Live Action Cartoon Adaptations

[Spartan Girl]

The backlash over the Jem trailer inspired me to start a topic for all the live action movie versions of cartoons that we knew and loved.

Most are never 100 percent faithful to the original show. And due to this, most of them tend to suck: Garfield, The Last Airbender, Marmaduke, Alvin and the Chipmunks...you get the idea.

But some of them weren't that bad. If nothing else, they can qualify as guilty pleasures. I thought Casper and George of the Jungle were okay...and even though plenty have hated it, I liked The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle for the fact that it, like the original cartoon, it mocked itself and all the ridiculousness of the plot.

And while establishing that there are NO judgements on this thread....I do have a guilty pleasure for the Inspector Gadget movie. *cough*

Okay your turn: what live action cartoon films did you love and hate?

Edited May 15, 2015 by Spartan Girl

[Dandesun]

I thought George of the Jungle was hilarious. It was stupid, sure, but it wasn't pretending to be otherwise. It made me laugh, repeatedly, and I enjoy it whenever it comes on one of the movie channels. It's pure bubble gum fun.

 

The Jem preview depressed the hell out of me... which is something Jem should never do. Where are the fucking Misfits?! Is it THAT hard to write a movie about two rival bands gunning for some prize? Uh... how many different talent shows are on these days? How much backstory is needed? I have no interest in indie-pop You Tube 'sensation' Jem. Give me the opening to the cartoon... Color. Makeup. Hair. Nagle-inspired pop art. "Glamour and glitter, fashion and fame..." How hard is that?! Cripes!!

[methodwriter85]

The Jem preview depressed the hell out of me... which is something Jem should never do. Where are the fucking Misfits?! Is it THAT hard to write a movie about two rival bands gunning for some prize? Uh... how many different talent shows are on these days? How much backstory is needed? I have no interest in indie-pop You Tube 'sensation' Jem. Give me the opening to the cartoon... Color. Makeup. Hair. Nagle-inspired pop art. "Glamour and glitter, fashion and fame..." How hard is that?! Cripes!!

 

I'm just baffled by it. What's going to appeal more to little 9-year old girls with Gen Xer parents- a fun, flashy fantasy about a woman who gets to live a secret identity because of a cool hologram technology that changes her appearance, or a mopey teenager who needs to learn a valuable lesson about being true to herself?

 

It made no sense to try and turn this into a music drama.

 

Also, little girls are looking up to people like Lady Gaga and Katy Perry with their outrageous outfits. Why exactly is Jerrica dressed like a dime-a-dozen teenaged girl?

Edited May 14, 2015 by methodwriter85

[Spartan Girl]

I thought George of the Jungle was hilarious. It was stupid, sure, but it wasn't pretending to be otherwise. It made me laugh, repeatedly, and I enjoy it whenever it comes on one of the movie channels. It's pure bubble gum fun.

 

Not to mention the added of bonus of Brendan Fraser being hot as hell.

[ribboninthesky1]

Yeah, and Jerrica was a grown up type person (in her 20s! ancient!) who was a business woman and it was her father's invention that turned her into Jem. And she was able to get her father's music company back from dickface Eric and the Misfits using Synergy to become Jem.

 

Grrr. Look, I used to skip church to watch Jem when I could get away with it. I stood up the Lord for Jem. If they had done a live action version of the Jem title sequence that would have been EVERYTHING and I'd have tickets bought RIGHT NOW.

 

This? There's nothing 80s inspired here. This is 90s indie grunge girl putting some David Bowie Aladdin Sane makeup on her face and calling it good. And I fucking LOVE Bowie... but 70s glam is not 80s pop art Patrick Nagel glam.

 

I'm just... stunned. How could they managed to get EVERYTHING wrong?!

 

I brought this over from the movie trailer thread, as I figured my response might be more appropriate here.  I'm not nostalgic for the shows I watched as a kid, but I thought Dandesun made a good point with the bolded. It reminded me of a point I made in the X-Men thread a long time ago -  several of the 80s animated shows targeted to kids actually featured adult characters (usually young adults, but adults all the same).  

 

The current trend is to skew younger, even way back to the first X-Men film.  For me, it drives a lot of my disinterest in these adaptations.  I'm child-free, but if the goal was to tap into my childhood and introduce the next generation to Jem...they were way off-base.  Even if the goal was to lure my old-ish behind to the theater because I was into the show as a kid, it still missed the mark.  Someone somewhere must have been smoking some really strong stuff to think this was a good idea. 

[Wiendish Fitch]

In the original Jem cartoon, Jerrica was, oh, I'm guessing 19-23 years old, but she was comparatively sophisticated and had adult responsibilities (living on her own, running a foster home, being Jem). The Jerrica in the movie cannot be 17 years old, and doesn't seem to have a care in the world. Has youth obsession reached such a level that 19-23 is considered old, or at least too old to attract your target audience? I mean, I watched reruns of Jem as a kid (I'm 33) and I never, ever noticed the characters' ages, because it was never an issue for me. At 6 or 7 years old, there were three ages to me: baby, kid, grownup. It was wonderfully uncomplicated.

 

But now? Apparently the screenwriters don't think kids today want capable, self-assured adult Jerrica/Jem who, in the first two episodes of Jem (it's on Netflix Streaming), attempts home renovation, confronts Eric Raymond about taking over Starlight Music without even flinching, finds Synergy, figures out she works, forms Jem and the Holograms, outsmarts Raymond at the Battle of the Bands, saves the foster kids when their house burns down, and finds them a new home. First two episodes!!

No, they want mopey, whiny, helpless teenager Jerrica, whose Jem persona is thrust upon her because heaven forbid female protagonists of any age have any agency to call their own.

[ribboninthesky1]

Damn it, Wiendish, do not make me take back my "no interest in shows I watched as a kid" position and watch Jem again!

[magicdog]

Someone somewhere must have been smoking some really strong stuff to think this was a good idea.

 

 

That's what I don't get;  did Christy Marx have anything to do with this adaptation?  Or did she write a potential script only to have it completely re-written by some studio monkey?  It's not as if she isn't available to be consulted (if she wasn't) or that there isn't a show to look back on and adapt for the big screen.  Somebody, based on this trailer (which I stopped watching halfway through BTW) made up an entirely different movie but attached the "Jem"  names to it.  Had it been a bit closer to the original cartoon (I can understand updating some elements if the Jem characters were set in the present) or true to the spirit of the original show, I might have been willing to see it.  Now?  No way!

 

Erica Raymond?  What kind of alt-universe Jem is this?????

 

Another cartoon to big screen miss (well, maybe hit and miss):  "Scooby Doo" (2002).  It's a bit of a guilty pleasure for me (largely due to the excellent performances of Matthew Lillard and Linda Cardellini as Shaggy and Velma) but this could have been so much more.  I hated that it was even done in live action in the first place.  The Zombie Island TV movie was far better in comparison and got a lot of things right the live action film didn't.  Some adaptations of previously animated shows are often better done in an animated format.  I found a copy of the original script written by Craig Titley and it reads like a love letter to the fans as well as the characters.  It was written by someone who knew and loved the characters.  That script was tossed aside due to studio politics.  So we ended up getting a film filled with fart jokes.

Edited May 14, 2015 by magicdog

[Spartan Girl]

To be fair, there were some pretty funny in-jokes and references to the original cartoon in Scooby Doo, but now I'm interested in seeing this original script...

[Archery]

On nights when I "do" my daughter's hair, she gets to pick the movie we'll watch while I comb and braid it. Tonight she picked Popeye. This came out when I was young, and I don't remember it being so terrible. Robin Williams was a comedy genius, and Shelly Duvall was inspired casting, but OMG, I have never braided so fast to get out from in front of that TV.

[Craphole Island]

I love the Rocky and Bullwinkle movie. Or at least, I did as a kid. It's probably terrible but I think I'd still like it.

 

And yeah, Matthew Lillard is perfect as Shaggy in Scooby Doo.

Edited July 19, 2015 by Craphole Island

[Spartan Girl]

On nights when I "do" my daughter's hair, she gets to pick the movie we'll watch while I comb and braid it. Tonight she picked Popeye. This came out when I was young, and I don't remember it being so terrible. Robin Williams was a comedy genius, and Shelly Duvall was inspired casting, but OMG, I have never braided so fast to get out from in front of that TV.

Yes, not even poor Robin Williams passing away could make that movie good. I heard there was a bit of drug use among the crew, and it really shows. Seriously they had to have been smoking something.

Robin and Duvall nailed their characterization so though. And nobody can resist "He Needs Me."

[GreekGeek]

The only one of these I've ever seen was Casper, and that was only because a friend invited me to see it when I was in the midst of grading final exams. It was pretty good (especially the Ghostly Trio), but I did wonder how little kids would react knowing Casper was once a regular kid who died.

[methodwriter85]

Well, Disney's going to be busy remaking all of their biggest hits in "live action" for the next 5 years or so. (Except for it seems, Pocohantas. Which makes sense. The story is problematic as fuck.)

[Epeolatrix]

Josie and the Pussycats is one of my favorite movies because it's so very snarky and often quotable.

[DisneyBoy]

I know I saw the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles live action movie when it came out and enjoyed it at the time. I've never watched it since. Does it hold up?

I saw the he 2nd Turtles sequel that just came out a year or so ago and thought it was okay. I just don't know that anything will ever capture the fun of the original animated series. Maybe this is one of those concepts that doesn't really work best in live action.

I will be very interested to see whatever becomes of He-Man in live action. I think there's a lot of ways it could go wrong but the premise has a lot of potential. I just hope they keep the magic and character relationships from the animated series intact.

[magicdog]

On 4/8/2017 at 10:49 AM, DisneyBoy said:

I know I saw the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles live action movie when it came out and enjoyed it at the time. I've never watched it since. Does it hold up?

I think it does.  Sure there's the fact of how dated the tech is (circa 1990) but I enjoy it far more than any of the other turtle movies.  In fact, I don't even acknowledge anything from "Secret of the Ooze" to the recent remake*.  This movie did a far better job IMO on creating the turtle costumes (Jim Henson's studio created them if I'm not mistaken), the voice work for them, the casting of April O'Neil and Casey Jones, and the overall story all worked for me.  Whenever it's on, I watch. 

 

 

*I do acknowledge the animated versions but that's different!

[Epeolatrix]

The Addams Family movies are also great adaptations, especially given the fact that the Addams cartoons were single-panel illustrations. Yes, there was the original TV show, but the movies were more rewarding for me.

[Spartan Girl]

Watching Rocky and Bullwinkle, and no matter how stupid it gets, the one saving grace is that they ACKNOWLEGE how stupid it is. It's so meta and snarky that it's hilarious. And June Foray...may she rest in peace.

DeNiro was also one of the producers in addition to being Fearless Leader. So...free paycheck or secret Rocky and Bullwinkle fan? You be the judge.

[magicdog]

On 3/17/2017 at 4:06 PM, methodwriter85 said:

Well, Disney's going to be busy remaking all of their biggest hits in "live action" for the next 5 years or so. (Except for it seems, Pocohantas. Which makes sense. The story is problematic as fuck.)

The question is why?  Those were movies done RIGHT!!  Especially the Disney Renaissance period films!  To me it's a waste of time and money.   Maybe they should reboot the Apple Dumpling Gang or Candleshoe instead!

Or you know, try a more original story.

 

On 3/20/2017 at 5:46 PM, Violet Impulse said:

Josie and the Pussycats is one of my favorite movies because it's so very snarky and often quotable.

It was better than I thought it would be, and I liked the in-joke of questioning why Alexandra was even there!  

 

Quote

I will be very interested to see whatever becomes of He-Man in live action. I think there's a lot of ways it could go wrong but the premise has a lot of potential. I just hope they keep the magic and character relationships from the animated series intact.

The first live action film wasn't exactly Oscar worthy but I found it to be a guilty pleasure.  I'm curious what the new live action reboot might be like.  Personally, I'd rather see a new animated series than a live action film of the He-Man universe.

Edited March 3, 2018 by magicdog

[Browncoat]

1 hour ago, magicdog said:

reboot the Apple Dumpling Gang

I can't even begin to figure out casting for that -- Don Knotts and Tim Conway are irreplaceable! 

[Wiendish Fitch]

And don't anyone even think about remaking Candleshoe! I love that movie! Jodie Foster, Helen Hayes, and David fucking Niven, what needs to be changed??!

[starri]

I know there was a Lifetime Movie, but I'd love a solid PG-13 remake of Watcher in the Woods.  

[scarynikki12]

I really want to see The Last Unicorn get a live action remake.  The animation would need to be Jungle Book quality because it deserves only the best.  They wouldn't need to make any story changes and, if they felt they did, all they'd have to do is just add in the stop in Hagsgate that was left out of the animated adaptation.  I love imagining the magic, the creatures, the Red Bull, and the Unicorn in that JB style.  I doubt it will ever happen so I'll content myself with what we have. 

[Silver Raven]

21 hours ago, scarynikki12 said:

I really want to see The Last Unicorn get a live action remake.  The animation would need to be Jungle Book quality because it deserves only the best.  They wouldn't need to make any story changes and, if they felt they did, all they'd have to do is just add in the stop in Hagsgate that was left out of the animated adaptation.  I love imagining the magic, the creatures, the Red Bull, and the Unicorn in that JB style.  I doubt it will ever happen so I'll content myself with what we have. 

My favorite book to movie adaptation critic didn't like the original.  Or the original source material.

Edited March 5, 2018 by Silver Raven

[methodwriter85]

On 3/3/2018 at 8:53 AM, magicdog said:

It was better than I thought it would be, and I liked the in-joke of questioning why Alexandra was even there!  

The actual music was really fun. Letters to Cleo was an awesome choice.

[Spartan Girl]

Disney just released the trailer for the live-action Pooh movie.

 

"I've cracked!"

"I don't see any cracks...maybe a few wrinkles."

Is it dusty in here? *clears throat* So yeah...I wasn't sure about having a live-action Pooh, but this might be good.

[methodwriter85]

Not my generation but I watched this with my niece a lot. It'll be interesting to see what they do with a teenaged Dora.

[Trini]

Wow, is that real?? Is that movie really happening? I don't think a grown Dora is going to work well, if the movie is supposed to be for the same demographic as the show.

Edited August 12, 2018 by Trini

[methodwriter85]

No, it's real and being produced by Michael Bay.

[Trini]

1 hour ago, methodwriter85 said:

No, it's real and being produced by Michael Bay.

Yikes ?

[methodwriter85]

Well, lets just say that Reddit mods at the movie board had to delete a lot of creepy perv comments because the actress is still 17. To be fair to the movie producers though, they kept pretty true to Dora's outfit and she's not some sexed up tart with a pound of make up. She looks more like the wholesome girl next door who just happens to love exploring the world around her. And I'm guessing this is going for a slightly older demographic similar to what Jumanji 2 did.

Edited August 12, 2018 by methodwriter85

[Spartan Girl]

5 hours ago, methodwriter85 said:

No, it's real and being produced by Michael Bay.

Hasn't he ruined enough beloved cartoons?!

[Morrigan2575]

On 4/8/2017 at 1:49 PM, DisneyBoy said:

I know I saw the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles live action movie when it came out and enjoyed it at the time. I've never watched it since. Does it hold up?

It actually holds up really well, IMO. I was surprised to enjoy it as much as I did when I re-watched a couple of years ago

[methodwriter85]

It's apparently not Michael Bay, actually. Hmm.

[paulvdb]

From that article: "In the film, Dora has spent most of her life exploring the jungle with her parents. However nothing could prepare Dora for the most dangerous adventure ever – High School." That sounds like the premise of Mean Girls.