After being on hiatus for over 15 years, The Proud Family made its return to Disney Plus and the reboot made a few notable changes. The original version saw Kyla Pratt, Tommy Davidson, and Cedric the Entertainer lend their voices to the cartoon that focused on the misadventures of the Proud Family. The Disney channel original was praised since its incarnation in 2001 and the show was actually nominated for an Annie Award for Outstanding Achievement in an Animated Television Production Produced for Children and Television Critics Association Awards for Outstanding Achievement in Children’s Programming. The Proud Family was more than just your silly kid’s cartoon as there were points when the show touched on racism, societal standards, and other mature subjects that greatly resonated with young and old audiences. So, after watching the pilot for The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder, does the first episode recapture some of the magic that the original had?
First, let’s address the elephant in the room, the decision to take out Sticky in the reboot. The episode does it in a comical matter, citing that Sticky’s father moved to Japan and while he had the option to stay, he decided to leave because he was sick and tired of Dijonay. It’s genuinely a funny moment and it was nice for the show to address why Sticky isn’t apart of the reboot. Now, the decision to keep him off is sound somewhat, as the creator explained his reasoning for not having him in the updated version, “We always wanted to expand out the world. In doing that, sometimes you have to revisit where characters are going and how we can bring in new characters. For us, expanding the world sometimes means you lose characters, but you also gain more characters that help grow the show in a direction we feel necessary for this new version.” Now, this move happens in films and television all the time though it’s disappointing that we didn’t get a goodbye episode for Sticky. Orlando Brown – the voice actor for the character – could’ve come in and the first episode could’ve focused on him venturing into a new world.
Though the way the creator had Sticky leave was funny, he was one of the core cast members of the original cartoon, so he should’ve been shown a little more love than some brief cameo explaining his absence. Sticky did bring something to the group and a send-off would’ve been a nice end to his character. It would’ve also helped pave the way for the new character, Michael. Granted, Michael was in the original series, but his character goes through a drastic change. Michael was always flamboyant, though not in the matter presented. He brings a fun dynamic to the group so his character in particular isn’t the issue, but they should’ve given him a proper re-introduction before just asserting him with such a big change. Perhaps this is a nitpick on my end as other viewers may not have had an issue with Michael suddenly existing in the core cast, but this felt like a move to make the show all-inclusive instead of genuinely adding a new character into the world of The Proud Family. Michael will be fine as he does have a couple of fun moments throughout the episode, but it’s definitely a missed opportunity to not warm him up to audiences better.
The show doesn’t particularly miss a beat as it tackles Penny going through puberty and the importance of Oscar understanding that his daughter is growing into a young woman. It’s nice to see the return of old favorites like The Gross Sisters or Suga Mama, though at times it does feel as the creators are throwing too many old favorites such as Uncle Bobby. Still, The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder maintains its level of charm and goofiness that’s balanced out by giving a valuable lesson for teenagers in the episode. It doesn’t just address Oscar needing to understand that his daughter is growing up, but how the pressure to fit in can lead to making stupid decisions. The episode isn’t as smooth as it should be, but considering the new characters introductions and the plot, The Proud Family does a good job of balancing everything out. Does this equal to the show still being funny? Well, I wouldn’t call Prouder and Louder the funniest thing I’ve ever seen. I laughed, but nothing was so hysterical or memorable, though I can’t say that I didn’t smile throughout the episode. The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder is a solid return to form for the original series. Based on the pilot alone, the cartoon should have no problem recapturing the magic as the season continues.
Follow Us
