Thundercats

We are desperate for good, nostalgic shows right now and if the creators could bring this show back, keeping it intact with the same tone and characters, I have no doubt it would be a huge hit now!

Thundercats was originally conceived in 1983 but didn't hit the screens until 1985/86, it fittingly became a cult TV hit, it was faster paced and sleeker than He-Man and fairs slightly better in retrospective, spawning a tonne of merchandising like it's counterpart. An update or film version have been arguably long overdue.

There's no talking Snarf in the latest version but the major difference with the Thundercats 2011 is the setting, there's no 3rd earth, it's Thundera, that is in a Planet of the Apes sort way with flashbacks throughout. There's glimpses of Star Wars, Stargate and other sci-fi, but it borrows from the best. The characters dynamics, look and their relationships have been slightly tweaked. The mains given a more mature edge that allows exploration of conflicting divergences. Those familiar with the original will recognise new incarnations of reworked sub characters usually the antagonists.

Thundercats 2011 is reminiscent of He-man more so than its 1985 predecessor due to Thundera's Eternia-like feel and borrows from plenty from the recent Lord of the Rings trilogy especially in look during battle scenes including the civilians going underground. That aside, the animation, stories and dialogue are extremely entertaining and there are plenty of nods to the original series. It also includes a cameo from the original Lion-o voice actor Larry Kenney.

However, don't be mistaken it is different and not in a bad way, strikingly the episodes are very emotionally charged even more so than the original series. There are a few main characters that are omitted in the first fistful of episodes but that's not to say then may not grace the screen in later outings.

To really enjoy Thundercats 2011 most will have to put aside the cartoon they fell in love with. This is a darker distinctly styled incarnation yet thankfully it stays true to the original spirit of the Thundercats.

This was a truly epic remake of the 1980s megahit, ThunderCats. Was number one in its timeslot among the coveted 18-34 year old demographic.

The show respected the source material yet brought its own personality and updated the content for a modern audience. There was a much more plot driven focus here with long story arcs that carried a lot of weight.

The creative team behind the show made the destruction of Thundera a much more personal, visceral event. Rather than emulate the main device of the original series, where Lion-O wakes up in the body of a man and the mind of a child, this series explores the sudden responsibility thrown on the teenage Lion-O and the loss of his home city and Father Claudus (voiced by the original series voice actor, Larry Kenney).

There is a sibling rivalry between Lion-O and Tygra that carries over into their relationships with Cheetara. Mumm-Ra is cast as much more powerful villain and heads roll!

Cartoon Network made a big mistake cancelling this show.

Not quite as great as the original series, which was/is one of the best animated shows of the 80s, but almost there and among some of the better animated shows in the past decade or so. The animation is fluid and detailed, if lacking a little in uniqueness (more of an anime sort of look, not a bad thing though, rather than the painterly one of the original series), and it was really nice to see the character designs updated to styles a little more relevant now. The music has its fair share of beautiful, haunting and rousing themes, the lack of a main theme is a little disappointing but doesn't hurt the show that much. The writing has a little humour in respect to the fun of the original show and is also very thoughtful, while the story lines maintain the fun of the original show while taking a darker approach with themes of racism and slavery. And it does that while respecting the original show but showing more mature and relevant themes and incorporating them with little if any heavy-handedness. The action is also very thrilling, and animated beautifully. The characters are engaging and developed very well, while the story lines are paced in a way that episodes move swiftly room is always left to introduce and develop characters and their relationships. Here the heroes and villains are equally interesting, admittedly in the original series the villains were a little more interesting than the heroes. It was an interesting choice having Snarf mute, and it was a choice that did pay off. The voice acting is very dynamic and suit the characters well without being too stereotypical. All in all, almost as good as the original show and as a re-boot Thundercats(2011) is excellent. 9/10 Bethany Cox

To be honest , I never watched the original thundercats except for a couple of episodes . and I thought it was corny - and that silly idea wouldn't work nowdays . but I gave it a shot , and this remake not only topped all my expectations . it became one of my favorite animated shows of all time . (up there with TMNT (2003) The Jackie Chan adventures , and even Avatar : The last airbender . just to name some)

it's really in line with them in terms of quality and charm . not only that , but it even easily beats most of the real "anime" out there . and I think this combo of American writing and voice acting with Asian artstyle and animation is just proved as a great choice again .

So , lets break this show down :

Artstyle - some may disagree with me but as an artist myself I find it very beautiful , it's colorful and easy on the eye . but it's detailed enough to be taken seriously . the designs have a modern touch to them and fit the fantasy environment well . and the characters have a lot more ...well , character than the original ones - who looked like your cardboard superheroes.

Animation - every episode so far was animated without laziness , with fluid character movement in every degree possible . and amazing action scenes . the quality is as good as something you would expect from a movie . and I just hope the animators realize they put that as a standard for the show and will never get lazy .

Story - Although I'm yet sure to where this show is heading at , so far the plot lines were good . every episode was pretty epic , and even the fillers were pretty good (the main problem with most "anime") they dealed with serious conflicts . there was a good amount of character development , background stories , and relationships building . and the dialogue was believable - as in , they feel like real people that you can connect with . the only problem I can think of is that every episode is so packed with things that it's sometimes rushed , and has some "holes" in the sequence of things so it could fit into this short time .

Music - the music is fantastic , other than not having a theme song (which kinda sucks).

but thats no biggy at all , the show is entertaining to watch to both old and young and it saddens me how people who can't let go of their nostalgia give this excellent show a bad name and drive it to cancellation. I hope that it will live up to it's planned amount of episodes because I just can't wait to the next one - CN got themselves an addict :)