Voltron Force

Alright, so when they remake the classics, I feel obligated to at least give it a shot.

The first scene rubbed me the wrong way, everything I don't like about modern cartoons. Teenagers with attitudes, that art-style that strikes me as a budget anime knockoff, mixed with CGI in a jarring way. A RAP THEME SONG. If I hadn't been distracted writing that Torchwood piece at the same time, I probably would've turned it off right away.

In the first few minutes, we establish that Voltron has been mothballed by an untrusting Galaxy Alliance, that at the pilot school you're not even allowed to mention Voltron. The original Voltron cast is still around, apparently more or less loyal to the Galaxy Alliance while Keith is an enemy of the state. And I quickly realize that the script for this pilot is actually pretty good. 

Not great. Maybe if the kids who are recruited to be trained as the next generation of Voltron pilots weren't there... but at least they're not instantly walking in and replacing the old cast, and they're not as bad as they could be, even while they do get a couple of cringeworthy lines. And the lions are far more animated than in the original series, without going so far that they didn't feel like robots anymore. I did like the fighting scenes.

Ultimately, I came away with a feeling that they respected what's come before, and I appreciate that. But after I finished the three-part premiere, I watched the fourth episode, and the story wasn't up to that same level. If you were a fan of the original, I'd encourage you to try it out for yourself... yet I imagine I'll simply forget about it before too much longer.

Especially since another potentially great remake debuts July 29th.