21 movies based on Saturday morning cartoons

If there is one cartoon from the ‘90s that people will never get over, it’s X-Men: The Animated Series. From the animation style to the way it felt like a lot more grown-up than the other shows that surrounded it, it went above and beyond. So it’s no wonder that when it came time to translate this to a live-action film for the big screen, fans were rabid for it.

The Smurfs smurfed their way into the hearts of kids in the early ‘80s, but it wasn’t until 2011 that they smurfed big time alongside Neil Patrick Harris for the first two films in this triad.

Transformers pushed not only a hit cartoon series and animated movies but also a ton of toys in the ‘80s. So it was no surprise that in 2007 Michael Bay transformed the series into a multi-million-dollar movie franchise, directing five of the seven movies based on the 2D version.

Call me, beep me, if ya wanna reach Kim Possible, but it’s not likely anyone would pick up. While the Disney Channel show was a huge hit in the 2000s, the Disney Channel Original Movie didn’t quite live up to its animated predecessor. 

Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers  did what needed to be done, with John Mulaney and Andy Samberg voicing the dynamic duo.

The Wachowskis, better known as the siblings who brought The Matrix to life, got very mixed reviews when they tried to reintroduce the world to Speed Racer.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles first appeared in comics in 1984. Three years later, they premiered on TV, and by 1990, they proved to be box office gold. Since then, these green crime-fighting reptiles have had several reiterations across the board, with their latest being 2023's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem.

Fans of Jem and the Holograms would appreciate a do-over because the 2015 movie was just not it. Wonder if The CW would be interested in doing this as a live-action series…

If there was one thing that was true in the early ‘90s, it was that if a movie starred Macaulay Culkin, it was going to do well. That is why they cast him as the pint-sized trust fund baby who made every kid at the time wish they had a McDonald’s in their home.

There is no doubt that Winnie the Pooh, and any tales that spawn from it, will forever be a part of human existence.

Whenever people talk about the 2002 Scooby-Doo movie and applaud the casting, they forget to mention Mary Vernieu. She was the casting director behind this magical ensemble. Without her, this movie may have failed to have the perfect cast and could have bombed terribly.

Was Matthew Broderick’s take on Inspector Gadget perfect? No, but it was gloriously campy in all the right ways.

Robin Williams could never do wrong, especially when adapting classics like Peter Pan in Hook and 1980’s Popeye.

Inspired by The Honeymooners, the original iteration of The Flintstones became the first animated series to air during prime time on television. It went on for six seasons and lived on even further in syndication, and yeah, the 1994 movie starring the likes of John Goodman and Rick Moranis didn’t make as much as it cost to make, but that doesn’t mean it didn’t do the cartoon version justice.

Barbie dropped in toy stores in 1959, and because of male insecurity, G.I. Joe debuted not too long after in 1964. However, despite getting to market first in plastic, the popular action figure did make its live-action mark in theaters first in 2009 with Channing Tatum. Of course, Barbie  would go on to make a heck of a lot more in 2023 when Margot Robbie stepped up to the pink plate.

Between Sonic the Hedgehog  being a beloved video game and then a movie that managed to book Jim Carrey as the villain, it was a fun TV series that found Family Matters’ Jaleel White, aka Steve Urkel, voicing the quick-paced animal.

Sometimes Saturday morning cartoons are better left for the weekends and in animated formation.

Despite not faring too well upon its original release in 2001, Josie and the Pūssycats went on to have quite the cult following.

There was a Tom and Jerry movie that dropped in 2021. It’s one of those things from that time in history that people would rather just forget happened.

Singing rodents will never not be something that people enjoy watching — so much so that the movie franchise is made up of four family-favorite films.

Spider-Man is one of those characters that can and has been translated into gold in every medium it’s touched, from comics to TV to movies.