Show is about to begin. Slippery is up first.
Slippery Soap: (singing) I can be anything, WHOOOOOAAAA!!! (slips and falls over)
…And he slipped. Shoulda seen that coming.
But luckily, the rest of the cast congregate on stage to save the number. And with his confidence restored, Slippery gets through the rest of his verse, and the song can continue. As for the song itself, it’s not the greatest in the soundtrack, but it’s still very catchy, has a great message, and is an ensemble song that lets most of the principal characters get a line.
Things still go wrong, as Mailbox gets a shoe stuck in his extendo arm, but luckily Steve frees him, so he can deliver some laughs.
Mailbox: Knock knock!
Audience: Who’s there?
Mailbox: Letter!
Audience: Letter who?
Mailbox: Letter in, she’s been knocking!
(He and the audience burst out laughing)
Hey, you gotta admit, he’s way better than most stand-up comedians nowadays.
And naturally, Sidetable is the best singer.
And after Steve and the audience takes their turn, and everyone sings the chorus one last time, as a special treat, Steve and co. don silly hats and sing the So Long Song, and I’m not exactly sure how to feel about this ending. On one hand, it is a creative way to end the movie, but on the other hand, it does feel like things end a bit abruptly. After everyone takes their bows, we get irised out of the scene and the Blue’s Clues book closes. There’s no moment where Steve takes us aside and tells us how much of a help we’ve been today, and it feels a bit incomplete without it.
And instead of the usual book page credits, we actually end this movie with the same cardboard box cards that opened the movie. Which is a pretty nice touch all things considered.
Phew! That was a wild ride. Bet you never thought you’d see me talk about Blue’s Clues for this long, did you? Anyway, I’d better get on with my actual thoughts and critiques of these films.
As you probably guessed by now, I like/enjoy Blue’s Big Musical a LOT more than Blue’s Big City Adventure, as the latter features so many decisions that don’t go against everything the original show stood for, like Toy Story 4, but still didn’t provide for a very enjoyable experience. Let’s break it down, piece by piece.
Story/Plot/Tone
As I said at the beginning, the story and tone for both of these movies may seem the same, but they’re actually different when you actually stop and analyze them.
In Blue’s Big Musical, Steve and his friends are putting on their own theater production in their backyard for their neighbors, and the tone is very laid-back, relaxed, and interpersonal, even with a ticking clock, because we’re just hanging out with these characters in their universe. There are constant moments where the characters are just talking to us like we’re on the same level as they are, with no music or wild movements to distract us, and as a result, it feels more natural and real. Not to mention, most of the things that happen advance the plot in ways that makes sense for the story and don’t come off as forced or contrived.
In contrast, Blue’s Big City Adventure somehow simultaneously throws everything at you and nothing at all. Almost everything that happens either doesn’t matter or isn’t built on. The story is supposed to be about Josh auditioning for a Broadway musical, but surprisingly little focus is given to said musical, as both Josh and Blue just kind of meander their way around the city for the majority of the movie, and none of what they do is crucial to the plot in any way. Also, it doesn’t give us any time to actually stop and take things in, because it’s moving so fast. As soon as we establish one thing, we gotta forget about it and move on to another.
Characters
Blue’s Clues’ cast of characters, while not being super deep, is still very memorable and likable, and the first movie does each of them so much good.
Steve is his usual lovable self here. While he can be rather dense when it comes to spotting clues or how other people feel at times, there’s never any malicious intent behind any of his actions and he really just wants all of his friends to be happy, but he also has his own insecurities as well. His motivation of wanting to find a clue by himself makes all the sense in the world because it’s been built up through 2½ seasons, and Steve Burns gives such a natural and interpersonal performance every time he’s on screen, you can’t help but love this guy.
Blue doesn’t have that same level of attention to her, as she’s really just the vehicle to get the plot of each episode going, but she is still a very cute and adorable little puppy, which is all most people need to get behind her. Not to mention, Traci Paige Johnson does a great job at giving her emotion.
Sidetable Drawer, on the other hand, gets her big break in this movie. What started out as a simple notebook-holder who could talk, turned into a very relatable and very talented member of the Blue’s Clues House crew. Her arc in the story, while cliche, is very easy to relate to, and we want to see her get over her shyness.
Periwinkle is in a similar position, but instead of being too shy to ask for what he wants, he hasn’t grasped the full situation and is too sure of what’s going on. But he does get a chance to show off what he can do, and he is supported by the rest of the cast.
Speaking of them, Tickety, Slippery, Shovel, Pail, and Mailbox all get moments to shine throughout the feature, and despite being 2D inanimate objects they all still feel like real kids trying to figure out their way through the crazy world of theater production.
Mr. Salt, Mrs. Pepper, and Paprika aren’t in this movie as long as the others, but they still appear a significant amount. They greet us when we come in, make sure everyone eats breakfast, participate in a few of the songs, and make cookies for everyone to enjoy during the big music show.
But the character that is most crucial to this movie and the show, is the audience. As stated in this amazing Backstage At Blue’s Clues mini-documentary,
“The preschooler is watching Blue’s Clues as the star of every episode. In that sense, it’s, almost like live theater.”
And it’s true, we’re the main character in this movie, alongside Steve. The film does such a good job of including us in the action, without making it seem corny or forced, and I think a lot of that has to do with the relaxed tone the movie sports. Like I said, we’re just here to play with our friends for a few hours, and this time, we just happen to be putting on a music show today in the backyard, and getting into shenanigans. Pretty much every episode in the original run is like this, and it managed to create a homely vibe that this show became known for. And is almost nowhere to be found in Blue’s Big City Adventure.
Now, I really don’t hate Josh, and he is a fine host, but this movie doesn’t do him any favors. His dream/motivation of wanting to be on Broadway is something that we’re just now being told about and isn’t something that the show has set up in every episode, like Steve’s clue-finding conflict. And while he may exhibit shyness and nervousness at some points, unlike Sidetable they don’t actually go anywhere, and he gets over them, as if he was never shy or nervous in the first place. Not helping is how he’s been dumbed down a noticeable amount, in that he can’t seem to distinguish between random objects with no sentience and the parental figures he’s known for all or most of his life. Also, why did they think it was a good idea to imply that Josh can create life? That just makes the logic of this universe really confusing and gives Josh way more power than he needs.
Blue is still herself for the most part, but she also can’t seem to discern the real Mr. Salt and Mrs. Pepper despite being with them longer than Josh has.
Steve and Joe were great here, but it really feels like they were only brought back for fanservice reasons, and their plan to find Josh and Blue was executed poorly.
As for the rest of the house crew, they aren’t nearly as well-balanced as they were in the first film. It only chooses to focus on three of them, while shoving everyone else into the first few minutes. Was this used to good effect? No. Mr. Salt apparently doesn’t know that he can rely on others for help, and Tickety and Slippery feel so underutilized and overly campy. And why couldn’t Sidetable be the one to notice that Josh didn't have his notebook?
Rainbow Puppy is just a bland character to me, especially in this movie. All we know about her is that she has a dream to make a Broadway show, and she can sing, and that’s it. Nowhere near as enjoyable as Periwinkle wanting to show off his magic based on a misunderstanding.
I would talk about the objects that Josh apparently gave sentience to, but that would be giving them way more attention than they deserve.
And I would love to say that this movie made whoever’s watching feel like a part of the action, but I can’t, because it didn’t. Instead of talking to us, Josh spends most of this feature consulting random people who just happen to know how the game we’re playing works. I know I may come off as selfish here, but they really needed to step off and let us do what we do.
Formula
As was demonstrated throughout this review, Blue’s Clues has a formula it uses for every episode, but it always manages to use said formula to good effect. Such is not the case with Big City Adventure.
The reason Josh and Blue decide to play Blue’s Clues is to figure out what theater they have to go to, but all they end up figuring out is that the theater they have to go to has a stage, a piano, and rainbow curtains. That isn’t useful information that helps move the story forward. Not helping is that Josh doesn’t have an alternate way to write the clues down, AND no time is given to think about how each clue goes with the other, so the audience doesn’t have a chance to use their brains to figure out the mystery. 1, because the allotted time to do so wasn’t given, and 2, because it’s trying to occupy us with other things on-screen.
Blue’s Big Musical on the hand, actually uses its formula, as well as its long run time to its advantage. The mystery of Blue’s Clues here is who Blue wants as her new singing partner, and while the answer is pretty obvious, it’s still set up and paid off greatly. And the usual time is given to ponder how the three clues fit with each other.
Celebrity Guest Stars
Blue’s Clues didn’t really bring in celebrities all that often, but since they were brought in for both of these movies, they deserve to be talked about.
Ray Charles and the Persuasions weren’t brought in for Blue’s Big Musical to play themselves. Well, they kinda were, but they were voicing animated characters who actually had relevance to the story. They were there to help Steve, and the audience, learn about the basics of songwriting so we can make a song to sing for the music show. Their scenes had substance, contributed to the plot, and were thoroughly enjoyable.
In contrast, the celebrities in Blue’s Big City Adventure contribute hardly anything to the story and only serve as pointless side quests or one-off jokes. They try to do significant stuff with Ali Stroker and Taboo, but the lessons they try to imprint on Josh aren’t necessary for his goal. Vocal exercises and finding a song don’t help him find the theater that the Broadway show he’s auditioning for, which already has songs he’s supposed to sing. Phillipa Soo was alright here, but she’s just a bit player who fangirls over a character who, quite frankly, doesn’t deserve it. There’s no substance in any of the celebrity appearances.
Education/Lessons
Speaking of substance, this topic is just as important to go over. Blue’s Clues, is first and foremost, an educational show. The kicker is that, much like Sesame Street, it’s able to make the lessons it teaches entertaining. Blue’s Big Musical in particular has quite a few lessons throughout its run time: Sticking to a schedule, the importance of breakfast, keeping track of things you need to do, telling people how you feel, how things go together, how to deal with setbacks, songwriting, and most importantly, not giving up on your goals, no matter the circumstances.
I highly recommend you watch that Blue’s Clues documentary because it’s so informative. We find out that every script for every episode of the show was consulted by education professionals, and that every episode was shown to preschool test audiences during production, and when I look at Blue’s Big City Adventure, I just can’t imagine that the same level of effort and dedication went into this movie.
Aside from the fact that the audience is barely in on the action, none of the lessons that this movie presents are fleshed out enough to leave an impression. At the start of the show, Josh is presented as nervous, so you think it’ll be about conquering your fears, but not only is his fear-based something he does on a daily basis, we never spend any actual significant time focusing on Josh acknowledging and overcoming that obstacle. It tries to have a moral about following your dreams, but Josh and RP’s respective dreams are not focused on enough for us to actually get invested in them. The message about family always being there for you was incredibly generic and force-fed, especially during the scene with Mr. Salt, and don’t get me started on their don’t give up moral, because instead of the characters tackling problems and setbacks all throughout their journey, Josh and Blue just goof around in NYC instead of actually focusing on finding the theater, and when he misses the audition, Mr. Salt just tells him to not give up, so he doesn’t. Not enough time was given to actually teach these lessons in the best way possible, so kids don’t really gain anything from the experience.
Music
Michael Rubin and Nick Balaban are right up there with Mike O’Donnell, Junior Campbell, Joe Raposo, Jeff Moss, Christopher Cerf, and Kurt Heinecke in terms of great music composers that just happen to make amazing music for amazing children’s television, and you need to look no further than Blue’s Big Musical to realize that. From the iconic ditties that we’ve known for years to the original songs that were made specifically for this special, these two brought their A-game here and created an OST that I still enjoy listening to, to this day.
Now the score in Blue’s Big City Adventure isn’t the worst score ever, and I do like some of the original songs, but many of the other songs featured are bad covers of songs from the original show and the revival show as well. And in general, this film just doesn’t have the iconic Blue’s Clues sound that helped make the property so beloved in the first place.
Animation
This part is gonna be very brief, but I just wanna mention how while the original Blue’s Clues series didn’t have the most groundbreaking animation ever, it was still a style all its own, and while the animation in Blue’s Clues & You was different, it was still able to faithfully recreate it to an extent, but in Blue’s Big City Adventure, all of the BC universe and even some parts of the city are completely CGI animated, and while it isn’t the worst thing to look at, you do have to wonder why they couldn’t just be animated the way they have previously.
Conclusion
I really wanted to like Blue’s Big City Adventure. I really did. But the problem is that it doesn’t do enough to feel like an actual Blue’s Clues experience, let alone a theatrical Blue’s Clues film. A good majority of the cast is sidelined, the characters we do focus on do nothing of significance, the genius formula and structure are just vaguely existent, things just happen that don’t make sense, there’s hardly any educational value to it, and the audience isn’t part of the action as much as they should be. There was talent and good things to be found here and there, but it can’t make up for how generic the whole thing was. It sorta looks like Blue’s Clues, it sorta sounds like Blue’s Clues, and it even has the same faces as Blue’s Clues, but it just doesn’t feel like Blue’s Clues. It feels like every other big-budget modern kids' film that’s trying to use its lineup of celebrities, blatant/weak fanservice, and a wide array of special effects to get people to watch it.
Now Blue’s Big Musical is not a cinematic masterpiece, and it’s really just an extended episode of the original show, but that’s why it’s better. Blue’s Big Musical is the perfect type of full-length feature for this show. It gives all of its characters something substantial to do, keeps its formula intact, delivers a killer ost, is loaded with educational concepts, keeps the story going with every action the characters take, raises the stakes a significant amount, features a guest star that actually contributes to the film, and makes the audience feel like they’re hanging out with these characters and helping them, which is what Blue’s Clues was all about.
Now look, I’m sure there are some of you out there who will still say you liked Blue’s Big City Adventure despite everything I’ve gone over. Which is fine. You’re totally allowed to like it. I just wanted to explain how, to me, it was missing a lot of what made Blue’s Clues stand out against other kids’ media. It wasn’t as story-driven and beautiful to look at as Thomas the Tank Engine, It wasn’t as character/humor based as Sesame Street, and it wasn’t religious like VeggieTales, it was just a show about us hanging out with a guy at his huge house in his wacky world, where we got to play a game that allowed us to turn our brains on, and learn things along the way, and that’s all it needed to be. When I watch Blue’s Big City Adventure, I don’t see that, I see a movie that’s trying way too hard to be something that it’s not.
If you want a longer Blue’s Clues adventure or an engaging feature for kids, I highly recommend you watch Blue’s Big Musical Movie, which is currently on YouTube for free. Blue’s Big City Adventure, on the other hand, is not something I would recommend you go out of your way to witness.
Blue’s Big Musical gets a 9/10, a fun time that is completely faithful to the show it's about.
Blue’s Big City Adventure gets a 4.5/10, a mediocre attempt at a Blue’s Clues film that tried to do too much and left little to come back to.
Well, that was quite a long ramble. Thanks to anyone who read all of this to the very end, and I hope I was able to give you some insight into this show that I enjoy. If you have questions, comments, or concerns, please put them in the comments below or on my DeviantArt post.
With that being said, that’s all the time I have for this one. Thanks for reading and I’ll see you in the next review.
TBH, I really didn't watch a whole lot of BLUE'S CLUES as a kid. Sure, I would watch every now and then, but not enough that I could say that I ever really became invested in it - especially in the post-Steve Burns years . . . and that's not to say that his departure had nothing to do with my not watching, but I was already a pre-teen by then, so I wasn't among the target demographic (although that did nothing to stop me from watching other pre-school shows like SESAME STREET) . . . I just remember that around that time, rumors began circulating that "The Blue's Clues Guy" died . . . of course he didn't die, but there's been many celebrities who have fallen victim to those same kinds of rumors, such as Sinbad, Colin Mochrie, and Leif Garrett.
ReplyDeleteSo anyway, I'm sorry, but I really don't anything to comment on this time around, because I'm not well-versed enough in BLUE'S CLUES to offer up any thoughts of my own about any of the points, strengths, weaknesses, or comparisons that you've pointed out. One thing that I can say is that, yeah, I can understand the feeling of being reunited with an old friend by adding Steve into the movie (and making him an actual detective to boot), and I would say that his inclusion certainly would be a treat for those who grew up with the era of BLUE'S CLUES when he was the host.
Fair enough. I appreciate the effort regardless.
DeleteTruth be told, I haven't seen Blue's Musical Mishap, so I don't have much to say about that. Other than it's a little disappointing that the people running the reboot don't quite have the best understanding of the original show, it's lore, and it's worldbuilding. Which many people tend to take for granted due to it's reputation as a children's show. Maybe they do somewhat, but not as strong as it should be.
ReplyDeleteWith that said, your review of Blue's Big Musical reminded me why I have such fond memories of the special. It's catchy songs, some decent character arcs, decent humor here and there and...I just wanted to give Periwinkle of hug throughout most of it, and was glad that her arc got a pay off in the end.
...If there's any critiques I can give is that...well, try to trim it down a bit. I get that this is an anaylis on two separate tv movies, but try to find parts that might stretch out a bit and skim it down to make the reading of it more doable for those with shorter attention spans. Hope you found this somewhat helpful.
Okay dude, a few things:
Delete1. The other movie is actually called Blue's Big City Adventure. Musical Mishap is just the title of this review. And yeah, people not watching it seems to be a common thread with the people I've shown this to.
2. You know what's even more disappointing? A few of those people are the same people who helped create the original show.
3. Periwinkle is a boy, not a girl.
4. Yeah, I'm still working on condensing my thoughts. I just have so much to say.
5. I did find this somewhat helpful. Thanks.
Oh...oh dear. It has been that long since I last watch Blue's Clues...I wish you were able to edit your comments here....let's try this again.
Delete"Truth be told, I haven't seen Blue's Big City Adventure, so I don't have much to say about that. Other than it's a little disappointing that the people running the reboot don't quite have the best understanding of the original show, it's lore, and it's worldbuilding. Which many people tend to take for granted due to it's reputation as a children's show. Maybe they do somewhat, but not as strong as it should be."
With that said, your review of Blue's Big Musical reminded me why I have such fond memories of the special. It's catchy songs, some decent character arcs, decent humor here and there and...I just wanted to give Periwinkle of hug throughout most of it, and was glad that his arc got a pay off in the end."