The Worst CGI Kid Films In Recent Memory

[Mynameisdean]

But at least they aren't planning a Rio 3. Seriously, *&^% that movie.

I was worried that movie might happen, back when Rio 2 came out. The first one was okay, and I don't really know why I liked it so much the first time I saw it. Once Rio 2 ended up performing average, I knew it wouldn't happen. If it did, what would they have done for the story?

 

[cuppajoe95]

So the first actual trailer for Trolls popped up...

Yeah.... I think I'll skip this one

It feels like the edgy remake of some long forgotten 1980's Smurfs ripoff. Though, conceptually, it at least looks like a better Smurfs movie than the actual Smurfs movies.

I just saw that trailer. Hoo boy.

Oh, and that reminds me of the Smurfs reboot film coming next year. At least Sony Pictures Animation is doing that in all CGI. Can't say it'll make up for the two Smurfs movies they were involved with, though.

 

[D'Snowth]

How can something be rebooted again after it was just rebooted?

 

[Pig'sSaysAdios]

How can something be rebooted again after it was just rebooted?

They seem to have realized they made a mistake after the other two, so now they're making the film that they had originally promised.

 

[Drtooth]

They seem to have realized they made a mistake after the other two, so now they're making the film that they had originally promised.

Not exactly, but close enough.

What really happened is Paramount, by way of Nickelodeon Pictures originally had the license to make a trilogy of Smurf films set in the Medieval setting of the original comics. John Lithgow was set up to play Gargamel, and I can't remember if it was also meant to be a hybrid film, but they used the actual Smurf designs as the CGI models. Then somehow Nickelodeon decided it didn't want to make these movies, and I can't remember if the sale of TMNT to them that could have been a factor (though I swear it was for the reason we didn't see that Mighty mouse film yet). But for whatever reason the rights reverted to Sony.

To which Sony had two concepts for the movie. The one we got, but also a horrible one that would have actually been far worse. In this version, the Smurfs were toys cried to life by some unpopular little girl who wanted friends. In other words, that kind of movie, and the disgusting, freakish kid that didn't have any friends would have been played by the obvious "could win a children's beauty pageant" child actress. For better or worse, they went with the old He-Man/Fat Albert/those Mega Man OVA's "came in to the real world" plotline...which, unlike Master of the Universe they had the technology and budget to have them in their own time.

But anyway, the first movie was somehow an unexpected sleeper hit, making its money with weekday matinees to keep the little booger eaters out of the house. But the problem is, the second one had one striking disadvantage. Unlike Smurfs 1, Smurfs 2 opened around the time 3 other kid's films opened. Planes being one of them, taking the sleeper hit spot instead, causing the second Smurfs to be unsuccessful even though it was a better film. Sad thing is, they had something great with "Smurfs Christmas Carol" and "Legend of Smurfy Hollow." I'm actually kinda sad to see the reboot change the voice cast. Hank Azaria's Gargamel was actually worth watching the films for.

But I understand trying to do what they should have in the first place. Much like Spider-Man, they screwed up and want to keep the franchise. Unlike Spider-Man, they didn't beef the second of the reboot so badly they just said "Hey! Marvel Disney! You can totally use him if you can make our Spidey movies not suck."

 

[Twisted Tails]

I just saw that trailer. Hoo boy.

Oh, and that reminds me of the Smurfs reboot film coming next year. At least Sony Pictures Animation is doing that in all CGI. Can't say it'll make up for the two Smurfs movies they were involved with, though.

Me too! This movie has disaster written all over.

 

[Drtooth]

To be perfectly honest, Trolls doesn't look technically bad, just like something that would have been acceptable as a kid's CGI movie over 10 years ago. Certainly before Dreamworks turned the corner with movies like Kung Fu Panda and How to Train Your Dragon. It looks at least relatively better than most of their lower quality films, especially at the beginning when they had such a succcessful hit with Shrek that they were trying to make all their movies Shrek like. Right down to the little twerpy characters that are obviously trying to be Gingy.

Remember those obnoxious shrimp from Sharktale?

Had Trolls been in the Dreamworks years of Sharktale, Over the Hedge and the first Madagascar, this would have some charm to it. But honestly, this shows that kind of humor didn't hold up well. It's still better than whatever the hybrid Trolls movie conceptualized after the first Smurfs movie was a success but before the second one flopped against Planes. That would have had "Hop" written all over it, considering it's the same mediocre director.

 

[Blue Frackle]

Well I've been on a lost media kick lately; how about Rapsittie Street Kids: Believe in Santa?

 

[Drtooth]

I mentioned it a while ago in this thread, yeah.

I remember seeing it in broadcast and wondering if it was some charity related thing, but it turns out it wasn't. It was just a terrible Christmas special. Granted, I don't think there are that many Christmas specials in recent memory since that one aired that were actually good (The Prep and Landings being the sad, lone exception), but even they had a level of quality for them. I just wanna know how Mark Hamil got roped into this. It's not like he was completely inactive and hungry for money. He was well established as a voice actor by then, mostly playing his second famous role, The Joker.

 

[Blue Frackle]

I mentioned it a while ago in this thread, yeah.

I remember seeing it in broadcast and wondering if it was some charity related thing, but it turns out it wasn't. It was just a terrible Christmas special. Granted, I don't think there are that many Christmas specials in recent memory since that one aired that were actually good (The Prep and Landings being the sad, lone exception), but even they had a level of quality for them. I just wanna know how Mark Hamil got roped into this. It's not like he was completely inactive and hungry for money. He was well established as a voice actor by then, mostly playing his second famous role, The Joker.

Yeah, it's almost so bad you just can't talk about it.

Also, Nancy Cartwright.

Every now and then an animated program comes along that seems destined to become a classic."The Rapsittie Street Kids" franchise is such a project.

The Rapsittie Street Kids are reminiscent of the beloved Peanuts characters - set in a modern day suburban neighborhood

Maybe it was just like Bubsy 3D, and was incredibly rushed.