Many years of co-starring human actors with CGI animated ones in kiddie comedies haven’t precisely produced a brand new golden age for youngsters’s leisure. A success right here and there, however nothing you’ll be able to think about children embracing, technology after technology, has been the end result.

Efforts starring Scooby-Doo and Marmaduke and Sonic the Hedgehog are joined by “Woody Woodpecker Goes to Camp,” a lackluster revival of the Forties classic mental property cartoon character.

The title tells you every part that’s vital about this image. The rascal Woody is in it. He must go to “camp” to be taught “teamwork” as a substitute of being the self-serving, pileated and pecking menace he’s at all times been.

Struggling “STEAM” (Science, Expertise, Engineering, Artwork and Math) Camp Woo-hoo is the place Woody seeks a “teamwork” badge to get again into the nationwide forest he was expelled from. It’s run by Mary-Louise Parker, and the funniest factor in regards to the movie should have been the dialog between the “Weeds” star and the agent who talked her into this.

There’s a rival Camp Hoo-Rah, all wearing camo and run by and for bullies (Josh Lawson performs the camp chief). An ex-con buzzard helps the unhealthy guys (not all that unhealthy) compete with Camp Woo-hoo in The Wilderness Video games, that are officiated by a park ranger, performed by a CGI walrus.

It’s infantile and slapshticky, with Woody commenting on every part and something, together with a flashback to the outdated prospector who purchased the land that it was based on.

“Too unhealthy this flashback wasn’t in coloration,” Woody quips. “It may’ve popped.”

The jokes are feeble, even the puns. Toss Woody within the camp kitchen freezer to “relax.” He’ll “be the good child in camp! NAILED it!”

“You KNOW these weren’t humorous!”

No, Woody’s trademark snicker isn’t as amusing because it as soon as as soon as. And no, Woody’s promise again within the first act is rarely fulfilled.

“By no means thoughts. Come again to me. I’ll consider one thing funnier.”

It’s all innocent sufficient, with its various forged of nerd “sorts” and “imply ladies” and the like.

The messaging is Child Comedy Screenwriting 101 worthy.

“You’ll be able to’t cover from the bullies of this world your complete life.”

However there’s barely sufficient occurring right here to distract kids into sticking with Woody all the way in which to the end. The anarchy is mild-mannered, the sight gags limp and the human interactions produce no laughs and little in the way in which of appeal, both.

Nonetheless, I might’ve beloved to listen to that agent’s name to Emmy-winner Mary-Louise P. Supplied it didn’t smack of desperation on both finish of the road.

Score: TV-PG, cartoon mayhem

Solid: The voices of Eric Bauza, Tom Kenny and Kevin Michael Richardson, with Chloe De Los Santos, Savannah La Rain, Esther Son, Josh Lawson and Mary Louis Parker.

Credit: Directed by Jonathan A. Rosenbaum, scripted by Cory Edwards, Jim Martin and Stephen Mazur. A Common launch on Netflix

Operating time: 1:40