While many people would disagree with me, Sex in the City was a horrible television show and made for an even worse movie. However, there have been some great television shows that thankfully made their way to the silver screen. This is a look at a couple of those shows turned movies and how they stand up against the original shows.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles- This applies to both the live action version of the late 80’s-early 90’s and to the CGI version from about a year ago. Both movies pick up from where the original cartoon left off. There was no deviation from the characters- Splinter was still Splinter, Shredder was still Shredder, and Michelangelo didn’t have his own poetry website or become a deep thinker. While Corey Feldman will always be Donatello to many people, the CGI version more than held its own. Both stories included the conflict amongst the maturing turtles, ninja warrior skills, saving the world action, and wise words from a rat. Any of these movies are definitely a compliment to the television series.
Serenity- The follow up to a highly underrated television show, Serenity helped close out many of the loose ends that Firefly left open before it was taken off the air. The movie gave the fans a chance to go with Mal, Walsh, and the other crew members on one last mission, and a chance to say goodbye. The movie contained the same elements of adventure and humor that made the television show Firefly a hit, and answered one of the questions many people wondered: “Where did the Reavers come from?” If you were a fan of the television show, this movie must be added to your collection. If you are like me and never saw the show before seeing the movie, then getting the television show is definitely worth the money.
Transformers- This entry refers only to the first movie. The Revenge of the Fallen was more flash than story line. Having the original Optimus Prime do the voice work for the movie was a major plus for the fan boys like myself who enjoyed having that extra level of continuity. My only complaint is the fact the I would have liked to have more of the original voices in the movie, such as Bumble Bee, Jazz, and even Starscream. The retelling of the Transformers entry into our world, however, more than made up for the lack of these voices. If you were a child of the 80’s who spent hours on end trying to get your Autobot to transform as fast as it did on the television screen, then this movie is a definite keeper.
The A-Team- Although this movie hasn’t been released yet, based off of the previews alone Mr. T would be proud. The level of action and continuing of the story line that was prevalent throughout the series that was shown in the preview helps seal the deal that this movie is well deserving of all the hype. I can only hope that Murdock’s insanity that was shown in the series is continued in the movie. In the meanwhile, Liam Neeson as Hannibal, in my opinion, does justice to the role made popular by George Peppard. As for the other actors, only time will tell. However, the adaptation seems to be perfect so far.
