The Flintstones (1994)

There have been live-action movies based on cartoons before The Flintstones in 1994, but rarely did any of them feel like the source material they were based on. But The Flintstones really does have the look and feel of a cartoon if it was brought to life. John Goodman could not have been more perfectly cast as Fred, and Rick Moranis is spot-on as Barney. At the time, The Flintstones were still in the cultural zeitgeist, with several different spin-offs running on Saturday morning in the 70s, 80s, and 90s. Plus, the year before, ABC had run two made-for-TV movies where Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm get married and then have a kid of their own. Not to mention Pebbles cereal and Flintstones Vitamins still being a big deal. So the populace was primed for a live action movie of something a couple of generations had grown up with. Fortunately, the movie doesn’t disappoint. It sinks its prehistoric teeth into the humor of the original TV show, with all the animals being used as everyday items, and complaining about it. Audiences, through the courtesy of their own two feet, made it a hit to the tune of $130 million. Critics, however, blasted it back to the stone age. Proving again the divide between what audiences like and what critics like. It also was a big draw at the video store, when the VHS rental market was at its peak. 2026 may have more love for Scooby-Doo than The Flintstones. The Flintstones have pretty much disappeared from the culture, minus Pebbles cereal, which is still around, and might be the only thing some kids know about The Flintstones. Who knew that one day kids would assume Fred and Barney are just a mascot like Tony the Tiger. Start singing the theme song, and you’ll quickly identify who knows The Flintstones, and who doesn’t. Don’t let what you see on Rotten Tomatoes color your view, The Flintstones is still a gay old time, back when gay had a very different meaning.