Jetsons: The Movie
Encyclopedia
Jetsons: The Movie is a 1990 animated
science fiction film
produced by Hanna-Barbera
and released on July 6, 1990, by Universal Pictures
based on the hit cartoon series, The Jetsons
(the 1980s revival, in particular). The movie features the final voice roles of George O'Hanlon
and Mel Blanc
who both died during production of the film. It was dedicated to both their memories.
) checks up on the 'Orbiting-Ore Asteroid' again, the latest head of the factory, Alexander Throttlebottom, has run off, making it four managers of the new plant that Spacely's lost so far.
Fearing for his company (and profits), Spacely names George Jetson (George O'Hanlon
) as Throttlebottom's successor and sends George and his family to the plant. While the family is thoroughly upset from having to have been thrown from their normal life style (and the plans that they had that day), they set up apartments on the adjoining apartment community to the Asteroid and its neighboring shopping complex.
While it takes the family time to adjust, Elroy Jetson (Patric Zimmerman
) meets a robot boy named Teddy-2 (Dana Hill
), whom he first is at odds with, but eventually befriends. Teddy-2's father, Rudy-2 (Ronnie Schell
), is the plant engineer and shows George around. Judy Jetson (Tiffany
), meanwhile, is having a hard time adjusting, and accepting the fact that she lost her chance at a date with rock star Cosmic Cosmo (Steve McClintock) (which a friend of hers later takes), but soon feels better after meeting a teenage boy named Apollo Blue (Paul Kreppel
).
George soon figures he's ready to set the plant running again, and Mr. Spacely is all set to see the plant working full-throttle, and soon to churn out the 1,000,000th Spacely Sprocket. However, the opening day festivities give way to panic as the factory is sabotaged once again.
Over the next several days, George and Rudy-2 try to fix things, but the problems persist, to the point that Mr. Spacely heads on up to check on things. Thinking he has to take charge, George stays overnight, only to fall asleep and be taken off by the mysterious saboteurs. Elroy, Teddy-2, and their neighbor Fergie Furbelow (Russi Taylor
) sneak into the plant, and meet Squeep (Brian Cummings
), a member of an adorable-looking alien race known as Grungees.
Squeep tells them (with Teddy-2 translating) that the factory is actually drilling into his people's community, which is based inside the asteroid. Soon, Jane, Judy, Apollo, Rudy-2, and Astro show up, and realize what is happening as well. George is found hog-tied in the Grungee's colony, and soon realizes just what the factory is doing.
But Spacely doesn't; seeing his factory at a stand-still, he starts it up (after disconnecting Rudy-2, who tries to stop him), nearly burying Elroy and Squeep alive under rubble, and prompting everyone in the asteroid to get top-side, where George manages to shut down the factory, and show his boss exactly what he's doing.
After some talk, when George finally stands up to his boss, telling him that all he cares about is money, they come to an agreement: the Grungees will run the plant, and create new Spacely Sprockets through recycling old ones (thus stopping the further destruction of the Grungee's homeworld). Spacely Sprockets reaches the 1,000,000th sprocket, and when George asks about being vice president, Spacely retorts, stating that "he's lucky that he'll be getting his old job back". Only when pressured by everyone else does he reluctantly promote him to vice president (without a raise). George however knows that with the Grungees now running the plant, he is no longer needed as head of the Asteroid and will have to return home.
And so, the Jetsons bid their new friends a tearful goodbye, and head back to their apartment on Earth. As the family passes over the factory, the Grungees arrange themselves to form the words: "THANKS GEORGE," as a final grateful goodbye to George for saving their home.
The film features roughly the same voice cast as the television series except for Judy and Elroy. Daws Butler
, the original voice of Elroy, had died in 1988. The voice was provided by Patric Zimmerman
. Janet Waldo
, the original voice of Judy Jetson, recorded the part for this film but her voice was later replaced by then-pop
starlet Tiffany
. Studio executives hoped that Tiffany would attract a younger audience. Waldo continued to voice the part in subsequent Jetsons productions. Displeased with the casting change, voice director Andrea Romano
had her name removed from the finished film.
Because George O'Hanlon
, the voice of George Jetson, and Mel Blanc
, the voice of Mr. Spacely, both died during production of the film, Jeff Bergman
filled in for both characters in some scenes. The film was dedicated to the memories of both men. Tiffany sang three songs used in the film ("I Always Thought I'd See You Again", "You and Me", and "Home"), which are on the soundtrack album along with "Jetsons' Rap" by XXL and tracks by other artists.
's The Little Mermaid
, United Artists
' All Dogs Go to Heaven
, and Universal's own Back to the Future Part II
, it was delayed and Universal released The Wizard
in its place, which introduced Super Mario Bros. 3
to the USA.
and Laserdisc
on October 25, 1990. On April 28, 2009, it was released for the first time ever on DVD
in the United States and it is unknown when the movie will get a Blu-ray
release or not. The film is also available via digital download over PlayStation Network in the PlayStation Store
's video store.
. The animation artwork follows the lead of the series in its art direction and character designs, although additional flourishes such as full animation and form shadows on the characters were added for the film. Siskel & Ebert gave this film two thumbs down.
Along with the negative critical response, the film was also a box office failure, mainly because of opening in less theaters. It opened at #4, behind Die Hard 2: Die Harder
, Days of Thunder
, and Dick Tracy, with a weekend gross of $5,029,640, for an average of $3,220 from 1,562 theaters. The film lost 57% of its audience in its second weekend, falling to #10 with a second weekend gross of $2,850,120, averaging $1,820 from 1,566 theaters, and bringing its 10-day gross to $10,855,895. It ended up grossing only $20,305,841 in the United States. However, it performed much better on home video, and was routinely broadcast on television. Jetsons: The Movie was issued on the widescreen
DVD in North America on April 28, 2009, although it aired in widescreen HD
(the first time the film was presented in its original aspect ratio
for home audiences) on Universal HD
on February 2, 2007.
on May 25, 1990. The film's score
, composed by John Debney
, was left off the commercial release but was later issued as a promotional album with his score for the TV movie Jonny's Golden Quest
. "I Always Thought I'd See You Again" by Tiffany
was released as a single.
had a tie-in where Kool-Aid points could be redeemed for a red Jetsons car featuring the cast. However, the promotion was not carried by some theaters, and instead of a red Jetsons car, the points were redeemed for a miniature movie poster. Wendy's
restaurants had a Jetsons kids' meal tie-in. When clips from the film were shown on TV, scenes with George had re-dubbed lines from an unnamed voice actor. The commercials showed Wendy's founder Dave Thomas
either in a theater watching the film or at his restaurant promoting the film.
A tie-in simulator ride
titled "The Funtastic World of Hanna-Barbera
" opened with Universal Studios Florida
shortly prior to the film's release. In it, Joe Barbera and Bill Hanna state that Elroy Jetson will star in their next project (presuming the film), which angers Dick Dastardly
and Muttley
and causes them to kidnap Elroy, and Yogi Bear
must save him. Merchandise based on the film was sold at the ride's gift shop. Also in 1990, Ralston
released an apple and cinnamon flavored Jetsons Cereal.
. One of the houses at the Jetsons new neighborhood reads "Century 2200", a reference to Century 21.
Animation
Animation is the rapid display of a sequence of images of 2-D or 3-D artwork or model positions in order to create an illusion of movement. The effect is an optical illusion of motion due to the phenomenon of persistence of vision, and can be created and demonstrated in several ways...
science fiction film
Science fiction film
Science fiction film is a film genre that uses science fiction: speculative, science-based depictions of phenomena that are not necessarily accepted by mainstream science, such as extraterrestrial life forms, alien worlds, extrasensory perception, and time travel, often along with futuristic...
produced by Hanna-Barbera
Hanna-Barbera
Hanna-Barbera Productions, Inc. was an American animation studio that dominated North American television animation during the second half of the 20th century...
and released on July 6, 1990, by Universal Pictures
Universal Studios
Universal Pictures , a subsidiary of NBCUniversal, is one of the six major movie studios....
based on the hit cartoon series, The Jetsons
The Jetsons
The Jetsons is a animated American sitcom that was produced by Hanna-Barbera, originally airing in prime-time from 1962–1963 and again from 1985–1987...
(the 1980s revival, in particular). The movie features the final voice roles of George O'Hanlon
George O'Hanlon
George O'Hanlon was an American screen actor, comedian, and voice actor.-Early life and career:George O'Hanlon was born in Brooklyn, New York City on November 23, 1912....
and Mel Blanc
Mel Blanc
Melvin Jerome "Mel" Blanc was an American voice actor and comedian. Although he began his nearly six-decade-long career performing in radio commercials, Blanc is best remembered for his work with Warner Bros...
who both died during production of the film. It was dedicated to both their memories.
Plot
In the late 21st century, Spacely Sprockets and Spindles has opened a new mining colony on an asteroid. The proposed project is meant to produce product at 1/10 the cost of making the items on Earth. However, the factory continues to be sabotaged by someone or something, and as Cosmo Spacely (Mel BlancMel Blanc
Melvin Jerome "Mel" Blanc was an American voice actor and comedian. Although he began his nearly six-decade-long career performing in radio commercials, Blanc is best remembered for his work with Warner Bros...
) checks up on the 'Orbiting-Ore Asteroid' again, the latest head of the factory, Alexander Throttlebottom, has run off, making it four managers of the new plant that Spacely's lost so far.
Fearing for his company (and profits), Spacely names George Jetson (George O'Hanlon
George O'Hanlon
George O'Hanlon was an American screen actor, comedian, and voice actor.-Early life and career:George O'Hanlon was born in Brooklyn, New York City on November 23, 1912....
) as Throttlebottom's successor and sends George and his family to the plant. While the family is thoroughly upset from having to have been thrown from their normal life style (and the plans that they had that day), they set up apartments on the adjoining apartment community to the Asteroid and its neighboring shopping complex.
While it takes the family time to adjust, Elroy Jetson (Patric Zimmerman
Patric Zimmerman
Patric Laine Zimmerman is an American voice actor.He began his career in 1990, providing big voices for the animated television series Tale Spin and Tom & Jerry Kids. He voiced the character of Elroy Jetson in the film Jetsons: The Movie that same year...
) meets a robot boy named Teddy-2 (Dana Hill
Dana Hill
Dana Hill was an American actress and voice actor with a raspy voice and childlike appearance, which allowed her to play adolescent roles into her 30s...
), whom he first is at odds with, but eventually befriends. Teddy-2's father, Rudy-2 (Ronnie Schell
Ronnie Schell
Ronald Ralph "Ronnie" Schell is an American actor, stand-up comedian and cartoon voice actor . Early in his career he appeared as himself as a contestant on You Bet Your Life opposite Groucho Marx, demonstrating a comic barrage of jive talk.-Life and career:Schell was born in Richmond, California...
), is the plant engineer and shows George around. Judy Jetson (Tiffany
Tiffany (singer)
Tiffany Renee Darwish , known popularly as Tiffany, is an American singer and former teen icon. She is most notable for her 1987 cover version of "I Think We're Alone Now", originally recorded by Tommy James and the Shondells in 1967. Released as the second single from her eponymous album, Tiffany,...
), meanwhile, is having a hard time adjusting, and accepting the fact that she lost her chance at a date with rock star Cosmic Cosmo (Steve McClintock) (which a friend of hers later takes), but soon feels better after meeting a teenage boy named Apollo Blue (Paul Kreppel
Paul Kreppel
Paul Kreppel is an actor, producer, director. On television, he was best known as the pianist, Sonny Mann in the show, It's a Living. In his work as theater director- producer-creator, he received the 2007 Tony Award for Jay Johnson: The Two and Only.-Early Theater Career:Kreppel was born in...
).
George soon figures he's ready to set the plant running again, and Mr. Spacely is all set to see the plant working full-throttle, and soon to churn out the 1,000,000th Spacely Sprocket. However, the opening day festivities give way to panic as the factory is sabotaged once again.
Over the next several days, George and Rudy-2 try to fix things, but the problems persist, to the point that Mr. Spacely heads on up to check on things. Thinking he has to take charge, George stays overnight, only to fall asleep and be taken off by the mysterious saboteurs. Elroy, Teddy-2, and their neighbor Fergie Furbelow (Russi Taylor
Russi Taylor
Russi Taylor is an American voice actress. She is the current voice actress of Disney's Minnie Mouse character. She has held this role since 1986, longer than any other voice actress...
) sneak into the plant, and meet Squeep (Brian Cummings
Brian Cummings
Brian Cummings is an American voice actor.-Biography:He is known for his work in radio and television commercials, television and motion picture promos, cartoons and as the announcer on The All-New Let's Make a Deal from 1984 to 1985...
), a member of an adorable-looking alien race known as Grungees.
Squeep tells them (with Teddy-2 translating) that the factory is actually drilling into his people's community, which is based inside the asteroid. Soon, Jane, Judy, Apollo, Rudy-2, and Astro show up, and realize what is happening as well. George is found hog-tied in the Grungee's colony, and soon realizes just what the factory is doing.
But Spacely doesn't; seeing his factory at a stand-still, he starts it up (after disconnecting Rudy-2, who tries to stop him), nearly burying Elroy and Squeep alive under rubble, and prompting everyone in the asteroid to get top-side, where George manages to shut down the factory, and show his boss exactly what he's doing.
After some talk, when George finally stands up to his boss, telling him that all he cares about is money, they come to an agreement: the Grungees will run the plant, and create new Spacely Sprockets through recycling old ones (thus stopping the further destruction of the Grungee's homeworld). Spacely Sprockets reaches the 1,000,000th sprocket, and when George asks about being vice president, Spacely retorts, stating that "he's lucky that he'll be getting his old job back". Only when pressured by everyone else does he reluctantly promote him to vice president (without a raise). George however knows that with the Grungees now running the plant, he is no longer needed as head of the Asteroid and will have to return home.
And so, the Jetsons bid their new friends a tearful goodbye, and head back to their apartment on Earth. As the family passes over the factory, the Grungees arrange themselves to form the words: "THANKS GEORGE," as a final grateful goodbye to George for saving their home.
Cast
- George O'HanlonGeorge O'HanlonGeorge O'Hanlon was an American screen actor, comedian, and voice actor.-Early life and career:George O'Hanlon was born in Brooklyn, New York City on November 23, 1912....
- George JetsonGeorge JetsonThe following is a list of major characters in The Jetsons. The Jetsons is an animated television comedy produced by Hanna-Barbera and first broadcast in prime-time on ABC as part of the 1962–63 United States network television schedule. Additional episodes were produced from 1985–1987, with the... - Mel BlancMel BlancMelvin Jerome "Mel" Blanc was an American voice actor and comedian. Although he began his nearly six-decade-long career performing in radio commercials, Blanc is best remembered for his work with Warner Bros...
- Mr. Cosmo Spacely - Penny SingletonPenny SingletonPenny Singleton was an American film actress. Born Marianna Dorothy Agnes Letitia McNulty in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania she was the daughter of an Irish-American newspaperman Benny McNulty — from whom she received the nickname "Penny" because she was "as bright as a penny".During her sixty...
- Jane Jetson - TiffanyTiffany (singer)Tiffany Renee Darwish , known popularly as Tiffany, is an American singer and former teen icon. She is most notable for her 1987 cover version of "I Think We're Alone Now", originally recorded by Tommy James and the Shondells in 1967. Released as the second single from her eponymous album, Tiffany,...
- Judy Jetson - Patric ZimmermanPatric ZimmermanPatric Laine Zimmerman is an American voice actor.He began his career in 1990, providing big voices for the animated television series Tale Spin and Tom & Jerry Kids. He voiced the character of Elroy Jetson in the film Jetsons: The Movie that same year...
- Elroy Jetson - Don MessickDon MessickDonald Earl "Don" Messick was an American voice actor best known for his work for Hanna-Barbera. Perhaps his most well-known voice creations include Scooby-Doo, Papa Smurf, and Dr. Benton Quest....
- Astro the Dog - Jean Vander PylJean Vander PylJean Vander Pyl was an American actress on radio, television and movies. Although her career spanned many decades, she is best remembered as the voice of Wilma Flintstone from the Hanna-Barbera cartoon The Flintstones...
- Rosie the Robot - Ronnie SchellRonnie SchellRonald Ralph "Ronnie" Schell is an American actor, stand-up comedian and cartoon voice actor . Early in his career he appeared as himself as a contestant on You Bet Your Life opposite Groucho Marx, demonstrating a comic barrage of jive talk.-Life and career:Schell was born in Richmond, California...
- Rudy-2 - Patti DeutschPatti DeutschPatricia "Patti" Deutsch is a voice artist and comedic actress. In the 1970s she was a frequent panelist on Match Game.-Match Game:...
- Lucy-2 - Dana HillDana HillDana Hill was an American actress and voice actor with a raspy voice and childlike appearance, which allowed her to play adolescent roles into her 30s...
- Teddy-2 - Paul KreppelPaul KreppelPaul Kreppel is an actor, producer, director. On television, he was best known as the pianist, Sonny Mann in the show, It's a Living. In his work as theater director- producer-creator, he received the 2007 Tony Award for Jay Johnson: The Two and Only.-Early Theater Career:Kreppel was born in...
- Apollo Blue - Russi TaylorRussi TaylorRussi Taylor is an American voice actress. She is the current voice actress of Disney's Minnie Mouse character. She has held this role since 1986, longer than any other voice actress...
- Fergie Furbelow - Brad GarrettBrad GarrettBradley "Brad" Garrett is an American actor, voice actor, stand-up comedian, and professional poker player. Throughout he has appeared in numerous television and film roles....
- Bertie Furbelow - Susan SiloSusan SiloSusan Silo is an American actress and voice actress.-Early life and career:She was born in New York City, New York. Her acting career started in television on an episode of The Jack Benny Show. Silo also co-starred with Larry Blyden, Dawn Nickerson, and Diahn Williams in the NBC sitcom Harry's...
- Gertie Furbelow - Rick DeesRick DeesRigdon Osmond "Rick" Dees III is an American comedic performer, entertainer, and radio personality, best known for his internationally syndicated radio show The Rick Dees Weekly Top 40 Countdown and for the novelty song "Disco Duck." He is a People's Choice Award recipient, a Grammy-nominated...
- Rocket Rick Ragnarok - Steve McClintock - Cosmic Cosmo
- Frank WelkerFrank WelkerFranklin Wendell "Frank" Welker is an American actor who specializes in voice acting and has contributed character voices and other vocal effects to American television and motion pictures.-Acting career:...
- Squeak / Grungees - Brian CummingsBrian CummingsBrian Cummings is an American voice actor.-Biography:He is known for his work in radio and television commercials, television and motion picture promos, cartoons and as the announcer on The All-New Let's Make a Deal from 1984 to 1985...
- Grungees - Janet WaldoJanet WaldoJanet Waldo is an American actress and voice artist with a career encompassing radio, television, animation and live-action films. She is best known in animation for voicing Judy Jetson, Penelope Pitstop and Josie McCoy in Josie and the Pussycats...
- Robot secretary - B.J. Ward - Gertrude
- Michael Bell - Board member #1
- Jeff BergmanJeff BergmanJeff Allen Bergman is an American voice actor, who provides the modern day voices of various classic cartoon characters, including Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Elmer Fudd, Yosemite Sam, George Jetson, Fred Flintstone, Yogi Bear, and Huckleberry Hound.-Life and career:Originally from Philadelphia,...
- George Jetson / Mr. Cosmo Spacely (additional scenes) / Basketball Coach
The film features roughly the same voice cast as the television series except for Judy and Elroy. Daws Butler
Daws Butler
Charles Dawson "Daws" Butler was a voice actor originally from Toledo, Ohio. He worked mostly for Hanna-Barbera and originated the voices of many famous animated cartoon characters, including Yogi Bear, Quick Draw McGraw, Snagglepuss, and Huckleberry Hound.Daws Butler trained many working actors...
, the original voice of Elroy, had died in 1988. The voice was provided by Patric Zimmerman
Patric Zimmerman
Patric Laine Zimmerman is an American voice actor.He began his career in 1990, providing big voices for the animated television series Tale Spin and Tom & Jerry Kids. He voiced the character of Elroy Jetson in the film Jetsons: The Movie that same year...
. Janet Waldo
Janet Waldo
Janet Waldo is an American actress and voice artist with a career encompassing radio, television, animation and live-action films. She is best known in animation for voicing Judy Jetson, Penelope Pitstop and Josie McCoy in Josie and the Pussycats...
, the original voice of Judy Jetson, recorded the part for this film but her voice was later replaced by then-pop
Popular music
Popular music belongs to any of a number of musical genres "having wide appeal" and is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. It stands in contrast to both art music and traditional music, which are typically disseminated academically or orally to smaller, local...
starlet Tiffany
Tiffany (singer)
Tiffany Renee Darwish , known popularly as Tiffany, is an American singer and former teen icon. She is most notable for her 1987 cover version of "I Think We're Alone Now", originally recorded by Tommy James and the Shondells in 1967. Released as the second single from her eponymous album, Tiffany,...
. Studio executives hoped that Tiffany would attract a younger audience. Waldo continued to voice the part in subsequent Jetsons productions. Displeased with the casting change, voice director Andrea Romano
Andrea Romano
Andrea Romano is an American casting director, voice director, and voice actor, whose work includes casting, and voice directing Batman: The Animated Series, Tiny Toon Adventures, "Animaniacs", "Pinky and the Brain", Teen Titans, Avatar: The Last Airbender, and multiple Warner Bros...
had her name removed from the finished film.
Because George O'Hanlon
George O'Hanlon
George O'Hanlon was an American screen actor, comedian, and voice actor.-Early life and career:George O'Hanlon was born in Brooklyn, New York City on November 23, 1912....
, the voice of George Jetson, and Mel Blanc
Mel Blanc
Melvin Jerome "Mel" Blanc was an American voice actor and comedian. Although he began his nearly six-decade-long career performing in radio commercials, Blanc is best remembered for his work with Warner Bros...
, the voice of Mr. Spacely, both died during production of the film, Jeff Bergman
Jeff Bergman
Jeff Allen Bergman is an American voice actor, who provides the modern day voices of various classic cartoon characters, including Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Elmer Fudd, Yosemite Sam, George Jetson, Fred Flintstone, Yogi Bear, and Huckleberry Hound.-Life and career:Originally from Philadelphia,...
filled in for both characters in some scenes. The film was dedicated to the memories of both men. Tiffany sang three songs used in the film ("I Always Thought I'd See You Again", "You and Me", and "Home"), which are on the soundtrack album along with "Jetsons' Rap" by XXL and tracks by other artists.
Release
Jetsons: The Movie was originally slated for a 1989 release, but to avoid competition with DisneyWalt Disney Pictures
Walt Disney Pictures is an American film studio owned by The Walt Disney Company. Walt Disney Pictures and Television, a subsidiary of the Walt Disney Studios and the main production company for live-action feature films within the Walt Disney Motion Pictures Group, based at the Walt Disney...
's The Little Mermaid
The Little Mermaid (1989 film)
The Little Mermaid is a 1989 American animated film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and based on the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale of the same name. Distributed by Walt Disney Pictures, the film was originally released to theaters on November 14, 1989 and is the twenty-eighth film in...
, United Artists
United Artists
United Artists Corporation is an American film studio. The original studio of that name was founded in 1919 by D. W. Griffith, Charles Chaplin, Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks....
' All Dogs Go to Heaven
All Dogs Go to Heaven
All Dogs Go to Heaven is a 1989 Irish-English animated film directed and produced by Don Bluth and released by United Artists. The film tells the story of two dogs, Charlie B. Barkin and his loyal best friend Itchy Itchiford...
, and Universal's own Back to the Future Part II
Back to the Future Part II
Back to the Future Part II is a 1989 American science fiction comedy film and the second installment of the Back to the Future trilogy. It was directed by Robert Zemeckis, written by Zemeckis and Bob Gale, and starred Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Thomas F. Wilson and Lea Thompson...
, it was delayed and Universal released The Wizard
The Wizard (film)
The Wizard is a 1989 adventure dramedy film starring Fred Savage, Luke Edwards, and Jenny Lewis...
in its place, which introduced Super Mario Bros. 3
Super Mario Bros. 3
, also referred to as Super Mario 3 and SMB3, is a platform video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Entertainment System , and is the third game in the Super Mario series. The game was released in Japan in 1988, in the United States in 1990, and in Europe in 1991...
to the USA.
Home media releases
The film was first released on VHSVHS
The Video Home System is a consumer-level analog recording videocassette standard developed by Victor Company of Japan ....
and Laserdisc
Laserdisc
LaserDisc was a home video format and the first commercial optical disc storage medium. Initially licensed, sold, and marketed as MCA DiscoVision in North America in 1978, the technology was previously referred to interally as Optical Videodisc System, Reflective Optical Videodisc, Laser Optical...
on October 25, 1990. On April 28, 2009, it was released for the first time ever on DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
in the United States and it is unknown when the movie will get a Blu-ray
Blu-ray Disc
Blu-ray Disc is an optical disc storage medium designed to supersede the DVD format. The plastic disc is 120 mm in diameter and 1.2 mm thick, the same size as DVDs and CDs. Blu-ray Discs contain 25 GB per layer, with dual layer discs being the norm for feature-length video discs...
release or not. The film is also available via digital download over PlayStation Network in the PlayStation Store
PlayStation Store
The PlayStation Store is an online virtual market available to users of Sony's PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable game consoles via the PlayStation Network. The Store offers a range of downloadable content both for purchase and available free of charge. Available content includes full games,...
's video store.
Reception
Jetsons: The Movie received mainly negative reviews from critics, resulting in an 21% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The film is often both criticized and praised for its messages about protecting the environment, and observing ethical practices when doing business in developing countries. Jetsons: The Movie is also noted for its early use of CGI; the technique had already been used in Disney's The Great Mouse DetectiveThe Great Mouse Detective
The Great Mouse Detective is a 1986 animated feature produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation, originally released to movie theaters on July 2, 1986 by Walt Disney Pictures...
. The animation artwork follows the lead of the series in its art direction and character designs, although additional flourishes such as full animation and form shadows on the characters were added for the film. Siskel & Ebert gave this film two thumbs down.
Along with the negative critical response, the film was also a box office failure, mainly because of opening in less theaters. It opened at #4, behind Die Hard 2: Die Harder
Die Hard 2
Die Hard 2 is a 1990 action film and the second in the Die Hard film series. The film was directed by Renny Harlin, and stars Bruce Willis as John McClane...
, Days of Thunder
Days of Thunder
Days of Thunder is a 1990 American auto racing film released by Paramount Pictures, produced by Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer and directed by Tony Scott. The cast includes Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman, Robert Duvall, Randy Quaid, Cary Elwes and Michael Rooker. The film also features appearances...
, and Dick Tracy, with a weekend gross of $5,029,640, for an average of $3,220 from 1,562 theaters. The film lost 57% of its audience in its second weekend, falling to #10 with a second weekend gross of $2,850,120, averaging $1,820 from 1,566 theaters, and bringing its 10-day gross to $10,855,895. It ended up grossing only $20,305,841 in the United States. However, it performed much better on home video, and was routinely broadcast on television. Jetsons: The Movie was issued on the widescreen
Widescreen
Widescreen images are a variety of aspect ratios used in film, television and computer screens. In film, a widescreen film is any film image with a width-to-height aspect ratio greater than the standard 1.37:1 Academy aspect ratio provided by 35mm film....
DVD in North America on April 28, 2009, although it aired in widescreen HD
High-definition television
High-definition television is video that has resolution substantially higher than that of traditional television systems . HDTV has one or two million pixels per frame, roughly five times that of SD...
(the first time the film was presented in its original aspect ratio
Aspect ratio (image)
The aspect ratio of an image is the ratio of the width of the image to its height, expressed as two numbers separated by a colon. That is, for an x:y aspect ratio, no matter how big or small the image is, if the width is divided into x units of equal length and the height is measured using this...
for home audiences) on Universal HD
Universal HD
Universal HD is an HDTV cable television network owned by NBCUniversal. The channel was known as Bravo HD+ until December 1, 2004. The network exclusively broadcasts in high definition 1080i...
on February 2, 2007.
Soundtrack
The soundtrack was released by MCA RecordsMCA Records
MCA Records was an American-based record company owned by MCA Inc., which later gave way to the larger MCA Music Entertainment Group , of which MCA Records was still part. MCA Records was absorbed by Geffen Records in 2003...
on May 25, 1990. The film's score
Film score
A film score is original music written specifically to accompany a film, forming part of the film's soundtrack, which also usually includes dialogue and sound effects...
, composed by John Debney
John Debney
John C. Debney is an American film composer. He received an Academy Award nomination for his score for Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ...
, was left off the commercial release but was later issued as a promotional album with his score for the TV movie Jonny's Golden Quest
Jonny's Golden Quest
Jonny's Golden Quest is a 1993 animated television movie produced by Hanna-Barbera and originally aired on the USA cable channel. It attempts to fill back-story holes that were left unexplored in the original Jonny Quest cartoon series. It was in particular a follow-up to The New Adventures of...
. "I Always Thought I'd See You Again" by Tiffany
Tiffany (singer)
Tiffany Renee Darwish , known popularly as Tiffany, is an American singer and former teen icon. She is most notable for her 1987 cover version of "I Think We're Alone Now", originally recorded by Tommy James and the Shondells in 1967. Released as the second single from her eponymous album, Tiffany,...
was released as a single.
- "We're the Jetsons" (Jetsons' Rap) - XXLXXLXXL may refer to:* XXL , in London, UK* XXL , an American hip-hop magazine* Penny Market XXL, a Romanian hypermarket chain-Film and television:* XXL , a French comedy* XXL , an adult TV station-Music:...
- "With You All the Way" - Shane Sutton
- "You and Me" - TiffanyTiffany (singer)Tiffany Renee Darwish , known popularly as Tiffany, is an American singer and former teen icon. She is most notable for her 1987 cover version of "I Think We're Alone Now", originally recorded by Tommy James and the Shondells in 1967. Released as the second single from her eponymous album, Tiffany,...
- "I Always Thought I'd See You Again" - Tiffany
- "Maybe Love" - Steve McClintock
- "Stayin' Together" - Shane Sutton
- "Through the Blue" - Gayle Rose
- "Mall Theme" - John Duarte
- "Home" - Tiffany
- "Jetsons Main Title" - The Stunners
Marketing tie-ins
The summer the film was released, Kool-AidKool-Aid
Kool-Aid is a brand of flavored drink mix owned by the Kraft Foods Company.-History:Kool-Aid was invented by Edwin Perkins in Hastings, Nebraska, United States. All of his experiments took place in his mother's kitchen. Its predecessor was a liquid concentrate called Fruit Smack...
had a tie-in where Kool-Aid points could be redeemed for a red Jetsons car featuring the cast. However, the promotion was not carried by some theaters, and instead of a red Jetsons car, the points were redeemed for a miniature movie poster. Wendy's
Wendy's
Wendy's is an international fast food chain restaurant founded by Dave Thomas on November 15, 1969, in Columbus, Ohio, United States. The company decided to move its headquarters to Dublin, Ohio, on January 29, 2006. It has been owned by Triarc since 2008...
restaurants had a Jetsons kids' meal tie-in. When clips from the film were shown on TV, scenes with George had re-dubbed lines from an unnamed voice actor. The commercials showed Wendy's founder Dave Thomas
Dave Thomas (American businessman)
David "Dave" Thomas was an American fast-food entrepreneur and philanthropist. Thomas was the founder and chief executive officer of Wendy's, a fast-food restaurant chain specializing in hamburgers...
either in a theater watching the film or at his restaurant promoting the film.
A tie-in simulator ride
Simulator ride
Simulator rides are a type of amusement park ride, where the audience is shown a movie while their seats move to correspond to the action on screen.-History:...
titled "The Funtastic World of Hanna-Barbera
The Funtastic World of Hanna-Barbera (ride)
The Funtastic World of Hanna-Barbera was a simulator ride at Universal Studios Florida, and one of the park's original attractions. The story line was that Dick Dastardly and Muttley have kidnapped Elroy Jetson, Yogi Bear gives chase and the audience is in for the ride of their lives. Peter N...
" opened with Universal Studios Florida
Universal Studios Florida
Universal Studios Florida is an American theme park located in Orlando, Florida. Opened on June 7, 1990, the park's theme is the entertainment industry, in particular movies and television. Universal Studios Florida inspires its guests to "ride the movies," and it features numerous attractions and...
shortly prior to the film's release. In it, Joe Barbera and Bill Hanna state that Elroy Jetson will star in their next project (presuming the film), which angers Dick Dastardly
Dick Dastardly
Dick Dastardly is a fictional character and antagonist who appeared in various animated series by Hanna-Barbera Productions. Dastardly's most famous appearances are main character in the series Wacky Races and its spin-off Dastardly and Muttley in Their Flying Machines...
and Muttley
Muttley
Muttley is a Hanna-Barbera animated fictional character created by Iwao Takamoto and originally voiced by Don Messick. In the 2000 Wacky Races videogame he was voiced by Billy West.-Bio:...
and causes them to kidnap Elroy, and Yogi Bear
Yogi Bear
Yogi Bear is a fictional bear who appears in animated cartoons created by Hanna-Barbera Productions. He made his debut in 1958 as a supporting character in The Huckleberry Hound Show. Yogi Bear was the first breakout character created by Hanna-Barbera, and was eventually more popular than...
must save him. Merchandise based on the film was sold at the ride's gift shop. Also in 1990, Ralston
Nestlé Purina PetCare
Nestlé Purina PetCare Company is the pet food division of Swiss-based Nestlé S.A., following its acquisition of the American Ralston Purina Company on December 12, 2001 and subsequent merger with Nestlé's Friskies PetCare Company. As a wholly owned subsidiary, it is headquartered at the General...
released an apple and cinnamon flavored Jetsons Cereal.
Real World References
There is a scene where Jane, Astro and Rosie are watching a soap opera. At the end, it is revealed to be All My Androids, a reference to the hit drama classic All My ChildrenAll My Children
All My Children is an American television soap opera that aired on ABC from January 5, 1970 to September 23, 2011. Created by Agnes Nixon, All My Children is set in Pine Valley, Pennsylvania, a fictitious suburb of Philadelphia. The show features Susan Lucci as Erica Kane, one of daytime's most...
. One of the houses at the Jetsons new neighborhood reads "Century 2200", a reference to Century 21.
See also
- List of films based on television programs
- Theatrically released films based on Hanna-Barbera animations