DreamWorks Toontanic: A Summer Vacation (2004 Film)

Toontanic: A Summer Vacation is a 2004 American computer-animated romance-disaster comedy adventure sequel film Produced by DreamWorks Animation and distributed by DreamWorks Pictures. It is the second feature-length film in the Toontanic series. The themes for the film are compassion and mercy, using two stories as illustrations. The first takes place in the current day and concerns a mishap with Edward Phillip Henry and Michael John Carter on the way to a concert; the second, set in Antartica, is based directly on the story of Toontanic. Through both stories, compassionate and mercy play a role in giving people a second chance. The film also features the Pirates Band of Misfits in both segments who were first seen in the Song of the same name in Sony Pictures Animation''. It is the second installment in the Toontanic series, the sequel to 1999's Toontanic, and features the voices of Charles Martinet, Samantha Kelly, Michael Douglas, Christine Cavanaugh, Richard Yearwood, Dean Harrington, and Ewan McGregor.''

Most of the animation was done in house by DreamWorks Animation, with additional animation being provided by Calabash Animation. Toontanic: A Summer Vacation premiered on June 28, 2004, at a Hollywood movie theater and came out as a regular release two months later on July 15, 2004. The film also came out on VHS and DVD on November 15, 2004, as a worldwide home video release in both full-screen and anamorphic widescreen formats with a two-disc collector's edition. A DVD reprint with the feature and bonus features was released on January 29, 2011, by Paramount Pictures and on Blu-ray in 2015 by 20th Century Fox, another reprint was released in 2018 by Universal Pictures (DreamWorks' current parent company). It received mixed to positive reviews from critics and grossed $25.6 million against a $14 million production budget.

Plot
Edward Phillip Henry and Michael John Carter are driving Coral Plumette, and her new friends to a concert in the church hosted by kids' singer, Twippo. Coral Plumette, who has won a contest to see Jonah Lumiere (as Twippo) backstage, keeps taunting her friends about it, particularly annoying Marco James. Meanwhile, Edward is frustrated with Michael due to him singing songs and playing his guitar instead of helping him with the map. Despite Michael telling her not to tease her friends about her ticket, Coral Plumette continues to taunt Marco, waving her ticket around in his face. Michael accidentally hits Edward and Coral Plumette then loses her ticket, after which the group runs into a family of porcupines in which they pop out the tires. They crash at the bottom of a hill and become lost. Luckily, as everyone gets out of the bus, they see a great wolf lodge resort.

They head to Great Wolf Lodge to call a tow truck and grab a bite to eat. Upon entering, arguments break out: Edward angrily blames Michael for making the van lose control in the forest, and Marco angrily blames Coral for losing her ticket. As he sits down, he is greeted by Dexter, Mario and Kirby, who tell him that what he said was merciless. They emphasize on their stance by telling him the story of Joanh.

Joanh is a Student from New York who goes from town to town delivering messages. But when Father asks him to deliver a message to Antartica, he resents Him and runs away to Russia with his friends, who reluctantly agree to take him on their ship when he pays them. Below deck, he meets Calvin, a traveling Persian rug salesman, who rants about how great Joanh is and decides to travel with him.

After waking up from a nightmare, Joanh finds the ship beset by a great storm. After a losing game of Go Fish, he admits to fleeing from his parents and is forced to walk the plank when Khalil sends their outboard motor overboard. With Joanh off the ship, the skies clear immediately. The Pirates attempt to reel him back in, but a whale swallows him (with the lifebelt attached to him). The Pirates fire their cannon at the whale but are forced to use a bowling ball (with Calvin inside it) as ammo. The meg merely swallows the ball, disgorges the lifebelt, and swims away.

Inside the whale, Calvin finds Joanh saddened that he is going to die for disobeying his parents, but they are visited by a host of messengers. They explain that if Joanh repents, then Mother and Father will grant him a second chance too. He and Calvin are spit up onto the shore and are met by Joanh’s Polar Bear Kenny. Together, they ride to Antartica.

After Joanh is denied entrance to the city, the Dexter, Mario and Kirby appear. They explain that they spent all the money Joanh gave them on King Koopa’s Sardines and won a sweepstakes, giving them free access to Antartica where the Sardines are produced. They sneak Joanh into the city disguised as winners of the sweepstakes, thought they are all promptly arrested for Mario's theft of the King's personal Sardines. After being sentenced to death by "the Fish Slap of No Return", they are granted an audience with the King of the Koopa. When King Koopa hears that Lalzo has survived inside a whale, he reluctantly agrees to listen to his message. Joanh delivers the message given to him by his parents. He tells them they should repent and amend their ways, or the world will be destroyed. King Koopa and the Arctic high school students quickly repent.

Still expecting the Students to be destroyed, Joanh watches and waits from a distance. Calvin is disappointed in Joanh, and tries to explain to him that Mom and Dad are compassionate and merciful. But Joanh, feeling retarted and self-important, can't accept that. The story ends with Calvin and Kenny leaving Joanh alone on a cliff overlooking the city.

Back in the present day, the Kids are disappointed in the anticlimactic ending but come to understand the point of the story - that Mom and Dad want everybody to show compassion and mercy, even to those that don't seem to deserve it. Twippo (also played by Jonah Lumiere) appears in the restaurant unexpectedly and offers to give everybody a lift to the concert, while Edward forgives Michael and Marco gives his Twippo tickets to Coral. The film ends with Twippo and the Pirates performing a musical number as well as the arrival of the tow truck driver (played by Calvin), whom Twippo seems to remember meeting during the flashback story.

Cast

 * Charles Martinet as Jonah Lumiere
 * Samantha Kelly as Coral Plumette
 * Michael Douglas as Edward Phillip Henry (often shortened to Ed)
 * Christine Cavanaugh as Rosie Worthington
 * Rachel Lillis as Sarah Bush Johnston
 * Jen Taylor as Old Coral Plumette
 * Jeff Manning as Captain Michael John Carter
 * Richard Yearwood as Terence Peters
 * Roger Craig Smith as Marco James
 * Marty York as Aloysius Sullivan
 * Steve Carrel as Francis Pennywhistle Tom
 * Nicole Sullivan as Jessie Terra
 * Nick Park as Larry Issac Martinet
 * Tom Hanks as Captain Thomas Stewart
 * Justin Anselmi as Pirate Bob
 * Ewan McGregor as Calvin the Caterpillar
 * Dean Harrington as Fergus
 * Samuel Vincent as Fish Slapper #1
 * Ron Smith as Fish Slapper #2

Trivia

 * This is the last Toontanic film to be released on VHS.
 * This is the last Toontanic film to be distributed by DreamWorks Pictures (through Universal Pictures) after Shrek 2.
 * This is the second DreamWorks Animation film to have the 2004 DreamWorks Animation logo until 2009’s Monsters vs. Aliens.
 * This is the only DreamWorks Animated film to be a knock-off of Jonah: A VeggieTales Movie (2002).
 * This is the last DreamWorks Animation film to use the “DreamWorks Pictures Presents” credit after Shrek 2.
 * This is the first DreamWorks Animation film to be released in theaters during July, followed by Turbo.
 * This is the last DreamWorks Animation film to be in the Toontanic series.