Integration

[Beej B]

Hi all. New member, first post. Very excited to be here!

Just watched the 2-part premiere yesterday, and must whole-heartedly agree that this reboot is the best in a long, long time. The comparisons to the 200X Masters of the Universe series are completely warranted, and those same first impressions were indeed validated upon seeing the 2011 series premiere. This re-launch feels so much more epic, deep and intense than its 80's predecessor and it satisfies all the shortcomings of the 80's show that even fondness and nostalgic devotion cannot mask. Essentially, it's the show and story you truly want it to be in the here and now - far more sophisticated and adult, without forgetting it's still a kids show, nor the roots of where it came from.

The production values here are simply gorgeous to behold. The animation is crisp, stunning and fluid. The voice-acting, shoulder to shoulder with the very best work in the industry today. And the writing is SUPERB. This new series really represents just how wonderful a reboot/re-launch of a long-dormant and much-beloved property can be when done with the right amount of TLC and craftsmanship. I hope this series stays on the air and succeeds for many years to come, because it certainly deserves to do so.

Friedle really hit all the right marks as Lion-O. Loved his work on Batman Beyond, and he didn't disappoint here. Hearing Larry as Claudius did indeed make the geek tears well up in the corners of my eyes. And the arc of his death was immense - went out like a true legend, Mufasa-style. Tygra and Cheetara show extreme promise and will undoubtedly continue to impress in this incarnation. And wow - Mumm-ra was pretty dang scary - loved the twist with his introduction and did not see it coming whatsoever. Top-notch stuff right there. And Clancy's Grune was stellar, right down to the nasty Trojan Horse betrayal. Looking forward to more of WilyKit and WilyKat, and Snarf was indeed made over to perfection - reminded me yet again of the 200X MOTU series where they toned down Cringer and Battle Cat and made them much more believable as loyal animal companions who didn't talk all the time in some annoying voice and banter, lol.

You can really feel the injection of Middle Earth in this incarnation, too - just like the MOTU reboot. The battle scenes here were AMAZING to watch and spectacularly animated. Loved the virtually seamless integration of the CG stuff - very impressive. And Jaga even pulled a Gandalf the Grey near the end! I fully agree with those predicting the Obi-Wan ghost treatment once more - seems like a given, and a suitable storytelling instrument to utilize for the character as a spiritual mentor all over again.

All in all, I have positively no complaints. This series is absolutely fantastic thus far and will no doubt get better and better with each episode. The producers clearly respect the lineage of the property and knew what they were doing in bringing it back with such a tremendously awesome new incarnation that will no doubt win over new fans while re-capturing the interests of old ones alike. It's truly a perfect re-launch IMO, and I cannot wait to see where the rest of this wild ride takes us.

Looking forward to discussing more of this great new series with all of you. HOOOOOO!!!