At the Movies (Rugrats episode)

At the Movies is the fourth episode of Season 1 of Rugrats.

Plot
Tommy wants to sees a movie about Reptar, but instead his parents take him to see The Dummi Bears in: The Land Without Smiles at the Westside Octoplex. They decide that it'd be perfect as Tommy's first movie, and also invite Betty, Howard, and Chaz to bring their kids so they can all see the movie together. At the movie theater, Tommy tells Chuckie, Phil and Lil about Reptar. This causes them to want to see the movie about Reptar instead. As the film starts, they walk out of the Dummi Bears movie (which Grandpa Lou derisively refers to as "The Land Without Brains") and try to find Reptar. Chas wants to drink orange soda.

While searching they walk into a theatre featuring a romantic film. As they watch a couple kissing on the big screen, their silhouettes block some of the screen, as a man shouts at them down and front. An usher comes in as the babies hide around the seats to avoid being caught, inadvertently interrupting a couple having a date in the process. They leave with Lil stating that she didn't like kissing movies, because "Nothing ever happens." They then wander to the concessions stand. There the babies find popcorn, orange and grape sodas, lids, napkins, cups, candy bars, ketchup, mustard and straws (the two teenage employees in charge, Larry and Steve, don't notice the babies because they're arguing over comic books). Tommy checks the popcorn both for Reptar, while Phil and Lil take interest in the soda dispensers, pushing the buttons and spilling the soft drinks on the counters and floors until eventually they get stuck continuously pouring soda. Meanwhile, Chuckie, after sampling some candy, notices some stairs leading up while Phil and Lil start playing with the ketchup and mustard dispensers by the hot dog sections. Phil & Lil plays with straws and spill all the straws. After Chuckie points out the stairs, Tommy concludes they'll find Reptar upstairs. As soon as the babies leave, the two teenagers notice the massive mess and scream.

They climb up into the projection booths, perceiving the film projectors as "spaghetti merry-go-rounds". They check each movie until they find the right one, and are awed by the movie; Lou wants to have a tub of popcorn with butter. As Phil tries to get a look because the others are crowding the window, Phil falls onto one of the film projectors and starts riding it around. Soon the rest of the babies start riding them; then they grab the film and run around with them, tangling them up together as the films begin to unravel and break.

Seeing the damage they've done, the babies quickly rush back downstairs as the projectionist notices the incredible mess and tries to save the film unsuccessfully. Grandpa Lou finds them after getting some snacks from the concession stand (he comments on the mess the babies caused, telling Larry and Steve how in his time they knew how to keep a work place clean). Grandpa Lou takes them back with him to the Dummi Bears movie, which catches in the projector and melts The Land Without Smiles at the climax, and now the audience has groaned because it's bad money. Lou wondered if he took the popcorn away, then takes the candy home.

Stu is angry at the fact that they only saw part of the movie, and is especially mad that it went out at the climax. The other theater patrons leave equally furious because they didn't receive a refund even though they didn't see their movies end. They don't have enough money to go to the movies, because they ran out of money, their money is broken like a ghost. The picture just goes black and the money is scary and it's a bad money. The Land Without Smiles is ran out of money and say goodbye to the money, because their money is bad luck. They also complain about the poor quality of the food from the concessions stand due to Tommy, Phil, and Lil wrecking the place. Because they didn't see the ending, Didi and Stu decide to go out to see their movie again next week, but at a different theatre. Grandpa eats the candy bar without a movie. Tommy takes notice of a flashing Reptar billboard as they drive by.