The story revolves around nine-year old Carol McAlister, whose father runs a high-tech security company. Carol's favorite snow leopard at the Bronx Zoo, Samantha, is put in transit to France to be on display at the Louvre with a fancy necklace, and Carol's father David cheers her up by inviting her on the voyage (saying she's part of the security team) and giving her a very special doll that he's designed. The doll, named Julie, is a technological marvel who can talk and respond to her owner—but she becomes even more special when lightning causes her to come to life and develop psychic powers. Meanwhile, the notorious E. Ville has eyes on Samantha, her rare collar, and Carol's father who developed the security plans, and sends crooks to capture them. Carol will need Julie's special powers to rescue her father and Samantha and save the day!
Has nothing to do with the American Girls Collection book of the same name, Meet Julie.
This cartoon contains examples of:
- Bumbling Henchmen Duo: Leon and Pug are E. Ville's two bumbling henchmen (and are brothers) who fail to kidnap Carol or find the plans, but manage to kidnap her father David after failing their first assignment. At the warehouse they're hiding out in with David, Pug is Stuffed into a Trashcan at the warehouse when Julie and Carol trick him into coming outside, while Leon is later chased and pinned in surrounded by several crates Julie drops around him. They get tied up themselves and are carried along to the Supervillain Lair of E. Ville by David, Carol, and Julie, and end up arrested at the end.
- Carpet-Rolled Corpse: Julie says she saw David smuggled out of the museum by being rolled in a big pink rug Leon and Pug carry out to a truck. This is also how they carry him into the warehouse.
- Clarke's Law for Girls' Toys: While Carol is on the boat playing with Julie (who is still a doll, albeit an advanced one), a couple nearby are overly amazed at the way Julie reacts to Carol; they talk amongst themselves wondering how the doll can read aloud and respond to tickling, saying she's almost alive. (David explained to Carol that he'd installed a computer in Julie, however.)
- Dirty Coward:
- The thugs guarding Samantha immediately run off and fling themselves off the train when Julie shifts larger and starts lecturing them about not hurting them and that Samantha better be okay.
- E. Ville's head henchman Claude takes one look at E. Ville being threatened by Samantha and says "forget it!" before slamming the door and leaping off into the river as they go over a bridge.
- E. Ville folds and gives up his evil plan after David says they'll leave Samantha out of her cage unless he gives up.
- Distressed Dude: David gets kidnapped and ends up Bound and Gagged in a warehouse, leaving his young daughter Carol (and her magical living doll Julie) to save him.
- Do-Anything Robot: Julie is technically a doll, but still counts as she quickly teaches herself to drive a bus, advises Carol in saving her father and Samantha, and can move things with her mind and shift size.
- The Door Slams You: When Leon and Pug are following Carol to try and kidnap her on the boat, a ship steward suddenly opens a door to talk to her (and escort her to the pool) and hits them in the face, knocking them down.
- Drives Like Crazy: Julie's driving of the bus sends it rocking from side to side along the street, blowing past as traffic cop and shaking the other passengers around. Her attempts to drive a forklift and a helicopter are even less successful than driving a bus, as she crashes into things and bobs the helicopter around.
- Eiffel Tower Effect:
- New York City is established with a pan over Manhattan that includes the Twin Towers.
- The ship's arrival in Paris is symbolized by a pan over that includes a (misshapen) Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triomphe.
- Everything's Better with Sparkles: Julie's mental powers are most often marked by little blue sparkles around her and whatever she's manipulating.
- Failed a Spot Check:
- Carol gets a feeling that someone is there behind her, but as she walks off Leon and Pug are right behind her trying to snatch her—and she doesn't bother to turn around to see them or even hear them walking. They end up getting smacked in the face with a door.
- David doesn't notice that it's Leon and Pug that are disguised as museum guards until they snatch him.
- Fat Bastard: E. Ville, the special's villain, is overweight and the fattest man in the special.
- Friend to All Living Things: Carol is best friends with Samantha the snow leopard and is able to communicate with her, though it's left ambiguous how much Samantha understands. When Julie fuses the dart gun shut so it can't be used, Carol talks Samantha into laying down and going to sleep so her fancy collar can be put on (also with Julie's help). She also orders Samantha back into her cage after they've scared E. Ville into surrendering.
- Hyper-Competent Sidekick: Once Julie comes to life, her powers become instrumental in solving the case and saving the day with Carol.
- Lightning Can Do Anything: Lightning striking the water near Julie while she's floating in the ocean brings her to life and gives her the ability to move things with her mind and change her size.
- Living Toys: When lightning brings her to life, Julie is a benevolent example as she dearly loves Carol and assists her in saving her father.
- Maurice Chevalier Accent: Everyone in France speaks with overexaggerated French accents and slip random French words and pronunciations into their speech.
- Merchandise-Driven: The point of the special was to promote World of Wonder's talking Julie doll. Julie is a prominent character in the special—even coming to life—and spends most of the special in her default outfit. Two adults see Carol with Julie and are amazed that the doll giggles when tickled and reads from her book, saying she's like a real little girl. During the chase at dinner scene, she's in a blue striped party dress that was sold for the doll and Carol is wearing the same dress.
- Mind Over Matter: Julie can magically move things around with no apparent weight limit by wiggling and touching her nose and extending her hands, or moving her hands around as she needs. She can also change her size to go from doll to about the size of a little girl.
- Missing Mom: Carol's mother is never mentioned, only her father.
- Names to Run Away from Really Fast: The main villain is named E. Ville.
- Official Cosplay Gear: In-universe. The fancy blue striped dress Carol wears to dinner on the ship is the same design as a dress that was sold for the Julie doll; Julie is also wearing the same dress.
- Parents in Distress: Julie's father David is kidnapped by E. Ville's thugs and imprisoned in a warehouse, which Carol and Julie infiltrate to save him.
- Shout-Out: When Carol's dad says that she has a way with animals, the dock worker nearby says "her and Doctor Dolittle."
- Sizeshifter: After she comes to life, Julie can shift from doll size to the size of a small girl and back.
- Slippery Skid: Pug steps on and slips around for several seconds on checkers that got scattered.
- Somewhere, a Mammalogist Is Crying: Samantha the snow leopard is solid white without any spots. She also is sized and shaped more like a tiger than a leopard.
- Stuffed into a Trashcan: Carol gets Pug to come out of the warehouse he's hiding in with Leon (where they have her dad tied up) by knocking on the door, saying she's lost—and just as he figures out who she is, Julie drops a trash can on him from her position on the roof, squeezing him inside and sending him bouncing away.
- Supervillain Lair: E. Ville's lair is a dark castle on the side of a cliff.
- Title Drop: When Carol tries to explain to her dad David what's going on after she and Julie rescue him, she starts by saying a bolt of lightning has made Julie into a living doll but she trails off and says "Well...meet Julie."
- Water Is Dry: Carol and Julie both fall overboard from the boat into a stormy ocean and are in the water long enough to be battered around by the waves before they're rescued, but their hair and clothes are never plastered down and once they're pulled out they're both completely dry again.