From Cartoon to Big Screen

Ro-boy-o-boy-o-boy!

For most kids, afternoon cartoons are one of the joys of coming home from school. Remember how great it was to unwind from a day of math problems on the board and school bullies stealing your lunch by laughing as the Roadrunner outsmarted the Coyote, or watching Fred, Daphne and Velma solve a creepy mystery while Shaggy and Scooby-Doo run for their lives?

Hollywood studio executives do. They were kids once, and now as adults they’re turning beloved childhood cartoon shows into big-screen adaptations.

Scooby-Doo is the latest fun-filled animated adventure to be made into a big budget, live-action feature film. The film stars hot, young, real-life couple Freddie Prinze Jr. and Sarah Michelle Gellar as cute, crime-fighting duo Fred and Daphne, as well as virtual unknowns Linda Cardellini as Velma and Matthew Lillard as a dead-on Shaggy. Scooby, the lucky dog, gets to stay a cartoon–albeit a computer-generated, ultra-wacky version.

In the movie, the kids get sent to a spooky amusement park/college hot spot on an island to figure out why college students are turning into zombies–and discover who the real villain is. Wait…doesn’t that sound like that one episode where the gang goes to a haunted carnival and there’s a floating ghost, but it’s really the carnival operator who wants to steal all the profits for himself? Hmm.

Here’s a look at some past cartoon shows-turned-feature films. Some were successful, some were not, but ultimately, what difference does it make? If the movie flops, we still always have our ‘toon-filled afternoons to look forward to.

Wacky Setup: In the cartoon world, that ’70s level-headed Josie and her friends–ditzy Melody and ultra-cool Valerie (otherwise known as the Pussycats)–play rock music and solve mysteries at the same time. In the movie version, the girls are signed by a big bad corporate record company who inserts subliminal messages into their music to make teenagers buy their record albums. The Pussycats become immediate rock stars. Will Josie and her feline friends fight the machine or will fame take them over? Tough dilemma.
Real-Life Look-alikes: The girls didn’t have to look exactly like their cartoon-counterparts, and casting Rachael Leigh Cook (Josie), Rosario Dawson (Valerie) and Tara Reid (Melody) to create that cool, hip, updated feel to Josie and the gang succeeded (even if the film didn’t). Reid does a pretty good job playing the fun-loving but decidedly dumb blonde Melody.
Sounds Like the Cartoon:

Josie McCoy: “If I could go back in time, I’d take back everything I said!”
Melody Valentine: “If I could go back in time, I’d meet Snoopy.”

Wacky Setup: Though the 1980s Inspector Gadget, voiced by Get Smart‘s Don Adams, was a little absent-minded and klutzy, he was still determined to solve the latest case and battle the forces of M.A.D., masterminded by his nemesis Dr. Claw, with the help of his niece Penny and her dog (the ones who really do most of the leg work). The movie version, however, shows us exactly how Officer John Brown (Matthew Broderick) gets turned into a Gadget man by Brenda the surgeon (Joely Fisher), who specializes in robotics. In the movie, Gadget continues to chase Claw (Rupert Everett), who is still trying to take over the world. There have been a few complaints about how the movie actually shows the whole Claw, rather than only showing the mechanical hand you see in the show.
Real-Life Look-alikes: Broderick does a fine job embodying our bumbling Inspector but somehow we miss Adams’s voice. Not as successful as it could have been.
Sounds Like the Cartoon: With all the gizmos and whatchamacallits, Gadget says “Go, go, gadget!” even as the wrong gadget pops out at the wrong time.

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Wacky Setup: As the dim-witted cartoon vine-swinger from the late ’60s, George does his best to protect the jungle from the big bad world while also–usually unsuccessfully–trying to steer clear of trees. With the help of a talking gorilla named Ape, his gal pal Ursula, Shep, an elephant that thinks it’s a dog, and of course, the omnipresent, wisecracking narrator, George reigns supreme. Movie George still lords over the jungle, still enjoys his same friends and still has a serious problem running into foliage, but this time around Ursula is a city girl who takes George out of the lush, green jungle and into a concrete one. Ultimately, George knows where his heart lies, and he must return to save his friend Ape from greedy opportunists.
Real-Life Look-alikes: Cartoon George wishes he looked as good as Brendan Fraser, who manages to infuse all the dashing–and klutzy–qualities to the cartoon version with something extra–a sense of humor. Cartoon Ursula also gets a nice makeover as the lovely Leslie Mann brings her to life.
Sounds Like the Cartoon:

Narrator: “The jungle king was pleased to find that he looked pretty good in Armani.”
George: “Pretty darn good.”

Wacky Setup: The cartoon lives of Fred Flintstone, Barney Rubble and their wives Wilma and Betty are filled with one modern stone-age misadventure after another. Fred’s disgruntled at work. Fred and Barney having a feud. The Flintstones and Rubbles going on vacation. Hey, it’s The Honeymooners in prehistoric times. The movie follows right along with the scenario, as Fred gets a promotion only to learn he’s been duped by corporate bad guys Sharon Stone (Halle Berry) and Cliff Vandercave (Kyle MacLachlan). It’s all about life, love and friendship in the hip town of Bedrock.
Real-Life Look-alikes: The casting for The Flintstones nails it right on the head. Who better to play the bombastic Fred than the larger-than-life John Goodman? Or meek Rick Moranis to play the small, quiet-but-devoted Barney? Even Rosie O’Donnell’s decidedly heftier version of Betty gets it right, down to her infectious Betty giggle. They hit it out of the park on this one. Too bad they failed miserably in the sequel The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas (with a different cast).
Sounds Like the Cartoon:

Barney Rubble: “You’re afraid to tell Wilma, aren’t you?”
Fred Flintstone: “Afraid? Now let’s get this straight, Rubble, I don’t need permission from my wife to make a decision. In my cave, I reign supreme. SUPREME.”
Barney Rubble: “I won’t tell her, Fred.”
Fred Flintstone: “Thanks, pal.”

Wacky Setup: Old-time cartoon Popeye is a typical sailor man, with one exception. He only has one girl in only one port. He stills loves his spinach (when he remembers to eat it) and still makes mincemeat out of his enemies. Just like the cartoon, big-screen Popeye (Robin Williams) comes to the seaside burg of Sweet Haven, meets his lady love Olive Oyl (Shelley Duvall), hooks up with his long lost Pappy (Ray Walston) and defends himself against the big bad Bluto (Paul L. Smith), but with one exception–he detests spinach. It’s only after a lot of cajoling and humiliation does our fine-sailored friend realize that to be strong to the “finich,” he needs to eat his spinach!
Real-Life Look-alikes: Williams can make his face do just about anything he wants, so playing the squinty-eyed Popeye with bulging forearms and sailor hat is a piece of cake for the actor. Not to mention that Duvall practically channels Olive Oyl in looks and manner. It’s just a shame the movie version lapses into the ridiculous most of the time. Maybe some cartoon shows are better left on television (let’s hope no one ever tries to play Woody Woodpecker).
Sounds Like the Cartoon:

Popeye: “What am I? A barnacle on the dinghy of life? What am I? I ain’t no physicist but I knows what matters. What am I? Some kind of judge or lawyer? Maybe not, but I knows what law suits me. What am I? I’m Popeye the Sailor Man!”