Computeropolis


 * This article is about original 2004 film. For franchise, see Computeropolis Series. For it main setting, see Computer Opolis Location.

Computer Opolis is a 2004 American 3D computer animated science fiction comedy film produced by Universal Animation Studios and released by Universal Pictures. Film was directed by Audel Laroque and co directed by David Silverman from a screenplay by Thomas Lennon based on a story by Laroque and Michael Wildshill, and stars voices of Jesse Mccartney, David Spade, Kelsey Grammer, Dan Fogler, David Hyde Pierce, Jodi Benson, Jon Lovitz, with Jennifer Tilly, and William Shatner. It follows a young computer game designer Peri Dazz, who attempts to publish his own game Frenzy to internet and suddenly stumbles upon An Online Universe deep inside realms of his computer. While finding a way to return home, Peri joins Nicky Kickzoo, protagonist of Frenzy, on a risky mission to eliminate King Trojan, a virus capable of corrupting entirety of global system.

Laroque envisioned story in 1998, which was based on his dream of himself finding a computer that sucked him into computer world. He then began developing film after production had finished on Paint World and wrote original story with Wildshill to pitch it to Universal, with Lennon writing screenplay. Following Lennon 1 draft, Gary Hall, John France, and David Silverman were brought in to reconstruct 3 act and add additional material, while latter was selected to co direct. Film was intended to be produced primarily under Universal Digital Images, which previously animated CGI sequences in Going Francisco, but was folded by main feature animation studio following commercial failure of traditionally animated feature Magina.

Computer Opolis premiered at Fox Village Theater on June 20, 2004, and was released in US on July 2, 2004. It received universal acclaim from critics and was a box office success, grossing $587 million worldwide on it $65 million budget, making it 6 highest grossing film of 2004. Film won 2004 Annie Award for Voice Acting in an Animated Feature Production for Spade, and was also nominated for an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, lose to Incredibles. Computer Opolis saw a 3D re release in theaters on May 16, 2014 to celebrate it 10 anniversary. Film success helped spawn an Expanded Franchise, with 3 sequels Computer Opolis 2, Computer Opolis 3, and Computer Opolis 4 Deep Web A Holiday Special, short films, Theme Park Attractions, and 2 TV spin off. 5 film title Computer Opolis 5 Webcation is in production for a 2022 release.

Plot
Peri Dazz is a 14 year old computer designer living with his parents Heather Dazz and Earl Dazz. 1 week, Peri parents leave town, leaving him with a list of house chores. For a while, Peri is bored of work until he comes up with an idea for his own computer game Frenzy. Once he finishes, Peri transfers game file into an exe. file and opens up Game Genius Com to upload it. However, when he opens up internet, he discovers a pop up ad on a website called Computer Opolis Com with a download link. When he clicks on link, computer has a blinding white flash that begins to suck up random things in room. Peri tries to escape, but fails and gets sucked in.

Peri discovers An Online City deep inside realms of his computer. However, he is caught by 2 internet officers named Paul And Frank, who take him to a lab where he is increased by a PC Chip, which allows Peri to use desktop menu from his point of view. After he is finished getting test at lab by using a mouse cursor, Peri meets Nicky Kickzoo, an enterprising scavenger hunter who is character Peri created for his Frenzy game. Nicky initially despises Peri, who wants to get back home, but end up taking him along.

Duo arrives at Desktop Component League, an organization department company headed by CEO Manager Marc to fund his research their duties as upholders of law range from capturing viruses to protecting city of Computer Opolis. There, Marc orders Peri and Nicky to capture King Trojan, a virus that was inadvertently given access to Peri computer when he clicked download link. During their mission, Peri and Nicky meet Travis, a fat, video game obsessed kid who knows Peri from Game Genius Com and joins heroes to stop Trojan. However, they are captured by Trojan and his oafish mean spirited minion Milo and transports them to Trojan Lair.

At Trojan Lair, they see how viruses are created. Then, Peri, Nicky, and Travis manage to escape while Trojan minions chase them. Heroes succeed, but Peri forgets to upload Frenzy to Game Genius Com, as he already has an exe. file of game on his computer. Nicky convinces him to visit Game Genius site, confident that Peri game will get popular once it is published. When they arrive at site, a Game Genius administrator learns that the Frenzy game will not be published due to negligent issues. Peri accuses Nicky of attempting to lie without telling him about issue. Then rest of DCL arrives, with Marc asking Peri and Nicky if they caught Trojan Trojan is still there and announces his plan to initiate a full scale assault on his hard drive.

Outraged, Marc accuses Peri and Nicky of lying to him about capturing Trojan. Nicky admits he thought that if Peri spent time with him, he would befriend him. Peri leaves to find his home so his parents will be home in no time by end of week. Then Clippit, an intelligent user interface for Microsoft Office, appears and Peri asks him which way is his house. Then Clippit takes Peri to a portal which leads him back home.

Back home, Peri happens upon screen saying that his game Frenzy is successfully published to Game Genius Com. Meanwhile, DCL offers to reinstate Nicky, but he refuses, and instead, he confessed to Clippit that he cheated, just as he is alerted to Peri break in. Realizing what happened, Nicky defies Clippit and enters same portal. Nicky finds Peri sitting outside of his house and brings him back to his room where he uses Peri childhood photos and old projects to prompt him to rejoin group on their mission. Peri opens up Computer Opolis file that Peri downloaded before, reopening portal for duo to jump back through.

Peri, Nicky, Travis, and rest of DCL fight Trojan and Milo. Trojan returns for a final confrontation to kill boy. However, DCL manages to download an antivirus program for Peri computer, causing Trojan and his virus minions to disintegrate into digital pixel dust. Peri remembers that his parents are to arrive at end of week. Peri uses portal to head back home in time for Heather and Earl return. Peri explains to them what happened. They at 1 do not believe Peri due to his imagination during his childhood, but Peri proves that he is not making it up by using his inner PC chip to move mouse pointer which he brought with him in preparation and uses pointer to clean up entire house, as his parents had assigned him early. Then he returns to Computer Opolis to attend a party at DCL headquarters, during which Marc assures Peri that averting major city destruction was only beginning for him.

Voice cast

 * Jesse Mccartney as Peri Dazz, a 14 year old computer game designer. As Peri is actually a feminine name, Laroque originally wanted to change his name to Perry, but he decided to get it over with. In UK releases of film, Peri was re name as Perry to avoid any references to a colloquial term in UK for a peripatetic teacher. Peri is also re name Perry in Japanese dub as well.
 * David Spade as Nicky Kickzoo, a street wise scavenger hunter and a character Peri created for his Frenzy game.
 * Kelsey Grammer as King Trojan, an evil virus who plans to destroy entire internet and Peri computer.
 * Dan Fogler as Travis, a clumsy, happy, hyperactive, happy go lucky, and overweight user from Game Genius Com who is 1 of Peri friends.
 * David Hyde Pierce as Manager Marc, CEO leader and founding member of Desktop Component League DCL.
 * Jodi Benson as Commander Cindy, a DCL member who has a command line interface laptop that interacts with her.
 * Jon Lovitz as Notepad Ned, a DCL member obsessed with writing on a notepad.
 * Lovitz also voices Paul, 1 of 2 internet officers who try to arrest Peri.
 * Jennifer Tilly as Painting Paula, a DCL member and a talented painter.
 * William Shatner as Frank, 1 of 2 internet officers who try to arrest Peri.
 * Harland Williams as Milo, King Trojan oafish henchman.
 * Audel Laroque as Media Player Mike, a blind, purple haired DCL member who does not speak but only makes music and sound effects. Laroque provided vocal sounds for character, though uncredited. Character appearance sparked confusion among some viewers who thought character was a female.
 * Kari Wahlgren as Carol, a voice inside Peri computer via Computer Opolis.
 * Michael Wildshill as Clippit, an intelligent user interface for Microsoft Office who annoys Peri and Nicky.
 * Tress Macneille as Heather Dazz, Peri mother.
 * Jeff Bennett as Earl Dazz, Peri father.
 * Chris Edgerly as Bill, a lab worker who increased Peri PC Chip.
 * Corey Burton as Sam, a lab worker who is Bill assistant.

Additional voices

 * Jack Angel
 * Bob Bergen
 * Rodger Bumpass
 * Jennifer Darling
 * Debi Derryberry
 * Paul Eiding
 * Bill Farmer
 * Gary Hall
 * Audel Laroque
 * Thomas Lennon
 * Sherry Lynn
 * Danny Mann
 * Cynthia Marion‎‎
 * Mona Marshall
 * Mickie Mcgowan
 * Amy Mcneill
 * Brandon Minez
 * Laraine Newman
 * Phil Proctor
 * Jan Rabson
 * David Silverman
 * Tom F Warner
 * Michael Wildshill

Development
Audel Laroque came up with concept Computer Opolis in 1998, during production of Paint World. He envisioned story where main character get sucked into a computer that leads them to a metropolitan city made of software and technology. Laroque original inspiration was from a dream he had of himself finding a Windows 95 computer that sucked him into computer world. Laroque also took inspiration from 1982 film Tron, where Kevin Flynn gets transported inside world of a mainframe computer, where he interacts with programs in his attempt to escape.

Laroque began work on film with Michael Wildshill in 1999, short after Paint World finish production. In 2000, Laroque had drafted a treatment with Wildshill that bore some resemblance to final film. Laroque and Wildshill pitched the story to Universal Pictures through it Feature Animation Division with some initial artwork in January that year. He and his story team left with some suggestions in hand, and return to pitch a refined version of story in March. Film was originally developed under title of Frenzy, but was changed in order to distance it from 1982 Video Game Of Same Name. Other titles that had also been considered included Cyber Tropolis, Computer Ville, Webtopia, and Cyber City, among others.

Thomas Lennon, who had just finished work on Paint World, was attracted to write script for Computer Opolis, and began developing a treatment in September 1999. In it early stages, story was very different from final film, in which character of Peri known at this stage as Gary was trapped in a computer, where he must stop Gill Bates a parody of Microsoft founder Bill Gates from taking over world and kidnapping a computer princess named Viva who later became Painting Paula, love interest of Gary. Peri partner and game character, Nicky Kickzoo, had not yet been add. Through various drafts, Gary occupation went back and forward from being a teenager and from working for a video game company, until his final incarnation as a teenage computer designer.

In 2000, Los Angeles Times reported that Laroque was working on a then untitled project that would eventually become Computer Opolis, although little else was known about film at time. After 2D hand drawn traditional 3D CGI animated film Going Francisco became a commercial success, Universal revealed film title to be Computer Opolis, which would be animated with fully 3D computer animation. Going Francisco director Arlo Avocha Vernon joined in 2001 to co direct film with Laroque. However, Vernon left at end of year for work on Gingo animated series Limo Dude, and was replaced with David Silverman, who had quit his job at Pixar after co directing Monsters Inc. Both Laroque and Silverman decided to work on film in half, so crew could at least know who to go to with specific detail questions about film sequences we both end up doing a lot of everything, Laroque said. We both kinda control freaks, and we both wanted to do everything.

Universal animation team drew inspiration for Computer Opolis urban design from major cities including New York City, Seattle, and London.

Casting
During time, when Universal was looking for a young actor for voice role of Peri Dazz, Shia Labeouf was considered for character. He screen tested for role and was interested, but when Audel Laroque was unable to make contact with him, he took it as a no. In addition to Labeouf, Zach Braff was also considered for role of Peri. Laroque took the role to Jesse Mccartney, who was appearing in daytime drama All Your Children, and he accepted. For role of Nicky Kickzoo, Nicolas Cage, Michael Keaton, with Bobby Campo and James Franco were considered, but David Spade won the role for his natural comedy. In 2003, it was announced Mccartney and Spade were cast, along with other cast members including Kelsey Grammer, Dan Fogler, David Hyde Pierce, Jodi Benson, Jon Lovitz, with Jennifer Tilly, and William Shatner. Benson and Shatner had previously co starred in Going Francisco.

Initially, Laroque wanted Sigourney Weaver as Carol. Weaver was approached about voicing character. However, in 2002, before production on animation began, Weaver left film due to being busy on other projects. Instead, she was replaced by Kari Wahlgren.

Animation
Computer Opolis was originally set up at Universal Digital Images, which had previously done animation for it 2000 short film Aero as well as 3D CGI sequences for Going Francisco. In 2002, production on animation officially began. In 2003, during production of Computer Opolis, Universal transferred majority of it Digital Images team to main in house Feature Animation studio in Universal City, California following box office failure of studio 2D hand drawn traditional animated feature Magina, which led Universal to select 50 percent of it new 3D CGI animation team from it 2D animation staff and placed them through a rigorous training program, which included an introductory to Alias Maya that would serve as main 3D animation software used on project.

Music
Film original score was composed by John Debney and Heitor Pereira, who previously on score of Going Francisco. Soundtrack album was release on June 29, 2004, by Varese Sarabande.

Release
Computer Opolis was originally going to be released in 2003 however, in 2001, date was changed to 2004. This happened because Universal Pictures changed release date of Magina, from November 2002 to July 2003 later to September 2003, thus pushing Computer Opolis to 2004.

Computer Opolis premiered at Fox Village Theater on June 20, 2004, and was theatrical released on July 2, 2004 in US and UK, in Australia on July 29, 2004, and in UK on September 10, 2004. After success of 3D re release of Jurassic Park (1993), Universal re released Computer Opolis in 3D on May 16, 2014 for it 10 anniversary of original movie. On March 1, 2019, Universal and IMAX announced that film would be reissued and digitally re mastered for IMAX 3D theaters alongside it sequels, Computer Opolis 2, Computer Opolis 3, and Computer Opolis 4 Deep Web using their DMR Technology in a quadruple feature for a 1 day only, Fan Event, on May 1, 2019.

Marketing
Film teaser trailer was released on July 1, 2003 and was attached into Sinbad Legend Of 7 Seas a day later. It depicts a scene where Peri and Nicky get sucked out of computer and start an argument over which way they need to go. This scene was not present in final film release. Another teaser trailer was released on December 12, 2003 and was attached into Dusk And Dawn and Peter Pan (2003). 1 full trailer was released on March 3, 2004 and was shown with Pet Squadron 2 days later. Final trailer was released on April 29, 2004, and was released theatrical in front of History Island and Shrek 2. There were a few TV spots for film 1 1 was released in May 2004, 2 1 was released in June 2004, and 3 1 was released in July 2004.

Upon it release, Burger King had a promotional tie in with 7 toys including Peri Dazz, Nicky Kickzoo, King Trojan, Milo, Travis, Notepad Ned, and Media Player Mike with a paid Kids Meal order. Ice cream chain Baskin Robbins also promoted film for it Peri And Nicky Loaded Computer Opolis ice cream that consists of Hershey chocolate, hot fudge, crushed chocolate cookies, whipped cream and chocolate syrup.

Video game
A video game based on film was released on June 29, 2004 on Play Station 2, Xbox, Game Cube, Game Boy Advance, PC, and Macintosh, as well as on Mobile.

Home media
Computer Opolis was 1 released on DVD and VHS on December 7, 2004. Both releases included a 5 minutes short film Print 3D Errors, which takes place after events of film. Film was best selling DVD in it initial week of release, selling over 500,000 copies and making over $16.9 million. It was also released on Game Boy Advance Video in October 2005 and on UMD for the Play Station Portable. Another single disc release was released May 30, 2006 along with an HD DVD release, and next year a new 2 disc release with extra features on June 19, 2007. It was later released on Blu ray in North America on July 22, 2008. Another Blu ray release from Universal for film was released on June 5, 2012, as a part of Universal 100 Anniversary releases. It was later released on Blu ray 3D on August 12, 2014. 4K Ultra HD Blu ray and Digital HD version was released on May 8, 2018.

Box office
Computer Opolis opened on July 2, 2004, in US and UK. It got to earn $85,729,840 during it open week, placing 1 in it box office during that week and setting new records such as earn highest open week for a non sequel animated feature, and highest open for an original Disney Pixar film. Film also ear highest grossing domestic debut for Universal Animation later overtaken by It Sequel in 2007.

By end of it theatrical run, Computer Opolis grossed a total of $587,164,299 worldwide, making it 2004 highest grossing Universal film and year 6 highest grossing film. It is also 3 highest grossing 2004 animated film behind Shrek 2 $919.8 million and The Incredibles $631.4 million.

Critical reception
Computer Opolis received widespread critical acclaim, becoming a cult hit among critics upon release. On aggregate site Rotten Tomatoes, film has an approval rating of 100% based on 169 reviews, with an average rating of 7.7 10. Site critical consensus reads, having enough colorful animation, brilliant humor and action packed scenes to compete with the likes of Pixar, Computer Opolis perfectly lives up to be a hit on it own. On Metacritic, it received a score of 100 out of 100, based on 73 critics, indicating generally favorable reviews. Audiences polled by Cinemascore gave film an average grade of A+ on an A+ to F scale.

Peter Travers of Rolling Stone gave film 4 out of 4 stars, saying in it 1 fully computer generated feature, Universal Pictures offers audiences Computer Opolis whole family could enjoy delightful addition to company other classics with non stop humor. Richard Corliss of Time Magazine praised David Spade as Nicky Kickzoo, stating that it gets even funnier for his comic relief career that brings well known self for his life. Todd Mccarthy of Variety liked concept, also stating as directed by Audel Laroque, Computer Opolis has a very engaging concept for a movie taking place inside your computer."

Some critics have likened Computer Opolis to science fiction live action films such as Tron and Matrix Jami Bernard of New York Daily News described film as Toy Story meets Tron. Kyle Smith of New York Post gave film 4 out of 4 stars, saying that Computer Opolis seems to duplicate usual animation look of Gabriel Garza, but was made using computer software and has truly amazing action sequences, charm, wit, and humor with a host of quirky characters such as Peri Dazz and Nicky Kickzoo. Charles Herold of New York Times summed up his review stating that Computer Opolis is not only a great kids movie, but it is an enthusiastic movie with perfect moments that live up to it plot as well as Universal animated hit since Ama And Mysterious Crystal and Paint World.

Some critics, however, criticized some unexpected product placements of Microsoft Windows products such as Windows 95 98 and XP. Liam Lacey of Globe And Mail described Computer Opolis as a 90 minutes feature length commercial for Microsoft, while Stephen Hunter of Washington Post wrote that it was little more than an exercise in advertising PC downloads to children. Bill Muller of Arizona Republic stated, while not as bad as say, Mac And Me, Universal Computer Opolis sometimes has overuse of Microsoft products, but tries hard enough to appeal fans who may be puzzle by movie visual disconnect. Mark Caro of Chicago Tribune considered Peri quote goodbye for now and where do you wanna go today as a clever reference to 90 Microsoft slogan.

Sequels
Computer Opolis was followed by 2 sequels Computer Opolis 2 and Computer Opolis 3. While 1 sequel received similar acclaim from critics, 3 film, however, got some mixed reviews but was still a box office hit. 4 installment, title Computer Opolis 4 Deep Web, was released on June 1, 2018.

5 film, title Computer Opolis 5 Webcation, is set for release on May 13, 2022.

Main
To see the main transcript of the film, click here.

Trailers
To see the transcript for the trailers of the film, click here.