Thundercats 2011: Actually pretty damn good

[BitVyper]

So hour long special aired last night, and so far it's looking a lot better than it had any right to be. Anyone expecting something like the He-Man remake, where the various plot elements are essentially the same, is going to be disappointed. Actually, I think it's less a remake and more a distant future continuation. Okay yeah, the characters are the same, but shit, how many Links have there been who rescued a Zelda? Anyway, that at least seems to be what they're hinting at, but will probably never state. But yeah, don't go in expecting something made just "for fans of the original," 'cause it ain't. The premise, however, remains pretty similar. The opening episodes end with the Thundercats exiled from their home by their enemies. I kiiinda liked how in the original series they were really just trying to make a new life for themselves, but questing after The Book of Omens works too.

The writing is pretty good so far, with no blatant flaws or cringe-worthy bits. Plot and themes being handled are mature enough to appeal to those of us old enough to have watched the classic TCats. The animation is very watchable. We've all seen the character design, so I'll just say that everyone looks pretty good in motion. For once, cartoon characters are actually attacking other living things with sharp objects, so that's nice. In fact Liono's dad got straight up stabbed in the back. Not that there's any blood.

As far as characters go:

Liono: Much stronger character than he was in the old series. Also displays a surprising number of princess tropes. Think Ariel + Jasmine. They've managed to write him as being that sort of character without being too hamfisted about his fascination with ancient technology and his concern for life, or any of the traits we see him display. As a result, he comes off as a pretty complex character, and I found myself really feeling for him at bits.

Cheetara: I said in an earlier thread that Cheetara is the character I'm the most nervous about them ruining. Based on the first two episodes, I think they are doing OKAY with her so far, but I'm still feeling a bit cautious. She wasn't in these episodes a whole lot, but from what we've seen, she does seem like someone who could potentially grow into the old Cheetara. She's definitely NOT the old Cheetara though.

Tygra: Tygra is an ass, but I kind of like it. There's some hints of the old Tygra in him, mainly his being Lancer to Liono, but he's his own character. As long as they don't go too overboard with his being the ass who probably gets ALL THE LADIES, I think he'll be good. Tygra and Cheetara both seem like younger versions of their old selves.

Panthro: SIR NOT APPEARING IN THESE EPISODES

Wilykat and kit: Street urchin thieves with big dreams and possibly some special powers. Wilykat seems to be a bit older. I found their antics pretty enjoyable.

Snarf: I dislike his redesign, and I'm not really sure how I feel about his "voice." That said, while he can't talk in this iteration, his basic character seems to have been preserved.

Mummra: Pretty much exactly the same guy, except his weakness seems to be direct sunlight now, instead of his own reflection. Which was probably a good choice, as the reflection thing would have been pretty restrictive in a series that doesn't have 80s Cartoon Dumb working for it.

Overall, the whole thing felt a lot more on the quality level of an animated movie meant for theatrical release to me. It was very good, and way way better than I was expecting.