Re-Watching the Original Cartoon

[Ravenxl7]

Not sure when I'll get around to it, but I plan on watching through the entire series (haven't really watched much of it since I was a kid). I'm hoping to get to it sometime this year. Getting it on DVD would certainly help, but if I'm not mistaken they're up on Hulu, so I might watch some of them on there till I'm able to get a copy of the DVD's.

Quote:

Originally Posted by jonleestaples

Now I admit, I haven't gone through all the discussions to see if this has already been brought up. So forgive me.

I just watched the pilot of the 80's series, after about 20 years from watching any. And I can understand cryogenics slowing your aging processes, yet allowing Lion'o to grow from the small boy he was, into the adult he has become.

... Why didn't Wiley Kit and Kat?

I forget exactly how, or when, but it was later explained that Lion-O's cryo-chamber had malfunctioned, and that's why he aged significantly.

[Balgus82]

yeah Lion-O's pod malfunctioned and his aging was faster than everyone else's. I thought that was common knowledge. o.O *shrugs*

[jonleestaples]

It probably is, being I'm not that common, not having seen this cartoon for twenty years or so, guess I didn't make that point clear. Knowings half the battle, and now I know. Ty.

[Ravenxl7]

I've been watching the episodes in-order on Hulu (well, on KidsWB, but I'm going through Hulu to make sure I watch them in-order), and episode 12 "The Doomgazer" doesn't work. Anybody know of any other sites that have would have it? Been trying youtube, but haven't had any luck finding it.

[Uncanny Madman]

I've had the entire DVD boxset for a year now (I originally imported some of it from the US when it was first released 'cos the UK, as always, was so far behind with getting it but my sister got me the entire boxset for my birthday last year)...

I still havn't watched every episode!

It was a really weird experience for me as I'd never seen ANY of the episodes after "Thundercats Ho! the movie...so it's like, watching "new" episodes of your favourite cartoon from the 80's...it's cool but strange!

Anyway, unfortunately for me, the majority of the later episodes are just pretty terrible...the characters aren't utilised enough and the same "plots" keep popping up again and again...but I guess that's the 80's for you!

There's also far too many solo Lion-O episodes (HATE him in the original show) and no decent battles really...it always ends up with the bad guys just running away! In particular it's downright stupid in one episode where Lion-O is close to being beat and Bengali just turns up and fends every single bad guy off singlehandedely! (I'm so glad the new show has made the villains serious threats).

But negativity aside, those episodes that ARE good (especially the pilot and "Thundercats Ho!") are just worthy of watching again and again. I watched Thundercats Ho! on video about a million times as a kid and I still can't get enough of it...fantasy adventure purrfection! *groan*

[GrimlocksPS]

I re watched some old episodes.

They were better as a kid. They don;t hold up at all for me. but thats ok this new series is awesome so i can live with it.

[Pravus Prime]

Well after a break (I wasn't exactly watching the series legally, my pirate source got pulled), along with the break that the new series is on, I've been back to watching this series.

I finished the 5 part Lion-O's Annointment. That last episode was fun, if a bit silly. Also, such a Return of the King ending!

[rchrz60]

Alright, I was afraid to say anything because I'm sure you're all getting sick of my 2 cents. LOL. I will agree that while the show is obvious 80"s camp, I can't help but still love it. Not only does it make me feel like a little kid again sitting on my parents livingroom floor, but I noticed that even some of the 2 or 3 or even 5 part episodes have me waiting to put in the next disk to see what happens next. Not only have I gotten my kids into it, even my 17 month old son raises his arm and says "Ho" when I pop in the DVD, but we all enjoy it for what it's intended to be, entertainment.

[PANTHRO HOOO]

It's still a good show. Some shit is cornier than I remember. I especialy like the ep in season 1 where the thundertank gets caught in the cats lairs claw. They get it out and the bridge is collapsed so cheetaras like can we really jump the ditch. Then Panthro says I don't know but instead of jumping it himself every single cat climbs in to jump it. Tc's are bad at physics.

[flibbits]

The original was original. 2011 T-Cats is a copy of the original. They've jumbled some characters and story lines, but it's mostly a copy.

[Pravus Prime]

With "Trials" messing up my episode order, I'll just do quick summaries instead.

The Demolisher: Solid episode. Mumm-Ra really managed to pull a victory from his own weakness.

Monkian's Bargain: I really enjoyed this one. Actually I watched this one as I was waiting for all my friends to get to my place before we hung out for the day and some of them arrived early and watched it with me; they got a kick out of it too.

Tight Squeeze: I had some questions/problems with this episode that it managed to answer for me by the end of the episode, namely where Tygra and the Twins were and why Mumm-Ra was letting them attack but not participating. I really love the subtle foot shot of Mumm-Ra with his gong as Lion-O was dealing with Slithe and Monkian. Solid and fun episode; the Animation seemed to be better then usual too. My only (rather small) complaint is that Vultureman left and he's back in subsequent episodes with no mention of it.

The Micrits: Honestly, rather meh. Snarf playing chess with the Micrit leader was kinda funny, but otherwise nothing to write home about.

The Rock Giant:This episode was pretty thin. It has some old serial style cheats, like the Thundertank being immersed in flames at the commercial break, then wasn't when it returned. The ending solution wasn't anything all that great.

Jackalmans Rebellion: OK episode. Jackalman sets out on his own, appointing him self General Jackalman with his army of two (including the Driller) and causes problems for everyone.

[LouLou]

Ive recently watched some episodes and i still love it no matter how much older i get!! When i have kids, i'll be showing them because some of the stuff on TV now is just not the same.
Next one i want to get on dvd is Masters of the universe film too cause i loved He-man and She-ra too, but Thundercats is still my fave!

[Pravus Prime]

A few more eps:

Turmagar the Tuska: Vampire Mermaids. Let me say that again: Vampire. Mermaids. +10 to awesome. Though who sent the Technopede and why? They never address it.* Solid episode.

The Mumm-Ra Berbil: Fantastico! This may be a new favorite episode. Though they seem to have forgotten that Lion-O couldn't use the sword against the other cats, due to the curse that the Sword of Omens would break if he did (Or not, since that's not the lesson for this episode). Anywho, the Mumm-Berbil was great, the story was fun, and when Mumm-Ra pulled out the goggles, it was a great moment.

Mechanical Plague: The Thundercats get floating camcorders, Mumm-Ra summons a "Best of Mechanical Monsters" to attack the cats and sends the Mutants out to finish the job. Everything goes to plan until Lion-O pulls out the Eye of Thundera, then the mechanical baddies couldn't fall fast enough. *We get a possible explaination in that the Technopede could be leftover automated weaponry from a past war. Mumm-Ra has a great closing speech in this otherwise weak to OK episode. Also there was some very nice animation in this episode.

Trapped: The Feliner is in danger and the Tkittens are trapped in a capsule during an everything storm (rain and meteors). The mutants get the pod, but Mumm-Ra starts pwning everyone. The kittens show Mumm-Ra his reflection, saving the day. Snarf gets the kittens out of the pod. This was a really good episode.

Excalibur: Mumm-Ra bemoans that the Sword of Omens is a Deus Ex Machina that has powers that can be made up (and work!) on the fly. Consulting the Spirits of Evil, he learns of Excalibur and Arthur. Transforming into Arthur, he claims the sword easily from the Lady in the Lake. Keeping up the Arthur disguise (why?) and with a cover, challenges Lion-O. Excalibur bests the Sword of Omens and the TC's go down as the Eye of Thundera goes dark. Mumm-Ra relishes his victory until Merlin shows up out of nowhere to set things right. Without so much as a wizards duel the story is over via Merlin ex machina. Ignoring the 9 million problems with the Arthurian myth (Why does Arthur have a lion as his emblem?!?) as we see it, Excalibur isn't mode locked to serving good, nor is Merlin its master, nor should it make any real sense that Merlin is more then a match for Mumm-Ra. At least if there had been a wizards duel between them and Mumm-Ra accidently reset the Eye of Thundera in the battle, it would've felt better. As is, entertaining, but only OK due to the problems in the last part of the last act.

[Pravus Prime]

Some more episodes!

Secret of the Ice King: Snow Meow does all the work. It's a good episode until you realize that the motivation for the Ice King is pretty flimsy along with his end. OK episode.

Good and Ugly: Lion-O judges aliens based on appearance. Jerk. A pretty good episode though it's a simplistic story due to the obvious moral.

The Transfer: Many beings hold an engine core (From a ship identical to the one from the prior episode) so toxic it could not only wipe out all life on Third Earth (Save Mumm-Ra), but it sets off alarms at both the Cats Lair and Castle Plundarr from space. And don't die. Or get sick. Mumm-Ra is awesome (I laughed when he was using his cauldron to watch the Thundercats watch the spacecraft on their monitors), everyone else is OK. Nice resolution, very nice animation. Solid episode.

Divide and Conquer: Hacked Comms + Voice changer = Fun time. OK episode.

Dream Master: Mumm-Ra has more luck then Freddy Krueger. This was a really interesting plot, one that in a modern series could either be season long or a multiparter storyline. However being an 22 minute 80's cartoon really crimps the plot. Also some really nice animation. Solid episode.

Out of Sight: Invisibility is fun! Solid episode, love the g-g-g-g-g-ghooost! angle. The animation at the end is very nice, Solid episode.

The Mountain: Mumm-Ra reminds the mutants how bad they are at their job, so they try to get the Sword of Omens. What is up with the Claw Shield? It's not always consistant if it's the knuckles or the claws that act as a grapel, but this time Lion-O throws the entire claw shield and has a chain to pull himself up with. Not the best episode; one of the bottom ones for sure.

The Superpower Potion: Vultureman takes Steroids to become Super Vultureman. His reach exceeds his grasp. OK episode.

[Pravus Prime]

Even more!

Eye of the Beholder: A fake Sword of Omens means a good time for all! Poor Mumm-Ra. The Kit and Kat haven't been around in several of the recent episodes, nice to see them again and playing an integral part too. Nice callback to Slithe having been a cook. Enjoyable episode.

The Trouble with ThunderKittens: Kit and Kat take the weapons (save Lion-O's) to practice with; without permission. The Mutants steal said weapons. Fun times. It's been a long time since we'd seen that there were more Mutants then the name 4; I was begining to think that maybe they had all died or something. There was a rather noticable animation error in this episode, but outside of that, a pretty good episode.

Mumm-Rana: Mumm-Ra has a good counterpart?!? One who more or less completely sucks at her job. It's been a while since we last saw Jaga and once again the Claw Shield Grapple is weird. Enjoyable episode.

The Shifter: Body swap episode. That said, it was a pretty enjoyable body swap episode. Monkian falling into the moat actually made me laugh, but I was hoping for a third time. Solid episode.

Fond Memories: Mumm-Ra uses Lion-O's vanity against him while the rest of the cats are stuck in footage from prior episodes. This is a pretty good mirror enemy episode and there was some really good animation in the episode. Good episode.

So ends season 1. I'll probably post some thoughts on S1 before watching the movie and going into Season 2.

[Pravus Prime]

So, that's season 1.

Overall I really enjoyed this series, unlike many 80's properties, I felt like they could've expanded on a lot of their ideas, rather then being too thin. As I mentioned in the very first post in this thread, there's enough story that they could have entire series just telling the story of what happened before the pilot episode began and they don't drop the ball after the pilot either. There are enough factions, locations, and characters that they really managed to create that have some depth and interest to them rather then being simple plot coupons. While this is probably best for a different topic, I have to say that the new series feels far thinner by comparison in terms of mythology and story content by comparison.

It also helps that there is enough variety that the series always felt fresh and fun. Mumm-Ra, the Mutants, and other villains were varied in either solo episodes or combined ones that it never got stale. Furthermore, while we the audience knows the ThunderCats were going to "win" week after week, there wasn't the villian decay that other properties suffered from, partly due to variety and partly due to the fact that we see our heroes lose for sometimes the majority of the episode. Lion-O doesn't always best Mumm-Ra, in fact he doesn't even have the greatest track record in 1 on 1 confrontations, something that makes this ensemble show stand out IMHO.

As I mentioned in the first post, I only really remembered about 4 episodes, (though I probably saw most of them), but from my perspective, I was essentially watching this as a brand new series. What a ride it's been so far, I've been having a good time. From here on out however, it's 100% new to me. I never saw the movie and the series after this point as my local affiliate had moved it to a different timeslot so I never saw any of the remaining episodes.

Some favorite episodes:

• The Mumm-Ra Berbil
• All That Glitters
• Snarf Takes up the Challenge
• Trapped
• The Thunder-Cutter
• Lion-O's Anointment Final Day: The Trial of Evil
• The Transfer
• Monkian's Bargain

I'll be watching the Movie after I post this, I hope it'll be a good time. I'm sure the animation will be pretty good!

[Pravus Prime]

Before I talk about the movie, I'd like to mention one aspect of the series as a whole that I've neglected, the operatic leitmotifs this series has. It's so rare that we get real leitmotifs anymore and to get so many with this series that each are unique and well done is fantastic. What's more is that several of them have variations that get used.

Anyway, onto ThunderCats - Ho!. What a mixed bag we've got here. There are a ton of references and cameos, lots of plot twists and turns, but at the same time, so many "TO SELL TOYS" moments as well, which is really a first for this series. In addition to many characters seemingly being there because they have an action figure that needs to be sold (Haichiman and Hammerhand and crew in particular), the new vehicles felt like flagrant advertising moments.

I'm not sure when work was started on this; if it's like the original Transformers Movie which started production when the second season was just getting made, or if this really did start at the end of the series, but if it's the latter, then there really is no excuse for some of the plot holes. Where is the Feliner? How is it that the Thundertank can cross the world practically and can reach the depths of the oceans, but can't make it to the island where the Thundarians are? The Sword of Omens also seemed rather nerfed as well, or perhaps because it didn't have those powers yet in the writers room that later episodes would imbue it with.

I was right in that the animation was pretty good, and the script called for a large cast and did some interesting stuff in keeping the ThunderCat cast seperated. However, this was a really thin story, perhaps the thinnest since Safari Joe, chock full of rather silly plot convenience. That an entire group of Thundarians were picked up by some Berbils (who are not native to Third Earth?!?), crash land on Earth and be sufficiently hard to find while never bothering to go beyond their island and never seeing the Eye of Thundera at any point when Lion-O made the call? Then suddenly everyone knows about them for this special is asking way too much of my suspension of disbelief. It felt forced and silly.

Then there's the new cats. I don't care for them at this point. Part of where I think ThunderCats really worked is because it was such a well balanced ensemble show, these new cats, at least at this point, don't seem to bring anything new and vital to the table. Then Lion-O points his sword at them and makes them ThunderCats is also just as silly. I'm guessing many of Season 2's stories will involve the new members and that's really a shame to the not Lion-O cats, such as the kittens and Cheetara, who could use more development.

Overall, perhaps my opinion will mellow with time, but right now, I feel like I've watched a quality show suddenly try to cash in. I'd rate ThunderCats - Ho! a mere 4/10. I never felt insulted as a viewer, but I did feel like I was watching a toy commercial for the first time since I started watching this series.

[Pravus Prime]

With no replies from anyone else, I wondered if I was just posting all these back to back threads for the benefit of myself, but I see the view count jumps up between visits, so some people are reading this.

I'll mention one positive thing about ThunderCats Ho that I didn't before; I like Ma-Mutt. His role in Mumm-Ra Lives! cements my fondness for him. He is a useful and neat addition to Mumm-Ra's assets. I also like the Lunatak/New Dangerous enemy leitmotif.

Also as an aside, what's with the new voice modulation for the Berbils? Before there were several inflections on a SBAITSO style voice that gave them unique personalities with a mechanical soul, so to say. Now they all sound like soulless automatons.

Mumm-Ra Lives: It's an interesting story, one that from a structural perspective I actually liked more than ThunderCats Ho. My biggest fear for this season was that it would be Lion-O and the new Cats, with the original cast mostly becoming second stringers included only when the writers remember they're around. I'm pleased that this isn't the case, or at least not yet. I love Ma-Mutt's doings in service to his recovering master. The idea that Mumm-Ra wouldn't just destroy, but humiliate and imprision a group who challenged him is a neat one, but I don't care for the Lunataks at this point (Geez, it's like I'm resistant to anything new!), perhaps had they been more integrated into mutant society I would've felt less like they were just being inserted into the already established mythos. However, the biggest turn off and it felt completely insulting to me as a viewer was the effortless breaking of the Sword of Omens and it's 3 second repair job. Why bother? It contradicts several prior episodes and it served zero purpose in the grand scheme of things. Additionally several sections felt like redux of prior ideas.

That said, I actually physically reacted (Oh Snap!) when Mumm-Ra didn't shrivel at the sight of his reflection and instead laid a smackdown on the cats instead. The entire last act of the last episode felt like a solid payoff for what came prior and set up the action for the season. I had half expected the tablet thingy to be a recuring object, with everyone really trying to get their hands on the anti-Mumm-Ra device and that serving as a Macguffin for the season. I'm not sure if I should be pleased or disapointed that it's not the case. Overall I'd give Mumm-Ra Lives a 5/10, it probably would've been higher had I felt the plot was fresher and I didn't dislike the Lunataks.

Catfight: Hee hee, I really enjoyed this episode.

Psych Out: Your standard, "It was you the whole time!" episode, with your standard element of Courage. An OK episode.

The Mask of Gorgon: An interesting episode, though it seems that Mumm-Ra forgot he could fly (Perhaps it's understandable, when you have 11 billion powers, you may forget that you've got one every now and then). The only part I didn't like was that the child didn't really do anything. At all, it was like a wasted plot element. Also, Lynx-O moved in on Cheetaras territory by being the one who has an ominous foresight.

The Mad Bubbler: Which bubbles at midnight! Or Third Earth Hypnotoads are bad news! I'm shocked that the new Cats were only in the denouement and even then only Pumyra had any dialogue. Anyway, solid episode.

Together We Stand: Mumm-Ra plans a sequential attack. It works. Mumm-Ra has incompetant help. Solid episode.

Ravage Island: Mumm-Ra has something any politician would die for, but doesn't use it to run for office. Nice to see the Mutants again. Solid episode.

Time Switch: Lion-O gets a second youth, but it goes faster then his first. The little Lion-O summoning the Eye of Thundera was very well done. Good episode.

The Sound Stones: Fun with soundwaves (No, not the Transformer!), and some full ThunderCat team action. Solid episode.

Day of the Eclipse: A Day of Decay. If it wasn't for Ma-Mutt and the Lunataks, this could've been a first season episode. The resolution is silly, but it's an enjoyable episode.

[Pravus Prime]

It just occured to me that we didn't get a new opening sequence for the second season. No judgement, just interesting. Getting close to the end of the season already.

Sideswipe: ...

That was...

Overgardian.

There were about eleventy billion things that were weird about this episode, but the one that got me was why did Mandora need Lynx-O? The route that the TC take is to avoid the Thundranium, a weakness that Mandora doesn't share. Plus she has a space ship; when you can do an orbital landing, "you can't get there" to any point on the surface becomes impossible.

Mumm-Rana's Belt: ... What is this, the bad part of the season? Maybe I would've liked it more had the original story been about Luna rather than her Grandmother (which given that Luna herself is far older then Lynx-O seems unnecessary). Anyway, Luna is a whore and I don't feel like talking about this crappy episode anymore.

Hachiman's Honor: WTF is Hachiman doing in modern Third Earth? If Snarf could resist Alluro, how does Hachiman fail (and to a samurai to give up is practically to lose his life, so Alluro's suggestion shouldn't have worked either)? How did Luna pick up the Thunder-Cutter? Hachiman lost more then his honor, he lost his soul (to a samurai his sword is his soul)! Fortunately the last act is better then the preceding ones to make an OK episode, a solid one if you can accept Hachiman being around.

[Pravus Prime]

Season 2 comes to a close.

Runaways: Wily Kit and Kat run off and encounter a castrich (Cat + Ostrich), Mumm-Ra gets an opportunity and seizes it. Solid episode.

Hair of the Dog: Snarf-Ra. Enough said. Enjoyable episode.

Vultureman's Revenge: Chilla and The Mutants try to destroy Lion-O with a Thundranium cannon. Ben-Gali's timely arrival ensures the plan fails. OK episode.

So ends season 2. By comparison this is by far a weaker season. The Lunataks seem to have inheirated the Villain Decay that the series has been building up. Introduced as a major threat, they prove to be more of a joke then either the Mutants or Mumm-Ra, the latter IMHO completely defying the trope. My biggest fear didn't come to pass in the new Cats being the centric characters upstaging the prior ensemble, but they did re-enforce my position that they are largely superfluous characters who brought little to the ensemble dynamic. Ben-Gali seems to largely be a Tygra Expy oddly enough. Even Pumyra's biggest part in the season, in Mumm-Rana's Belt feels like it was re-written from Cheetara. In fact, there were more then a few episodes that felt like they were mildly rewritten for Season 2 but were just leftover season 1 scripts.

Not all the new cast members fail to fit in so well, Snarfer and Ma-mutt fit particularly well, Chilla (who is kind of hot, if you'll forgive the pun) also seems to be a solid fit for the series as well.

One problem that I have with the new cats still is a logical timeline one. We establish that Thundera explodes, Lion-O and the others get in their capsules as Jaga pilots the craft to Third Earth, a journey that takes the remainder of his natural life. Lynx-O's group is rescued by the Berbils and in a ship with a damaged fuel line makes it to Third Earth and crash lands. Where they also in Suspension Capsules? If not, how why isn't Pumyra and Ben-Gali 90 years old? Did they arrive before or after the ThunderCats? If after, how did the Cats Lair, which can detect tiny space pods not see the Berbil ship? Speaking of the Berbils, with this, their culture doesn't make much sense. They claim that their planet is tiny and they're expanding out, but in Mumm-Rana's belt, Luna's grandmother enslaved them on Third Earth, where in the present the Berbils possess barely any technology. Are they Amish or something? I know, I know I'm overthinking it, but still, the mythology they established in the first season was so deep and interesting that it seems like this should've been a bit more ironed out. Similarly, if the Lunataks were imprisoned by Mumm-Ra before Lynx-O's time, again, they've been in there a long time. The number of years the trip to Third Earth that took Jaga's natural life plus Lynx-O's age at the very least. You'd think being trapped like that would've made them terrified of Mumm-Ra and rather insane.

Overall Season 2 was OK, it suffered by comparison against Season One, but it still had it's highlights:

• Catfight
• Mumm-Ra Lives Part 5
• Time Switch
• Hair of the Dog
• Runaways
• Day of the Eclipse

It suffered more in that when it was bad, it was bad. Safari Joe you just roll your eyes and move on. Mumm-Rana's Belt and Sideswipe makes you wonder if they were even trying.

Season 3 is up next... Maybe I'll get lucky and the Lunataks (save Chilla) will all die.

[Pravus Prime]

Season 3 is off with a bang! I didn't have a chance to post yesterday, so there's more then one day of viewing here.

ThunderCubs: This probably couldn't have a worse title. That aside, this was a fantastic 5 part mini, doing a great job with all the plot elements and creating an interesting and fun storyline. This really feels like ThunderCats is back on course after the weak last season. As a mythos nit, how did all the Snarfs get on New Thundera? They have their own planet and all, it seems a bit weird. Also, the science fails in this are close to Overgardian, but I can roll with these (though usually with some MST3King). I love that Wily Kit and Kat are getting some development apart from each other. Also, Mumm-Ra has a TARDIS. 8.5/10.

Totem of Dera: Mumm-Ra (Or perhaps Vultureman) can make anything dangerous, even healing items! Enjoyable episode.

Chain of Loyalty: If it were anyone less noble and trusting, I'd think any other group of heroes would become absolutely paranoid that every being they'd meet was Mumm-Ra in disguise. Enjoyable episode.

Crystal Canyon: Tygra is an addict. Is there anything he won't get addicted to? Solid episode.

The Telepathy Beam: The Lunataks think messing with Cheetara psychically is a good idea. Then she goes all Pheonix on them. Fantastic episode.

Exile Isle: Another Overgard episode. However, it's not a bad episode. Though they got my hopes up that we'd seen the last of the Lunataks. Drats. Enjoyable episode.

Key to Thundera: The Book of Thundera is ruthless. Fantastic episode.

[Pravus Prime]

Some more eps!

Return of the ThunderCubs: A very good episode. Mumm-O was fun. I like the Ratstar; I almost wonder if the Stargate Tel'tak/Cargo ship is based on the design.

The Formula: Meh. I certainly didn't have any problems with the episode, but it felt very mediocre.

Locket of Lies: Great episode. Loved the trap, some great animation, enjoyable and developed characters and a strong premise.

Bracelet of Power: War? WHAT WAR!?! Fantastic episode. Again, this episode re-enforces the idea that Tygra and Ben-Gali are near interchangable and that the new cats bring so little to the mix that they're forgotten about for the entire episode. Still, utterly fantastic. Animation seemed better then the norm as well.

The Wild Workout: I'm quickly coming to loathe the Lunataks. Their plot was stupid (Seriously, insultingly stupid) and I don't like any of them save Chilla. Another episode where the new TCats were strangely absent. That said, the Mumm-ra plot was quite strong and enjoyable. I even wondered how Snarfs tail remained unfrozen and got a funny explaination that made it work. Not sure how to rate this episode.

The Thunderscope: Fantastic episode. Not much more to say, great episode.

Only 3 episodes left in the third season; hopefully they're good ones!

[Pravus Prime]

Season 3 comes to a close.

The Jade Dragon: Terrible. Outright terrible. Sequential lines that contradict prior statements ("I vote we take a break." followed by, "Let's dig over here!". The story flow is a train wreck. Mumm-Ra is weak why? Hachiman says because his powers comes from the statues but that's no explaination at all, in fact that makes it more confusing! Hachiman doesn't make a lick of sense either, from a samurai from the past to now a guy with a robot horse with mystic powers living on another planet. The ending makes even less sense then anything else, with the Cats praising the pooch, who does nothing in the episode except dig up the statue. On the plus side, the animation was better then usual.

The Circus Train: Aside from some very small nits, a rather enjoyable episode. There's a nice continuity nod to Exile Isle. Part of me hopes this is the end of the Lunataks, but I'm not counting on it.

The Last Day: I... Wow... I'm not really sure what to say. That was amazing. Had I seen it as a kid, it would've blown my little mind. The animation was great, the story was strong, and the resolution was shocking. This season finale is stronger then most series finales. I wonder if they thought it could've been the end?

Normally I'd put my summation of the season here, but with what happened I think I'm going to want some time to process it.

[Pravus Prime]

What to say about Season 3? It was on the whole, excellent. That the last two episodes served as a departure point gets even more credit and sets it head and shoulders above other 80's kids cartoons.

This seasson did nothing to improve my opinion of the Lunataks (save Chilla) and if they are gone for good, then good riddance. They worked as short term villains only. Also re-enforced was my opinion that Pumyra and Ben-Gali brings little to the table, given that they had such minimal parts over the course of the entire season to the point where they may as well not exist. Lynx-O has managed to find a solid place among the cast and works most of the time and even when he doesn't, is at least not another scenery chewing character.

My biggest complaints are that I'm not a big fan of the Thundera reformed plotline(s) and the Ancient Spirits of Evil actually being characters, so to say. While I don't have any problems with the idea of having a New Thundera, it really goes against the grain of the first season and one of the core ideas of the series. To simply abandon that just feels wrong. The Ancient Spirits of Evil work as a mantra, as an idea; a focusing tool of Mumm-Ra to channel his powers. To make them actual characters is silly, and to make them terrible bosses is worse. It's not like Mumm-Ra is Skeletor; he has something like a 25-11 record in single combat against Lion-O thus far in the series and freaking killed Lion-O in The Thunderscope (and pretty close to a 100% win rate against anyone who isn't Lion-O). Plus he's lost empowered by the spirits, so it's not like they should be able to do any better. Also it ruins the idea that he is the everliving embodyment and source of evil (which are claims directly made by Mumm-Ra in the series) when he has employers.

That said, that they developed Cheetara and the kittens is fantastic, along with several other elements that they pushed forward. There was that humerous payoff in The Last Day with Snarf presenting the Treasure of Thundera that had been recovered that really felt like a solid payoff for all these episodes dealing with this fetch questy plotline.

Also as an overall, the animation generally seemed to be better. This is also a good a place as any to mention it, but this series does a lot of neat stuff with non-essential animation. From Slithe using his tail to steal cards when the mutants were playing cards, Mumm-Ra's Everliving form having wrists a little too large for the Bracelet of Power, etc. There are a lot of little touches that they did that I liked. Additionally Mumm-Ra's pyramid on Thundera has a different design then the one on Third Earth, so I give them props for that.

I probably don't need to do this, but, some favorite episodes:

• The Thunderscope
• The Last Day
• Bracelet of Power
• Locket of Lies
• The Telepathy Beam

Onto the final season!

[Pravus Prime]

Season 4 is off with a bang! Before I get too far into it, I want to give credit to Captain Braggs crow, Crownin if I'm not mistaken, who is a Groucho Marx character who isn't in your face about it.

I'm not surprised that there's no new opening sequence. It's a Classic and it stayed a constant.

Return to Thundera: Thundera is held together by the thinnest of threads. Man, you gotta feel for Mumm-Ra. First of all, the Ancient Spirits of Evil are jerks. They get rid of him because he doesn't win fast enough, then they can't do anything except bring him back but still lord over him, then when he succeeds the stupid Eye of Thundera Deus Ex Machina's a solution out of thin air and he gets punished for that. If I were Mumm-Ra when I was freed, I would've taken the high ground with the Ancient Spirits of Evil, demanding to know how well things have gone without me and what their plans are now, since I had won when they decided to yank me around; if they want me to come back and play on their team, they're going to be silent partners from here on out. I'd like to know more about Jaguara, she doesn't look all that catlike compared to the others and where she and her gyroscope came from, I like her and won't mind seeing her again. Personal thanks for bringing the Mutants back for a while, but not the Lunataks. Also, slight eyebrow raising at how phallic the Sword of Omens got a few times there. There was some silliness, but there was a lot of awesome and fun in this 5 parter (I was tempted for the first time to review this as 5 episodes instead of one). Also, I like The Whiskers. 9.5/10.

Leah: I'm starting to like the Ancient Spirits less then the Lunataks. I'd like a 6 inch Classics Mirror Wraith if you're listening Bandai. Enjoyable epside.

14 Episodes left. That's a bit sad.

[Pravus Prime]

Not many episodes today.

Frogman: Kit and Kat dig a well and it all goes downhill from there. Thunderkitten episodes are pretty few and far between, so it was nice to get one. However I would've liked to see a few less stories with them as the moral lesson (Don't trust strangers, even if they look friendly) and at least one where they overcome the obstacles through clever thinking. They are supposed to be Wily, it's in their names! I'm also glad they didn't just gloss over all the damage done to their lair. Solid episode.

The Heritage: The Ancient Spirits of Evil seem to be on the side of good. How else can you explain how they keep interfering to prevent Mumm-Ra from winning or gaining a decisive tactical advantage? Blah I dislike them; moreso than the Lunataks. Mumm-Ra should've once again taken the high ground and kept the orb, telling the spirits good luck with their task. OK episode.

Screwloose: Jagara needs a break, so an Overgard character appears to fill in. Except Jagara seems to not be busy the whole episode anyway. Another OK episode.

11 Episodes to go.

[CommanderHazar]

I have to agree with you on the ASoE here. It really seems like Mumm-Ra could come up with the perfect plan to defeat the Thundercats, once and for all, and the ASoE would punish him for both taking too long and not getting the plan approved before implementing it.

[Pravus Prime]

Have I mentioned I don't really care for the Thundera Cats Lair? Because I don't.

Malcar: Ah, the science of ThunderCats. The Feliner can make an extra-solar interplanetary trip, but can't make it to the capsule that's close enough to Thundera for a close up visual picture to be seen and detected from the surface. Mumm-Ra vs Jaga action is always a recipe for a good time. Maybe it's me, but Cheetara didn't sound like Lynne Lipton. Solid episode.

Helpless Laughter: Itzuka the snakey dragon thingy is awesome. I figured we'd get a bit more science and less laser action in creating more water, but a good episode.

Cracker's Revenge: Do I really have to say anything?

The Mossland Monster: Unexplored doesn't mean what they seem to think it means. If you have a name, a visual, and when you mention the location to a fellow member they have descriptive words for it, it's not unexplored. Tygra the Addict decides that he should put himself and the only starship in danger to give him a slight thrill. After his crash landing, he awakens Chia Godzilla. Giant battle finale. Fun episode.

Ma-Mutt's Confusion: Holy crap, new "Stock" Sword of Omens animation! Mumm-Ra is mean to Ma-Mutt, but later realizes he's been a jerk and apologizes and vows to make up for it; awesome. Good episode.

Shadowmaster: The eponymous villain had Clawdus all this time, Lion-O enacts a rescue. Somehow Clawdus went from a redhead to a blonde. Very enjoyable episode.

5 Episodes to go!

[Pravus Prime]

So the journey ends.

Swan Song: I looked up Overgard to see what his background was, and it explains a lot. It's not that he's untalented, but TV writing is not his forte. Not a terrible episode, but I can never watch it again and be content. A poor meh episode.

Touch of Amortus: Amortus bites off more than he can chew. Nice to see Lynx-O in a more central role again. I was expecting Amortus' prisioners to be new Thunderians, but whatever. Neat premise, very good episode.

The Zaxx Factor: Mumm-Rana absolutely sucked at her job if Zaxx and Mumm-Ra ran Third Earth. Fantastic episode.

Well of Doubt: A small time Baron returns to Thundera and thinks he can take over. WRONG! Perhaps Jaguaras biggest role yet. Good episode.

The Book of Omens: The time has come, do or die. The cats (Save Tygra and Pumyra) take objects to the most dangerous parts of Thundera while Lion-O and Mumm-Ra do battle inside the Book to determine the fate and dominion of Thundera. That Mumm-Ra is not the Champion of the ASoE is interesting and somewhat telling. A very strong final message. Good episode.

So ends the original Thundercats series. I'll be doing two more posts, one summing up season 3, and one for the series as a whole. To those who are still reading, thanks.

[Pravus Prime]

Season 4 as a whole was entertaining. While it removed my much loathed Lunataks (save one episode), it also made the ASoE into characters I liked even less. They continued the storyarc of turning Thundera back into a real planet again and really moved in that direction, which I give them credit for, stabilizing and purifying the planet in the last episode. Also that we got a decent finale and one at all is one that I give them credit for. That said, it was also a weaker season IMHO. It had several great stories, but it also felt a bit more plodding then prior seasons.

In order of favorite seasons, I'd rate them 1, 3, 4, 2 out of personal preference, so this season does fall into the worse half of the series despite having some very good ideas and new characters.

I liked Jaguara and I really liked Zaxx. Both fit well into the series IMHO and both could've used a lot more episodes fleshing them out.

Not that it's needed, but some favored episodes:

• The Zaxx Factor
• Leah
• Touch of Amortus
• Helpless Laughter
• The Book of Omens

Which is part of my problem with this season. Outside of Zaxx there weren't any real fantastic episodes. It's not bad, plus personal preferences play a large part, but there weren't the "Wow!" episodes this season or really fun rides for me. 4 OK or worse episodes doesn't help either.

Next up will be a series as a whole and some related thoughts to that.

[Pravus Prime]

It's funny, had you asked me before the revival where ThunderCats fit in, I would've lumped it in with the standard 80's fare, with He-man, Transformers, and the like. Having seen the series though, I would argue to the last that it does not belong in that same category. While I wouldn't necessarily place it in with series like Robotech/Macross, Tekkaman, or the like either, it probably belongs somewhere between the two. It's got mythology and story, but it doesn't get bogged down in it or in being serious.

I'm a big believer in that the better the villain, the better the series, and Mumm-Ra is a great example to exemplify this belief with. Nearly all of my favorite episodes are Mumm-Ra centric ones, and unlike so many other villains, he actually has a winning record in straight combat against his enemies as well as in getting his plans to execute properly. He never suffers from my oft mentioned Villain Decay that so many of his peers suffer from and then gave him his own Moment of Awesome in Mumm-Ra Lives! Part 5 when Mumm-Ra revealed he no longer had his weakness to his reflection, and that's just one of many examples. Truly Mumm-Ra elevated this series.

Then you have the eponymous ThunderCats themselves. Each of the original cast were great ensemble and solo characters that each brought something to the table and could interact with both each other and the environment in interesting and fresh ways. Though the same could not be said of Pumyra and Ben-Gali, Lynx-O and Snarfer both fit in quite well to the series, adding to the cast and their interactions.

If I had to choose one word to describe the series, I would probably pick inconsistant. Not that it should only be viewed as derogatory. That inconsistancy kept the series fresh, you never knew what you were going to get and that made the series a lot more fun. We could have a Snarf and Panthro centric episode with a few mutants, or a Mumm-Ra and Lion-O centric episode, or full casts on both sides episodes or anything in between. We had all sorts of locations on Third Earth and Thundera that were interesting, from the Forest of Silence to the Caves of Cold to keep the settings fresh. Also, just where to place this series as I mentioned, is hard, as it does not fit in with it's peers, making it inconsistant if one were to lump them in the same group for reasons other then when they were made. At the same time, there were also the less desirable inconsistancies, such as episodes like Crackers Revenge. Fortunately with 130 episodes, there's a lot of good episodes to enjoy against the less desirable and easily skipped ones. Similarly, while this series has some absolutely beautiful animation sequences, sometimes it's got some pretty poor ones too (though as a whole, it's better then several other shows).

It can't all be roses though, and for me the detriments of the series lay in some of the Overgard characters/plots, the Lunataks (save Chilla), and the Ancient Spirits of Evil. They tended to sour my enjoyment of the series, but that may be largely personal preference. One element that I fully expected to place in here was the Sword of Deus Ex MacGuffin-- Err, Sword of Omens. Let's face it, it had whatever abilities the writers wanted it to have, from flying Lion-O about, to tunneling through rock, undoing curses, bringing the dead back to life, whatever. However, I didn't mind it oddly enough. I think the music helped.

It would be criminal for me to sum up this series and not pay special attention to the music of the show. This series has by far one of the best soundtracks and took the time to actually develop leitmotifs for all the central characters is astounding. This series badly needs a Soundtrack CD to be made available.

I never expected going into this that I would end up liking the old series far more then the newer one. Mostly due the mythology and ensemble cast interactions, the old series has such a feel to it that works, while the new one seems to be trying far to hard to be their own show and do their own thing. Maybe it's more me, but the original series has so much to it's story that they could've retold this series using modern elements to flesh out the interesting concepts that the original series only barely touched upon and restructed to be more of a storyarc then we got. Imagine a codified history of first and second Earth that was gradually revealed over the course of the series, including origins for the Berbils and the Warrior Women. Imagine Mumm-Ra being built up over time with idea like the one in Dream Master being a 7 episode storyline. Having the mutant society of Castle Plundarr with upheavils and political plays between the various species (as well as consistantly remembering that there are scores of mutants rather then 4).

This was a great series, I already feel a little withdrawal at not having new episodes of ThunderCats to watch anymore. I'm glad Bandai is doing their best to give us a Classics Line, I'm looking forward to them all and will be enjoying then more then I ever would have before.

Thanks to all of you who have read this thread and stuck with me as I rambled on about this series. I was shocked when I noticed the other day that this is one of the most read threads in the forum, having more views then the feedback for 3 of the new series episodes (and 20 away from a fourth!) and is the second highest views for any thread here that isn't a feedback for an episode of the new series.

I think that's everything, I guess there's only one more thing to say...







ThunderCats Ho!

[Ravenxl7]

Sorry to bump a dead thread, but I figured it would be better than starting a new one on the same topic.

I've now got the first two volumes on DVD, and have been rewatching the show over the past couple of days. Most of these episodes I haven't seen since I watched the show as a kid, and some of it I can only vaguely remember, lol. Granted I originally watched the show when it re-aired in the 90's, and I'm not sure exactly how old I was. I just remember watching the show and having a good old time doing so.

One of the things I love about this show, is it's ability to take something normal in other shows, put a spin on it, and make it new and strange...to a certain extent anyways.

I also appreciate the unexpected turns and twists it sometimes takes. Like in the episode Secret of the Ice King. I would have never thought that he was just trying to find the egg/capsule that contained his love.

To put it simple, I'm falling in love with this show a second time around, and I'm slowly showing it to my nephew (to the annoyance of my sister that is), who yells out Thundercats Ho! every time he sees me now, lol. I can't wait to one day show it to my own children one day.

Edit: One thing I find confusing about the second season one volume, is how the five-parter is separated out onto several disks. Makes me wonder when that's supposed to fit into the time-line of the show.

[Pravus Prime]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ravenxl7

Sorry to bump a dead thread, but I figured it would be better than starting a new one on the same topic.

I'm glad you did! I never meant this to be "my" thread, but more of people sharing their rediscovery of the series thread.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ravenxl7

One of the things I love about this show, is it's ability to take something normal in other shows, put a spin on it, and make it new and strange...to a certain extent anyways.

I also appreciate the unexpected turns and twists it sometimes takes. Like in the episode Secret of the Ice King. I would have never thought that he was just trying to find the egg/capsule that contained his love.

Yeah, it does that. Sometimes it'll follow the standard format and sometimes it bucks the trend.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ravenxl7

Edit: One thing I find confusing about the second season one volume, is how the five-parter is separated out onto several disks. Makes me wonder when that's supposed to fit into the time-line of the show.

I'm guessing you're talking about the Trials of Lion-O. If so, they were meant to be viewed together as a 5 part episode, but beyond that, they can fit almost anywhere into Season 1 really.

The order is the production order, which is why the Trials are broken up.

[Ravenxl7]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pravus Prime

I'm guessing you're talking about the Trials of Lion-O. If so, they were meant to be viewed together as a 5 part episode, but beyond that, they can fit almost anywhere into Season 1 really.

The order is the production order, which is why the Trials are broken up.

I didn't know they had been produced in that order. Makes sense now. Just that, with the way the last one ends, it would be nice to know how that was meant to fit in the overall time-line of the show (what with Mumm-Ra being defeated, and the ASoE bringing him back). Then again, with a couple of exceptions (mainly the beginning and end), the show in general doesn't have much of an overall story to it.

I'm only about half-way through S1V2, but I'm already looking forward to getting the season two volumes. Would be great to find them at retail like I have the season one volumes, but I'm probably going to have to buy them online. Though with my local Walmart, it can be a bit of a surprise to see what they'll put out at times (I never would have expected them to have the season one volumes, so you never know).

Edit: woo hoo...post #600...

[Balgus82]

The trials were made to be a 5 part story, but when they aired them on TV they only aired one part a week with the other days in the week having normal episodes. And the DVDs have the show in the order they aired in.

[CommanderHazar]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Balgus82

The trials were made to be a 5 part story, but when they aired them on TV they only aired one part a week with the other days in the week having normal episodes. And the DVDs have the show in the order they aired in.

That may depend on where you lived and what the individual stations did. When I was watching them back during the original airings, the local station here aired them all in the same week, Monday through Friday.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ravenxl7

One thing I find confusing about the second season one volume, is how the five-parter is separated out onto several disks. Makes me wonder when that's supposed to fit into the time-line of the show.

Personally, I always just wait until I get to the end of season 1, and watch them all then as I think they make a great season finale.

[Pravus Prime]

Quote:

Originally Posted by CommanderHazar

Personally, I always just wait until I get to the end of season 1, and watch them all then as I think they make a great season finale.

I can certainly understand doing that and I may even recommend that to a friend watching the series for the first time. However I personally really like Fond Memories as a first season finale.

[CommanderHazar]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pravus Prime

I can certainly understand doing that and I may even recommend that to a friend watching the series for the first time. However I personally really like Fond Memories as a first season finale.

Yeah, and I think it was supposed to be the actual season finale, and putting the Trials after it does present some continuity problems. The biggest I noticed was that Lion-o didn't know about Acid Lake until that episode, something he did know about in "Return of The Driller."

I remember seeing an episode guide that attempted to put things in a kind of continuity order, and had the Trials in the first half of the season, but I can't recall where I saw that.

[Yardbird]

I love the old "ThunderCats" despite its flaws. I own it on DVD. The new "ThunderCats" has its own flaws, but I love that version too.

[OmenBill]

Even if it's aged and some find it cheesy I dare anyone to find something that is as catchy and epic as the original theme song. I mean that driving piano and guitar solo at the credits is just awesome.

Mumm-Ra's transformations were always awesome to watch.

The animation that classic hand drawn animation, for some reason I always liked the look of Rankin Bass's cartoons, they always had this look that was saturday morning cartoons meets heavy metal album art covers.

Now I gotta go watch an episode haha.