Fed on a diet of high sugar, computer games and cable TV my generation is going through a nostalgic phase. Even Generation X cracked out a bit more originality I'm sure. Though nothing springs to mind just yet.
You would think coming of age at the new millennium would inspire us to look forward, or at least cover everything in silver foil for that futuristic feel. Instead we're delving into our childhood, lounging around asking “hey, anyone remember... Transformers? We should remake that.” This trend of the 80s cartoon reboot had so far left me indifferent. Then you MONSTERS took my Thundercats.
This is supposed to be a review, an informative and balanced review of the new reboot of Thundercats.
You would think coming of age at the new millennium would inspire us to look forward, or at least cover everything in silver foil for that futuristic feel. Instead we're delving into our childhood, lounging around asking “hey, anyone remember... Transformers? We should remake that.” This trend of the 80s cartoon reboot had so far left me indifferent. Then you MONSTERS took my Thundercats.
This is supposed to be a review, an informative and balanced review of the new reboot of Thundercats.
But I couldn’t do it. I have it on good authority my first words were “Thundercats, HO!” and I am pretty convinced I am such an upright member of society due to the morals Lion-O et al taught me. (Although credit where credit is due, I think He-man used to really hammer the morals home at the end of all of his episodes too.) I am Team Thundercats as Leonard Starr conceived them (henceforth Team TLSCT). This is not a balanced review.
Let's begin on a positive: the new Thundercats look pretty good. The new hirsuitness? I can get behind that. But I don't think it would have hurt to allow Panthro to keep both his eyes and Jagar's helmet looks a little Third Reichy to me. I like that Cheetara's bosom is just as inconsistently sized in this re-imagining as it was in the original. I don't know if that was part of her Thundercat weaponry alongside her stick or not.
There are a couple of big changes to the original plot. In fact this reboot is pretty dark, there's death and asphyxiation by ice cream. Instead of a planet, Thundera is now a kingdom, with enemy Slythe banished outside with the lizards. Mumm-ra is thought to be a myth and Lion-O is a dreamer who believes there was once such a thing as 'Technology'. I kind of like this plot device, it explains the odd combination of medieval aesthetic with the high tech that was also popular in the He-man and She-ra cartoons. It isn't too much of a spoiler to reveal the Thundercats find out the hard way that technology and Mumm-ra are real. And Lion-O learns vindication isn't everything when the cost is your kingdom.
So far Team TLSCT is ok with the LIBERTIES taken.
However, Thundercats do not have any kind of desire other than to see Third Earth rid of Mumm-ra and the mutants. Lion-O and Tygra have never looked at Cheetara in that way. Only in this version of Thundercats, they do and it makes me squinky. Another thing, it just isn't Thundercats without: The Thundercats theme tune, Cheetara's running theme tune and Panthro's super funk theme tune.
So go ahead, allow your children to watch the all new Thundercats reboot (I was about to type new generation but we do not speak of that) but with a mute Snarf in the mix don’t leave it to TV to teach them right from wrong.
Squeamish Kate
Let's begin on a positive: the new Thundercats look pretty good. The new hirsuitness? I can get behind that. But I don't think it would have hurt to allow Panthro to keep both his eyes and Jagar's helmet looks a little Third Reichy to me. I like that Cheetara's bosom is just as inconsistently sized in this re-imagining as it was in the original. I don't know if that was part of her Thundercat weaponry alongside her stick or not.
There are a couple of big changes to the original plot. In fact this reboot is pretty dark, there's death and asphyxiation by ice cream. Instead of a planet, Thundera is now a kingdom, with enemy Slythe banished outside with the lizards. Mumm-ra is thought to be a myth and Lion-O is a dreamer who believes there was once such a thing as 'Technology'. I kind of like this plot device, it explains the odd combination of medieval aesthetic with the high tech that was also popular in the He-man and She-ra cartoons. It isn't too much of a spoiler to reveal the Thundercats find out the hard way that technology and Mumm-ra are real. And Lion-O learns vindication isn't everything when the cost is your kingdom.
So far Team TLSCT is ok with the LIBERTIES taken.
However, Thundercats do not have any kind of desire other than to see Third Earth rid of Mumm-ra and the mutants. Lion-O and Tygra have never looked at Cheetara in that way. Only in this version of Thundercats, they do and it makes me squinky. Another thing, it just isn't Thundercats without: The Thundercats theme tune, Cheetara's running theme tune and Panthro's super funk theme tune.
So go ahead, allow your children to watch the all new Thundercats reboot (I was about to type new generation but we do not speak of that) but with a mute Snarf in the mix don’t leave it to TV to teach them right from wrong.
Squeamish Kate
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