October 24, 2003

[Turtlemania]

I agree... and i loved the turtles. I would have had the entire fleet of turtles stuff, but my mom was crazy and wouldn't let me... which sucked. That and my dad was living in Germany while we were living in Texas so I didn't have any backup support on the need for cool Turtle Toys.

I miss Bebop and Rocksteady too. I actually miss Krang the most, because Krang and Shredder, if you watch the old episodes, had some of the funniest dialogue between the two. Krangs little off-handed comments were probably more funnier for adults than kids, but that's what made it enjoyable for me. And again, I miss the technodrome... the fact that the new Turtles lack it does suck...

But, I still defend the new series.

First off, think about it, if they made it like the old one, it would be more of a ripoff. It's supposed to be a remake, a new take on a classic story. So long as they stick to similar elements and add new things and change it up, then I think it brings new life into it. I am bothered by some things. The fact that Bebop and Rocksteady aren't in it bothers me... but then again, early into the show means that they still have a season or two to add them in before it becomes unforgivable.

I haven't decided which Raph I like better. The new one is edgier and much more like the Movie version, and I liked the movie version. Plus, the do a much better job of playing the tension between Raph and Leo than the old cartoon ever did. And again... Leo was a fuckin' pansy in the old one. I couldn't imagine why he was leader in the old one... in the new one he seems much more the leader type.

That doesn't mean I don't love the old one... i still like it more right now and that will prolly always remain the same...

well, except for the final two series of the classic. I don't know if any of you remember them, but I have all of the Turtles Episodes, and I was watching the last two and remembering why the Turtles ended.

First of all, Krang and Shredder are no more, replaced by a villian named Dregg. Any of you remember him? He was a bug-like alien who was trying to take over Earth and use it as a new base of operations, but the turtles kept getting in the way.

They also introduced the idea that the Turtles were still mutating, and occasionally they would mutate into uglier but stronger versions of themselves.

And then there was Carter. Carter. Some human ninja guy that got mutagen on him and it allowed him to mutate at will into this strong yellow guy. It was then that the Turtles really began to lose it. When Shredder was around, he had some super deep voice that for the Shredder of that time - it just didn't fit.

I don't know yet if this new series will be as good as the old, but I think its off to a pretty good start. It would be rash to mark it down based ONLY on one season, compared to the classic series which had TEN seasons behind it (even if we only really want to remember the first eight).

Will there be a technodrome, a Krang, and (hopefully) a Rocksteady and Bebop? We'll, I think there's a fairly good chance of seeing at least some of those elements come back.

Oh, and lest i forget - i'm actually quite glad the new show isn't completely like the old show. Really go back and watch the old shows and think about now... I don't think it would have been as successful now as it was back then. Worst of all, I worry that if they had made it the same as the classic one... 1) as grown-ups (if we could be called that), we might have a different perception of our beloved classic, and 2) I wouldn't have the same appreciate for the classic.

Mimicry is great sometimes, but sometimes the best way to honor a classic is to give it a new edge while paying homage to it in ways that when you watch it, there are little parts that alude to the classic... little things that only those of us who had turtle underwear and turtle pj's would remember.

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