The End Of What We Grew Up With As Kids

[Drtooth]

I've noticed TOO many live action/CGI hybrids that just are done... done completely wrong. Wooden actors pretending that something there that doesn't exist and plays off nothing and can't react or act period when some cartoony thing is pasted on top. I mean, even worse than Star Wars prequel style.

Case in point... Garfield. Now, the ONLY character that was CGI was the fat cat, and he was able to bounce around and do things that none of the other characters could. It wasn't believable to begin with, to make matters worse all the other animals were live action.

Then you check out the CGI DTV Garfield movies. They aren't the greatest things in the world, granted... but at least with everyone being a CGI cartoon, it works better on that level.

A lot has to do with aesthetics. But then again, I'd be lying if I said Underdog and Inspector Gadget would have been better if the dogs in those movies were CGI anthropomorphic type characters, similar to their cartoon counterparts. Those movies were terrible in their own way. Still, I'd much rather a completely CGI Underdog movie with a good script.

The one thing I have to say made TMNT 4 work was making it entirely CGI, noting a live action movie would have to have CGI Turtles pasted it. There was no way anyone wanted to go back to using animatronics, even though they're the reason why the first 3 movies were so memorable....of course, frankly the way they screwed up TMNT II Secret of the OOze, I always found TMNT 4 to be a far superior movie almost on par with the first.

 

[CensoredAlso]

There was no way anyone wanted to go back to using animatronics, even though they're the reason why the first 3 movies were so memorable

Right I mean, one would think the smart thing to do would be to channel the movies that were actually successful. But silly me!

....of course, frankly the way they screwed up TMNT II Secret of the OOze, I always found TMNT 4 to be a far superior movie almost on par with the first.

I'm in the middle I guess. Parts of Secret of the OOze were definitely pretty embarrassing, lol. It was your typical let down but harmless sequel. TMNT was a big improvement in some ways. But I don't put it on par with the first Turtles film because the writing was simply too convuluted. The first film also did the Leo/Raph conflict much better.

I have to agree with Nostalgia Critic on that aspect of TMNT: "Leo's logic is crazy. Raph's anger is pointless." Lol

 

[Drtooth]

The problem with TMNT is that A) the movie was supposed to be the first step forward in a line of future movies... they didn't happen because Mirage and Imagi (which probably would have gone bankrupt anyway) couldn't agree to a plot and B) it seems to be more reminiscent of the Tales of the TMNT comics, which dealt with some weird storylines like that.

HOWEVER, I commend the movie for several reasons:

1) It was NOT a reboot. It took place in the middle of a storyline, rather than repeating the same story we've heard oh so many times in comics, cartoons, and various other media.

2) by that same token, it did NOT feature Shredder. That's one of the reasons I disliked what SOTO, which I'll get into later. Having a TMNT movie franchise ONLY focus on Shredder is like having a Batman franchise that ONLY focuses on the Joker... though the Joker has been in more Batman films than any of the other villains (including Mask of the Phantasm and the 1960's International Markets release). I applaud the use of Karai, and not having to introduce who she is. It was sort of a turn off for casual 80's fans, sure.... but we got a LOT more plot and action instead of introductions (which is the problem with Green Lantern... too much back story)

3) It was a heck of a lot less jarring to kids who watched the current cartoon series. I swear that, even though it is one of my favorites and still is, I just got confused by Mikey not saying Dude every 5 seconds and acting almost like Raph did, Raph being an angry Jerk, and Don not being technologically inclined. The movie actually felt like movie version of the current show at the time. Ironically, it has almost the same exact tone as the first 3 films.... the cartoon, that is.

The problem with Ooze was that it was a typical super villain revenge story plot. We wound up with another story about Shredder (with such a goony ending) instead of focusing on someone like Baxter Stockman or even the Rat King (even if they had to turn him into the cartoon version). Casey Jones was banned from the film, replaced with an inexplicable Asian kung fu guy. And worst of all, the action completely stops so that Vanilla Ice could siphon a large chunk of money and "perform" his only other "hit." Though the "A little TOO Raph" line never fails to kill me. I like the third better because HEY! Casey Jones.

Still the angry Raph complaints are bunk. The first movie was ALL about Raph being angry.

 

[CensoredAlso]

Still the angry Raph complaints are bunk. The first movie was ALL about Raph being angry.

Yeah but for me Raph in the first movie was really like a tormented teenage boy, with layers and depth and humor. Raph in the newer cartoon and in TMNT just felt like a generic "Grrr I'm angry." Just my $0.02.

 

[beatnikchick300]

Personally, I think the less fast food appeals to children, the better, but about everything else, you're right on. Glad I was a '90s kid...

 

[Drtooth]

Personally, I think the less fast food appeals to children, the better, but about everything else, you're right on. Glad I was a '90s kid...

Personally, I wish that kid's programming didn't need funding from junk food advertisements, but it has to be. And since it isn't we're getting all these dangerous get rich quick/get healthy without effort infomercials instead. That stuff's not good for anyone.

I highly support the kid's meal. That's the small portion of junk foods kids SHOULD be eating, rather than Big Macs, Taco Bell nacho boats and all that other stuff really fat guys eat. And besides, the toys are far better and cheaper than those plastic pieces of overpriced garbage you find at Target and Wal*Mart (because there isn't even a reasonable chain of toy stores anymore, that means less variety). A small hamburger/cheeseburger, small soda, and small fires OCCASIONALLY is alright. it's these lazy (or overworked) parents that use McD's and BK as a cafeteria that's the problem. Everything in moderation, and junk food ads NEED to share TV ad time with stuff like THIS:

They used to have a LOT of these on television... now all we got is lame crap with Disney movies awkwardly added in... and for very stupid PSA's too... Watch out for the Mail Truck? Is there an epidemic of stupid kids running into specifically mail trucks lately? Didn't hear the media sensationalize it.

I've always said these advocates have their heads up their collected butts because they care so much about what's ON the wrapper and not what goes into it. Weaning these companies off certain ingredients is what we SHOULD be doing, not putting them in plain brown wrappers behind the counter with the condoms and X-rated magazines. I'm glad some strides have been made giving GOOD food to the poverty stricken, and adding more phys-ed classes in schools, though. But that stuff is at a snail's pace. Nutrition is NOTHING without solid activity. I'm a proponent of getting a daily exercise period, not just for kids, but for office buildings. That's why the adults are unhealthy. Hours sitting around, stress making everyone artificially tired... who wants to go to the gym for an hour when they come home tired?

 

[beaker]

Dr Tooth, youre sooooooooo going to LOVE this article:

Talking about how kids today wont get, or are missing out on the past: Saturday morning cartoons, why 80s and 90s sitcoms plots were about getting lost(which would never happen in todays smart phone/gps world), etc
http://www.cracked.com/article_19109_6-things-our-kids-just-plain-wont-get.html

 

[beaker]

The thing is with older films I feel like you can see the effort and the work people put into everything, when the effects were actors in costumes, puppets, stop motion or even early camera tricks. They didn't have "advanced technology" so they worked with what they had and the results had a lot of heart and quirky charm. I just don't feel that same appreciation when I see CGI. Which I know isn't fair, CGI artists are very skilled and talented and work very hard too. But often it's all just too streamlined and perfect looking.

I agree. Jedi still has the same effect on me as it did in 83(tho even that has been all cg'd up...thanks Lucas!) But my mind is just not tricked or brought to a place of acceptance when theres a bunch of cgi in a film. I liked The Dark Knight as theres not an over reliance on that stuff...or if there is, its well hidden.

 

[beaker]

It's true, you can eat as little or healthy as you want, but if you dont get much exercise...it won't be too good. I believe all able bodied people owe their bodies the ability to do regular exercise/walking/cycling/gym/etc

Now to DrTooth:

- I honestly cant think of too many cgi kids movies that truly wowed me or I'd ever want to see again outside of Pixar. The only ones I can think of are Up, Monsters vs Aliens, Chicken Little(tho still Disney), Robots and TMNT

- Regarding TMNT, I thought it was virtually flawless, one of the best films of 2007 in my mind. I HATE SotO and the TMNT III film. Saw em once, refuse to watch em again. The first TMNT from early 1990 is my second fave film of all time, and is just a visionary piece of cinematic history. I was excited about the 2003 cartoon, and they got a lot right...but I lost interest a year later. I know you followed it all the way to 2009, but I just wasnt into it after awhile. I appreciate it tho. The Nickeolodeon stuff projected for 2012...I cant say enough bad or nasty things about that and I feel fans should boycott it

- Kids films that blend live action and cgi, be they all those dumb Narnia inspired films or Garfield/Smurf/Yogi type movies...has there ever been a decent one? I cant think of any. These dont light a candle to Goonies, Never Ending Story or Back to the Future 1 and 2. And not merely rose colored glasses, actually going back recently and seeing these they are really excellent films that hold up

- Fast food happy meals was a highlight of my youth. I was beyond poor, so often these might have been the only toy I would have gotten aside from the occasional toy I found or got at the thrift store. (On a side note, how come they never makenintendo or video game action figures, just weird activity versions of Nintendo stuff. As Pokemon has a bunch of figures in the current McD toyline)

- I remembering getting up at 5am every single saturday morning between 1981 and 1992 to watch saturday morning cartoons. Now days if Im not working, Im hard pressed to get out of bed before noon. But back then, it was amazing to see all those oddball cartoons like Mighty Orbots, Kid Video, COPS, Tiger Sharks, Bionic Six, or classics like Muppet Babies, Fraggle Rock, Gummi Bears, New Adv of Winnie the Pooh, etc. The commericals were amazing and added to the fun. It was such an innocent time. People are shocked when I talk about growing up in the early-mid-late 80's as most folks who dont know me well assume Im in my early 20's, but I could not be more grateful for the 80's as well as being dirt poor in the 80's.

I just wish to recapture that time...

Remember when just WATCHING a friend play Nintendo, watching people play at the arcade or a stupid <-- --> handheld lcd game could entrance you for HOURS on end, every single day? Yeah, I miss those days.

And heres something to everyone reading: What happened to 2d cel animation? I defy anyone to say Roger Rabbit, Fantasia, Alice in Wonderland 1951, etc doesnt still look amazing today.

 

[Drtooth]

I'm gonna give TMNT Nick a chance. I'm not 100% about the look... but considering 4Kids and Playmates once projected a series where the turtles met baby versions of themselves and that whole... well...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ajychXZVyI

It has to be pretty bad to drag the characters down.

But if it IS a failure, because it's owned by one company now, we'll never see them again. I am kinda getting out of them for anything other than nostalgia factor.

On the plus side of having less cartoons, we have less Double Dragons/Street Sharks/Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen Super Spies/Evolution the series type mind warping garbage. Still, I kinda wonder what the appeal of Johnny Test is that it's still on television. It's not bad, but it's like one of those shows you reluctantly watch to pass the time for something BETTER that came after it.

The funny thing is, I spent most of today (I'm bored for some reason) watching some of my favorite 90's cartoons... the animation was kinda murky and messy and sloppy. I do like how digital animation cleans up things and we have less wrong characters talking out of the wrong characters and zoomed in to cover up animation screw ups.... but I kinda miss the look of cel painted animes.