What’s the best way to celebrate America on this sure-to-be-slow movie news day? Manimals! Almost ten minutes of new footage from Cartoon Network’s reboot of the 1980s TV series ThunderCats. I didn’t much follow ThunderCats when I was kid. I was more of a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles-man…boy…person. In any event, if you’re looking forward to the reboot or if you want your kids to look forward to the reboot, hit the jump to check out the footage plus new images/wallpapers. ThunderCats will debut with an hour-long premiere on July 29th.
Footage via BleedingCool.
Wallpapers via the official ThunderCats website.
Here’s the official synopsis for ThunderCats:
The ThunderCats are on the move! After the kingdom of Thundera is attacked by the lizard people, Lion-O leads Tygra, Cheetara and the other heroes on a quest for the Book of Omens and the magic stones of legend. But he’ll have to face villains like Mumm-Ra, the ancient evil sorceror, and Slithe, the dangerous lizard general. Luckily, he has the Sword of Omens and its amazing powers at his disposal. Watch free online videos and get free downloads from ThunderCats on Cartoon Network. ThunderCats, ho!
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woah…that actually looks pretty cool. animation is looking great and the same goes for the voice acting. story seems to be a lot deeper compared to original. thank goodness they chose not to make snarf talk.
anyway i’m really looking forward to this!
Still not sure how I feel about the new version of Thundercats. The first couple minutes of footage I felt like someone assassinated my childhood but seeing the cats in action was pretty bad ass. Ill keep an open mind for the first few episodes at least. The original is pretty cheesy but it was my fav cartoon as a kid so I’m just excited to see the Thundercats back in the public eye.
I totally agree with Ryan. The first 2 mins stank! I’m also finding the new character designs a hinderance. It has an oppressive Anime feel to it, where as the original created beautiful anatomically astounding designs. I’m very disappointed that with all the technology at their disposal, Cheetara running at full throttle was simply a block of light. If they want this to start a craze equal to or bigger than the one in the 80s, they need to make the stories spectacular, aiming for emotions above the cookie-cutter cliche shows. If I were a kids today, I don’t think I’d want to be the new Lion-o in the same way I wanted to be him back in the 80s.
Well, what can I say, with lines like: “…but only he who is worthy, can harness it’s AWESOME power”, I can only expect the worst… Still hope it turns out OK…
“Awesome” in this context can be quite rightly interpreted in its archaic manner of usage.
To our modern ear, it may sound too ‘hip’, but it’s rightly used and not overtly anachronistic.
I totally agree with Jenkins here. And even if they were using the word awesome in the modern sense of the word, it isn’t enough to condemn the show.
Has anyone else noticed that this clip, Clawdus, Lion-O’s father ( voiced by the original Lion-O ), refers to the long ago “…time when the original Thundercats came to Third Earth…” and first defeated Mumm-Ra.
This makes sense as the new series takes place on Third Earth and not Thundera.
Surely this means this new series can be seen – if you want it to – as a sequel to the orinal series OR just a reboot ( if you have no recollection of the originals.
Very clever way of reconciling both series ( and fans old and new alike ) into one overall universe…
I actually like the anime animation style – far superior to the modern unsophisticated style that unfortunately seems to be the rage these days in modern cartoons…
Lion-O looks stupid and where the heck is Pantrho?
In image #1, Ash and Misty sure got ugly.
“I choose you SNARF!”
“SNARF,SNARF.”
That was below the belt. -_-
Yeah Studio 4 C!
Its gotta be a Japanese studio doing this animation
Looks cool. When I was a kid, the original was cool right up until the intro animation was over. Then, I just kept wishing the actual show lived up to that intro. Never did. I did some flipbooks mimicking the opening sequence.
At least the premiere episode of this new take looks quality. The characters actually have something to fight for, there seems to be a mythology to it, etc. The animation quality is actually far better than I expected.
Find it very funny that an earlier poster balked at the word “Awesome”. I guess times change and meaning gets lost. Makes me feel old.
Some people are iffy about this remake/reboot. Me? Very optimistic about it actually. It certainly seems fresh. The animation is awesome, the voice acting is great and the story feels more deeper than the original. Loyalists to the original should consider themselves lucky to get a reboot like this because not all remade 80′s toons have been given the same good treatment. I know this may sound “blasphemous” to some, but I think this show would give the franchise a much needed jolt after 2 decades.
Correct me if I’m wrong but I felt the “awesome power” reference in the clip, and mentioned above, to see too eerily similar to Thor’s hammer. I agree with aaronsullivan that the intro montage was never replicated in the episodes. I’m not a fan of the anime as it makes me recall “The Littles”…
As someone who grew up in the 80′s and was a big fan of the original series, I’m both curious and concerned. Although I anxiously await to see Pantro, as he was one of my favorites.
Same here. This is how I felt about Battlestar Galactica. Then 5 sec. into the pilot-”In the beginning man created the cylons.” I knew something was wrong. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
BSG – has to be one of the best remakes….still tight to this day! watch the whole thing and you will see why man made cylons….
Thundercats, yes – animation looks good….
However, I still have an issue – all these weapons? What is the point……they are never used to their full potential…..
I think this will be more Galactica 80 rather than BSG!
BSG-not a remake, it’s a reimagining, they made MAJOR plot changes. Same with this. BSG had its good points however, in the original cylons were built by an alien race and thats the one plot change I couldn’t get over. I hope the changes with Thundercats won’t ruin the ORIGINAL intent. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. I wish them the best. At least Pantho isn’t female in this version.
Hope the INTRO music is intact, that was the greatest thing about the 80s show. So powerful. Shame Lion-O is designed so horrible in this, otherwise I tend to agree, it does look great as a reboot… Wish they didnt give Panthro silly sideburns too. Other than that, looks epic.
Actually, in the 80s show, didn’t Lion O, start off young.. then grow into a man after his training? Maybe his hair wont look so terribli when he’s older.
Dear WB. Go Frak yourselves for taking down the video. Just for that I won’t watch it live I will bittorrent it. Jerks.
the more I look at this series the more disgusted I get. The story looks slick. The music good. The voice actors well selected. The animation….for complete and total ****. Seriously. the characters alone are horrid. They look like you took standard people, slapped on ears, changed the eyes, and colored the hair and skin and called it a day. Go look at the original animation for the cats in the original series. They looked feline. This on the other hand looks like more crap Korean cookie cutter imported animation where you go for the cheapest possible animation you can get. You want the perfect example of this? Look at the Sword of Omens. Its quality looks pathetic in what should be considered a beauty shot of the sword.
And maybe I’m partial because I’m a furry fan, and having seen artists take their time to really THINK how a character is designed *glares* Not porn dang it!) before they go full bore into the drawing. But I’ve seen better character art drawn by 18 year old kids then this. And that is saying something. This is cookie cutter animation designed to be pumped out in short order to just get it out there. But again what do you expect out of WB and Cartoon Network?
PS- And I suppose I’ve been spoiled on the comics as well. Lion O breaking someone’s neck. I saw that and was all kinds of woah…
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