ThunderCats: The Complete Series Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.5
Audio		3.5
Extras		0.0
Overall		3.0

ThunderCats: The Complete Series Blu-ray Movie Review

Thunder, Thunder, ThunderCats... Hoooo!!!!

Reviewed by Kenneth Brown January 5, 2015

Nostalgia's a funny little thing. Take a second, hop online and watch an episode of the original 1980s ThunderCats. Did you feel the floor drop out from under you? Your stomach knot up a bit? Your brow furrow? Did a dumbfounded "huh" escape your lips? Though still a great deal of fun in its own camptastic, toyline-driven way, the series that launched a cult cartoon classic most likely differs from the show you've been replaying in your head over the decades. Stiff action, stiffer voice acting and some of the most unintentionally hilarious outfits this side of He-Man. Don't misunderstand: I love ThunderCats. Forever will. But there's nothing wrong with perspective when it comes to childhood memories, and even less wrong with having a good, affectionate chuckle at your personal taste's expense.

It's clear Michael Jelenic and Ethan Spaulding -- creators of Cartoon Network's ThunderCats single-season reboot -- did just that. Their adoration of the original series is readily apparent. Every frame, scene and battle oozes the sort of respect, heart and fondness that only springs from true TV love. The pair also aren't afraid to revitalize the mythos and characters, even when it requires significant changes. The result is simultaneously a love letter to the original '80s show and a whole new breed of ThunderCats, enthusiastically inspired by, but not beholden to its predecessor.

Give me sight beyond sight...

The ThunderCats are back! After the destruction of the cat civilization of Thundera by the evil Mumm-Ra (Robin Atkin Downes), young Prince Lion-O (Will Friedle) leads a small band of survivors to safety. As the threats of Mumm-Ra ring in their ears, these determined cats know what they must do: find the Book of Omens. Using his powerful Sword of Omens, Lion-O guides his friends -- Tygra (Matthew Mercer), Cheetara (Emmanuelle Chriqui), Panthro (Kevin Michael Richardson), WilyKit (Madeleine Hall), WilyKat (Eamon Pirruccello) and Snarf (Satomi Kōrogi) -- facing vicious foes and making fantastic new allies while racing towards a showdown with Mumm-Ra.

How does the new ThunderCats fare? The anime-born visuals, courtesy of Studio 4°C, are striking and fluid. The action is quick and often exciting. The stories are a decided upgrade over what came before (even if the scripts and dialogue occasionally disappoint), and the voice casting is a vast improvement. The adventures are engaging (every now and then, gripping even), the scope suitably epic, and the humor sharp enough to keep things light. And, while it's a shame the show was cancelled after 26 episodes (52 were planned), the final episodes work reasonably well as a series finale, without too many unbearable cliffhangers to suffer through.

Is the show a revolutionary reimaging? Not quite. Too many somewhat inconsequential filler episodes tend to bog down the more sophisticated drama and character-deepening in-fighting that pops up throughout the season, and the villains are a touch too dim-witted for anyone's good. But I enjoyed the 26-episode run, while my son, now 10, was thrilled from start to finish. (He chastised me for not adding it to my Top Ten list for 2014. I addressed his concerns by having yet another chat about how opinions work. I suspect a few unruly forum members could use the same lecture.) As father-son Blu-bonding goes, ThunderCats joins Young Justice, Green Lantern: The Animated Series and other WAC animated releases as something of a must-have.

ThunderCats: The Complete Series features 26 episodes spread across two BD-50 discs:

1. Omens, Part 1
2. Omens, Part 2
3. Ramlak Rising
4. Song of the Petalars
5. Old Friends
6. Journey to the Tower of Omens
7. Legacy
8. The Duelist and the Drifter
9. Berbils
10. Sight Beyond Sight
11. The Forest Of Magi Oar
12. Into The Astral Plane
13. Between Brothers
14. New Alliances
15. Trials of Lion-O, Part 1
16. Trials of Lion-O, Part 2
17. Native Son
18. Survival of the Fittest
19. The Pit
20. Curse of Ratilla
21. Birth of the Blades
22. The Forever Bag
23. Recipe for Disaster
24. The Soul Sever
25. What Lies Above, Part 1
26. What Lies Above, Part 2

ThunderCats: The Complete Series Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The Blu-ray edition of ThunderCats: The Complete Series exhibits far less banding and macroblocking than your average animated television release, and distractions are limited to a few minor, tough-to-spot-in-motion instances of aliasing inherent to Studio 4°C's CG elements (like the ThunderTank). In other words, all 26 episodes are smooth, pristine, 1080p/AVC-encoded beauties. Colors are bright and bold, with vibrant contrast and deep, inky blacks. Detail is excellent too, with crisply defined line art (free of ringing), nicely preserved background textures, and first rate, across-the-board clarity. If the animators intended it, it's there. Imperfections in the animation? Present and accounted for. High scoring visuals? Only made better by the quality of the high definition presentation. I don't have any complaints.

ThunderCats: The Complete Series Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Warner Archive once again settles for a DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 stereo mix. Kudos on the lossless, as usual, but it a full six-channel track would have certainly been appreciated, especially with ThunderCats being an action-oriented animated series. Ah well. What we have here is more than serviceable, with intelligible, perfectly prioritized voices (that don't "hover" over the soundscape too often), engaging sound effects and music, and nothing in the way of overcrowded or mismanaged sound design.

ThunderCats: The Complete Series Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The 2-disc Blu-ray release of ThunderCats: The Complete Series doesn't include any special features.

ThunderCats: The Complete Series Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

ThunderCats rises from the grave, tweaking a familiar formula, refining all the necessary elements and delivering a show sure to delight fans of the original while capturing the imaginations of a younger generation who've never held a extendable toy Sword of Omens in front of their eyes. There are a few problems, but kids won't notice -- or care -- and the fun they'll have bonding with their '80s-conscious moms and dads is well worth the price of admission. Warner's Blu-ray release is strong too, with a terrific video presentation and solid DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 stereo track. There aren't any special features (a trend I wish WAC would get away from), but that shouldn't prevent anyone from adding it to their Amazon cart. This one comes recommended.