Blue's Big City Adventure (2022)

Blue's Big City Adventure is a 2022 movie based on the Blue's Clues series. When Josh gets the opportunity of a lifetime to audition for Rainbow Puppy’s Broadway musical, Josh and Blue travel to New York City, meeting new friends and discovering the magic of music, dance, and following one’s dreams. This movie is a hybrid film, with half the cast playing the voices of animated characters from the Blue's Clues series, and the other half playing their live-action roles. Many young viewers will recognize their favorite animated characters in their CGI forms. The visual effects are endearing, and the animated characters making appearances in a real setting bring the story and characters to life. This element makes this film exciting for the youngest viewers. These familiar fictional characters playing alongside actors encourage viewers to follow along. Josh and Blue get lost in New York City because Josh forgets to bring his Handy-Dandy Notebook, and now their friends must travel to find them with the help of Josh’s cousins Steve and Joe, Blue’s previous companions. Like in the Blue's Clues series, Blue and Josh have to find clues to make their way to the Broadway theater in time for the auditions. Blue's Big City Adventure is classified as a musical comedy movie. The movie has its own original soundtrack with songs for viewers to enjoy, as Blue and Josh go on their quest to find Broadway. There are many callbacks to the Blue's Clues series such as Josh wearing his signature blue shirt. The inclusion of Josh in the series and movie is good representation for Latino men in children's media. There is also a deliberate effort to be portray the diversity of New York City in the musical numbers and support cast. However, most of the actors who voice the animated characters and play live-action roles are white men. We also see eight kids playing their roles as Broadway auditions, enhancing the plot of Blue and Josh auditioning for the Broadway musical. Blue's Big City Adventure is entertaining for young viewers, and fans who may have grown up with the show.