Thundercats Are On The Loose - Thundercats Review

Thundercats are on the move, Thundercats are loose. Feel the magic, hear the roar, Thundercats are loose!

Cartoon Network as finally aired the first episode of the new Thundercats and it definitely came in with a roar. This show will appeal to classic Thundercats fans and those new to the series.

Notable voice actors in this new series include Larry Kennedy (who voiced Lion-O / Jackalman / Snarf in the original Thundercats) as King Claudus, Will Friedle as Lion-O, Emmanuelle Chriqui as Cheetara, Matthew Mercer as Tygra, Corey Burton as Jaga, and Clancy Brown as Grune the Destroyer. The voices in the show are fantastic and really add to the feeling of the show that original fans are looking for.
Spoilers ahead. 

Right off the bat, the animation style is nice and fluid and filled with vibrant colors. They've done an amazing job and the voice acting was done really well for this first episode. I really liked the animation style for the mech warriors that was just slightly different than the animation of the show so that they stood out. I liked this because they set it up so that you understood that technology was thought to be a story and not exist. So when you saw them, they appeared slightly different than anything they would be used to. I really liked that right from the start the show began to build a history to the world that has some mystery to it. The subtle sound effects of the Sword of Omens deeply reminded me of the original series.

The show has some differences throughout but you are so engrossed in the show that you don't mind. Snarf's new look is a great improvement and I have to admit that he's now adorable instead of nagging. Tygra as Lion-O's older brother is an interesting change and it will bring some interesting chemistry between the characters. Cheetara was one of Jaga's clerics which has the possibility of adding some depth to her character. Seeing King Claudus and Grune the Destroyer throughout the episode is just a lot fun for fans since they were not physically present in the original show. Furthermore the show does a great job at introducing all the characters and giving you the feel for the Thunderian society; from the Thunderian court, to the sporting arena, and the merchant streets. Getting able to see Thundera and the Thunderian society at its full height is a great sight. It adds a lot of depth to the show and it created a wonderful introductory episode.  

The Trojan horse may have been expected but the battle sequence between the Thunderian army and the Mutant army was exciting. From the unexpected entrance of the Mutant's mech warriors to seeing Jaga's clerics rush into battle, the sequence was non-stop fun. Then hearing Claudus shout "Thundercats Hoooo!" and using the Sword of Omens to its full extent was an exciting sight! Icing on the cake however was the betrayal of Grune the Destroyer. I had expected it later on and not in this first episode and it definitely caught me by surprise. The entance of Mumm-Ra was brilliant and I laughed real hard when he failed to turn into Mumm-Ra the Ever-Living. Lastly, watching Lion-O become the Lord of the Thundercats and wield the Sword of Omens and shout out "Thunder, thunder, thunder, thundercats! Hoooo!!" put a big smile on my face because it brought back so many childhood memories and I realized that there are many more new ones to come.

When you look at this first episode it really brought us everything we wanted and more. It gave us a brief look at the Thunderians and Thundercat characters we had only heard of through conversation in the original show while ending with the story structure that we are familiar with; Lion-O being named the Lord of the Thundercats, the core of the Thundercats team being formed, and the two sides of the great war being set.

The Thundercats franchise is in great hands and I highly recommend this new series to all original fans and everyone that is interested in quality shows. Thundercats are here to stay.