From Small Screen To Big Screen: Death Of The Saturday Morning Cartoon?

Remember the days when the school week drew to an end, not only was there excitement of the oncoming weekend and the hours of free play, but it was the significance of the next morning, Saturday morning cartoons. Every kid would spend their next morning affixed firmly to their comfort spot and sat there starry-eyed and mesmerized by the Technicolor wonders that emitted from our television sets. Thirty-something years later, we could not have imagined in our wildest dreams that our beloved toons would make their leap from the small screen into our local cinemas. Has the transition and updated treatments been a testament to our cherished childhood memories? Or have the recent big screen adaptations just been a bunch of ‘Hong Kong Phooey?’

One of the most popular mainstays of Saturday morning pleasures, “Scooby-Doo”, has been enjoyed all over the world and has outlived many of it’s seventies counterparts, due in part to it’s many incarnations. It really isn’t that much of a surprise that it would eventually make it’s way to live action. In 2002, Warner Brothers treated theatergoers with a delightfully enjoyable film that seemed more like an extended episode. Director Raja Gosnell’s attention to detail and the incorporation of several episodic scenarios, was a true tribute to his love of the animated gem. Gosnell was able to breathe a new life into the franchise and actually flesh out the two dimensional characters we’ve all grown to love. 2002’s follow-up “Scooby-Doo 2: Monster’s Unleashed” was even more of a tribute to the ‘Mystery, Inc.’ gang.

A personal favorite on the Saturday morning grid was “Josie and the Pussycats” and it’s second seasons revamped jaunt “Josie and the Pussycats in Outer Space”. I was anxious to see how this would translate into live action. To my utter dismay, the results were abysmal. The film lacked the groovy charm of the series, it didn’t seem to have a concrete link to the series in part due to the lack of references, and the flimsy storyline was all over the place. Rosario Dawson’s portrayal of Valerie was the films only redeeming quality. I’ve always been a fan of this character and kudos to CBS for placing the first African-American animated character on television.

“Speed Racer” is an example of a film that missed the mark. Yeah, the action and CGI were top-notch, but the storyline suffered a flat and never made it out of the pit, in my opinion. Another favorite, the loveable shoeshine boy “Underdog”, was somewhat enjoyable due to my love of dogs, but other than that there wasn’t much meat on the bone. Today’s animated series aren’t without their disappointing adaptations. “SpongeBob SquarePants”, a charming show and much viewed favorite, suffered with it’s cinematic treatment. “The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie” was sillier that the show and didn’t seem to work as a full-length film. The interspersed theatergoing pirates were annoying and ruined the whole experience. I wont even start with the David Hasselhoff cameo! All in all, there have been a bevy of attempts with films like, “Masters of the Universe”, “The Flintstones”, “The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle”, “Mr. Magoo”, “Popeye” and “Richie Rich” to name a few. It is apparent that most of these ventures lack the overall quality.

However there are phenomenal films that had humble beginnings on the tube. Michael Bay’s vision for “Transformers” had various winning qualities and was a box-office smash for 2007. In a large part, Bay’s decision to incorporate the various endearing qualities of humor from the show into the film, made it even more enjoyable. It could’ve been a serious film and still have worked, but the human traits of the ‘Transformers’ is a big reason I was drawn to the show. Another winning move was “Batman” and more recently “The Dark Knight”, currently the biggest box-office smash has outdone all of it’s predecessors. Christopher Nolan has taken the history of the character and show to reconstruct a masterpiece. Creating a

darker and more menacing atmosphere there is little resemblance to the live action show and especially the various animated series, with the exception of the characters. I would even add last years nostalgic visit to “Alvin and the Chipmunks”. It was successful in carrying over the charm of the show. Due, in a large part, to the fact it spotlighted their most beloved, definitive ditty ‘The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don’t Be Late).

In most instances the studios attempts to make the profitable leap to the cinema is the death of our Saturday morning revelry and all we’re left with is our memories. Eventually there are those rare instances where we are treated to a new interpretation and ultimately evolving into a deeper appreciation for the original. I will continue to revisit my Saturday morning ritual, whether it be reruns on ‘Boomerang’, ‘Nickelodeon’ or a new updated vision at the local cineplex.