Most people know that when movies are based on TV shows, they tend to be disappointing. However, there are some examples of the right way to do things. These are the five best movies based on TV shows.
5. Get Smart
The problem with Get Smart is that it’s not the 1960s anymore, and while the movie tried to stay as true to the series as possible, it still took a hit in quality. However, it wasn’t the worst adaption of a movie ever and is one of my favorite movies with Bill Murray in recent years. Max still got to be the bumbling hero, still got Agent 99, and Patrick Warburton was Hymie. Yes, Patrick Warburton as Hymie is a win for the movie. Get Smart might not be the truest movie to its source material, but it tried and it had heart.
4. The Flintstones
When I was a kid, I expected anything Flintstones to follow a formula. Fred would mean well but still screw things up epically, and he would ultimately see the error of his ways and fix it. The Flintstones movie did just that. It could have been way worse – try watching The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas. The characters were mostly true to their cartoon counterparts, and it felt like a longer, live-action version of the cartoon. It did feel like it was missing something, even though I’m not sure what that something is. However, I still enjoy watching the movie and think it’s pretty cute.
3. The Simpsons Movie
Technically, The Simpsons Movie was more of a continuing adventure of the TV series and not so much “based” on it, but there aren’t that many good movies based on TV shows. The movie did please the fans and rejuvenate the TV series, and left fans wondering when the sequel would be released. I actually watched the movie in theaters three times during the weekend it was released. The time and the effort put into The Simpsons Movie could be felt, and it reminded fans what it was that they loved about The Simpsons.
2. The Brady Bunch
The Brady Bunch was an interesting experiment in a movie based on a TV show, but it did well enough to warrant making a sequel. What if everything about the Bradys stayed the same, except for the time period? How would a family perma-stuck in the 1970s hold up in 1990s Los Angeles? Favorite moments from the TV series got a fresh perspective, and the odd clash of the decades was hilarious. The movie also ended up having a weird message about you’ll always be a winner if you stay true to yourself, which is a moral you might have found in the original series.
1. The Addams Family (1991)
Technically, The Addams Family isn’t based on the TV show, but the original comic strip. However, elements of the TV series, such as the character’s names and the theme song, were used in the movie. The movie was much darker than the TV series, but the outcome was the same – it is funny to see normal people meet and interact with the macabre Addams Family. In its own form of twistedness, an animated series was based on the movie and went on to have a pretty decent sequel.
It is really easy to screw up a movie based on a TV series for a multitude for reasons. People want to bring it to modern times, or try to enact their own twisted fantasies without being that true to the source material. Once in awhile, though, it can be done right, and these five movies definitely prove they don’t always suck.
