The Jetsons Meet the Flintstones would seem to be the perfect candidate for a crossover program from Hanna-Barbera. The surprising truth is that this Made for TV film was not even produced until 1987. Things turned out more than merely okay though. In the end, this production proved itself to be an excellent and well spirited film which capably uses many of the strengths found in both The Flintstones and The Jetsons television series to orchestrate a fun and engaging story that can involve the lovable characters from either show.

The Flintstones are that classic stone-age family. The Jetsons are that "modern" futuristic family that lives in a time still not quite experienced. In The Jetsons Meet the Flintstones, the two families bump heads and wind up experiencing life in each other's shoes and with many fun experiences. Elroy (the young son in The Jetsons family) creates a time machine. The only issue seems to be that it has some "technical difficulties" of some sort and actually malfunctions to the point where the entire family winds up stuck in the past together. There they meet The Flintstones and the complications begin to unravel for everyone. Somehow Fred Flintstone seems to find a way to make it work out for him as a benefit (as he enlists the help of George Jetson for a job-related issue). These characters bond and experience a side of life they never knew existed before while attempts are made to fix the time machine and ultimately bring the Jetsons back home. Things could always become just a wee bit more complicated for everyone involved in such a decidedly odd scenario. This (naturally) just makes the story even more exciting.

Don Nelson and Arthur Alsberg must have had great fun writing the script as they utilize so many of the tried-and-true ideas of a time travel story that any sci-fi fan will get some kind of enjoyment out of. It's wonderful to see how each family must deal with the consequences and benefits of being placed in a different time. The writing remains consistently funny while the characters manage to always stay true to what audiences have come to expect. The film also benefits from some nicely timed visual comedy from director Don Lusk.

The animation featured in this film was almost as good as the work found in the original television productions. While there are some minor tweaks made to emphasize a slightly more modern look for the animation, this is a surprisingly faithful attempt to recreate the look and feel of either series. The character designs are strikingly familiar. It was wise of the creative team to make the story come to life with such a properly guided creation. It comes as no surprise that William Hanna and Joseph Barbera were executive producers. There are few reasons to find complaint with the animation at all. Some may consider it slightly less enchanting than the original series work was but those were expertly crafted productions and it is always hard to even try and live up to such high ambitions.  This film tried to please the fans and actually does by being true to animation styles found with both the 60's and the 80's.  

Part of the fun of watching The Flintstones was always seeing how "different" things seemed in Bedrock and with the archaic machinations of how the city existed and thrived. There is a similar appeal in The Jetsons as well, especially with the always entertaining and interesting ideas used to represent a future society with flying cars, homes that are way up high in the sky, and all the gadgets and gizmos that help make everyday life a bit easier to manage. Society was already heading into a tech-heavy future at the time of the premiere of the series but today things are heading in that direction even more quickly than before.  This film taps into the feeling of that series quite well and allows a strange sense of nostalgia for both the simpler times suggested by The Flintstones and the vastly expanding times found in The Jetsons (which may not represent reality yet but the writers certainly got a few good guesses in by suggesting things that turned out at least partially correct along the way).

It goes without saying that this is the kind of special film that fans of both series would look forward to seeing with at least some level of heightened anticipation. The prospect of having fun with both series is simply too good to pass up. I am delighted to say that this is a TV movie I loved watching for the first time many years ago and it was equally enjoyable to revisit. Fans of The Jetsons and/or The Flintstones series should consider this worthwhile. Don't miss out on this release if you are indeed a serious fan of these classic Hanna-Barbera shows. There are certainly many elements to love and ultimately appreciate in The Jetsons Meet the Flintstones.

The DVD:

Video:

The Jetsons Meet the Flintstones is presented in the original broadcast aspect ratio of 1.37.1 (full frame). This 1987 made for television production looks surprisingly nice considering the fact it likely hasn't received any restoration work. The colors seem strong and clarity is impressive. There are many moments of specks of dirt or very minor print damage but this wasn't really a distraction. Compression seemed to be an issue in a few spots but it's nothing that would bother most viewers.

Audio:

The original mono language track is serviceable and manages to present the dialogue in a listenable and acceptable quality. The film is only available in English and no subtitle options are included. The audio is never flashy but sounds good considering the limitations of the time period in which this film was made for television. The voice acting is never disappointing in even the slightest way.

Extras:

I wish I could proclaim a happy "Yabba-Dabba-Doo!" but unfortunately no bonus materials have been included on this Made on Demand (M.O.D.) release.

Final Thoughts:

This release deserves to receive an easy recommendation for any serious fan of The Jetsons or The Flintstones. The film is charming, entertaining, and delivers on the fun premise. This production might not be quite on par with the level of quality bestowed to the actual series episodes for either show but it's still a well made film with plenty to offer. While the lack of extras is unfortunate this is still a DVD release well worth owning. Highly Recommended.

Please Note:

This release is presented as a DVD-R disc with full-color artwork and disc art in a standard DVD-sized case.

Neil Lumbard is a lifelong fan of cinema. He aspires to make movies and has written two screenplays on spec. He loves writing, and currently does in Texas.