Review: 'Duck Tales' passes the baton to a new generation
Posted Tuesday, December 12, 2017 at 5:04 PM Central
by John Couture
When the original Duck Tales series ran on TV in the late 1980s, I was entering my teens, so my cartoon days were waning. And yet, there was something so compelling about the show that I became a pretty big fan.
After I started high school, I was too busy to stay current on the show, but I still have fond memories of it and I was happy to hear that they were rebooting it this year. My kids are at the perfect age for it now and I was looking forward to them discovering the show and for me rediscovering it.
Needless to say, they both loved the show and I found that my own enjoyment of it has only increased since my early teens. The new show works on at least two levels. For those that are just getting into Duck Tales now like my children, the awe-inspiring tales are just as compelling as the original ones were on us in the 1980s. But, the people making these new episodes are obviously big fans of the original series and have updated the storylines to include elements that resonate with an older demographic.
Children won't be as obsessed about the reason behind Donald and Scrooge's estranged relationship as we might be, but these various elements help to ease the pain of the inevitable non-stop rewatching of each episode. I don't recall these multi-episode story arcs from the original series, but again, I was 12.
A few things that I particularly enjoyed about Duck Tales: Woo-oo! were the strong cast and the distinctive animation style. The voice cast includes a superb David Tenant as Scrooge McDuck and Danny Pudi, Ben Schwartz and Bobby Moynihan as Huey, Dewey, and Louie. The ever-versatile Kate Micucci adds a nice touch as Webby Vanderquack. I know that Webby popped up occasionally in the original series, but I have a feeling that she's going to be a regular in the reboot to help balance out the gender roles, which is a good thing.
SNL cast member Beck Bennett provides great comic beats as Launchpad McQuack. He quickly became my favorite character and I wonder if Disney XD will spin him off like they did back in the old days with Dark Wing Duck.
The animation style is distinctive enough that the series stands alone and won't be confused with the original show. The pixelated art used repeatedly echoes the art from classic comic books and is a nice homage to the property's roots. It's not a style that we see much of these days and it's an effective technique to make the series memorable.
Overall, Duck Tales: Woo-oo! is a great entry point for the new series on Disney XD. It also provided another means to connect with my kids through entertainment which is something that I hope becomes a lifelong tradition. Just as Huey, Dewey, and Louie are able to give Scrooge McDuck a new lease on life, sharing this show with my children give us more opportunities to bond.
Duck Tales: Woo-oo! is now available on DVD and the first season continues to air on Disney XD.
