Thundercats HOOOOO!!

     Last night, the new "Thundercats" series premiered on Cartoon Network. 
     First of all, I was a huge fan of the original 80's series, so when I first heard about this revamped version I was a bit skeptical. Then I saw the preview pics of the characters and I thought "well, another beloved childhood memory has been ruined". After watching the premiere last night all I can say is, I was wrong.
     The first thing I noticed was, that this is definitely NOT the Thundercats of the '80's.  This is a beautifully rendered, more sophisticated version. The characters are more dynamic. The backstory is more richly developed.
     <<SPOILER ALERT>>
     In the original series' premiere the story line was a little vague, to say the least. The planet Thundera is being destroyed. A group of Thundercats led by Jaga and including the young prince Lion-o are on a ship that escapes the destruction.  It's never explained who the other Thundercats (Cheetara, Panthro, etc) are or why they are on the ship. We're never told where they end up or who the evil Mumm-ra is or why he is "evil". I'm sure this was done to appeal to a young kid audience. I, for one, am glad that the producers of the new series decided to appeal to a more sophisticated (or older) audience
     The new series fills in all the gaps of the original. It showed a much more complex relationship between characters (Lion-o and Tigera as rivals for the crown? Awesome!! Cheetara as a Cleric that protects the royal family? Genius!)
      The premiere also tackled some big time themes, namely, Technology. Is technology and advantage or can it be the downfall of a society? I think the show, and possibly the series, takes a decidedly anti- tech stand. The advanced technology of the lizards eventually causes the destruction of Thundera, but Lion-o's knowledge and also acceptance of the technology, helps his true leadership skills shine through, which ultimately will drive the rest of the series, I'm sure.
      Overall I was very impressed with the direction the newly revamped "Thundercats" is headed and I hope that the show continues along the same track.