| Reptar | |
|---|---|
| Rugrats character | |
 | |
| First appearance | "At the Movies" (1991) |
| Created by | Craig Bartlett Paul Germain Arlene Klasky Gábor Csupó |
| Voiced by | John Schuck (as Leo) Busta Rhymes (Reptar Wagon; only in The Rugrats Movie) Fred Tatasciore (2021-present) |
| In-universe information | |
| Species | Mutated Tyrannosaurus Kaiju |
Reptar is a fictional character from the American animated television series Rugrats. He is a green Tyrannosaurus-like kaiju (and sometimes appears in red-violet and lilac) with rounded and blue spike-like appendages on its back, which intentionally causes it to resemble and spoof Godzilla.[1] Outside of Rugrats-related films, Reptar appears as a playable character in the Nickelodeon Kart Racers and Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl video game series.
Character concept and depiction
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 and Tyrannosaurus-like kaiju, Reptar's popularity as a character is noticeably akin to that of Mickey Mouse, although his role is similar to Godzilla.[3][4] When it appeared in Rugrats 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 and owned by the babies as seen in the program. The Reptar character has since been used in real-world merchandise branding, such as an amusement park ride,[6] chocolate bar,[7] Funko Pop,[8] and an ice show (as featured in the episode "Reptar on Ice").[9]
In the TV series
In the 2021 series, Reptar stars in a new series called "Reptar in Space", which depicts him being stranded on the Moon after his spaceship blows up after a long journey through space, now he has to protect Earth from alien invaders and find a way back home.
In the Rugrats films
Reptar appeared in The Rugrats Movie film as a wagon invented by Tommy's father Stu Pickles. The Reptar Wagon was no ordinary wagon as it is 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.
Reptar 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 of Chuckie’s father Chas and villain Coco LaBouche who hates children.
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, a normal-sized Reptar appeared as playable racer in 2018's Nickelodeon Kart Racers,[10] and its sequels Nickelodeon Kart Racers 2: Grand Prix[11] and Nickelodeon Kart Racers 3: Slime Speedway; the latter game features a purple Reptar as an unlockable character.
A normal-sized Reptar also appears as a playable character in Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl and its sequel,[12] with Fred Tatasciore reprising his role from the 2021 series.[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]
Lawsuit
In 2002, Toho filed a lawsuit against Klasky Csupo, on the grounds that Reptar was an unauthorized usage of their character Godzilla. The court ended up siding Toho, and Reptar had a reduced role in the franchise in the years following. Despite this, he has since shown up in recent pieces of media including a semi-prominent role in the 2021 reboot and being featured as a playable character in both Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl games.[18][19]
References
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Escape from Madagascar - Dreamworld (Coomera, Queensland, Australia)".
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Paxton, Whitney (October 21, 2017). "This Reptar costume is sure to bring some nostalgia to your Halloween". Alternative Press.
- ^ Garcia, Kelsey (October 31, 2019). "Nickelodeon Just Opened a Massive Indoor Theme Park, and Yes, There's a Reptar Ride". POPSUGAR Family.
- ^ "FYE Reintroduces the Rugrats Reptar Bar". Highsnobiety. November 12, 2018.
- ^ "These rare Funko Pops are diamonds in the rough". The Daily Dot. August 23, 2018.
- ^ "New York's Milk and Cream Cereal Bar Celebrates 30th Anniversary of 'Rugrats' With Reptar Ice Cream". Complex.
- ^ a b "Childhood favorites return for Nickelodeon Kart Racers". July 25, 2018.
- ^ "Review: Nickelodeon Kart Racers 2: Grand Prix - A Massive Improvement On The Terrible Original". Nintendo Life. October 9, 2020.
- ^ "Every Character Confirmed For Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl". ScreenRant. July 13, 2021.
- ^ "Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl Now Has Voice Acting and Items". June 6, 2022.
- ^ "What would Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl look like with a Smash Ultimate-sized roster?". Shacknews. July 23, 2021.
- ^ "The 50 Coolest Fictional Cars". Complex.
- ^ "BEST: Reptar, 'Rugrats'". Zimbio.
- ^ "The 10 most metal cartoon characters". Alternative Press. April 3, 2018.
- ^ "Rugrats: 10 Facts And Trivia Fans Don't Know About Reptar". Screen Rant. June 17, 2019.
- ^ "'Rugrats': The Series' 10 Best Parodies". Geeks.
