Favorite Cartoon Movies

[eddievalient]

Hi all! I've always loved movies made from TV cartoons (preferably animated ones) and I'm instantly attracted to anything that has "The Movie" in the title. I'm of the opinion that if a cartoon is going to be made into a movie, it needs to have a bigger story than usual to justify the length (although Doug and Daria's movies had small stories and those are great ones). My all time favorite would have to be, now and forever, Ducktales: Treasure of the Lost Lamp. That one has a bigger adventure than almost any other cartoon movie you can name (the only one that comes close is Transformers The Movie). So what are your favorites? Let's discuss!

[Viscountesstiara]

I chose the Simpsons movie because it's the only one I've seen recently and it was pretty funny. I've seen most of the other movies, but it's been a while and I really don't remember how good they were. My first choice would have been the Hey Arnold movie, but it's not a choice.

[eddievalient]

Well, the list above is my personal top ten (not in order), but I made the thread to talk about cartoon movies in general. The Hey Arnold movie was good, but it would have been nice if Craig Bartlett had been able to finish the series the way that he wanted. I read that in the last episode of the series, Arnold receives some information about his missing parents. Allegedly, CB was going to follow this up with a second, series-concluding movie where Arnold goes in search of them and has a great adventure. I'd love to see that story, but if they wouldn't let him do it at the time the show was in production, it's highly unlikely to ever happen. Oh well. One show that would make for an awesome movie is Danny Phantom, but I think the series is over so I won't hold my breath.

[Ben]

I think any TV property that makes the jump needs to be "bigger, longer and uncut" to some extent.

I would've jumped in with DuckTales, for the reasons you mentioned. A hike up in animation quality, a good story for the gang, and an impressive debut from the French studio made this a surprisingly good transfer, and, I would argue, the forerunner to the current trend of these films (I would discount earlier ones for being nothing less than extended toy commercials or based on toy commercial series, whatever their merits they may have).

South Park: Bigger, Longer And Uncut is just comic genius, of course, though if I'm going to argue that The Simpsons Movie was ultimately unsuccessful in that it really was just an extended episode, the finger could be pointed here too, even though I found that everything was just plussed in so many ways on SP:BLU.

So...my fave has to be A Goofy Movie, though I would argue that it's not either a direct Goof Troop transfer nor a continuation of the Goofy character. Which makes it stand up as a movie simply about "Goofy" and "son", and why, for me, it's the most successful all around film in the bunch. You really don't need to have seen Goof Troop (I hadn't) or really know much else about The Goof - it's all there in the film. Add to this some stunning animation by artists that really "get Goofy" and understood the 1940s version of the character, some sweet scenes, real emotion and a solid road movie story (one of the hardest types of scenario to nail with it feeling episodic), laced with some seriously good humor and characterization, and that's why I feel A Goofy Movie is the winner, for me.

[eddievalient]

The college-based sequel is good too. I suppose it's too much to hope for now, but I always thought it would have been wonderful if they had done one more. My ideal story for part three would see Max with a son of his own and finally understanding his father's feelings and even going to him for advice, bringing things full circle.

[Meg]

Gonna have to go with Goofy Movie. It's a really fun flick.

[ShyViolet]

Great topic, eddie.

I'll also have to go with A Goofy Movie! (Though I also really really liked Duck Tales)

I remember around the time Goofy Movie came out these two film critics I used to watch a lot on PBS from this show "Sneak Previews" on PBS (anyone remember it--Michael Medved and Jeffrey Lyons?) both LOVED it, emphasizing how touching it was. Jeffrey Lyons liked it especially and said: "Weren't you shocked? I was expecting a cartoon!"


Weird trivia about Transformers:

1.) In the original print of the film, (many versions had this erased) one of the characters actually goes: "Oh, s***, what're we gonna do?" (TRUE)

2.) Orson Wells did a voice in the film, as the villain "Unicron"--his last role before he died. When asked about it, he said he spent the day "doing the voice for a toy that attacks other toys."

(info courtesy of Cinemassacre)

[Whippet Angel]

I'm gonna go with Beavis and Butthead Do America.

I think it was a great transfer from the TV show, considering what they had to work with. Despite the fact that the show was very repetitive, they managed to work out a full story to place the characters in without them seeming too out of place.

That, and the film is just plain hilarious!

[Ben]

Beavis And Butthead Do America would definitely be in my top five TV transfers from that list, for the reasons mentioned. It was surprisingly good, actually.

[Dacey]

"A Goofy Movie". It's the only one I own.

[eddievalient]

No comment...

[Ben]

Well, I thought that was brilliant...big smile on this face right here, I can tell ya! What a cool project - it's not perfect or polished of course, but the fact they got everyone involved, picked out a shot for each line of the song, etc, really made that fun. The guy stepping in for Max didn't quite do what he could have done with it (too repetitive - maybe he could have done with a Roxanne to pep him along?), but the spirit was there.

Far from "no comment", from me: I thought that was immense fun!

[Macaluso]

I wish the powerpuff girls movie came out in widescreen and that ego trip had been a theatrical release.

Same with the Futurama movie.

[Ben]

I liked the PPGM too Mac. Over the top, in your face, loud...but sometimes you just need that!

I was really surprised we didn't get that in WS yet, or than the original was a dual-format disc with both. The deleted scenes make it very clear we're losing the sides on the current pan-and-scam disc.