25 years ago today, The Flintstones: On the Rocks premiered on Cartoon Network. Made at Cartoon Network Studios by much of the crew behind Dexter's Laboratory, the special is notable for several reasons. It was the first Flintstones project released after William Hanna's passing, and it would be the last for almost fifteen years. It's more adult tone and subject matter made it stick out when compared to most other Flintstones spin-offs. The special has also seen only a handful of TV airings, and has never gotten any kind of home video or streaming release.
While its tone and art style might be different from most Flintstones iterations, like many of them, it remains contentious among fans of the original show. Some love the special and consider it the best thing to be done with the characters since the sixties. Others were put off by its tone and see it as a low point for the franchise. The reaction was so polarizing that it actually led to Cartoon Network axing a Quick Draw McGraw special made by the same crew. Now, with all that being said, how do I feel about this special?
First things first, what's this thing about? On the Rocks follows Fred and Wilma during probably the lowest point of their marriage. Neither one can stand the other, so the Rubbles invite them on a trip to Rockapulco in the hopes it will repair their strained relationship. Things continue to deteriorate, especially when a jewel thief named Xavier becomes enamored with Wilma following a bag mix-up. It's up to the titular Flintstones to not only stop this thief, but more importantly, save their marriage. It's a story plucked right out of the classic series, but with a more adult edge, but I'll speak more on that later.
I'll begin with the positives of this flick, the first being its presentation. This special looks amazing. Craig Kellman's redesigns for the characters have never looked better, and the backgrounds wouldn't feel out of place in a classic Flintstones episode. Even the stop-motion segment looks fantastic, and is easily a highlight. While the visuals are great, I think On the Rocks is just as good in the audio department. Despite none of the original four cast members being present in this, all of their successors do an excellent job filling the void. Tress MacNeille is pitch perfect as Wilma, and Kevin Michael Richardson's Barney brings to mind Mel Blanc's take on the character in the original series earliest episodes. It's details like that that really make this feel like an episode that could have existed in those first two seasons. You can't go wrong with the great John Stephenson returning as Mr. Slate, either. The use of Hoyt Curtin's classic score is another welcomed addition, and something that was sorely missed from later Flintstones spin-offs.
The more adult tone of On the Rocks is maybe the "make or break" element for many. For me, I am firmly in the former camp. I'm all for the more serious vibe, and I honestly don't understand some of the criticisms against it. A lot of the hate this special gets is because of how Fred acts, but I don't think it's that out of line for him. Fred can be pretty despicable at times, even in later Flintstones media. I don't think he's out of character at all, especially considering the severity of the situation he's in here. I feel people's reaction to him has more to do with animation fans' weird disdain for "jerk" characters than anything else. And while this special does skew older with its story and humor, you have to remember that The Flintstones wasn't just for kids when it first premiered. That only happened with the later seasons and especially the spin-offs. For a franchise that became so kiddy it eventually turned its characters into literal children, it's a great return to its roots. Even if you despise this film, you have to at least give the team behind it some kudos for showing restraint. A worse creator would have heard "adult Flintstones" and gone as raunchy as possible, but these guys tried to make something that still felt in line with what had came before, and I applaud them for that.
If the special has any major flaws, it's the humor. It's not necessarily bad, but it's very "hit-or-miss." Several jokes go on for far too long, which isn't that bad when it's funny, but when the joke isn't amusing to begin with? Man is it rough. There's a gag early on with a bird repeatedly squawking and it's tantamount to nails on a chalkboard. A lot of director Chris Savino's work is full of jokes like this, and even in a one-hour special he couldn't help himself. It's not funny in an eleven-minute Dexter episode, and it's not much better here. The pacing is another element of the special that feels a bit off. Some scenes overstay their welcome, while others end before they really get going. Maybe it's a result of the one-hour runtime, but it leaves On the Rocks feeling not as tight as it could be.
Despite those gripes, On the Rocks is an entertaining entry in the Flintstones canon. It's nothing mind-blowing or earth shattering, but it accomplishes what it set out to do and does it well. This is basically an early Flintstones episode if the crew weren't held down by budget or animation constraints, and I think that's awesome. They didn't try to reinvent the wheel or make the characters something they weren't, which is where most of the problems with later Flintstones installments came from. Yes it's a little rough around the edges, but it's got charm, style, and genuine heart. Not too unlike Fred himself if you ask me. But what do you think? If you've seen this special, I'd love to read your thoughts on it, whether they be good or bad. Do you feel this special is an overlooked gem, or is this better off being forgotten?
