Flintstones, The (1994) [42150]

Something came by at the thrift store this week. A copy of The Flintstones on LaserDisc was in a bin full of old records. Last month, I did an impromptu sync where you mute the film and play an album over the film (Remember The Dark Side of the Moon/Wizard of Oz pairing?). The subjects were this movie and the Pixies' "Doolittle." It got hilarious results and you should seriously try it. Knowing I can do the sync anytime, I bought it. The next night I decided to watch the film itself, not playing an album over it, but actually watching a movie. And so I did.

The animated series of the same name was a cheaply-produced sitcom, common of Hanna-Barbera properties. The catch, though, were the inclusion of modern-age anemities and lifestyles in a stone-age environment. So how do you make a live-action film based on that? Well the two men themselves responsible for the Yabba-Dabba franchise teamed up with Amblin Entertainment (who have just finished Jurassic Park) to do just that.

The story is another bland "rich-people-are-so-evil-it-can-turn-an-innocent-soul-into-a-monster" story driven by weak humor dependent on rock and stone puns. Steven Spielrock, Univershell Studios, Albert Einstone, and The B.C.-52s get old so quickly you'll blink before you know it. There is also a secretary named Sharon Stone, but is played by Hallie Berry. The joke would make sense if the real Sharon Stone did play her, but like the show, it couldn't fit their budget. That's what this movie is like, so close to the show it's almost sickening. But hey I'd take that over something completely pondering to the ADHD generation. That's all I've got to say.

3/10

VIDEO:
Color me surprised! This 1.85:1 transfer by Universal is pretty impressive. Color tones are warm and natural while remaining bright and vibrant, plenty of detail, even with anomalies. Dark moments sometimes show blue-tinted crush, video noise, et cetera. This particular copy I reviewed had some very mild signs of rot, but it ain't bad for $1! The Flintstones' video presentation is adequate and then some, with a tiny piece of steak.

9/10

AUDIO:
While watching this with my mother, at the THX Broadway snipe that opens the film, she commented that this was "serious sound for a silly movie." Is the A/V presentation of the modern stone-age motion picture worth the expense of the THX brand? Faithfully and purely, I'm leaning towards a "yes." This is an intelligently-EQ'd, smartly prioritized Lt/Rt mix for what is merely "kids' stuff." Although it is somewhat lacking. The climatic ending had some unintelligible dialog, at least for me. It's not my setup, I could understand what the characters were saying during loud moments for another movie: The Abyss. The problem with owning a home theater system with effort put into it is the realization that not all sound mixes are created equal. It's overall not a disappointing mix, and I'm sure it will please many people. Me? I'll just say "It's all good, grab some cheese and grapes."

8/10

hey! i loved the flintstones as a kid. it's really good. and it's a history show from the early 60's.