Don't underestimate the new kid.
Craig Before the Creek is a Made-for-TV Movie prequel of the Cartoon Network animated series, Craig of the Creek.Before he was Craig of the Creek, he was just Craig - a new kid in a new town. All Craig wants is to go back to his old friends at his old home. But when he learns that the nearby creek is hiding a lost treasure that could make his wish come true, Craig sets off on a journey to find it - navigating the perilous suburban wilderness, forging new friendships, all while being pursued by a fearsome band of pirates who are bent on destroying the Creek itself.
The movie was released on digital platforms on December 11, 2023, and debuted on Cartoon Network on January 13, 2024.
Tropes
- 2D Visuals, 3D Effects: The pirate ship is done in CGI, which is rarely used in the show.
- Abandoned Playground: The Ancient Playground, where the wish maker is hidden. All the equipment except for the merry-go-round sank into the sandbox, turning it into a Temple of Doom.
- Big Bad: Serena, the pirate captain who is after the wish maker.
- Conveniently Placed Sharp Thing: Craig is relieved when him and Serena make their wish and escape the wishmaker, and they both saved the creek. But then the camera pans over to Serena's ship that's crashed into a sharp rock. Unfortunately, because of Serena's wish to stop her flood she made, it punctured the ship causing it to deflate.
- Defeat Means Respect: Implied when some of Serena’s remaining crewmates were last seen making donations to the Trading Tree as a gesture of apology for the trouble they caused.
- Evil Overlooker: As seen on the promotional poster, Serena is looming over the past Stump Trio above her pirate ship and looking down on them sinisterly.
- Foreshadowing: Before Craig sets off to find the wish maker, Nicole tells him to be back before it rains. When Serena makes her wish to go home, the rain floods the creek.
- Foregone Conclusion: Craig stays in Herkleton to be with Kelsey and J.P., and the pirate kids disband.
- The Ghost: The explorer girl, Hannah, is only seen in the prologue fleeing from the pirate kids and is alluded to throughout the movie from her diary containing information about the wish maker found in Craig's new house.
- Hidden Agenda Villain: During the movie, it is unclear why Serena and her crew are causing chaos at the creek, other than to obtain a map leading to the wish maker that would grant her powers to flood the creek. At first, it seems like it's just because but later it is revealed that Serena wants to sail back to her hometown, which is why she needs the wish maker for that to happen. As for why she and her crewmates were bullying and stealing, it could be because Serena was too upset about being in Herkleton instead of her hometown and took out her frustration on innocent kids at the creek. Perhaps she recruited other kids to be pirates for her schemes because she couldn't do it alone.
- Hypocritical Humor: Kelsey calls Craig weird for breaking down his Choco Roll to make a three-course meal, then goes back to eating hers by pecking it like a bird.
- MacGuffin: The wish maker is a paper fortune teller that can supposedly grant wishes to the player.
- Minion with an F in Evil: J.P. is introduced as the Torture Technician of the pirates, about to torture Craig and Kelsey. However, due to his Nice Guy personality, his torture methods aren't that threatening (save for the hot sauce in the eyes). In fact, Craig making an angry face spooks him and gets him to accidentally torture himself. Turns out he got the nickname "J.P. the Torturer" because the other pirates considered him as The Millstone.
- Morality Pet: Before Craig met them, Kelsey was more of a mercenary who extorts snacks for services and J.P. was part of Serena's crew as their Torture Technician (though he is really bad at it).
- Moving Angst: While the rest of his family adjust better at Herkleton, Craig is dismayed about the move because he just got invited to his first sleepover at an Old Friend's house and wants to use the wish maker to go back to his previous home. It turns out that Serena feels similarly and wishes to flood the creek to sail back to her old beach home.
- Origins Episode: The prequel movie takes place two years before the premiere episode. It shows how Craig came to Herkleton, encountered the Creek, and met Kelsey and J.P.
- Reformed Bully: Serena, after Craig empathizes with what she truly wanted from the wish maker and convinces her to undo her wish, and she even forgave him for destroying her ship before proceeding to explore the rest of the creek. This also applies to her crewmates as they help increase Kit's inventory by donating.
- Remember the New Guy?: The pirate kids are Original Characters in this prequel movie, but they are never seen nor mentioned in the series itself. This might have been because the movie was produced late in the series’ run (They have apparently stayed with themselves since the events of the movie).
- Rubbery World: The pirate ship is made of inflatable rubber, making the deck's floor and walls bouncy. It's showcased in a fight scene when Craig and Kelsey take advantage of this to knock some of the pirate kids off the ship itself.
- Security Blanket: The only reason Jessica adjusts better to the move than Craig is because she still had her Small Uncle toy. When it gets lost at the creek and later taken by the pirate kids, she's an emotional mess without it.
- So Long, Suckers!: Craig has one of these before he, Kelsey, and J.P. escape with the map to the wish maker.Craig: Well. we'll be heading out. Smell you later, Serena.
(Kelsey drops crates onto the surface)
Craig: SMELL YOU LATER FOREVER!
(The Stump Trio flies off into the distance) - Shadow Archetype: Serena, like Craig, is after the wish maker because she wants to go back to her old home. The difference is that her wish would also destroy the creek and the surrounding neighborhood.
- Shapeshifter Showdown: While inside the wish maker, Craig and Serena use the wishes inside to give themselves powers to fight each other, such as to grow taller, stronger, have laser eyes, and so on.
- Snake Pit: One of the traps Craig has to go through to get the wish maker is a hopscotch game with breakaway tiles, under which is a pit full of centipedes.
- The Tape Knew You Would Say That: Hannah leaves a warning on the second page of her diary to skip to the twelfth for information on the wish maker, as she still writes her private thoughts in it.
- Villain Song: "Join Us", sang by the Big Bad, Serena, in an attempt to shanghai Craig into her pirate crew.
- Would Hit a Girl: During the fight scene, Craig has zero qualms about dispatching some of the female pirates as he does the male ones. During the wish maker climax, he also takes on Serena without any hesitation whatsoever.
