Reception
The film received mixed to positive reviews. Based on 100 reviews, it has a 63% "Fresh" rating on the website Rotten Tomatoes with the consensus "It plays like an extended episode, but The Powerpuff Girls Movie is still lots of fun". On Metacritic, the film currently has a rating of 65 out of 100, which indicates "generally favorable reviews". Bob Longino of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution praised the film, writing, "The intricate drawings emanate 1950s futuristic pizazz like a David Hockney scenescape. The inspired script is both sinfully cynical and aw-shucks sweet". He also called it "one of the few American creations that is both gleeful pop culture and exquisite high art."
However, it was also reviewed negatively by some for its violence, which many felt was too extreme and highly inappropriate for a family-oriented film. Ebert & Roeper gave it "two thumbs down," criticizing that the movie was too violent. The film was a disappointment at the box office due to poor marketing and publicity, competition with the more successful Spider-Man and Scooby Doo in addition to opening on the same day as Men in Black II and Like Mike, and the fact that the show lost much of its popularity. It was released straight-to-VHS and DVD in some countries. Shortly after its poor commercial performance, a Samurai Jack movie that had been in development was canceled. The Powerpuff Girls Movie earned $3.5 million and ninth place in its opening weekend and ultimately grossed $11 million in North America against its $11 million budget. Although it covered its budget (except for advertisement), the film performed below expectations. It ended up with $16 million worldwide, making the film unsuccessful. As a result of its relatively low performance at the box office, it earned the title of "Lowest Grossing Animated Film of 2002," becoming one of the worst-grossing wide releases of 2002, including other flops such as The Adventures of Pluto Nash and Treasure Planet.
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