If you grew up in the 1980s the chances are good that you watched the Disney block that consisted of a few core cartoons and a few others that were rotated from time to time. A couple of the more successful cartoons took elements from older Disney cartoons and films and introduced them into a new venue that ultimately gained the attention and approval of fans.
One of the two most memorable cartoons, DuckTales, has recently been rebooted and is currently making a successful showing on Disney XD. The only real issue that can be seen with rebooting this cartoon is that it is going to be very different from the original source material.
Whether that’s a good or a bad thing remains to be seen.
New DuckTales vs. Old DuckTales
The animation difference
It might be a small difference and one that seems petty to even mention, but it can matter. The old show is choppy in terms of movement and flow, but it didn’t look as unnatural as the new show, which seems intent on allowing the characters to look much more blocky with much more pronounced lines. Despite being outdated the old cartoon was much easier to watch considering that the movement of the characters and the environment was a little less complicated.
Too many different voice actors
This one is really aimed more at Huey, Louie, and Dewey. The whole idea of using more than one voice actor for the triplets is kind of silly. The whole premise of the triplets is that they look alike, act alike, and sound alike. In this case it seems more cost effective to just hire one actor. Plus, hearing three different voices from the triplets kind of detracts from the old school feel of the cartoon.
A larger role for Donald Duck?
In the old cartoon Donald Duck wasn’t a regular fixture on the show. If he did show up it was more of a special appearance and didn’t last for than 1 to 2 episodes. This was kind of nice considering that it allowed the nephew’s and the other characters to develop and move through their story arcs. Donald was as well known then as he is today and his inclusion tends to detract from the other, lesser known characters.
Nostalgia is very real
Those that watched this cartoon in their childhood will either love or hate it. Depending on how its handled the new show could have a very short run, especially considering the competition it will have to deal with. The old DuckTales didn’t really have to compete with much as it was fairly unique in its own way and seemed to satisfy a niche in its time slot. There’s no telling if the same will hold true for the new show.
Conclusion
We all have those favorite cartoons that we remember from our childhood, and watching them get rebooted can sometimes make us cringe. It almost makes a person feel as though someone is trying to take away a part of their childhood, but in truth its more like watching someone try to improve on something that simply doesn’t need it.
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