9 WORST LIVE-ACTION REMAKES OF POPULAR CARTOONS
Ahh, don’t we all just get a little bit giddy when movie and TV execs announce a
live-action remake of our favorite cartoon? It’s
like our childhood dreams of seeing them in person just got more real!
Girl: That was awesome!
But let’s face it, some of these re-imaginings of well-loved characters are hit-or-miss,
and instead of nostalgia, all they induce is nausea.
Let’s take a closer look at these 9 Worst Live-Action Remakes of Popular Cartoons!
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Our number one pick was helmed by one of the greatest suspense-horror directors of our time,
but still, it was panned so hard, it makes you wonder how it was even pitched!
Man: As far as I can tell people don’t mind if you take something they love and tear it to pieces.
Man 2: Well, that does sound like it makes sense.
#9: Alvin And the Chipmunks
Granted, the CGI versions of Alvin, Simon and Theodore were
so impossibly cute, but despite all the singing and dancing,
the creators still managed to make the plot of the 2007 movie and the subsequent 2009
“squeak-quel” so cliché and boring! They didn’t take me to funky town, that’s for sure.
*Won’t you take me to funky town?
All the screechy, high-pitched singing sounded like someone auto-tuned the
heck out of the soundtrack, but the satirical theme aimed at rock stars,
the hype machine and the music industry in general didn’t quite
land.
*Chipmunks getting coffee high
The sequel fared a little better when the Chipmunks were forced to go to high
school and win a competition to save the school’s music program.
But critics couldn’t ignore the one-note human characters, and Alvin’s overall unlikability.
*We are family…
Keep watching ‘til number one ‘coz that one deserved to fade into box office oblivion.
#8: Bratz
If it’s measly 10% rating on Rotten Tomatoes is any indication, this 2007 American musical comedy,
which brought to life the spunky girls from the popular toy and cartoon franchise,
was injected with the least amount of “brattitude” possible.
Girl; Well don’t you look adorable. But you’re not here to look adorable. You’re here to work.
The tween flick did try to sprinkle some friendship and tolerance lessons in there, but
ultimately, these were overpowered by the girls’ desire to do one very important task: shopping.
*Bratz walking
Attempting to emulate the Disney movie-musical blueprint but ultimately falling short,
the live action version of the Bratz dolls indirectly glorifies
vanity and commercialism despite its good intentions.
One critic even called it "Mean Girls without the irony." Pretty sure that's not a compliment.
#7: Smurfs
The 2011 live-action film version of the cute Saturday-morning cartoons
is clearly made for the kids. While some say the mythical blue-tinged creatures are charming,
others think they should have stayed in their magical land of
mushrooms instead of escaping to New York from the evil wizard Gargamel.
*Smurfs escape
The younger audiences certainly ate it up, judging by the $563 million the first
Smurfs movie made in the box office. But older moviegoers dismissed it as forgettable and too
busy at being non-offensive that it barely evokes any reaction… much like a dull hard-boiled egg.
Smurf: On me boys.
Too bad the star-studded cast which included Neil Patrick Harris, Hank Azaria, Sofia Vergara, and
even popstar Katy Perry as the voice of Smurfette couldn’t save viewers from feeling a little blue.
#6: Jem And the Holograms
The 2015 Jon M. Chu film was supposed to be lifted
from the campy 80s animated show of the same title, but for some reason,
it turned out to be more like a spiritual cousin to Hannah Montana, for better or for worse.
*Holograms singing
The neon inspiration and the sci-fi aspects of the original Hasbro cartoon were muted down.
Instead, the remake treads the worn-out teen girl empowerment trope which really isn’t a bad thing,
if only they took a different spin to it. The film became too concerned about taking
the iconic band into the age of influencers and social media, while preaching about not
sacrificing your values for stardom. The direction is also described by critics as
“a mixed bag” at best. Uh-oh. *Jem and Holograms performing
#5: Yogi Bear
After more than 50 years since it first aired on TV, the classic Hanna Barbera character
finally got its long-overdue live action remake in 2010.
Sadly, the big comeback of the dynamic duo of Yogi and Boo Boo mostly got booed by moviegoers.
Yogi: it was a bad idea. Unlock me. Unlock me. While Dan Aykroyd’s and Justin Timberlake’s voice
acting matched the wacky antics of the ursine tandem, the story itself could have used more
inspiration. Never mind the plot holes like how a mayor can sell a national park and all that stuff,
Yogi isn’t even his usual rude and roguish self which long-time fans have come to love. Not to
mention, the human characters might as well have been played by cardboard cutouts because
viewers couldn’t care less about them.
Boo Boo: Yogi, you have to use your smarts for good. And if you can’t see that,
maybe you are just an average bear.
Nostalgia was arguably the main selling point of the film, but
nostalgia with a few uninspired jokes do not, a movie, make.
#4: Masters of the Universe
Which 80s kid doesn’t know He-Man? That dude was like the ultimate macho man of our generation!
He-man: By the power of Greyskull!
Even now, there have been talks of reintroducing him after She-Ra made her return as a cartoon
series! But while He-Man and the Masters of the Universe enjoyed massive success
on the small screen, the same cannot be said about the live-action adaptation.
He-Man: I have the power!
For starters, He-man's arch-enemy Skeletor looks more like a harmless cosplayer than a menacing
villain, and He-Man barely wears anything for the entirety of the film. But what fans couldn’t get
behind was the jarring mix of screwball comedy and the choppy action sequences.
And despite that, a movie critic still called the movie a “Conan-slash-Star
Wars hybrid rip-off that’s a colossal bore!”
Skeletor: Let this be our final battle!
However, despite it being a major flop when it first screened in 1987, Masters
of the Universe is now being regarded as a cult classic. Perhaps it does deserve a second look.
#3: The Flintstones
If there’s one good thing critics agree on about the 1994 adaptation of our beloved
modern stone age family from the town of Bedrock, it’s that the production design
team spared no expense, from the animatronics and puppets to the costumes and set design.
Unfortunately, everything else was yaba-daba-don’t.
*Fred chants
Despite the impressive impersonation of the main actors,
the bland plot was riddled lame puns and sexist jokes, and severely lacks wit and genuine gags.
Girl: Personal secretary, Mr. Flintstone, that is of course, if you want me.
But as if 1 bad Flintstone movie isn’t enough, the movie gods threw in a prequel in 2000 which
was a bit of an improvement from the previous film, and not much else. Behind the bright
lights and spectacular production, there’s barely any plot to speak of.
*Fred mumbling
#2: Dragonball: Evolution
If you’re brave enough to adapt a well-beloved anime that has a huge hardcore following,
then you better do it right. However, all the negative word of mouth proved to
be the final nail in the coffin of the 2009 action fantasy flick Dragonball: Evolution.
*Goku screaming
Yup, that’s the same scream the movie induced on moviegoers—albeit out of frustration.
While the battle scene swere pretty decent, Justin Chatwin, the actor who played Goku,
looked a decade too old for the role. The adaptation also lacked in visual
and narrative coherence, and it seemed as though filmmaker James Wong was too busy with
making the movie as westernized as possible. If only I had a dragon ball for everything
that’s wrong with this adaptation. *Hands over dragon ball to Bulma
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#1: The Last Airbender
One upon a time, the fans of Avatar: The Last Airbender lived in harmony.
But everything changed when M Night Shyamalan and his atrocious live-action "adaptation" attacked!
*Aang bends fire
It's truly mind-bending how someone could take this incredible iconic piece of pop culture and
rake it through the mud. The whitewashing of the cast is almost criminal, considering that the
cartoon is mainly centered on East Asian cultures with some South Asian, New World, and Inuit and
Sireniki influences. The actors don't even seem to know how to pronounce their names properly!
Man; We are now the gods.
The script also crammed so many episodes of the cartoon into a 90-minute mess. I didn't know we
were going to be watching some dance showdown instead of element bending, and yet here we are.
*showdown
So, which of these did you regret watching on the big screen? Or maybe you actually enjoyed them,
no judgement! Share your thoughts in the comments section below!
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‘Til then, keep calm and watch more movies, fact-natics! And we’ll see you in our next video!