Thumb Wars: The Phantom Cuticle (1999) (TV)

User Rating:

6.7/10   

Director:

Steve Oedekerk

Writer:

Steve Oedekerk (written by)

Genre:

Short | Comedy | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

Every Hand Has A Thumb...

Plot:

In a sendoff of the original Star Wars, several fingers and thumbs are used to act out the roles of would-be heroes and villians as the forces of finger and thumb clash of an evil super-weapon. |

Plot Keywords:

Thumb | Captain | Smuggler | Hologram | Battle

Cast

Steve Oedekerk	...	Loke Groundrunner / Beboobeep / Unwise Council Member / The Puppet / Gabba the Butt / Big Toe & Yes Man / Aunt Gonnabiteit (voice)
Andrea Fears	...	Princess Bunhead (voice)
Ross Shafer	...	Hand Duet (voice) (as Ross Schaefer)
Rob Paulsen	...	Oobedoob Benubi / Thumbtrooper (voice)
Paul Greenberg	...	Prissypeo (voice)
Jim Jackman	...	Crunchy / Lieutenant (voice)
Mark DeCarlo	...	Black Helmet Man (voice)
Jim Hope	...	Commander Cuticle / Annoying Pilot / Effeminate Thumb / Instructor (voice)
David Floyd	...	Brave Pilot / Uncle Soondead / Fighter / Thumb Council Member (voice)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Megan Cavanagh	...	Fighter Pilot #2 (voice)

Also Known As:

Thumb Wars (USA)

Runtime:

29 min | Japan:26 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Certification:

Germany:12 | UK:PG | USA:Not Rated

Company:

O Entertainment

Trivia:

The animation format used to animate thumbs was later used to animate Steve Oedekerk's tongue in Kung Pow: Enter the Fist (2002).

Quotes:

Loke Groundrunner: I've got three FIST fighters coming from my left!
Annoying Pilot: Copy, Stray Dog!
Loke Groundrunner: I, I don't think I'm Stray Dog.
Annoying Pilot: Copy that, Red Rooster!
Loke Groundrunner: I, I don't think I'm Red Rooster either.
Annoying Pilot: No problem, Nasty Butler!
Loke Groundrunner: I'm ending this transmission.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Kureyon Shin-chan: Shin Wars (#2.1)" (2008)

Not Oscar material, but it was never meant to be in the first place.

I have read some of the IMDb user comments for this "movie" and have come upon the conclusion that some people need to lighten up! It's a comical parody, for Pete's sake - not an Oscar entry! It's not supposed to WOW you over with million dollar special effects - it's supposed to poke fun at our modern film culture.

This film was not released in theaters but was made strictly for home entertainment uses. I purchased the DVD box set of all 6 Thumb films for my kids for Christmas and we have laughed ourselves silly at these clever and quite creative shorts. Such titles as, "Thumbtanic", "The Blair Thumb", "Frankenthumb", "The Godthumb" and "Bat Thumb" - each one a hilarious and extremely inventive jab at classic cinema. Who would have ever thought of making films with thumbs as the stars? Only Steve Oedekerk and Co., that's who!

Who cares if Star Wars came out in 1977 and the jokes for this film are old and tired? This is good stuff, people! Sure, the characters in the film are all thumbs – that's why it's called "Thumb Wars"! Want a hearty, cheap laugh at a classic sci-fi film? Watch this and you won't be sorry!