Anyone remember Osmosis Jones/ Ozzy & Drix?

Parker-Shepherd

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Does anyone remember the half live action/animated movie Osmosis Jones from 2001 and the animated series spin off that came out afterwards?

It crossed my mind earlier this month because of all the news about Covid-19.

I remember the trailer for Osmosis Jones but then forgot about the movie until it aired on Cartoon Network, around the time the animated series was in syndication.
 

Pooky

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I always associate it with my visit to the US/New York in 2001, as it was being promoted at the time. I paid very little attention to the Box Office in those days, so I had no idea it flopped. I saw it on DVD around 2005, I think I enjoyed it up to a point but wasn't entirely satisfied. I wouldn't mind giving it another shot.

The Ozzy & Drix TV series I didn't hear of until a year or two ago. I was very surprised that it was made given how much money the film lost. I guess it was too far down the production pipeline to cancel, but they did make a GBA game to tie-in with the show; WB just kept throwing money at this!
 

Parker-Shepherd

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What I've noticed lately is fans talking about how would Covid-19 be portrayed as an Osmosis Jones character.

I think the only reasons why the TV series wasn't great was because the quality of the animation and story.

The show only lasted 2 seasons.

Though as for the movie, the writers likely did their homework when it came to virus infections and the fact they can and do mutate.
 

Dr.Pepper

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I remember both. I remember when I saw the Tim Burton version of Planet of the Apes at the drive in theater, I looked over at the screen next to us to see Osmosis Jones. I saw it later on DVD. To quote a girl at my school “Its not the kind of movie to watch while eating fish sticks.” I remember liking it well enough.

The series was nothing to write home about. I watched it on CN during the City Era.
 

Parker-Shepherd

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I remember both. I remember when I saw the Tim Burton version of Planet of the Apes at the drive in theater, I looked over at the screen next to us to see Osmosis Jones. I saw it later on DVD. To quote a girl at my school “Its not the kind of movie to watch while eating fish sticks.” I remember liking it well enough.

The series was nothing to write home about. I watched it on CN during the City Era.

Honestly, the TV series could've been better in terms of story and animation.

Still, for a movie that was box office flop, it has a medium sized fanbase.
 

TheCartoonRailfan

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I mainly remember watching Ozzy and Drix on both KidsWB and Cartoon Network. I have seen Osmosis Jones a couple of times. It would have been seen as a moderately memorable series, but it wasn't a major standout show.
 

Parker-Shepherd

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I think the actual reason it was canceled was that it wasn't very good and probably didn't appeal much to kids.

Most likely.


Or maybe it was because Warner Bros. Animation wanted to distance themselves from the film, given that it flopped at the box office.

It's possible. Though I have seen animated series that were just as good as the movies they were based on but often times, the cast and crew from the movie were usually involved with the series.

I mainly remember watching Ozzy and Drix on both KidsWB and Cartoon Network. I have seen Osmosis Jones a couple of times. It would have been seen as a moderately memorable series, but it wasn't a major standout show.

True. One ongoing debate in the Osmosis Jones fanbase is what kind of virus was Thrax, some say he was based on scarlet fever and recently, some fans think he was a form of Coronavirus. Others have said his traits aren't anything like Anthrax in the real world which is the virus he's allegedly based on.

Long story short, did some digging and apparently, there's three different strains of Anthrax. Respiratory Anthrax which is strain 2, causes Flu-like symptoms and a fever. So it's possible the writers based Thrax on Respiratory Anthrax but he's mutated version. It's not uncommon for viruses to mutate which can result in different strains. There's also samples of different viruses such as Bird flu that are kept in Labs for study purposes such as vaccine development.

Whatever the case may be, the writers likely did some research on how viruses and such work.
 

Pooky

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It seems like the twin blows of Ozzy & Drix and Evolution: The Animated Series in 2001/2002 kind of put an end to the trend of animated shows based on live action(ish) movies; two low profile shows based on unpopular movies. I don't think the Mummy series set the world on fire either.
 

Red Arrow

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True. One ongoing debate in the Osmosis Jones fanbase is what kind of virus was Thrax, some say he was based on scarlet fever and recently, some fans think he was a form of Coronavirus. Others have said his traits aren't anything like Anthrax in the real world which is the virus he's allegedly based on.

Long story short, did some digging and apparently, there's three different strains of Anthrax. Respiratory Anthrax which is strain 2, causes Flu-like symptoms and a fever. So it's possible the writers based Thrax on Respiratory Anthrax but he's mutated version. It's not uncommon for viruses to mutate which can result in different strains. There's also samples of different viruses such as Bird flu that are kept in Labs for study purposes such as vaccine development.

Whatever the case may be, the writers likely did some research on how viruses and such work.
Anthrax is a bacterial disease, not a virus. It must have been mentioned in the movie whether Thrax was a virus or a bacteria.

I haven't seen the movie, but white blood cells and bacteria are more or less the same size. Viruses are much smaller. When white blood cells digest a virus, it's like a whale digesting plankton. This makes me think Thrax is probably just anthrax.

I have added Osmosis Jones on my watch list.

Flemish television never aired 1/3 of the 2000s Warner Bros cartoons, so we never got Ozzy & Drix, but I didn't like what I saw online.
 

Parker-Shepherd

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Anthrax is a bacterial disease, not a virus. It must have been mentioned in the movie whether Thrax was a virus or a bacteria.

I haven't seen the movie, but white blood cells and bacteria are more or less the same size. Viruses are much smaller. When white blood cells digest a virus, it's like a whale digesting plankton. This makes me think Thrax is probably just anthrax.

I have added Osmosis Jones on my watch list.

Flemish television never aired 1/3 of the 2000s Warner Bros cartoons, so we never got Ozzy & Drix, but I didn't like what I saw online.

Thrax was classified as a virus but there's a respiratory form of Anthrax in the real world that causes flu-like symptoms and a fever so Thrax's traits were likely based on that strain but had mutated.
 

Fone Bone

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As of this past Sunday, HBO Max put out a list of various animated series that'll be part of their animation library.

Ozzy and Drix was on the list along with several other WB animated series from the 90s and early 2000s.
Do you have a link to the list? Also wondering if the movie Scooby Doo and Batman: The Brave and the Bold will come to the service.
 

Parker-Shepherd

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Do you have a link to the list? Also wondering if the movie Scooby Doo and Batman: The Brave and the Bold will come to the service.

Here's a copy of the list from another website. Didn't see Osmosis Jones the movie listed, but it seems to still be available on Amazon Prime Video, Vudu and Netflix DVD.

 

Parker-Shepherd

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Not sure if this was brought up before but apparently, some people have brought up what if there was an Osmosis Jones sequel or reboot based on Covid-19. Honestly, on paper, the people who worked on the movie and spin off series could technically adapt that idea into a graphic novel or animated short but not much else.
 

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