This movie was too adult for kids
Not in the sense that it was too adult in content, but that the story was something that would have absolutely zero interest to kids.
shareYou're right! As a 4 year old I remember, it sucked!
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MovieChat Forums > The Flintstones (1994) Discussion > This movie was too adult for kids
I remember the most common complaint when it came out was that it didn't have a plot.
shareAlso, the entire movie was just set pieces and visual gags.
shareThat's true. It's a great example of style over substance. A talented cast and excellent production design, the sets & costumes, but no point to it all.
I saw this movie when it first came out as a kid and I remember nothing happened in it. Rewatching it recently and it's still the same.
I mentioned this on another thread a while back:
I feel this movie falls into the trap that many other live-action adaptations of cartoons do - be over-reliant on the live-action transition as a gimmick, rather than focus on good storytelling, characters, and humor.share
One major difference though, is that while other adaptations of this type tend to cater only to children (and real little children at that) and pander to them with scatological humor, cheap slapstick, and other forms of stupidity (Scooby Doo, Inspector Gadget etc.), The Flintstones goes into the complete opposite direction, focusses a bit too much on the adult-orientated themes that it's nearly inaccessible to children and families.
I mean, do kids really care that much about office politics, extramarital affairs, financial problems, mother-in-law dramas, or embezzlement? Not really. Sure, one could argue that the sets, costumes, and puppets may be entertaining, but they serve only as gimmicks (see above) which eventually wear off.
I feel like The Flintstones movie could've been a good adventure story, maybe with some coming-of-age elements and/or conflict resolutions, like Toy Story or A Goofy Movie (both 1995). I mean, in a fantasy prehistoric setting, the possibilities are beyond numerous. But no, instead the writers chose the most dullest route imaginable.