|
This article is rated PG, meaning it contains content that may be inappropriate for users the age of 7 and under. |
| “ | You just gotta believe. | „ |
| ~ Tagline |
| PaRappa the Rapper | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Dan Povenmire Jeff "Swampy" Marsh |
| Written by | Rhett Reese Paul Wernick Dan Povenmire Jeff "Swampy" Marsh |
| Based on | PaRappa the Rapper by NanaOn-Sha |
| Produced by | Roy Lee Pharrell Williams Asad Qizilbash Carter Swan |
| Starring | Michael J. Woodard Tony Hale Ellie Kemper Scarlett Johansson Jack Dylan Grazer Arry Frost Jackie Chan Cathy Ang Charlie Puth Snoop Dogg Samuel L. Jackson Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson |
| Edited by | Tim Evans |
| Music by | Nicholas Britell |
| Production companies | Columbia Pictures PlayStation Productions Sony Pictures Animation Stage 6 Films Vertigo Entertainment |
| Distributed by | Sony Pictures Releasing |
| Release dates | April 17, 2024 (Regency Village Theatre) April 19, 2024 (Japan) April 26, 2024 (United States) |
| Running time | 100 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $65 million |
| Box office | $232.6 million |
PaRappa the Rapper is a 2024 American animated musical comedy film produced by Columbia Pictures, Sony Pictures Animation, and PlayStation Productions. Based on the video game by NanaOn-Sha, the film was directed by Dan Povenmire and Jeff "Swampy" Marsh (in their feature directorial debuts) from a script by Rhett Reese, Paul Wernick, Povenmire and Marsh. It stars the voice of Michael J. Woodard as the titular character, alongside the voices of Tony Hale, Ellie Kemper, Scarlett Johansson, Jack Dylan Grazer, Arry Frost, Jackie Chan, Cathy Ang, Charlie Puth, Snoop Dogg, Samuel L. Jackson, and Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson. In the film, PaRappa and his friends are chosen to enter a music competition, but things take a dark turn when they become involved in one of the contestants' scandals.
Plans for films based on Sony Interactive Entertainment properties were being considered by Sony themselves. PaRappa the Rapper was among these film considerations. Phineas and Ferb and Milo Murphy's Law creators Dan Povenmire and Jeff "Swampy" Marsh were hired to direct the film and write the script with Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick. Sony Pictures Imageworks handled the film's animation, while Nicholas Britell composed the score, with the latter co-producing original songs with Pharrell Williams (who co-produced the film) and Mike Elizondo. PaRappa creators Masaya Matsuura and Rodney Alan Greenblat served as executive producers.
PaRappa the Rapper premiered at the Regency Village Theatre on April 17, 2024, and was released theatrically in the United States by Sony Pictures Releasing on April 26. The film received mixed reviews from critics, who praised the musical cues, animation, voice performances, and faithfulness to the game, who said it could appeal to fans of PaRappa, but criticized its dark undertone, story, and use of fan service. It grossed $232.6 million on a $65 million budget. A sequel, PaRappa the Rapper 2, was released on February 26, 2027.
Synopsis[]
"PaRappa Rappa has always loved performing rap music and hanging out with his friends. But his life takes a turn when he is selected to participate in a long-running acclaimed singing competition. With the support of his friends and mentors, PaRappa will have to fight his way to first place, even if it means having to compete against the most famous hip-hop artist in the world. So all you gotta do is believe!"
-Sony Pictures
Plot[]
In a world of paper-thin humans and anthropomorphic animals and objects, dog rapper PaRappa Rappa records a song with his friends: a teddy bear and his best friend, PJ Berri; a blue cat, Katy Kat; and a sheep, Lammy Lamb (the latter two being leads of the rock band MilkCan). They submit the song to You've Got the Power!, a long-running singing competition show. The group later finds that their submission was approved, and that they need to head to Los Angeles for their taping. PaRappa visits his onion karate instructor, Chop Chop Master Onion for advice on what to do when they're there, to which he replies that if something doesn't feel right, it's "all in the mind."
The group, joined by PaRappa's flower crush Sunny Funny, arrive at Los Angeles, where they run into their old friends, Matt Major, a dog, and Paula Fox, a fox, both of whom had moved away a long time ago. After the two decide to hang out with the group during their stay, they soon meet famed artist Cane "KZ" Dolwitz, who invites them to stay over at his mansion for the duration. Cane reveals he is among those chosen for You've Got the Power!, the latter explaining he wanted to test his skills for a contest. The group later travels to the studio where You've Got the Power! is being filmed. Contestants, such as R&B deer singer Sam Marshall and hip-hop dog artist James "Hot Dawg" Carlson, are among the celebrities who volunteered to enter the show. PaRappa, feeling uneasy about performing in front of a huge audience, especially on live television, leaves in embarrassment after causing a mess that ruins most of the participants' sessions and heads back to Cane's mansion, where the latter keeps an eye out on him.
As PaRappa roams around Cane's mansion, he discovers a door that leads to a basement. With his intrusive thoughts taking over, PaRappa chooses to enter. What he finds are newspapers and pictures of Cane's troubled past. Cane, under his former name "Kyle Zondalez", had been accused of crimes such as vandalism, blackmail, and mind tricks on people. His current name had been adopted in order to hide what he had done. Shocked by this discovery, a worried PaRappa attempts to call the police, only to be caught by Cane. Cane threatens to harm PaRappa if he tells anyone about what he saw in the basement. PaRappa rebels back, which leads to an aggressive Cane attempting to kill PaRappa by shooting him. PaRappa is spared, however, and is instead locked in a cage.
PaRappa's friends become worried about him, attempting to call him, but they are unsuccessful. Katy and Lammy, along with MilkCan drummer, Ma-san, decide to look for him. They arrive at Cane's mansion, where they find PaRappa. They free him and drive as quickly as they can to the studio where You've Got the Power! is taking place. They barge into the backstage and interrupt Cane's performance, who is furious upon PaRappa's presence. PaRappa hands the evidence over to Matt and Paula, who use a projector to enlarge the images and newspapers of Cane's past. Desperate to avoid losing his fame, Cane denies the evidence and claims that PaRappa and his friends are just "jealous little losers" who are trying to bring him down. But not wanting to give up now, PaRappa calls his friends to back him up, which leads to a full-on rap battle.
PaRappa and his gang eventually win, and security guards arrest Cane, but not before shooting a bullet at Sunny, to which PaRappa intervenes, the bullet impacting him instead. Seeing his friends are heartbroken over his possible death, PaRappa promises to keep them safe and well before finally fainting. He is taken to the hospital, where he is soon healed and feeling better. To signify his comeback and re-entry to the show, he invites his friends, Master Onion, Sam, Hot Dawg, and Club Fun MC King Kong Mushi to perform a live rap on You've Got the Power!, where they are given a standing ovation.
As PaRappa and his friends arrive back home, he is declared a hero. But he declines this power, stating he just "believed". Wanting to spend time with his friends instead, PaRappa suggests watching a movie at the theater, which his friends agree to.
Voice cast[]
- Michael J. Woodard as PaRappa Rappa, a paper-thin rapping dog.
- Tony Hale as PJ Berri, a teddy bear and PaRappa's best friend.
- Ellie Kemper as Katy Kat, a blue cat and the lead vocalist/bassist of the band MilkCan.
- Scarlett Johansson as Lammy Lamb, a sheep who is the lead guitarist of MilkCan.
- Jack Dylan Grazer as Matt Major, a dog who is one of PJ's friends.
- Arry Frost as Sunny Funny, a flower whom PaRappa has a crush on.
- Jackie Chan as Chop Chop Master Onion, an onion karate instructor.
- Cathy Ang as Paula Fox, a light orange fox and Katy's former frenemy.
- Charlie Puth as Sam Marshall, an R&B deer singer.
- Snoop Dogg as James "Hot Dawg" Carlson, a popular hip-hop dog artist.
- Samuel L. Jackson as MC King Kong Mushi, the MC (Master of Ceremonies) of Club Fun.
- Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson as Cane "KZ" Dolwitz, an internationally-famed hip-hop artist.
- Nolan North as Joe Chin, a dog and PaRappa's rival for Sunny's love.
- Dan Povenmire as Marc, one of Cane's bodyguards.
- Jeff "Swampy" Marsh as Omar, one of Cane's bodyguards.
- Tara Strong as Ma-san, a small mouse and the drummer of MilkCan.
- Kimiko Glenn as Pinto Rappa, PaRappa's little sister.
- Kenan Thompson as Papa Parappa, PaRappa and Pinto's father.
- John DiMaggio as General Potter, Sunny's father.
- Pharrell Williams as Boxy Boy, a talking stereo player.
- Gwen Stefani as Rammy, a freelance guitarist and Lammy's rival.
- Amanda Jones as Marcy, a hotel clerk.
- Melissa Sturm as Jamie, a producer of You've Got the Power!.
- Gary Anthony Williams as Dalton, a judge of You've Got the Power!.
- Simon Cowell as Stan, a judge of You've Got the Power!.
- John Myers as Cal, a judge of You've Got the Power!.
- Alyson Stoner as Joy, a judge of You've Got the Power!.
Additionally, Charli XCX, Lin-Manuel Miranda, and "Weird Al" Yankovic voice unnamed musicians in the You've Got the Power! complex; PewDiePie voices an individual in the crowd; Nicholas Britell (composer of the film) voices a DJ in Club Fun; Sara Ramírez (Lammy's original voice actor) voices the latter's unnamed mother; Kenya Hathaway (Sunny's original voice actress) voices a bartender in Club Fun; and Ryu Watabe (Master Onion's original voice actor) voices one of the latter's pupils.
Production[]
Development[]
Following the Sony Pictures hack in November 2014, emails leaked that films based on Sony Interactive Entertainment (then Sony Computer Entertainment) properties were being considered. One of the emails revealed that Sony Pictures Animation was in negotiations with PaRappa the Rapper creators Masaya Matsuura and Rodney Alan Greenblat to produce a feature-length animated musical film based on the video game. Matsuura and Greenblat agreed, as long as the film was faithful to the original, but had a slightly darker tone than the games. However, Greenblat confirmed that a deal to produce a film based on the game had not yet been finalized, as negotiations had only just begun. After this confirmation, no details surrounding the film were released.
On July 3, 2018, reports emerged that discussions between Sony, Matsuura, and Greenblat to produce the film based on PaRappa the Rapper resumed. Greenblat said that Sony was still interested in a PaRappa film, despite a deal between them still not having been finalized. Phineas and Ferb and Milo Murphy's Law creators Dan Povenmire and Jeff "Swampy" Marsh were also involved in the discussion, with Marsh stating they would be "most likely" to be hired as directors of the film. He also added that the film "may be likely to target those that grew up with the original."
On August 4, 2019, Sony Pictures Entertainment announced that an animated film based on PaRappa the Rapper had entered development, with a planned 2022 release, coinciding with the game's 25th anniversary. Povenmire and Marsh were set to direct the film from a script they wrote with Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick. Roy Lee was set to produce the film under his Vertigo Entertainment banner, along with Pharrell Williams. PlayStation Productions soon joined production on the film after its formation in 2019, making this their first animated film. Matsuura and Greenblat were involved in the film albeit as executive producers.
Writing[]
PaRappa the Rapper's script is written by Reese, Wernick, Povenmire and Marsh. The four were opted to write the film to be aimed for those that grew up with the original PaRappa games in the late-90s to early-2000s. They decided to use slightly stronger language, darker plot points, and few adult jokes, which were uncommon in the games.
Multiple characters who were exclusive to the anime series return for the film, including the main characters Matt and Paula. When asked why they were included, Marsh stated: "You know, we'd like to give characters that appeared in other media but never in the games a second chance. So when we heard about Matt Major and Paula Fox, characters from the anime, we knew we wanted to do something with them."
Casting[]
Unlike the games, none of the original cast returned to reprise their roles. Instead, they were replaced with newer and fresher voice actors. Sara Ramírez (Lammy's voice actor), Kenya Hathaway (Sunny's voice actress), and Ryu Watabe (Master Onion's voice actor) are the only ones to return from the games, though they voice different characters.
Michael J. Woodard joined the cast as PaRappa on August 15, 2022. This was followed by the addition of Tony Hale, Scarlett Johansson, Arry Frost, and Snoop Dogg as their respective roles of PJ, Lammy, Sunny, and Hot Dawg in September. In November, Ellie Kemper, Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson, Charlie Puth, Jack Dylan Grazer, Cathy Ang, and Jackie Chan were confirmed to have joined the cast as Katy, Cane, Sam, Matt, Paula, and Master Onion, respectively. 50 Cent had already worked on a Robot Chicken short that featured PaRappa. Samuel L. Jackson was finally cast as MC King Kong Mushi on March 9, 2023. Kimiko Glenn, Kenan Thompson, and Nolan North were cast as Pinto, Papa Parappa, and Joe Chin in July 2023, respectively.
On January 20, 2024, it was announced that Charli XCX will provide a voice cameo in the film, playing an unnamed pop star that PaRappa meets in the You've Got the Power! studio. This was later followed by "Weird Al" Yankovic and Lin-Manuel Miranda confirming their voice cameos the following month. On February 15, Simon Cowell was announced to voice a fictional character in the film, making it his first film role in which he doesn't play a fictionalized version of himself. On March 21, Gwen Stefani was announced to have a voice cameo as Rammy. On April 3, YouTuber PewDiePie confirmed he lended his voice in the film.
Animation and design[]
Sony Pictures Imageworks, who had already handled most of Sony Pictures Animation's films prior, worked on the film's animation. The characters were animated in 2D while in a 3D environment in order to stay faithful to the original games. While this was done, certain 3D elements were kept in the characters themselves (such as the characters still being visible when viewed on their side, similar to PaRappa in PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale). Additional animation was also done at Titmouse, Inc. and Surfer Jack Productions.
Music[]
Main article: PaRappa the Rapper (2024 film)/Soundtrack
In December 2023, Nicholas Britell was announced to compose the score for the film, as well as co-write and co-produce original songs with Pharrell Williams and Mike Elizondo. Britell confirmed that the soundtrack will contain various songs performed by the film's cast, including those by Woodard, Snoop, Puth, and 50 Cent, along with De La Soul. Some songs on the soundtrack were co-written with Danny Jacob and Taura Stinson. It was preceded by the song "No Last Chances" by Williams. The score and soundtrack were released on April 19, 2024 via Sony Classical and Republic Records, respectively.
Marketing[]
The teaser trailer of the film was released on September 26, 2023, showing a silhouette of PaRappa and his friends approaching from behind the screen. The trailer garnered two million views in the first 24 hours. The first official trailer was revealed at The Game Awards 2023 on December 7. The second trailer was released on February 12, 2024.
Sony spent over $100 million for marketing purposes. Promotional partners included McDonald's, Beats Electronics, Adidas, Hot Topic, Uniqlo, Funko, and Lego. On the PlayStation Store, the remastered version of PaRappa the Rapper, as well as PaRappa the Rapper 2, had a special discount offer for the duration of the marketing. Additionally, as part of the promotion, the spin-off game Um Jammer Lammy was made available on the PlayStation Network for the first time since the late-2000s.
Release[]
Theatrical[]
PaRappa the Rapper was set to be released on November 4, 2022 for the original game's 25th anniversary, but was removed from the release schedule due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The film was given a new release date of December 22, 2023, but was pushed back to April 26, 2024 due to the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike. The film was released a week earlier in Japan on April 19.
Home media[]
The film was released on digital on June 11, 2024 and then Blu-ray, Ultra HD Blu-ray, and DVD on July 16 by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. All formats of the film include a short film titled Sunny's Birthday, while the Blu-Ray and UHD Blu-Ray formats include bonus features, such as an audio commentary by Povenmire, Marsh, Matsuura and Greenblat, deleted scenes, lyric videos, and making of featurettes.
As part of a deal signed by Sony, where their 2022 to 2026 film slate would appear on Netflix and Disney's television networks after their theatrical and home media releases, the film was released on the former on September 13, 2024.
Reception[]
Box office[]
PaRappa the Rapper grossed $150.2 million in the United States and Canada, and $82.4 million in other territories, for a worldwide gross of $232.6 million against a $65 million budget.
In the United States and Canada, PaRappa the Rapper released alongside Challengers and Boy Kills World. It was projected to gross $20–26 million from 3,834 theaters in its opening weekend. The film made $7.2 million on its first day, including $1.4 million from Thursday night previews.
Critical reception[]
Rotten Tomatoes reports the film to have an approval rating of 61% based on 135 reviews, with an average rating of 5.73/10. The website's critical consensus reads: "While it is a fine adaptation of its source material, and older fans will seem to enjoy it more, PaRappa the Rapper does not seem to be rappin' cool with the darker plot it's telling." Metacritic assigned a score of 57 out of 100 based on 27 reviews, indicating: "mixed or average reviews". Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A-" on an A+ to F scale, while those polled by PostTrak gave it an overall positive score of 75%, with 62% saying they'd "definitely recommend" it.
Accolades[]
| Awards & nominations | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Award | Date of ceremony | Category | Nominee(s) | Result | |||||||
| American Cinema Editors Awards | March 14, 2025 | Best Edited Animated Feature Film | Tim Evans | Nominated | |||||||
| Annie Awards | February 8, 2025 | Best Animated Feature | PaRappa the Rapper | Nominated | |||||||
| Outstanding Achievement for Directing in a Feature Production | Dan Povenmire and Jeff "Swampy" Marsh | Won | |||||||||
| Outstanding Achievement for Music in a Feature Production | Nicholas Britell, Pharrell Williams | Nominated | |||||||||
| Outstanding Achievement for Voice Acting in a Feature Production | Michael J. Woodard | Nominated | |||||||||
| British Academy Film Awards | February 16, 2025 | Best Children's & Family Film | PaRappa the Rapper | Nominated | |||||||
| Chicago Film Critics Association Awards | December 10, 2024 | Best Animated Film | Nominated | ||||||||
| Best Original Score | Nicholas Britell | Nominated | |||||||||
| Golden Globe Awards | January 5, 2025 | Best Animated Feature Film | PaRappa the Rapper | Nominated | |||||||
| Hollywood Music in Media Awards | November 20, 2024 | Best Original Score – Animated Film | Nicholas Britell | Nominated | |||||||
| Best Music Supervision – Film | Kier Lehman | Nominated | |||||||||
| Best Original Song in an Animated Film | Pharrell Williams ("No Last Chances") | Nominated | |||||||||
| NAACP Image Awards | February 22, 2025 | Outstanding Character Voice Performance – Motion Picture | Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson | Nominated | |||||||
| Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards | July 13, 2024 | Favorite Animated Movie | PaRappa the Rapper | Nominated | |||||||
| Saturn Awards | February 2, 2025 | Best Animated Film | Nominated | ||||||||
| The Game Awards | December 12, 2024 | Best Adaptation | Nominated | ||||||||
Future[]
Possible spin-off[]
In July 2024, Johansson expressed interest in reprising her role as Lammy in a film or series based on Um Jammer Lammy, PaRappa the Rapper's spin-off game. Stefani has also expressed interest in reprising her role as Rammy.
Sequel[]
Main article: PaRappa the Rapper 2 (film)
In May 2024, it was announced that Sony was working on a sequel to PaRappa the Rapper, with Jenn Strickland directing the film and Povenmire and Marsh writing the script with Rodney Rothman. Most of the cast from the first film reprised their roles, along with newcomers Kid Cudi, Bella Ramsey, Jeremy Strong, and Bo Burnham.
Tropes[]
Main article: PaRappa the Rapper (2024 film)/Tropes
Credits[]
Main article: PaRappa the Rapper (2024 film)/Credits
Trivia[]
Main article: PaRappa the Rapper (2024 film)/Trivia