The Animal
Encyclopedia
The Animal is a 2001 comedy film
, directed by Luke Greenfield
. It stars Rob Schneider
, Colleen Haskell
, Edward Asner, and John C. McGinley
.
Schneider plays Marvin Mange, a man who is critically injured but unknown to him he is put back together by a mad scientist who transplants animal parts, resulting in strange changes to his behavior.
) is a meek, uncoordinated man who dreams of being a police officer like his dad was. Instead, Marvin works as a trainee in a small town police station. He tries a few times to pass the physical test to become a full-fledged police officer, but he just can't seem to finish the obstacle course. Marvin gets no respect from Sgt. Sisk (John C. McGinley
).
One day, while left alone at the station, he receives a robbery call. With all of the real policemen out at a softball game, Marvin rushes to the scene himself. Along the way, he swerves to avoid a seal in the road and crashes over a cliff. He is critically injured, but is rescued by Dr. Wilder (Michael Caton
), a mad scientist
who puts Marvin back together using animal parts.
Days later, Marvin is returned to his normal life with no memory of what he has just been through. Suddenly, he's full of life. He can out-run horses, mean dogs are now scared of him, and he doesn't need his asthma medicine anymore. He thinks it's due to his late-night TV purchase of "Badger Milk", which is guaranteed in the ads to make him stronger.
One day at the park, Marvin meets Rianna (Colleen Haskell
) while she's out walking dogs from her animal shelter. His animal-like tendencies are slowly taking him over. When a frisbee is thrown in his direction, he can't control himself, and he jumps to catch it in his mouth.
He goes to the airport to talk to his friend, Miles the security guard (Guy Torry
), about his problem. While there, Marvin sniffs out a man trying to hide heroin in his rectum
. For uncovering a drug smuggler, Marvin is declared a hero and is made a full-fledged police officer.
As days go by, Marvin's animal instincts are becoming stronger and stronger. He often wakes up in strange places, and subsequently, hears about animal attacks that occurred in the middle of the night. Because of these attacks, Dr. Wilder believes that Marvin is out of control. The mad scientist confronts him, takes him to his laboratory, and explains about the grafts and transplants that saved and changed Marvin's life, and gave him remarkable animal powers with certain problematic side effects.
Later at a party thrown by the Mayor (Scott Wilson
), Marvin chases after a cat and destroys everything around him. Marvin is fired on the spot. During his reprimand, he hears something, jumps into the nearby lake and rescues the mayor's son using powers derived from a sea lion and a dolphin. He is swiftly reinstated.
Chief Wilson (Edward Asner) questions Marvin about the late-night attacks on farm animals, because one of witnesses made a police sketch—and it is identical to Marvin.
Rianna goes to Marvin's house, where he has barricaded himself inside. They spend the night together, but Marvin wants to be tied up so he can't hurt anyone anymore. In the morning, he finds himself untied, courtesy of Rianna. Suddenly, the police show up outside. Another attack had happened that night, and the police have come for Marvin. Rianna convinces him to run.
Marvin escapes to the woods, where a huge chase ensues. The police have organized an angry mob into a search party to catch Marvin. While running through the woods, Marvin finds Dr. Wilder. The scientist tells him that there was another "patient" of his that is out of control, and he is in the woods looking for it.
Sergeant Sisk confronts Marvin, and is about to shoot him. Suddenly, the other "animal" jumps from a tree and knocks Sisk down. The beast is Rianna. Now, the crowd finds them both together. Miles is there, and he takes the blame for everything. He has been claiming that there is reverse discrimination with him since he's black, and that no one wants to hold him accountable for anything. Sure enough, once the mob thinks a black man was the responsible party, they don't care anymore, and leave, one man (Norm Macdonald
) saying "I'm never gonna be part of a mob to kill a black guy, I'll tell you that."
Marvin and Rianna get married, and have a litter of children that each look like Marvin. While watching the television, they see Dr. Wilder win the Nobel Peace Prize
. He says he owes it all to his fiancée, who happens to be the same woman from the Badger Milk commercial. When she turns around to kiss him, there are large scars shown on her back, implying that Wilder performed the experiment on her as well.
gave the film a score of 30% based on 82 reviews. Metacritic
gave the film a score of 43% indication mixed or average reviews.
who gave the film critical praise. In late 2001, Manning was revealed to be fictitious, created by Sony
to fake publicity for the film.
At the time, Sony claimed that the error was due to a layout artist who entered 'dummy text' into print advertisements during their design, which was accidentally never replaced with real text.
Comedy film
Comedy film is a genre of film in which the main emphasis is on humour. They are designed to elicit laughter from the audience. Comedies are mostly light-hearted dramas and are made to amuse and entertain the audiences...
, directed by Luke Greenfield
Luke Greenfield
Luke Greenfield is an American film director. Greenfield was born in Manhasset, New York and was raised in Westport, Connecticut. He is best known for directing The Animal and The Girl Next Door. In July 2007, he appeared as a guest judge on the filmmaking reality show On the Lot...
. It stars Rob Schneider
Rob Schneider
Robert Michael "Rob" Schneider is an American actor, comedian, screenwriter, and director. A stand-up comic and veteran of the NBC sketch-comedy series Saturday Night Live, Schneider has gone on to a successful career in feature films, including starring roles in the comedy films Deuce Bigalow:...
, Colleen Haskell
Colleen Haskell
Colleen Marie Haskell is an American television producer and actress. She was a contestant on the first season of the American reality show Survivor.-Survivor:...
, Edward Asner, and John C. McGinley
John C. McGinley
John Christopher McGinley is an American actor, most notable for his roles as Perry Cox in Scrubs, Bob Slydell in Office Space, Sergeant Red O'Neill in Oliver Stone's Platoon and Marv in Stone's Wall Street. He has also written and produced for television and film...
.
Schneider plays Marvin Mange, a man who is critically injured but unknown to him he is put back together by a mad scientist who transplants animal parts, resulting in strange changes to his behavior.
Plot
Marvin Mange (Rob SchneiderRob Schneider
Robert Michael "Rob" Schneider is an American actor, comedian, screenwriter, and director. A stand-up comic and veteran of the NBC sketch-comedy series Saturday Night Live, Schneider has gone on to a successful career in feature films, including starring roles in the comedy films Deuce Bigalow:...
) is a meek, uncoordinated man who dreams of being a police officer like his dad was. Instead, Marvin works as a trainee in a small town police station. He tries a few times to pass the physical test to become a full-fledged police officer, but he just can't seem to finish the obstacle course. Marvin gets no respect from Sgt. Sisk (John C. McGinley
John C. McGinley
John Christopher McGinley is an American actor, most notable for his roles as Perry Cox in Scrubs, Bob Slydell in Office Space, Sergeant Red O'Neill in Oliver Stone's Platoon and Marv in Stone's Wall Street. He has also written and produced for television and film...
).
One day, while left alone at the station, he receives a robbery call. With all of the real policemen out at a softball game, Marvin rushes to the scene himself. Along the way, he swerves to avoid a seal in the road and crashes over a cliff. He is critically injured, but is rescued by Dr. Wilder (Michael Caton
Michael Caton
Michael Caton is an Australian television, film and stage actor, and television host, best known for playing Uncle Harry in the Australian television series, The Sullivans, playing Darryl Kerrigan from 1997's low budget hit film The Castle and playing in the popular Packed to the Rafters. He is...
), a mad scientist
Mad scientist
A mad scientist is a stock character of popular fiction, specifically science fiction. The mad scientist may be villainous or antagonistic, benign or neutral, and whether insane, eccentric, or simply bumbling, mad scientists often work with fictional technology in order to forward their schemes, if...
who puts Marvin back together using animal parts.
Days later, Marvin is returned to his normal life with no memory of what he has just been through. Suddenly, he's full of life. He can out-run horses, mean dogs are now scared of him, and he doesn't need his asthma medicine anymore. He thinks it's due to his late-night TV purchase of "Badger Milk", which is guaranteed in the ads to make him stronger.
One day at the park, Marvin meets Rianna (Colleen Haskell
Colleen Haskell
Colleen Marie Haskell is an American television producer and actress. She was a contestant on the first season of the American reality show Survivor.-Survivor:...
) while she's out walking dogs from her animal shelter. His animal-like tendencies are slowly taking him over. When a frisbee is thrown in his direction, he can't control himself, and he jumps to catch it in his mouth.
He goes to the airport to talk to his friend, Miles the security guard (Guy Torry
Guy Torry
-Early life:Guy Torry was born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri, along with his brother, actor and comedian Joe Torry. He attended Southeast Missouri State University where fellow comedian and St. Louisan Cedric the Entertainer attended. While attending college, Torry developed his talent for comedy...
), about his problem. While there, Marvin sniffs out a man trying to hide heroin in his rectum
Rectum
The rectum is the final straight portion of the large intestine in some mammals, and the gut in others, terminating in the anus. The human rectum is about 12 cm long...
. For uncovering a drug smuggler, Marvin is declared a hero and is made a full-fledged police officer.
As days go by, Marvin's animal instincts are becoming stronger and stronger. He often wakes up in strange places, and subsequently, hears about animal attacks that occurred in the middle of the night. Because of these attacks, Dr. Wilder believes that Marvin is out of control. The mad scientist confronts him, takes him to his laboratory, and explains about the grafts and transplants that saved and changed Marvin's life, and gave him remarkable animal powers with certain problematic side effects.
Later at a party thrown by the Mayor (Scott Wilson
Scott Wilson (actor)
Scott Wilson is an American actor.-Movies:Wilson appeared in such films as In the Heat of the Night, In Cold Blood, The Gypsy Moths, The Great Gatsby, The Right Stuff, A Year of the Quiet Sun, Malone, Dead Man Walking, The Grass Harp, Junebug, The Host, Monster, Young Guns II, Pearl Harbor, and...
), Marvin chases after a cat and destroys everything around him. Marvin is fired on the spot. During his reprimand, he hears something, jumps into the nearby lake and rescues the mayor's son using powers derived from a sea lion and a dolphin. He is swiftly reinstated.
Chief Wilson (Edward Asner) questions Marvin about the late-night attacks on farm animals, because one of witnesses made a police sketch—and it is identical to Marvin.
Rianna goes to Marvin's house, where he has barricaded himself inside. They spend the night together, but Marvin wants to be tied up so he can't hurt anyone anymore. In the morning, he finds himself untied, courtesy of Rianna. Suddenly, the police show up outside. Another attack had happened that night, and the police have come for Marvin. Rianna convinces him to run.
Marvin escapes to the woods, where a huge chase ensues. The police have organized an angry mob into a search party to catch Marvin. While running through the woods, Marvin finds Dr. Wilder. The scientist tells him that there was another "patient" of his that is out of control, and he is in the woods looking for it.
Sergeant Sisk confronts Marvin, and is about to shoot him. Suddenly, the other "animal" jumps from a tree and knocks Sisk down. The beast is Rianna. Now, the crowd finds them both together. Miles is there, and he takes the blame for everything. He has been claiming that there is reverse discrimination with him since he's black, and that no one wants to hold him accountable for anything. Sure enough, once the mob thinks a black man was the responsible party, they don't care anymore, and leave, one man (Norm Macdonald
Norm MacDonald
Norman Gene "Norm" Macdonald is a Canadian stand-up comedian, writer and actor. He is best known for his five seasons as a cast member on Saturday Night Live, which included anchoring Weekend Update for three years...
) saying "I'm never gonna be part of a mob to kill a black guy, I'll tell you that."
Marvin and Rianna get married, and have a litter of children that each look like Marvin. While watching the television, they see Dr. Wilder win the Nobel Peace Prize
Nobel Peace Prize
The Nobel Peace Prize is one of the five Nobel Prizes bequeathed by the Swedish industrialist and inventor Alfred Nobel.-Background:According to Nobel's will, the Peace Prize shall be awarded to the person who...
. He says he owes it all to his fiancée, who happens to be the same woman from the Badger Milk commercial. When she turns around to kiss him, there are large scars shown on her back, implying that Wilder performed the experiment on her as well.
Cast
- Rob SchneiderRob SchneiderRobert Michael "Rob" Schneider is an American actor, comedian, screenwriter, and director. A stand-up comic and veteran of the NBC sketch-comedy series Saturday Night Live, Schneider has gone on to a successful career in feature films, including starring roles in the comedy films Deuce Bigalow:...
as Marvin Mange - Colleen HaskellColleen HaskellColleen Marie Haskell is an American television producer and actress. She was a contestant on the first season of the American reality show Survivor.-Survivor:...
as Rianna - John C. McGinleyJohn C. McGinleyJohn Christopher McGinley is an American actor, most notable for his roles as Perry Cox in Scrubs, Bob Slydell in Office Space, Sergeant Red O'Neill in Oliver Stone's Platoon and Marv in Stone's Wall Street. He has also written and produced for television and film...
as Sergeant Sisk - Edward Asner as Chief Wilson
- Michael CatonMichael CatonMichael Caton is an Australian television, film and stage actor, and television host, best known for playing Uncle Harry in the Australian television series, The Sullivans, playing Darryl Kerrigan from 1997's low budget hit film The Castle and playing in the popular Packed to the Rafters. He is...
as Dr. Wilder - Louis LombardiLouis LombardiLouis Lombardi is an American actor.Lombardi was born in The Bronx, New York City, the son of Louis Lombardi, Sr. On television, Lombardi had a recurring role on The Sopranos as Agent Skip Lipari, and guest starred on such shows as Entourage, Heroes and CSI. He was a cast member of a 1990s...
as Fatty - Norm MacdonaldNorm MacDonaldNorman Gene "Norm" Macdonald is a Canadian stand-up comedian, writer and actor. He is best known for his five seasons as a cast member on Saturday Night Live, which included anchoring Weekend Update for three years...
as Mob Member - John FarleyJohn FarleyJohn Farley is the name of:* John Murphy Farley Irish-American cardinal, the seventh bishop of the Roman Catholic diocese of New York* John H. Farley , Mayor of Cleveland, Ohio...
as Other Mob - Guy TorryGuy Torry-Early life:Guy Torry was born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri, along with his brother, actor and comedian Joe Torry. He attended Southeast Missouri State University where fellow comedian and St. Louisan Cedric the Entertainer attended. While attending college, Torry developed his talent for comedy...
as Miles - Adam SandlerAdam SandlerAdam Richard Sandler is an American actor, comedian, screenwriter, musician, and film producer.After becoming a Saturday Night Live cast member, Sandler went on to star in several Hollywood feature films that grossed over $100 million at the box office...
as Townie - Sebastian JudeSebastian JudeSebastian Jude is an American actor, most famously known for his recurring role in the Lizzie McGuire Show.He was born on March 16, 1990 in East Los Angeles, California to Ericka Jude and Zion Jude. Sebastian is of Jewish and Guatemalan decent. Sebastian keeps to himself, he decided to finish...
as The Lost Boy - Charlie StewartCharlie StewartCharlie Stewart is an American actor. He has appeared in many popular TV shows but his role is usually small. Charlie Stewart is most notably known for his role as Bob in The Suite Life of Zack and Cody and guest starred on its sequel The Suite Life on Deck in Flowers and Chocolate...
as The Evidence Room Kid # 1 - Philip Daniel BoldenPhilip Daniel BoldenPhilip Daniel Bolden , known professionally as Philip D. Bolden, is an American actor. In 2005, he played "Kevin" in Are We There Yet? starring Ice Cube and Nia Long, and again in 2007, in the sequel, Are We Done Yet....
as The Evidence Room Kid # 2
Box office
The Animal debuted on June 1, 2001, grossing $19.6 million U.S. in its opening weekend. With a production budget of $47 million, the movie grossed $84,772,742 internationally.Critical response
Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
gave the film a score of 30% based on 82 reviews. Metacritic
Metacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
gave the film a score of 43% indication mixed or average reviews.
Controversy
Despite receiving mostly negative critical reaction, one supporter of the film at the time of its release was film critic David ManningDavid Manning (fictitious writer)
"David Manning" was a fictitious film critic, created by a marketing executive working for Sony Corporation around July 2000 to give consistently good reviews for releases from Sony subsidiary Columbia Pictures...
who gave the film critical praise. In late 2001, Manning was revealed to be fictitious, created by Sony
Sony
, commonly referred to as Sony, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan and the world's fifth largest media conglomerate measured by revenues....
to fake publicity for the film.
At the time, Sony claimed that the error was due to a layout artist who entered 'dummy text' into print advertisements during their design, which was accidentally never replaced with real text.