Runaway Rocketboy
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Runaway Rocketboy is the pilot episode for Jimmy Neutron. Released on October 9, 1998, the pilot episode was shown to Nickelodeon as a proposition for a future television show. The proposition was declined, and eventually, the pilot's plot was reused for the film Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius.
[edit] Plot
Runaway Rocketboy begins with Jimmy and his friend Carl testing an invention called the "Fusion Engine," which appears to be in its third revision. Carl, inside a small rocket, complains about his carsickness they may affect him in the rocket. Jimmy explains that he would be fine, the mission would be fun, and this would help further science. Carl then agrees to continue on with the test, but as long as Jimmy helps him in math class. The rocket is later launched, and Jimmy is impressed with the fact that the rocket had not blown up. His mother, Judy Neutron, orders "James Isaac Neutron" to come down from the roof of which he set his launch pad. She explains to him to no longer launch his friends from a rocket. He then "laments" about his Fusion Engine test, and is later sent to his room. At night, his father comes to have a talk with him, explaining not to go near rockets, and is later told he is grounded. Saddend by his punishment, Jimmy seeks advice from his mechanical pet dog. He lists the following options:
- Apologise, your parents love you.
- Create a time capsule, escape to the future.
- Run Away
Jimmy choses the last option and launches his personal rocket out into the depths of space. After launching, Jimmy flies the ship awkwardly, nearly crashing into a car and also into a tower, finally entering space. Meanwhile, heading toward Earth, the King Goobot plot the domination of Earth and the enslavement of the current human population. They soon discover Jimmy Neutron flying in the Asteroid Belt, thinking as though Earth has "launched their defenses." Goobot orders them to capture Jimmy Neutron and to bring Jimmy to him. Jimmy is then "sucked" on board and is then interrogated by the Yolkians. After telling his story, the Yolkians do not believe him and threat the enslavement of Earth. However, Jimmy "cracks open" Ooblar, Goobot's sycophant, as a threat. They surrender, and Jimmy escapes from the Yolkain ship. He is then chased by the Yolkians, all of which collide into each other in an asteroid chase. Goobot vows revenge against him, and Jimmy returns back to Earth, greeted by his parents. Carl returns to Earth in a parachute and asks for permission to use the restroom... only to say "nevermind" seconds later.
[edit] Trivia/Goofs
- The models used for the pilot had only three fingers and a thumb, instead of four fingers and a thumb used in the modern television show.
- Jimmy had a striped shirt instead of a red shirt with a silhouette of an atom.
- Jimmy's voice is younger.
- During the theme song intro, Goddard pounces and does not run.
- According to this episode Goddard was originally supposed to go "Woof Woof", instead of "Bark Bark."
- This is the only Jimmy Neutron episode ever to feature a QWERTY computer keyboard used in Jimmy's inventions.
- Jimmy's rocket, the "Strato XL," appears as the rocket Jimmy took, however in the following movie, it started as a kiddie ride at Retroland until it got made into an actual rocket (along with other rides) .
- The atom icon is reused again in the television series.
- This pilot can be found in the Confusion Fusion DVD in the extras feature.
- A much earlier model of Carl, which looks bizarrely different from today's model, is seen in this pilot.
- Most of the footage in the film's original teaser trailer is actually from this pilot.
- Also, some of the ideas from this pilot were reused in the movie. For example, when Jimmy asks Goddard for options after his dad grounded him, it gave him: A. Apologize, your parents love you B. Create a time capsule, escape to the future C. Run away. The first 2, along with build Goddard a female poodle and sneak out, were given in the movie when Jimmy needed to go to Retroland after his dad had grounded him.
- A different theme song (a shorter version of the version from the movie sung by Bowling for Soup) is used in this; the same people who sing the current TV theme song sing it, however.
