20th Century Fox via Everett Collection
Throughout his career, James Cameron has explored the verdant valleys of Pandora and the post-apocalyptic streets of Los Angeles, but his next adventure might take place somewhere that’s a little more familiar. Cameron has commissioned scribe David S. Goyer to write a treatment for a remake of the 1966 classic, Fantastic Voyage. In the original film, a group of scientists miniaturize themselves and enter the body of a fellow scientist to remove a blood clot from his brain, but they only have an hour to do so before the process reverses itself and un-shrinnks them. If you’ve spent a single Saturday morning watching cartoons over the past 30 years, that plot should sound terribly familiar. Every cartoon worth its salt had done at least one Fantastic Voyage parody episode (some have done several, in fact). It’s almost a rite of passage. Flinging through the leaky canals of the body and dodging over-eager immune systems is material that’s just begging to be animated. We’ve decided to collect some of our favorite Fantastic Voyage cartoon parodies from over the years.
The Magic School Bus
Episode: “For Lunch,” “Inside Ralphie,” “Goes Cellular,” “Works Out,” and “Makes a Stink.”
Ms. Frizzle has taken her class on many field trips spelunking through the human body. Arnold, Ralphie, Janet, and even Ms. Frizzle herself have turned into the subject of a field trip in various episodes.
Captain Planet and the Planeteers
Episode: “An Inside Job”
The planeteers shrink themselves in order to battle microbes inside Kwame.
The Simpsons
Episode: “Treehouse of Horror XV”
The Simpsons clan go after Maggie after she is accidentally ingested by Mr. Burns.
Futurama
Episode: “Parasites Lost”
After Fry eats a disgustingly old egg salad sandwich, Professor Farnsworth make miniature robotic version of themselves to ward off an infestation of super smart parasites.
Family Guy
Episode: “Emission Impossible”
Stewie infiltrates Peter’s body in order to stop his parents from having another child.
Dexter’s Laboratory
Episode:“Fantastic Boyage”
Dexter tries to enter Dee Dee’s body to find the cure of the common cold, but he ends up inside the dog by mistake.
Phineas and Ferb
Episode: “Journey to the Center of Candace”
In a reverse of the Dexter’s Laboratory plot, Phineas and Ferb try to enter the body of a dog, but accidentally end up in the body of their sister.
Pinky and the Brain
Episode: “Brainwashed Part 1: Brain, Brain Go Away”
Pinky and the Brain shrink themselves in order to foil an evil plot, but get eaten by the wrong guy.
Batman: The Brave and the Bold
Episode: “Journey to the Center of the Bat”
After Batman is struck down with a mysterious disease, the Atom and Aquaman shrink themselves to combat the illness.
Rick and Morty
Episode: “Anatomy Park”
Morty creates a Jurassic Park-style amusement park inside the body of the homeless man. He shrinks Morty and himself to save his creation once the homeless man starts to die.
The Fairly Odd Parents
Episode: “Tiny Timmy”
Wanda and Cosmo shrink Timmy so they can explore the body of his evil babysitter, Vicky. Vicky’s body soon starts attacking the foreign invaders.
Spongebob Squarepants
Episode: “Squidtastic Voyage”
With the help of Sandy, Patrick and Spongebob use a shrinking submarine to enter Squidward’s body and retrieve a clarinet reed.
Regular Show
Episode: “Cool Cubed”
Mordecai and Rigby travel inside Thomas to thaw his brain out after a slushie gives him a vicious brain-freeze.
Arthur
Episode: “Buster’s Breathless”
Buster gives his friends a tour of his body so they can learn about asthma.
Rugrats
Episode: “The Inside Story”
The babies travel inside Chucky after he swallows a watermelon seed, thinking a watermelon will grow inside the toddlers stomach.
Osmosis Jones
This film is basically one long Fantastic Voyage parody. White blood cell/detective Osmosis Jones and his cold pill partner Drix battle a malicious virus inside the moist caverns of Bill Murray. The film also spawned a spin-off television series.
