No discussion of the “new” Ducktales show? (Well, new as opposed to the old 1987 show - it’s recently been renewed for a third season, if I understand correctly).
We just got the last episode of the first season here on Disney Channel (Scandinavia is behind the curve, as usual) which was good stuff. I was pretty skeptical of the new “blocky” artstyle they had adapted for this, but have to admit that it grew on me after a while. Helps that the animation is really, really good, of course. And the voice acting is fabulous (David Tennant as Scrooge McDuck hits it out of the park).
But mostly it’s just taking a classic TV series, and performing the almost unheard of feat that it is to make it better. Giving the three nephews distinct personalities works, opening up the sibling dynamic. Scrooge is softened a bit, but in ways which don’t lose his character and makes him more palatable to modern audiences. Webby is no longer “the girl”. Grandma Beakley is so much more than a housekeeper. And I absolutely love what they’ve done with Donald in this show (compared to his complete absence in the original).
It’s funnier and in some ways more wacky than the old Ducktales, but at the same time also far more emotionally grounded, with distinct characters who all have their characters arcs during the show. And for the past six months, it’s been me and my boy’s go-to show that we watch together.
First I’m hearing of a new Ducktales! I loved the 80s show, so I’m definitely for checking this out. I wonder if this is one of those things the new Disney+ streaming service will let me see.
I’d suspect it’s heading there. We have the DC XTRA thing available (which collects a few of the Disney Channel and XD series), but it doesn’t have Ducktales yet. So I assume they’re holding it back for the new streaming service - would make sense, considering that it’s generally been very well received.
If you have fond memories of the original, the chances are pretty good you’ll enjoy the new one. It’s very much a kid’s show, but there are a ton of great callbacks to the original,
It is hard - Donald has his iconic voice in the series, and it’s always been border-line incomprehensible.
It pays off in the last episode, though. It’s essentially explained as a speech impediment. Don Cheadle voices Donald in the final episode after he (temporarily) gets a corrective gadget (the Barksian Modulator) from Gyro and it’s played to good effect. The final 3 episodes really made Donald my favorite thing about this entire reboot.
I recently binged the first two seasons of this while recovering from surgery, and holy cow - it’s fantastic.
It’s got great jokes (and not just, like, “funny for a kids’ show” jokes - it’s legitimately funny, due to the strength of the cast and insanely clever writing). Each season has six or seven metaplots that all resolve neatly. I love how all of the characters are made distinct from their original 1987 selves. They’re all given lots of identity and backstory, and each character evolves in a fulfilling way over time. It’s great TV.
The various family dynamics form this beautiful emotional core. When a certain character “returns” in the middle of the second season, that’s a legitimate tearjerker moment that only works because you’ve followed everyone involved in the reunion and understand the emotional stakes. Just amazingly solid plotting and writing.
In some ways, the show reminds me of Community, and not just because of the Jim Rash/Danny Pudi/Paget Brewster voice acting. The show is self-aware and subversive, and it both appreciates the intellect of the audience and shows reverence to the original series.
Also, Flintheart Glomgold is the best character.
I’ve only watched the first two episodes of the third season, but I’m trying to track down a family member’s cable login so I can watch the rest. The series has officially concluded but likely won’t be on Disney+ for a little while.
Thinking of watching this as I had to extend my sub to D+ to finish Gravity Falls, which I hadn’t even heard of before. I think it was only ever on satellite/cable here.
I can sorta see that they are trying really hard to differentiate the twins, but I can NEVER remember which one is which. One is a business freak, one a Woodchuck fan & one an adventurer I think? But I still can’t keep them straight!
Its a bit disapointing that Donald is still so far on the fringes and unintelligible as I really like him.
I felt the same way near the beginning, but they definitely “solidify” the triplets’ personalities more as time goes on. Huey the by-the-book cub scout. Dewey the self-absorbed mama’s boy. And Louie the lazy opportunist. All three grow and evolve, though - by the end, they’re fundamentally changed from who they were when they started. All of which is a far cry from the original series, where I’m not sure they were distinguished at all from one another or saw any character development whatsoever.
They give him more to do than in the original Ducktales (where he is completely absent), and he easily has the best character moments of the show. “What Ever Happened to Donald Duck?” is a brilliant, brilliant piece of writing that both fits perfectly into the show, but also honors the long, long comics history of the Ducks.
Also, everything @SadleyBradley said. Great show - just annoyed at how long time they’re taking to translate the final 15 or so episodes to Norwegian. Impatient to watch the final season with my sons (and after, I’ll be sad that there will be no more).
