Children of '80s and early '90s spent a lot of Saturday mornings watching cartoons: from funny cartoons to anime, they took in the modern cartoons as well as reruns of some of the amazing cartoons from the '60s and '70s. They watched the best cartoons and the worst cartoons. As long as it was animated and intended to be fun for kids, they watched it. Over time, a lot of the greats have been made into feature length films (some good, some bad), but there are still a wealth of titles that have yet to be given the feature film treatment and that is a missed opportunity.
You may have asked yourself before: which kids cartoons should be adapted for the big screen? Nostalgic fans of the cartoons of the '60s through the '90s would certainly flock to theaters to see big-screen adaptations of the titles they grew up watching every weekend. Whether the adaptation is live action like the Transformers movie or animated like The Jetsons movie, nostalgia buffs don't necessarily care (as long as it is done right).
With all of that said: it's safe to say that cartoon buffs are anxious to see some of the classic cartoons of yesteryear adapted for the big screen. Here are fifteen picks for kids cartoons that should be made into movies.
15 Kids Cartoons That Should Be Made Into Movies,
Animaniacs
Yakko, Wakko, and Dot were such clever characters and a testament to the creativity that went in to the cartoons of years past. An animated adaptation of this '90s series geared for the big screen would be a welcome sight for an entire generation that grew up watching this whacky trio!
Darkwing Duck
The small screen exploits of the crime fighting Darkwing Duck enchanted a generation. The '90s show was both humorous and highly entertaining. An animated adaption of the series would be a welcome turn of events for fans of this hilarious cartoon series!
Dexter's Laboratory
This sharply scripted show made its premiere in 1996. Though it is a kids cartoon, it was intended to appeal to more than just young kids. The fact that this '90s cartoon successfully appealed to both kids and adults alike is all the more reason to give this cartoon the big-screen treatment. It would probably work best if it remained as a cartoon (rather than attempting to recapture the magic as a live action film).
Gargoyles
"Gargoyles" is a much loved children's cartoon that began its run in 1994. Many fans of the show feel that it was too short lived and would be thrilled to see this cartoon series adapted for the big screen. Perhaps "Gargoyles" would be best suited as a CG film.
M.A.S.K.
Matt Trakker and the M.A.S.K. team are some of the coolest '80s cartoon characters ever. They are swift purveyors of justice and would make a great addition to the growing list of cartoon characters that have taken to the big screen. "M.A.S.K." would make for a great live action adaptation, similar to the way cartoons like "G.I. Joe" have received live action adaptations.
Space Ghost
Space Ghost is an epic and hilarious character that first appeared in the '60s and then resurfaced in the '90s on "Space Ghost: Coast to Coast." Space Ghost would be perfect for a live-action feature film or an animated feature. A live action feature would likely bring a bigger box office yield, but fans of the wisecracking Space Ghost will take him however they can get him!
The Ren & Stimpy Show
A lot of people are still surprised that this series was ever marketed to children. It represents a time where Nickelodeon had more of an edge and seemed to take more influence from its parent company MTV. The series enjoyed an inferior reboot for Spike TV but what carton fans would really like to see is an animated adaptation with a nationwide theatrical release!
ThunderCats
"ThunderCats" was a series about human-cat hybrid creatures that fought crime and kicked ass. This series featured an absolutely awesome villain in the dastardly Mumm-Ra. Seeing the Thundercats hit the big screen would be a dream come true for fans of the series. It's hard to say whether the film would work best as an animated or live action feature, but fans will gladly take what they can get if the proposed film sticks to the series' origins and do right by fans.
*Side note: This beloved cartoon has been pitched time and again to studios for the big-screen treatment and has been very close on several occasions but nothing has come through as of yet.
The Tick
This comic book series turned cartoon enjoyed a short lived live-action television series but "The Tick" still has not been given the feature-film treatment. Tick fans would love to see Patrick Warburton reprise his role as The Tick (from the live-action TV series) in a major feature film exploring the exploits of this bumbling superhero and his sidekick Arthur.
Sailor Moon
One of the most cosplayed characters of all time, Sailor Moon and her cohorts are an obvious choice to make the leap to the big screen. Fans of the classic cartoon would undoubtedly be lined up around the block to get tickets for a "Sailor Moon" film. "Sailor Moon" could probably work as a live-action adaptation or a cartoon, but many of the fans are partial to the anime-style animations of the cartoon series.