The Flintstones & WWE: Stone Age SmackDown!

The Flintstones & WWE: Stone Age SmackDown! is a 2015 American direct-to-video animated film starring The Flintstones. It is the second co-production between Warner Bros. Animation and WWE Studios following Scooby-Doo! WrestleMania Mystery. The film features Fred Flintstone, Barney Rubble and the whole Bedrock gang with stone age versions of WWE Superstars and Divas.[1] It was released on March 10, 2015, by Warner Home Video.[2]

The Flintstones & WWE:
Stone Age SmackDown!
Blu-ray cover featuring John Cenastone and Fred Flintstone on the foreground.
Directed bySpike Brandt
Tony Cervone
Produced bySpike Brandt
Tony Cervone
Written byJed Elinoff
Scott Thomas
Based onThe Flintstones
by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera
StarringJeff Bergman
Kevin Michael Richardson
Tress MacNeille
Grey Griffin
The Bella Twins
Daniel Bryan
John Cena
Rey Mysterio
The Undertaker
Mark Henry
CM Punk
Vince McMahon
Music byAustin Wintory
Edited byBruce King
Kyle Stafford
Production
company
Distributed byWarner Home Video
Release date
  • March 10, 2015 (2015-03-10)
Running time
51 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

It is the first new Flintstones production in over 14 years since The Flintstones: On the Rocks, 55 years after the original 1960s series and also the first Flintstones film without the original creators William Hanna and Joseph Barbera, who both died respectively in 2001 and 2006. The film marked the first time the character of Mr. Slate was voiced by someone other than John Stephenson who later died of Alzheimer's disease on May 15, 2015. This was also Russi Taylor's final film, before her death on July 26, 2019. The film was directed by Spike Brandt and Tony Cervone.[3]

Plot

Fred Flintstone has promised his wife Wilma they will take a vacation. He wants to request days off work and money from his boss Mr. Slate who just then is hiring an indirect relative named John Cenastone. After getting into trouble, Fred is saved by Cenastone. Fred does not receive money from Mr. Slate, and Fred does not know how to tell Wilma the bad news. At a fair organized by the Lodge of the Water Buffaloes, Fred devises a way to earn money: he enlists Hoppy, the "hoparoo" of his friend Barney Rubble, to challenge people to boxing matches. When they arrive, among other attractions are the Boulder Twins who open a kissing booth causing jealousy in Fred and Barney's wives Wilma and Betty.

Hoppy defeats many people, but his winning streak ends when the ruffian CM Punkrock humiliates him. Angered, Barney challenges Punkrock and defeats him. Punkrock exits angrily with his teammate Marble Henry. Fred envisions a great opportunity to earn even more money with wrestling after the success of Barney's performance. They are greeted by a seafood seller named Mr. McMagma and they decide to organize an event at an abandoned circus.

Fred asks Cenastone to recruit more wrestlers. He brings Rey Mysteriopal, a masked clerk; and The Undertaker, a somber gravedigger. The event begins between Cenastone and Mysteriopal, as they are on friendly terms, the fight fails. Fred decides that Barney should wrestle against Undertaker. Barney protests, but Fred presses him. Just when Barney is about to win the match, Wilma and Betty arrive and scold their husbands. Everything is resolved, especially because Fred has earned enough money.

However, Fred aspires to more, inspired by McMagma, and decided to organize a second event. Fred rents the Bedrock Stadium. He promotes a rematch between Barney and Punkrock. Punkrock accepts and Fred also enlists Henry and the Boulder Twins. However, Barney does not agree to participate. Fred leaves without him, starting his show. Mysteriopal and Cenastone fight again, but people are cheering for Barney. Fred announces that Barney will not fight. The other fighters exit, disappointed that Fred has neglected his friend and leaving Fred to face the opponents alone.

Fred takes courage and faces Punkrock and his allies in the wrestling ring, but he is brutalized. Seeing his friend's sacrifice, Barney decides to go and face Punkrock, encouraging other wrestlers to participate. Even Wilma and Betty intimidate the Boulders and Barney and Betty's son Bamm-Bamm easily defeats Henry. Fred and Barney and their team win to great applause.

Fred decides to quit wrestling. He takes his profits and sells the idea to McMagma. At the end, the Flintstones, the Rubbles, and the wrestlers enjoy their vacations.

Cast

Additional Voices by Doug Erholtz, Charlie Hewson, and Tom Kenny.[4]

Development

According to Daniel Bryan, the wrestlers recorded their lines during SummerSlam in 2013.[5] Collette Sunderman was the casting and voice director. Also, this was the last WWE-related project CM Punk did until returning to be a contributor for WWE Backstage, and it was actually released over a year after his unfavorable departure from the company, but by the time he left, production and development of the movie was too far along to edit him out in any way without causing significant delays.

Reception

A review from Indiewire calls the film "a brand-new release that so meticulously recaptures the salad days of Hanna-Barbera (that it) only makes one yearn for more Flintstones cartoons".[6]

Home Media

The film was initially released on DVD and Blu-Ray on March 10, 2015. On August 4, 2020, it was included in the DVD collection The Flintstones: 2 Movies & 5 Specials.

References
  1. "WWE Studios". wwe.com. Retrieved 21 June 2017.
  2. Goldman, Eric (1 December 2014). "The Flintstones and WWE: Stone Age Smackdown Trailer". ign.com. Retrieved 21 June 2017.
  3. "The Flintstones & WWE: Stone Age SmackDown!". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved April 25, 2016.
  4. "The Flintstones & WWE: Stone Age Smackdown". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved 21 June 2017.
  5. Fowler, Matt (10 March 2015). "WWE's Daniel Bryan on Becoming a Part of the Flintstones Universe". ign.com. Retrieved 21 June 2017.
  6. Ehrbar, Greg (March 14, 2015). "Blu-ray Review: "The Flintstones & WWE - Stone Age Smackdown"". indiewire.com.
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