For a while now, Cartoon Network has made a killing off reviving old shows. They’ve successfully turned Space Ghost into a talk show host, Birdman to an attorney, and even launched a promising reboot of the Thundercats series. There is no show too dated or too treasured to escape the clutches of the Cartoon Network writing staff, and to prove it, Cartoon Network has just announced that they will be attempting to film a live action version of one of the 90s most famous cartoons, Captain Planet.
Now even as I type this I can hear the groans and protests of our diligent readers. But I would urge you all to at least wait until leaked pictures from the set appear before casting any judgement! The CN staff already has producer Don Murphy on board, who besides a minor misstep with The League Of Extraordinary Gentleman, has produced his fair share of awesome films (Natural Born Killers anyone?). Plus it’s not like the Captain Planet Universe is really that sacred. There is no real life army of “Planeteers” waiting in the midst to flood the Turner building with angry letters if the plot doesn’t mirror their fanfics. It’d be like being angry that the new Smurfs film wasn’t how you imagined it to be. Nobody expects films like this to be good, and that’s why sometimes they can be the best. Having nothing to lose means you have everything to gain and you can quote me on that!
Honestly this is the best time to make a movie like this. Consumers these days are constantly being inundated by scores of “natural food” markets and environmental propaganda that it really has created perfect storm situation needed for a film like this to succeed. A Captain Planet movie doesn’t have to hide behind false pretenses. It is what it is and you can either take it or leave it. Cartoon Network already has some live action experience under their belt anyway, so I say let them go for it. There is no way it can be worse than Green Lantern, and even if it is, it’ll at least give us some good laughs in 20 years when we remember “how silly films were back then”. I mean, if the Alvin and the Chipmunks “Squeakquel” can make it’s budget back in almost one weekend, whose to say Captain Planet won’t do the same? Good for you Cartoon Network and remember: The power is yours!
Thanks to Lacey Rose at the Hollywood Reporter for breaking the story!
