KID’S TV SHOWS
Remember when kids’ TV was good? Some of these shows made it to the big screen, some with more success then others. You had the pleasure of multiple Muppet movies; with the most recent revival of the 1976 show starring Jason Segel, and receiving an Academy Award for the song ‘Man or Muppet’. 2001 gave your favourite ‘playtime pals’ a full-length feature in Recess: School’s Out, but this classic did not match the success of The Simpsons Movie. Of course, Disney was at the forefront of this industry, having adapted many of their characters to films. Nickelodeon also gave some of their shows a full-feature length opportunity, including multiple Fairly Odd Parents movies, Hey Arnold!: The Movie, and a big screen adaptation of The Wild Thornberrys.
ACTION
Everyone loves those action moves. It is surprising how many action films are spin-offs from their TV equivalent. Mission: Impossible with its Tom Cruise edge-of-seat action and superbly-based plot twists, is based on the 1966 programme of the same name, with bigger collars and tighter trousers. Other action-packed features include The A-Team, with the 2010 remake starring Liam Neeson and Bradley Cooper, while retaining that iconic theme tune. Crime drama also works exceptionally well, with Colin Farrell and Jamie Foxx starring in the new Miami Vice. Continuing the tenuous theme of fast cars, Transformers has managed to drag out three movies from the show, starting with success but quickly passing its Optimus Prime.
GUILTY PLEASURES
Then there are those movies that we hate to love, but the TV shows were so good that we give them a chance. The obvious choice here is Sex and the City, with two movies detailing the lives of our favourite four girls years after their smash hit show. It still has the glitz and glamour, but the characters are more mature. For something not quite so girly, but just plain funny, you have the epic Bean.
Showcasing the socially awkward Rowan Atkinson getting himself into all sorts of bother, this is a great film if you need a quick lift from revision blues. Similarly hilarious are the movies spun from Ali G. Although clearly a different humour, they are truly excellent, displaying the side-splitting days of Sacha Baron Cohen, before his more serious acting ability was revealed.