Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, May 27, 1994 TAG: 9405270084
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: By BRUCE WESTBROOK HOUSTON CHRONICLE
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
Opening nationwide today, the live-action version of the durable '60s cartoons could be this summer's dino-size ``Jurassic Park - or pint-size ``Super Mario Bros.''
And that's just the trouble. Having the aura of a hit doesn't guarantee that a movie won't miss.
But whether it's smash or crash, this long-awaited, eagerly anticipated, massively marketed movie about a modern Stone Age family will be hard to ignore. Universal Pictures will see to that.
You can't blame its bigwigs for banking on the kind of payoff that can make a studio's year.
After all, ``The Flintstones'' taps an audience that's been building - and growing up - for decades. And casting John Goodman as everyman caveman Fred Flintstone puts a top star in a role that seems tailor-made for him.
Too, blending durable nostalgia with state-of-the-art production values is a proven formula. Don't forget that last summer's biggest hit after ``Jurassic Park,'' ``The Fugitive,'' was taken from a '60s TV series.
The PG-rated ``Flintstones'' also is family-friendly and open to all ages - even more so than the PG-13 ``Jurassic Park.'' And as with that film, having the name of Steven Spielberg (as producer, he's impishly billed here as Steven Spielrock) would seem to ensure success.
But such expectations create sky-high promises to keep. And if a film fails to live up to its hype, watch out.
That certainly caused a backlash with ``Dick Tracy,'' whose spinoff products went bust even though the film did decent business at the box office.
And keep in mind that other TV-based movies haven't packed audiences in lately.
Recent sequels to ``Wayne's World'' and ``The Addams Family'' fell short of the first films. And ``The Beverly Hillbillies'' and ``The Coneheads'' didn't earn enough to justify sequels.
But ``The Flintstones'' may have enough charm and universality to stand apart - along with what promise to be dazzling visuals, a key in attracting the repeat viewers who can turn a hit into a long-running leviathan.
The magic makers at Jim Henson's Creature Shop and George Lucas' Industrial Light and Magic created ``The Flintstones''' prehistoric critters. Clever props and rocklike sets were built for the 2,000,000 B.C. town of Bedrock.
Along with new quality, director Brian Levant (``Beethoven'') promises to be true to old Flintstones traditions.
He will deliver many Flintstones icons and catchwords, (``Yabba Dabba Doo!'' of course) along with updated elements, such as automatic teller machines.
The plot involves Fred getting promoted, making more money, losing touch with his values and friends - and then, perhaps, seeing the error of his ways.
Alongside Goodman is Elizabeth Perkins as Fred's wife, Wilma; Rick Moranis as neighbor-pal Barney Rubble; Rosie O'Donnell as Betty Rubble; and Elizabeth Taylor - making her first film in more than a decade - as Wilma's mother.
Kyle MacLachlan and Halle Berry co-star, and cameos go to Jonathan Winters, Harvey Korman, Laraine Newman, Jay Leno, director Sam Raimi, the B-52's (here billed as the BC-52's) and original Flintstones producers Joe Barbera and Bill Hanna.
Barbera and Hanna launched the show on Sept. 30, 1960, in a daring move for them and ABC.
Patterned loosely after ``The Honeymooners,'' ``The Flintstones'' was network TV's first cartoon sitcom, first prime-time animated series and first program-length (half-hour) cartoon.
The show ran for six years on ABC, putting timely family situations in a Stone Age setting and adding satire and puns to the kiddie medium.
Such shows remain a rarity. But the popular ``The Simpsons'' owes much to the trails ``The Flintstones'' blazed, including its use of celebrity guest voices. (Ann-Margret once guest-starred on ``The Flintstones'' as ``Ann-Margrock.'')
``The Flintstones'' amassed 166 episodes in its six-year run, taking its characters through some changes.
At first, Fred and Wilma had a pet dinosaur, Dino, and pet saber-toothed tiger, Baby Puss. Daughter Pebbles arrived in '62, followed by the Rubbles' adopted boy, Bamm-Bamm, in '63.
The kids grew up and later got their own show. And over the years, new ``Flintstones'' TV specials have been made, including a TV movie with a ``Flintstones'' take on ``A Christmas Carol,'' set for TBS in December.
The original series continues to air worldwide in syndication, showing in 80 countries and 22 languages and regularly drawing an estimated 300 million viewers.
In 1991 Turner bought the Hanna-Barbera animation studio, whose franchises also include ``The Jetsons.'' But ``The Flintstones'' remains its bedrock of success.
The TV show also has sparked spinoff products, with 500 current licensees worldwide.
Universal is concerned that those products will be confused with new merchandise for the film - especially with a potential take of $1 billion (the sales amount for ``Jurassic Park'') at stake.
The distinction is that Flintstones movie products will use likenesses of the actors, not the original Fred and Wilma from TV.
Universal has made more than 100 licensing deals to sell Flintstones games, toys, candy, ice cream, sweat shirts, adhesive bandages, T-shirts, mugs, trading cards, coffee-table books, comics, throw pillows, even screen savers.
Perhaps the biggest tie-in is with McDonald's, whose ``Back to Bedrock'' campaign is fueled by the film's use of a ``RocDonald's'' restaurant.
In its largest movie tie-in ever, the burger chain will sell kids' Happy Meals starting June 3 that include five toy Flintstones characters and buildings. Already available are four Bedrock glass mugs for 99 cents with a food purchase.
Indeed, it will be rock-hard to escape ``The Flintstones.''
The National Football League and Major League Baseball will sell Flintstones apparel. And the National Basketball Association is airing Flintstones programming during its playoffs.
Various airlines will show ``Flintstones'' episodes in-flight. And the ``BC-52's'' have released a new single of the show's title song.
Yes, all this may be a bit much, especially if the film fizzles.
But if it takes off as planned, Flintstones mania could be insatiable. At least that's what some fellows named Hanna, Barbera and Spielrock - er, Spielberg - are counting on.
by CNB