I'll admit I didn't have high expectations for this series because I'm not big on reboots and they're usually not that great anyway; plus I like That's So Raven a lot and figured this reboot wouldn't do it justice. It's okay, though. I enjoy Raven and Chelsea's still-strong chemistry and for the most part the kids carry their own storylines well. They also tackle some more serious topics than recent Disney shows so I appreciate that.
The problem is...it's Disney. In recent years, Disney has not tackled serious topics well. They try, but it comes off too preachy or the episodes are watered down to keep them "kid friendly." Disney used to handle more serious storylines in a tame enough way, but they long ago lost the ability to do it naturally. That's what happens with this show. The serious moments are too contrived or are not serious enough (an example being the episode where Levi's dad/Chelsea's ex comes back after being in prison for THREE YEARS. I understand needing to keep the content light, but it was way TOO light considering the circumstances in my opinion).
Another issue I have with this series is Raven and Chelsea as adults. I still enjoy their friendship, but individually I'm not keen on either character anymore. I feel as though Raven is not really a nice person in this series...? I'm not quite sure how to explain it. And Chelsea is just over-the-top dumb. This show doesn't escape the "kids are smarter than the parents" theme that his plagued Disney for so long, and I had hopes that it might. But no, the kids tend to act like parents and the parents like kids. A lot of scenes show Booker and Nia talking down to, lecturing, or lying to Raven and she's portrayed as ridiculous or oblivious. And Levi being smarter than Chelsea and treating her like a kid is a running theme and supposed to be played for comedic effect. Really? I'm 20 years old and I'm not even speaking from a parental standpoint here--I'm just tired of every TV show having overly-clueless parents.
Overall, I give this show 5 stars. I have enjoyed some episodes and there are a lot of cute moments and a few serious moments that are done well. Otherwise, I find this show to be too watered down by Disney and it's a little overly kid-ified for my taste.
The problem is...it's Disney. In recent years, Disney has not tackled serious topics well. They try, but it comes off too preachy or the episodes are watered down to keep them "kid friendly." Disney used to handle more serious storylines in a tame enough way, but they long ago lost the ability to do it naturally. That's what happens with this show. The serious moments are too contrived or are not serious enough (an example being the episode where Levi's dad/Chelsea's ex comes back after being in prison for THREE YEARS. I understand needing to keep the content light, but it was way TOO light considering the circumstances in my opinion).
Another issue I have with this series is Raven and Chelsea as adults. I still enjoy their friendship, but individually I'm not keen on either character anymore. I feel as though Raven is not really a nice person in this series...? I'm not quite sure how to explain it. And Chelsea is just over-the-top dumb. This show doesn't escape the "kids are smarter than the parents" theme that his plagued Disney for so long, and I had hopes that it might. But no, the kids tend to act like parents and the parents like kids. A lot of scenes show Booker and Nia talking down to, lecturing, or lying to Raven and she's portrayed as ridiculous or oblivious. And Levi being smarter than Chelsea and treating her like a kid is a running theme and supposed to be played for comedic effect. Really? I'm 20 years old and I'm not even speaking from a parental standpoint here--I'm just tired of every TV show having overly-clueless parents.
Overall, I give this show 5 stars. I have enjoyed some episodes and there are a lot of cute moments and a few serious moments that are done well. Otherwise, I find this show to be too watered down by Disney and it's a little overly kid-ified for my taste.