Reptar

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Reptar
Rugrats / All Grown Up! character
Reptar from Rugrats
First appearance"At the Movies" (1991)
Created byCraig Bartlett
Paul Germain
Arlene Klasky
Gábor Csupó
Voiced byJohn Schuck (as Leo)
In-universe information
AliasKing of the Ozone
SpeciesGiant Tyrannosaurus
GenderMale

Reptar is a fictional character from the American animated television series Rugrats. It is a green T. rex (and sometimes appears in red-violet and lilac) with rounded, blue spike-like appendages on his back, which intentionally causes him to resemble and spoof Godzilla.[1] Outside of Rugrats-related films, Reptar appears as a playable character in Nickelodeon Kart Racers, Nickelodeon Kart Racers 2: Grand Prix and 2021's Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl.

Character concept and depiction[]

Flying Ace Aerial Chase at Kings Island, which both rides opened and was themed by Nickelodeon's Rugrats two-part episode "Runaway Reptar".[2]

Reptar is portrayed as being a fictional character in the Rugrats universe idolized by a majority of the children featured in the series, particularly Tommy Pickles and his friends. A gigantic green, irradiated Tyrannosaurus rex, Reptar's popularity as a character is noticeably akin to that possessed by Mickey Mouse, although his role is similar to Godzilla.[3][4] When it appeared in Rugrats three-related films, it prominently showed a Japanese theme park that was depicting Reptar.[4] This popularity is seen in the merchandise[5] spawned from his character as seen in the program owned by the babies and in the numerous forms of entertainment which he has inspired, such as an amusement park,[6] chocolate bar,[7] funko pop,[8] and an ice show (as featured in the episode "Reptar on Ice").[9]

The Rugrats films[]

Reptar appeared in The Rugrats Movie film as a wagon built by Tommy's father Stu Pickles. The Reptar Wagon was no ordinary wagon. It was made like a high-tech car that can do various things such as talk and turn into a boat (Aqua Reptar) when in water, and has fire breath. The Rugrats took it along with them on a journey to the "hopsical" to return Tommy's newborn brother Dil, but they wind up getting lost in the forest. In this appearance, the Reptar wagon is voiced by Levi Curl and rapper Busta Rhymes of Flipmode Squad.

He had a more important role as a giant robot in Rugrats in Paris, when Stu once again built a robotic likeness of the character. The robot's head fell off twice in the film, although Stu fixed it the first time for the play. The Rugrats also took it to the church to stop the wedding.

The Reptar Wagon is seen in the background in Rugrats Go Wild near the beginning of the film in the Pickles' backyard. Unlike in the previous films, neither Reptar nor the wagon has any relevance to the plot.

The Reptar Wagon appeared in several episodes of Rugrats following the release of The Rugrats Movie once again voiced by Busta Rhymes through archive recordings from the film. The Reptar Wagon is rarely seen in the later episodes.

Other appearances[]

Outside of the Rugrats film, Reptar appeared as playable racer in 2018's Nickelodeon Kart Racers[10] and Nickelodeon Kart Racers 2: Grand Prix.[11] A dinosaur costume that was referencing Boo from Monsters, Inc. and Reptar was added in Fortnite.[12] A normal-sized Reptar appears as a playable character in 2021's Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl.[13]

Reception[]

Overall, critics and fans have generally praised Reptar. Destructoid calls Reptar as his "Childhood favorites" in Nickelodeon Kart Racers.[10] While Shacknews described Reptar as one of the most popular characters in the Rugrats universe, and further stated that "Still, a dinosaur is badass and he's a great choice to stomp all over the competition at Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl,"[14] Complex included Reptar's Wagon on their "Coolest Fictional Cars", and stated that "With extendable arms, a Busta Rhymes Reptar voice, and fire-spitting nostrils (on the original model), this is one badass baby ride."[15] Zimbio ranked Reptar as 7th of the best pop-culture dinosaur, and stated that "At first glance, Reptar might seem like a spoof on Godzilla, but this uniquely weird dinosaur is truly an unforgettable character. From having his own cereal and chocolate bar to dancing on ice, Reptar is like Beyonce to Tommy, Chuckie, Phil, and Lil."[16] Reptar was also included at Alternative Press on their "most metal cartoon characters", by stating that "This fire-breathing beast is loved and admired in playpens far and wide for his badass heroics throughout the Rugrats series and movies."[17]

References[]

  1. ^ Susina, Jan (2009). "Reptar: The Rugrats Meet Godzilla". In West, Mark I. (ed.). The Japanification of Children's Popular Culture: From Godzilla to Miyazaki. Scarecrow Press. pp. 7–16. ISBN 9780810862494.
  2. ^ "Escape from Madagascar - Dreamworld (Coomera, Queensland, Australia)".
  3. ^ Mann, Jaimy (September 4, 2010). "The Japanification of Children's Popular Culture: From Godzilla to Miyazaki (review)". The Lion and the Unicorn. 34 (1): 119–123. doi:10.1353/uni.0.0485. S2CID 145475991 – via Project MUSE.
  4. ^ a b West, Mark I. (October 23, 2008). The Japanification of Children's Popular Culture: From Godzilla to Miyazaki. Scarecrow Press. ISBN 9780810862494 – via Google Books.
  5. ^ Paxton, Whitney (October 21, 2017). "This Reptar costume is sure to bring some nostalgia to your Halloween".
  6. ^ Garcia, Kelsey (October 31, 2019). "Nickelodeon Just Opened a Massive Indoor Theme Park, and Yes, There's a Reptar Ride". POPSUGAR Family.
  7. ^ "FYE Reintroduces the Rugrats Reptar Bar". Highsnobiety. November 12, 2018.
  8. ^ "These rare Funko Pops are diamonds in the rough". The Daily Dot. August 23, 2018.
  9. ^ "New York's Milk and Cream Cereal Bar Celebrates 30th Anniversary of 'Rugrats' With Reptar Ice Cream". Complex.
  10. ^ a b "Childhood favorites return for Nickelodeon Kart Racers". July 25, 2018.
  11. ^ "Review: Nickelodeon Kart Racers 2: Grand Prix - A Massive Improvement On The Terrible Original". Nintendo Life. October 9, 2020.
  12. ^ "Fortnite Dinosaur Skin, New Outfits and More Found in Game Files". GameRevolution. March 3, 2018.
  13. ^ "Every Character Confirmed For Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl". ScreenRant. July 13, 2021.
  14. ^ "What would Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl look like with a Smash Ultimate-sized roster?". Shacknews.
  15. ^ "The 50 Coolest Fictional Cars". Complex.
  16. ^ "BEST: Reptar, 'Rugrats'". Zimbio.
  17. ^ "The 10 most metal cartoon characters". April 3, 2018.
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