10 Cartoon Adaptations Worse Than "Ninja Turtles"

By Brian Frosti on August 18, 2014

This past weekend saw the release of Nickelodeon and Paramount’s “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.”

This latest adaptation of the heroes in a half shell was much maligned by critics and received mixed reviews from fans (scoring a 6.4 on IMDB and a 61 percent on rotten tomatoes).

But whatever your opinion of the new film is, you should know this: it could have been worse.

There isn’t much of a successful track record when it comes to cartoons adapted into live action movies; come to think of it, there aren’t any successful adaptations that come to mind.

So as far as these movies go, TMNT has been remarkably successful. To put it in perspective, here are 10 cartoon adaptations that were worse than “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.”

Dudley Do-Right

Image via http://cineplex.media.baselineresearch.com

Released in 1999, “Dudley Do-Right” featured a solid cast of Brendan Fraser, Sarah Jessica Parker and Alfred Molina.

The story was ridiculous and unfunny and a waste of the talent involved. In the words of LA Times critic Kenneth Turan the movie was a “tiresome, inept farce that’s not even a fraction as clever or entertaining as it likes to imagine it is.”

The Pink Panther

Image via http://www.kinema.sk

The reboot no one wanted burst into theaters in 2006. The only function this utterly unentertaining film served was to display the decline of the once great Steve Martin for all the world to see.

Mick LaSalle of the San Francisco Chronicle called it “a graceless, embarrassing effort.”

Yogi Bear

Image via http://www.timeout.com

The world had largely forgotten about Yogi and Boo Boo until this 2010 film ripped them out of the warm folds of nostalgia and into the harsh world of poor critical reception.

Despite featuring Dan Akroyd and Justin Timberlake as the beloved bears, this adaptation failed to garner more than a few chuckles with Dan Kois of the Washington Post calling it an “uninspired studio product that demands as little from its audience as it did from its writers, directors and actors.”

Underdog

Image via www.movieweb.com

Before Peter Dinlage was Tyrion Lannister, and before Amy Adams had five Oscar nominations, they played supporting roles in 2007’s “Underdog.”

This forgettable film failed to introduce Underdog to a new audience as it was, in the words of Premier’s Glenn Kenny, “a bizarre mess.”

Inspector Gadget

Image via www.thestar.com

Why good actors make these movies I’ll never know. Mathew Broderick deserved much better than this and this movie didn’t deserve him.

It’s far from the least entertaining film on this list but it’s another example of failed cartoon-to-film conversion. As put by Film Threat, “Inspector Gadget” “is in serious need of a tune up.”

The Smurfs

Image via cinaviafix.com

Possibly the most annoying reimagining on this list, “The Smurfs” has almost zero entertainment value and like just about every film on this list doesn’t deserve the talent involved, namely Neil Patrick Harris and Hank Azaria.

Ed Gonzalez of Slant Magazine called it boring, lazy and unnecessary. And that wasn’t the most negative review.

The Flintstones

Image via http://costumei.com

This is about as unnecessary as it is unentertaining. This boring flick pours on the rock puns from start to finish and manages to neither endear itself nor live up to the name of its producer “Steven Spielrock.”

Alvin and the Chipmunks

Image via fanpop.com

Why is Jason Lee in these movies? This and “Underdog” in the same year? He’s no Daniel Day Lewis but he’s better than this. So is David Cross. And Jane Lynch.

Why were they in this? Or better yet, who decided it was a good idea to make two more of these? I understand it’s a money thing but how about a little artistic integrity?

Dragonball: Evolution

Image via http://confusedmatthew.com

Now we get to the good stuff. And by good I mean so utterly horrible it doesn’t even have that “made for nine-year-olds” charm some of the other films on this list have.

“Dragonball: Evolution” is one of the worst films ever made. Poorly conceived, poorly acted, and poorly executed, it is a bastardization of the beloved series it’s based on and is an absolutely horrendous piece of film making.

The Last Airbender

Image via talkingship.com

You didn’t think I was going to forget this one, did you?

One of the worst films of recent memory, this was the final nail in the coffin of M. Night Shyamalan’s career, because let’s be honest, no one thought “After Earth” was going to be good.

This film combined weak writing, terrible actors and laughable special effects to create the worst and most disappointing film on this list.

So whatever you thought about the ninja turtles’ latest big screen adventure, it could have been worse.

Just ask any “Dragonball” or “Avatar” fan …

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