DreamWorks Toontanic: A Summer Vacation (2004 Film)

Toontanic: A Summer Vacation is a 2004 American computer-animated crossover romance-disaster comedy adventure sequel film Distributed by DreamWorks Pictures and released by DreamWorks Animation. It is the first feature-length film in the Cartoon Network crossover 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 Clarence and Luigi (from Super Mario) on the way to a concert; the second, set in ancient Israel, is based directly on the biblical story of Jonah. Through both stories, compassionate and mercy play a role in giving people a second chance. The film also features the Pirates Who Don't Do Anything in both segments who were first seen in the Silly Song of the same name in ''VeggieTales. It is the second installment in the Toontanic series, the sequel to 1999's Toontanic, and features the voices of Carlos Alzraqui, Lauren Tom, Skyler Page, Tara Strong, Dee Bradley Baker, Rob Paulson, and Jodi Benson.''

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 14, 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 October 1, 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
Clarence and Luigi are driving Dee Dee, Mandark, Billy, Numbuh 2, Numbuh 3, Numbuh 4, Brick, Blossom, Boomer, Bubbles, Butch, Buttercup, Gumball Watterson, Darwin Watterson, Clam, Iggy, Larry, Wendy, Lemmy, Sonic, Amy, Tommy, Chuckie, Arnold, Gerald, Helga, and the other Characters to a concert in the church hosted by kids' singer, Twippo. Numbuh 3, who has won a contest to see Twippo backstage, keeps taunting her friends about it, particularly annoying Billy. Meanwhile, Clarence is frustrated with Luigi due to him singing songs and playing his guitar instead of helping him with the map. Despite Luigi telling her not to tease her friends about her ticket, Numbuh 3 continues to taunt Billy, waving her ticket around in his face. Luigi accidentally hits Clarence and Numbuh 3 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 van, 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: Clarence angrily blames Luigi for making the van lose control in the forest, and Billy angrily blames Numbuh 3 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 Lazlo.

Lazlo is a Prophet 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 Raj (from Camp Lazlo), a traveling Persian rug salesman, who rants about how great Lazlo is and decides to travel with him.

After waking up from a nightmare, Lazlo 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 Lazlo 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 Khalil inside it) as ammo. The meg merely swallows the ball, disgorges the lifebelt, and swims away.

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

After Lalzo is denied entrance to the city, the Dexter, Mario and Kirby appear. They explain that they spent all the money Lazlo gave them on Mr. Twisty's Sardines and won a sweepstakes, giving them free access to Antartica where the Sardines are produced. They sneak Lalzo 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. Lazlo 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, Lazlo watches and waits from a distance. Raj is disappointed in Lazlo, and tries to explain to him that Mom and Dad are compassionate and merciful. But Lazlo, feeling retarted and self-important, can't accept that. The story ends with Raj and Kenny leaving Lazlo 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 Lazlo from Camp Lazlo) appears in the restaurant unexpectedly and offers to give everybody a lift to the concert, while Clarence forgives Luigi and Billy gives his Twippo tickets to Numbuh 3 and Numbuh 4. The film ends with Twippo and the Pirates performing a musical number as well as the arrival of the tow truck driver (played by Raj), whom Twippo seems to remember meeting during the Lazlo story.