There are very few classic franchises that go mostly unmined over a 25 year period. Yet, aside from some comic book series in the early 2000’s, that’s exactly what’s happened to the Thundercats, the cat-people from Thundera who inspired a generation and are about to be introduced to another one.
The Thundercats return tonight (Friday 7/29) on the Cartoon Network, and I’m happy to say that the Thundercats’ return is a success.
The best elements from the original series are all present, and some of the sillier things from the first time around (naked Thundercats on a spaceship?) are thankfully skipped. There’s a new animation style that is a bit more anime than what we had before, but it works, and it might make it even more palatable to the younger generation. The character designs are strong – taking what originally existed and making it more functional and modern. And the voice cast, which includes Will Friedle (Batman Beyond) and Larry Kenney (the original voice of Lion-O), is top-notch.
One thing I noticed – either my memory is faulty or there are some sequences staged exactly like the original series – including the iconic “Thundercats Ho!” moment. This attention to detail shows the creators loved the Thundercats as much as I did the first time around.
As with the original, Lion-O is the central character. Here he is a young man, prince of Thundera with ideals and dreams beyond most others. When he is given the Sword of Omens, he sees something with his “sight beyond sight” – but dares not tell anyone. Tygra, Snarf, Jaga, WilyKat, WilyKit, Panthro, and of course Cheetara all factor into the proceedings.
There are some mysteries that are laid out that are surely going to last throughout the season. I’m curious where it will go. And I’d love to see this creative team tackle something else – Silverhawks, anyone? Maybe MASK? Reviving an old franchise and keeping it exciting can be hard — for example, the new take on G.I. Joe that HUB is doing bores me — but this doesn’t bore me at all.
At age 33, I loved the Thundercats as much as I think I would if I had still been 8. Check it out tonight at 8PM on the Cartoon Network and see what you think! You can read some of our other Thundercats coverage from Comic-Con here.
2 Comments
We’re only halfway through, and despite all the naysayers on Twitter, I LOVE this. Issues of race, equality, and a ton of intrigue (obviously Gruun got rid of Panthro….and it’ll reveal he failed)… I also love how they are finally addressing the tech vs magic issue that never really added up in the original series. GREAT reimagining.
I watched it on Friday… and as someone who absolutely loved Thundercats as a kid (even playing Thundercats with neighbors kids and always choosing to be Tygra) I loved this reboot. And I agree that it was good not to see the “naked” Thundercats as well! Great REBOOT!