The best (& worst!) TV to film adaptations according to Rotten Tomatoes

Ready or not, “summer is coming,” and so is Baywatch. The movie, starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Zac Efron and Priyanka Chopra, hits theaters this Thursday, May 25, and is sure to bring laughs and some iconic slow-motion beach running back to fans. The classic Baywatch TV series is arguably one of the most iconic shows from the 90s, so what better time to reflect on films that originated from TV series? In anticipation of the film’s release, Rotten Tomatoes rounded up the good, the bad and the ugly, because it’s not always easy making the transition from TV to film.

“With 13 movie adaptations of Star Trek, Paramount has perfected the TV–to–feature film transition,” says Rotten Tomatoes TV Features Editor Debbie Day. “Not bad for a franchise that began modestly with a starship captain named Kirk; his intellectual foil, Spock; and a modest ‘five-year mission: to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations, to boldly go where no man has gone before.’”

“The current TV landscape boasts shows like Game of Thrones and The Walking Dead that are just as iconic as any movie these days,” said Matt Atchity, Editor in Chief of Rotten Tomatoes.  But there was a time not so long ago that a series’ successful transition from TV to film meant that a series had “grown up” so to speak.  There’s a long history of adapting TV series to movies, with results ranging from modern classics like The Fugitive to legendary bombs like The Last Airbender.”

Below, is a ranking of some of the most notable TV to film adaptations, as scored by Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer. Conduct a Roku Search to find out where you can stream these films!

The Good

• Homicide: The Movie: Rotten Tomatoes Score of 100%  
• Monty Python and the Holy Grail: Rotten Tomatoes Score of 97%
• The Fugitive: Rotten Tomatoes Score of 96%
• The Muppets: Rotten Tomatoes Score: 96%
• Star Trek: Rotten Tomatoes Score of 95%
• Mission: Impossible Ghost Protocol: Rotten Tomatoes Score of 94%
• Traffic: Rotten Tomatoes Score of 92%
• Borat: Rotten Tomatoes Score of 91%
• The Simpsons Movie: Rotten Tomatoes Score of 88%  
• Serenity Firefly: Rotten Tomatoes Score of 83% 

The Bad

• Jackass: The Movie: Rotten Tomatoes Score of 48%
• Miami Vice: Rotten Tomatoes Score of 47%
• Star Trek: The Motion Picture: Rotten Tomatoes Score of 46%
• Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle: Rotten Tomatoes Score of 43%
• Hannah Montana: The Movie: Rotten Tomatoes Score of 43%
• Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle: Rotten Tomatoes Score of 43%
• Rugrats Go Wild: Rotten Tomatoes Score of 41%
• Inspector Gadget 2: Rotten Tomatoes Score of 40%
• The Lizzie McGuire Movie: Rotten Tomatoes Score of 40%

The Ugly

• Car 54, Where Are You?: Rotten Tomatoes Score of 0%
• McHale’s Navy: Rotten Tomatoes Score of 3%
• The Mod Squad: Rotten Tomatoes Score of 4%
• The Last Airbender: Rotten Tomatoes Score of 6%
• Mr. Magoo: Rotten Tomatoes Score of 7%
• Aeon Flux: Rotten Tomatoes Score of 10%
• My Favorite Martian: Rotten Tomatoes Score of 12%
• Pink Panther 2: Rotten Tomatoes Score of 12%
• The Honeymooners: Rotten Tomatoes Score of 13%
• Dudley Do-Right: Rotten Tomatoes Score of 16%
• Sex and the City 2: Rotten Tomatoes Score of 15%

Did your favorite TV to film adaptation make the list?

Happy streaming!

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