THE JETSONS & WWE
ROBO-WRESTLEMANIA
j. Luis
The Jetsons is an interesting concept
in 2017. So much of the silly
technology on display is either stuff
we’ve already surpassed, or just silly
enough to earn a few cheap laughs.
In that regard Robo-Wrestlemania
doesn’t stray far from the past in
terms of comedy. This is also pre-brand split so WWE
fans are going to get a chuckle out of
this flick. Also, the Big Show is the
star of the feature, wanting the WWE
Championship, and while most will
hate this, I dig it. Look, he isn't
getting another title run, so an
animated one works for me.
You get all the classic bits that made
the original Jetsons so much fun in its
day. The automated walkways, the
push-button amenities (such a cute
idea now) and the almost required
automatic dressing and cleaning
scenes. For most this might be a
cheap by-the-numbers gimmick, but
it’s so nostalgic that it all still works.
The meshing of WWE and The Jetsons
may seem weird, and it is, but it
brings in a lot of different people
together. Big Show himself does a fantastic job
as a voice actor, something that can
really be seen when paired up
against some of the other WWE
talent. Sure, these wrestlers are
playing themselves, but many of
them lack the punch which makes
them feel like they are playing
characters, of characters. It’s actually
really impressive just how good Big
Show is and I hope he gets more
voice work.
It’s a fun experience designed for the
whole family, and I’m happy to report
that the animation feels classic, yet
far better than what Hanna-Barbera
used to put out on the cheap all
those years ago. What doesn’t always
work is the new voice cast
representing The Jetsons. George
sounds fine, with Jane and Judy filling
the shoes nicely, but the rest,
especially Elroy can become really
grating, and there isn’t enough Astro.
Heck, he might only have like five
lines.
The story is as silly as you’d expect,
but as this is animation, these things
take time to create and it isn’t
current WWE fare. The robo-
wrestlers feature stars that are no
longer with the company (Stardust
gets some decent screen time), and
most pressingly, the current champ
at the outset of the film is Sheamus.
The idea of the WWE meeting The
Jetsons isn’t all that crazy. It’s actually
more crazy that in the canon of the
movie that Sheamus is the biggest
rival the Big Show ever had in his
history. The Jetsons themselves have
already had a few movies where they
do the time travel shtick, so I can buy
this. The real fun comes from the
incompatibilities of both worlds and
the jokes that, while obvious, are still
good for some laughs.
The Jetsons in the past are out of
place, but the people of the time (our
time) see them as weird Sci-Fi nerds
that missed Comic-Con. It’s silly but
it’s good for a few laughs, just as the
WWE stars in the future have their
own issues. But my favorite bit is
seeing the Jetsons posing as current
talent to sneak into a WWE event.
The funny part is those costumes
they nick are of wrestlers more
popular now than the ones featured
in the film. Animation is a tricky thing
with regards to timing.
Still, Alicia Fox has the most amazing
Northern Lights in the history of
wrestling so I’m okay her getting
push as part of the WWE future
crew. And the wrestling parts are so
silly that they work better than the
actual thing. Michael Cole is as
wooden as he is doing video game
lines, but the cartoon sound effects
from the wrestlers during matches
actually enhance everything. Like I
said earlier, it’s all silly fun.
Well, it’s all fun until Roman Reigns
takes up screen time and stinks up
the place. My bad jokes aside, the
whole thing is harmless fun that
shows there is a place in the
animated world for some WWE
adventures and shows that The
Jetsons are still as good as ever. And
Roman Regins actually does a pretty
good job having fun playing himself.
If you have kids who love WWE and
cartoons they are going to get a
serious kick out of this film. I’m a full
grown adult and a fan of both The
Jetsons and WWE, and I had a really
good time checking this one out. I
won’t even mind popping it in again
sometime just for some fun. I hope
we get more stuff like this instead of
those terrible live-action films WWE
seems to love. I’ll take a sequel to
Robo-Wrestlemania any day over The
Marine 9: The Miz Needs Another
Paycheck.