DuckTales

What I saw: Debut episode

Personal history of series: Didn't grow up with the original series, but did grow up with the movie. The original series has been on my "to watch" list for a very long time. The theme song has been a permanent resident on my ipod for a decade.

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Having never seen the original Ducktales series, I went into the first two episodes with an almost blank slate. I do really enjoy the 1990 movie, and something like that was what I was hoping for with this new series.

So far it is very, very promising. They've given Webby a personality outside of "a girl", they have defined the triplets a little more as opposed to them essentially being one character, and I think they've done very well with the voice actors as none of them felt out of place or stale.

A good bunch of the jokes landed, especially anything with Launchpad, I got some giggles out of it, so I'm satisfied on that front. Their first adventure was good, I'm just interested in how they're going to continue worldbuilding this as clearly magic continues to be canon.

The most interesting aspect that stuck out to me the most, however, was the family drama and relationships between the Duck family, in particular the mystery behind what happened to the triplets' mother, and what she was like.

The animation? Of course I'm a little put out that it is flash animation and not looking anywhere as nice as Gravity Falls or Star vs the Forces of Evil, but it's a high quality flash animation and I don't think it impairs the overall quality of the show too much.

The people behind this new series clearly like the franchise and want to do a good job. I've given it a 7/10 so far, but it is looking very likely that the score will shuffle up higher and higher. It is very well done and I look forward to more!

Ducktales reminds me what I want my life to be like, adventure and family! It's fun, and my whole family adores it. We always tune in for new episodes.

I went into yesterday waiting for the DuckTales reboot skeptical. Many times when something is relaunched, it's not nearly as good as expected. However, I must say that the new DuckTales is quite good, perhaps, dare I say, even better than the original. There are some things I like better off the bat. The animation is much higher quality now than it was in the 80s. It's fluid, it's clean and it has a comic book feel to it that gives a nice nod to Carl Barks and his original creation. Also, I like that Huey, Dewey and Louie are given actual individual personalities. In the original, they were pretty much interchangeable. This one, each has a unique appearance and demeanor. Webby is also much better in this one. The writing is strong. A great mix of humor, adventure and character development. Having Donald Duck as a main character is great and adds new dimensions to the show. The only thing early on that really bugged me was the new voice of Scrooge. I know that Alan Young has passed away, but it's going to take some time to get used to this new voice. In defense, I do like the characterization of Scrooge, so once I get used to the voice, it shouldn't be bad either. The other voice actors are great. You can tell they hired some big names to help with this show. This reboot is high quality and has a ton of potential. I look forward to seeing how it unfolds once it goes on the regular schedule. Bravo Disney!

I've seen some reviews ranting about how this show isn't faithful to the original and too much has changed in the reboot. I however strongly disagree. The reboot is very faithful to the original, without repeating the exact same formula as the original had. All of the characters, including the triplets and Webby, now have their own personality.

Webby is no longer the stereotypical "girly" fourth triplet. She's spontaneous, creative and a quick thinker as well as a quick talker (even more so in stressful situations).

Huey seems to be the only one who's still in the Junior Woodchucks. He's the oldest, more organized triplet. He's not as spontaneous as his siblings are. But make no mistake: he's still mischievous. He seems to be cool with getting dragged into dangerous situations together with his two younger brothers, never showing any signs of being really scared. He's level headed. But can get overly excited about small things such as activities on field trips.

Dewey is the middle child. He's extremely spontaneous even more so than Webby and his two brothers. He's not afraid of putting his own life in danger. He seems to enjoy taking risks that put him in deadly situations.

Louie is the youngest triplet. He's by far the most laid back triplet. He likes to slack off. A lot. He is, however, ready to act whenever the need arises. He has talked to Webby more his brothers thus far.

Scrooge McDuck is believed to be the uncle of Donald Duck but the triplets have always called him uncle Scrooge. He's the richest duck in the world. He has a bit of an Indiana Jones vibe about him. He is famous in the world as an adventurer and loves to get himself into trouble (unlike the Scrooge in the old series). Despite his old age he's surprisingly agile and can take quite the beating and still fight back without any problem.

Donald Duck is the Uncle and the caretaker of the triplets. Unlike the original show, Donald will have an important role in the reboot. He was Scrooge's sidekick once but they parted ways after an incident of some kind.

I like the new voice actors surprisingly much. Some say the triplets sound a bit too old but I think it works. The writing is simply brilliant! Witty, mysterious and adventurous!

Seriously give the show a chance even if you never watched the original series. It's a reboot done right.

The fundamental problems with living in an age of seemingly endless reboots, remakes and re-treads is the simple fact that people get burned out. And when people get burned out, they begin to dissect, dismiss and demean those rare but invaluable examples of reboots done right, just out of a misplaced sense of moral superiority. Case in point- 2017's "DuckTales", a retelling of the classic cartoon series that started thirty years back in 1987. Having grown up alongside the original series, I get it. Our nostalgia is a beloved part of our lives, and nothing could ever possibly measure up to sky-high expectations... Especially not in this case... right? ...right?

Well, I'm here to tell you. In every single imaginable way, Disney has pulled it off, with a loving and clever reboot that captures the essence and magic of that original run, while making necessary and valid updates when needed. "DuckTales" is an absolute joy, boasting strong and stylish animation, a wonderful voice-over cast that nails the tone, and some extremely clever writing that took me by a surprise more than once, even as a man quickly approaching his 30's. And it's frankly shocking seeing the plethora of highly critical reviews here... and even moreso shocking to see many of the reviews containing blatant and overblown exaggerations of minor issues or even outright lies about the content of the series, just so they can smugly slap it with an unfair one or two outta ten score and bemoan how their childhood has been "ruined."

Just take it from this fan... go in with an open mind, and you'll be thoroughly charmed and thrilled with the results!

Grouchy trillionaire Scrooge McDuck (voice of David Tennant) is surprised when his estranged relative Donald (Tony Anselmo) drops off the triplets Huey, Dewey, and Louie (Danny Pudi, Ben Schwartz, Bobby Moynihan) one day, demanding he watch over them while he leaves to be interviewed for a new job. While Scrooge initially ignores the boys, a series of strange events brings them together as he re-discovers his old sense of adventure and excitement. And so, they team up, along with pilot Launchpad (Beck Bennett) and the headstrong Webby (Kate Micucci), and embark on a series of strange and peculiar new adventures in search of fame and treasure. Along they way, they fight fearsome creatures, encounter old enemies and begin a search for the elusive Della... the long-lost mother of Huey, Dewey and Louise.

To start with one of the more publicized aspects of the series, I absolutely love the entire cast. Obviously Tony Anselmo is a complete joy as Donald... after all, he's been voicing the character for over thirty years now, including in the original run of the series. Pudi, Schwartz and Moynihan are all excellent as the lead trio, and though they might not sound as childlike, all nail the characters quite well and have that delightful, young sense of glee to their performances- you can tell all three are trying their hardest, and are infectiously engaging. I also really adore Miccuci, and I very much appreciate how Webby has been updated to be a more proactive and academically intelligent character. But the revelation here is David Tennant as Scrooge McDuck. He knocks it out of the park. Absolutely perfect turn as the beloved character.

The animation style has been a source of much love and much controversy, but I really dig it. It's stylized to be a bit more stark, contrasted and simplistic... almost like an animated comic book, which is appropriate as comics were the inspiration for the '87 series. Yes, there is a degree of stylistic whiplash going from the old to the new, but stick with it. It grows on you quickly, and it serves the material very well. And the writing is fantastic. It has the same tonality as the original, but brings it a bit more up to speed for modern times. Though don't worry. It's not bogged down by needless references or contrived self-aware meta-humor. It's very much just geared towards things children in this day and age will understand. There's a bit more gadgetry at play, passing nods to modern popular culture, a few jokes about current trends and that sort-of thing. But its never to the detriment of the series, and it's always in the service of the story or world-building.

Over the past few days, I've watched the first six episodes, and I have to say... I'll probably keep watching. I adored the original run of the series growing up and was constantly viewing reruns and video-taped episodes on a daily basis. And now, a beloved part of my childhood has returned, as good as it ever was. Though there will sadly always be doubters and those who can't let go of the past and embrace the future, I would highly recommend the new "DuckTales" to open-minded fans old and new alike! It really is as good as the original in every single way. And it easily earns a perfect 10 out of 10 from me! Woo-oo!