When I saw teaser images last year, I was honestly skeptical. I feared this new take on "DuckTales" was going to be like the modern "Mickey Mouse" cartoons -- crass, mean-spirited, hostile, frightening, and repulsive. Given Disney's cashing in on nostalgia, much like Cartoon Network ("The Powerpuff Girls" and "Teen Titans"), I feared for the worst. But then, a few months later, I heard a friend tell me about how good this reboot looked.
Then, just now, I watched the first two episodes of the new "DuckTales" on YouTube. And boy, was I blown away! What a vast improvement! Huey, Dewey, and Louie (Danny Pudi, Ben Schwartz and Bobby Moynihan, respectively) have their own personalities and identifiable traits besides being triplets. Webbigail (Kate Micucci) is no longer just a "girly-girl" but an adventurous tomboy who wants nothing more than to see the world with her own eyes.
As for adults like Mrs. Beakley (Toks Olagundoye), Launchpad (Beck Bennett), and Donald Duck (Tony Anselmo), their characters are carefully preserved and improved upon; especially Mrs. Beakley, who is more suitable as a bodyguard than as a housekeeper (though she certainly doesn't do a bad job at the latter, either). Flintheart Glomgold (Paul F. Tompkins) is a bit more odd-looking (mostly for his stoutness), but his wicked, greedy personality, too, is depicted accurately.
The character designs threw me off just a bit. In fact, I initially thought some of the designs looked more lifeless. But, after watching the first two episodes, it reminded me of my experience with "The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker." When Zelda and Nintendo fans saw teasers of that game, we all thought it was going to look stupid and childish. But, when we played the actual game, boy were we wrong! The cel-shaded effects were just what "The Wind Waker" needed to paint its colorful, life-filled atmosphere.
Same is the case here -- the character designs might seem alien at first, especially if you grew up with the original "DuckTales." But, once you're used to them, you'll grow to like the characters, the excellent and imaginative imagery, and the intricate details used to create Francisco Agnones and Matt Youngberg's fantastic re-imagined world in Duckburg and beyond.
The writing is also quite good, and it's the kind that doesn't talk down to the target audience or teach kids that adults are idiots. One moment I liked is in which Scrooge McDuck (voiced by the current Doctor Who, David Tennant), after crossing a bridge with traps set off by Dewey, tells him that neither he nor his brothers know what they are doing and that their smart-alec behavior has only put them in danger, not to mention respect their elders. The nephews don't seem very respectful, but hey. It's the debut episode and they never met Scrooge McDuck before.
Because of my lack of faith in modern television, I never got the chance to watch "Wonder over Yonder," "Gravity Falls," "The Legend of Korra," "Steven Universe," the final season of "Samurai Jack," or "Star vs." Nowadays, I pretty much watch what's on Netflix or YouTube, more than anything else. But, after watching this new take on "DuckTales," I feel more regret than before.
With all that said, I have this to say to the staff at Disney Television Animation: you have everything to be proud of, and as long as you keep up what you've done to make the debut episodes of "DuckTales," you're actually making something that is not a cash-in on nostalgia. In short, keep up the good work.
Then, just now, I watched the first two episodes of the new "DuckTales" on YouTube. And boy, was I blown away! What a vast improvement! Huey, Dewey, and Louie (Danny Pudi, Ben Schwartz and Bobby Moynihan, respectively) have their own personalities and identifiable traits besides being triplets. Webbigail (Kate Micucci) is no longer just a "girly-girl" but an adventurous tomboy who wants nothing more than to see the world with her own eyes.
As for adults like Mrs. Beakley (Toks Olagundoye), Launchpad (Beck Bennett), and Donald Duck (Tony Anselmo), their characters are carefully preserved and improved upon; especially Mrs. Beakley, who is more suitable as a bodyguard than as a housekeeper (though she certainly doesn't do a bad job at the latter, either). Flintheart Glomgold (Paul F. Tompkins) is a bit more odd-looking (mostly for his stoutness), but his wicked, greedy personality, too, is depicted accurately.
The character designs threw me off just a bit. In fact, I initially thought some of the designs looked more lifeless. But, after watching the first two episodes, it reminded me of my experience with "The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker." When Zelda and Nintendo fans saw teasers of that game, we all thought it was going to look stupid and childish. But, when we played the actual game, boy were we wrong! The cel-shaded effects were just what "The Wind Waker" needed to paint its colorful, life-filled atmosphere.
Same is the case here -- the character designs might seem alien at first, especially if you grew up with the original "DuckTales." But, once you're used to them, you'll grow to like the characters, the excellent and imaginative imagery, and the intricate details used to create Francisco Agnones and Matt Youngberg's fantastic re-imagined world in Duckburg and beyond.
The writing is also quite good, and it's the kind that doesn't talk down to the target audience or teach kids that adults are idiots. One moment I liked is in which Scrooge McDuck (voiced by the current Doctor Who, David Tennant), after crossing a bridge with traps set off by Dewey, tells him that neither he nor his brothers know what they are doing and that their smart-alec behavior has only put them in danger, not to mention respect their elders. The nephews don't seem very respectful, but hey. It's the debut episode and they never met Scrooge McDuck before.
Because of my lack of faith in modern television, I never got the chance to watch "Wonder over Yonder," "Gravity Falls," "The Legend of Korra," "Steven Universe," the final season of "Samurai Jack," or "Star vs." Nowadays, I pretty much watch what's on Netflix or YouTube, more than anything else. But, after watching this new take on "DuckTales," I feel more regret than before.
With all that said, I have this to say to the staff at Disney Television Animation: you have everything to be proud of, and as long as you keep up what you've done to make the debut episodes of "DuckTales," you're actually making something that is not a cash-in on nostalgia. In short, keep up the good work.