Time Travel. Is there anything it can't do?
Often mislabeled as The Flintstones Meet the Jetsonsnote , this was one of the films in the Hanna-Barbera Superstars 10 series of made-for-TV movies produced for syndication in the late 1980s. It's a Crossover between The Flintstones and The Jetsons.
In their respective times, Fred Flintstone and George Jetson are both experiencing troubles with their jobs - in Fred's case, he and Barney lose their job when they get caught at a poker game when they're supposed to be working the late shift, and George is being blamed by Mr. Spacely for the fact that Cogswell is stealing his company secrets (it's actually because Cogswell's new female computer, SARA, is seducing the secrets out of George's computer, RUDI). When Elroy builds a time machine, the Jetsons use it to escape their problems and end up in the Flintstones' time period. Fred attempts to use George's futuristic equipment to get his job back, but ultimately fails at that. Then, when Henry Orbit and Rosie construct a time machine retriever, they end up accidentally transporting the Flintstones and the Rubbles to the future instead. Back in the past, the Jetsons get rich thanks to George's anti-gravity flying belt, while Mr. Spacely makes Fred his new spokesman (only to have Cogswell steal this idea as well with Barney). Fred and Barney have another falling-out while the Jetsons soon find themselves missing their old life. Eventually, Rosie manages to find the Jetsons and bring them back, but the time machine breaks for good after that. Don't worry, the Flintstones and Rubbles do make it back to the past nevertheless.
Tropes present:
- 1-Dimensional Thinking: When George runs to report Rudy to Mr. Spacely, he stays on the conveyer belt path, allowing Rudy to put it in reverse and keep him running in place.
- Are You Pondering What I'm Pondering?:Fred: I know what you're gonna ask - where are we gonna get ten times that much [money for our vacation]?
Barney: No, I was gonna ask what's in the coconut juice. - Bamboo Technology: Expected for the Flintstones' side of the story, of course. Lampshaded by the Jetsons at several points in the film, commenting on the Flintstones' foot-powered automobiles and animal-powered appliances, as well as the Jetsons' initial difficulties in using both. Ironically, Bamboo Technology is what ultimately saves Spacely's company in the end (mass producing Fred's Stone Age car as a collectors' item).
- Brick Joke: While ditching work to go to the poker game, Barney notes they've set the quarry dinosaurs to do the digging without their being present, but isn't sure that'll go well. Fred dismisses Barney's concerns, figuring the dinosaurs should be fine on their own, since they've been doing the same digging for years. Much later in the film, we see the quarry's dinosaurs are A) unionized and B) on strike.
- Broken Win/Loss Streak: In a company picnic... thing, Mr. Slate's always loses against his rival company. While Fred tries to use the Jetsons' technology to break the streak (extorting Mr. Slate for his and Barney's jobs back, plus other exorbitant demands, in the process), it is subverted by Dino and Astro messing up the final event. Played straight in that after winning several events in a row (with Fred handling one in his place) Slate ultimately loses the final one.
- Chekhov's Boomerang: The Flintstone car. After being brought back to the future with the Jetsons and seemingly forgotten about, it later serves as inspiration for saving Spacely's company by mass-producing them as a collector's item. It then comes back for a second use at the very end; residual energy from being sent through time is present in it, and the Flintstones and Rubbles are able to use it to return to their own time.
- Chekhov's Gun: Fred and Barney got fired after Fred got the "bright" idea to skip work and join a high stakes poker game, and nearly got their jobs back with the help of the Jetsons' gadgets. After the Flintstones and Rubbles get stranded in the future, and the Jetsons in the past, the Jetsons use their economic savvy to own a large portion of Bedrock's businesses and public sector, including George becoming a partner in Slate's business. When running everything gets to be too much, the Jetsons manage to sell off most of their business deals and drive away from Bedrock for some much needed time off. At the very end, as the Flinstones are saying their goodbyes, Fred laments that he and Barney will still be fired when they get back, so George gives him his holding in Slate's company, which he didn't get rid of in time, and Fred is elated that not only will he get his job back, but will be a partner in Slate's business.
- Chuck Cunningham Syndrome: Pebbles (Fred and Wilma's daughter) and Bamm-Bamm (Barney and Betty's son) are neither seen nor mentioned throughout the movie. While the script doesn't give a definite reason, most fans assume one of two things:
- 1.) The Jetsons have traveled back far enough in time to where Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm haven't been born yet.
- 2.) Given that many of the Flintstones productions since the '70s featured the two as teenagers and the next animated productions that came out after this take place when Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm are adults (like when they get married and have children), some fans have also theorized that the Jetsons traveled to the point in time where Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm have moved out and left for college.
- Deus ex Machina: How the Flintstones and Rubbles make it back to the past.
- Dress-O-Matic: When George is getting ready for work near the start of the movie, he gets into an auto-dresser. He says he needs to "be prepared", and comes out dressed like Rambo, which he decides is "too prepared" and goes back into the auto-dresser to try again. Jane states that if Mr. Spacely saw George in the Rambo outfit, he'd go bananas. George then steps out of the auto-dresser in a gorilla costume.
- Exactly What It Says on the Tin: It's a movie where the Jetsons meet the Flinststones.
- Fish out of Temporal Water: As expected, the Flintstones and Rubbles struggle to adapt to the future at first, as do the Jetsons in the past once the former group is sent to the future. On the other hand, Fred seems to adjust well, as he reclines in a chair and is well-fed.
- Horrible Camping Trip: Fred and Barney have to settle for taking their wives on this after losing their jobs.
- Know When to Fold 'Em: One scene has Fred (dressed as a professional gambler; complete with Barney in drag as his "girlfriend") proving he apparently does not know when, as he gets greedy, loses (and blows both his and Barney's cover in the process) and manages to get both of them fired by Mr. Slate.
- Minor Disney Acid Sequence: The sequence with "The Bedrock Rock" qualifies during some portions of it.
- My Hair Came Out Green: Wilma ends up with green hair when the hairdresser acts up. Fortunately, Rosie quickly fixes it.
- No Celebrities Were Harmed: Mainly the Jetsons' universe parodies of Dan Rather, Johnny Carson and Joan Rivers (the latter containing a brief Shout-Out to her short-lived talk show on the then-fledgling FOX network). There are also various references to Humphrey Bogart.
- Replacement Goldfish: Judy is crushed to leave behind Iggy, but is consoled when she meets his descendant, Rex Saturn, in the future.
- San Dimas Time: Which corroborates George's conflict; Spacely believes George's disappearance means that his suspicions are correct.
- Time Machine
- The '80s: The future- and Stone-Age equivalents of '80s celebrities and culture are seen in this film, including Iggy being an 80s-style rock musician, while in the future, Fred is encouraged to go on Jet Rivers' talk show.
- Viewer-Friendly Interface: Elroy's Time Machine has a lever that lets you select between "Past" and "Future". Apparently that's the limit to your control of where you're going. The first time he uses it, even that doesn't work.
- Wholesome Crossdresser: Barney dresses up as Fred's girlfriend so they can get access to Mr. Slate's poker game and get in good with their boss.
