Reboots - cinematic evidence of creative malaise wafting forth from Hollywood studios far and wide. From superhero movies to classic cartoons, they’re practically a given when it comes to any dormant franchise. Even reboots of Darkwing Duck, Batman: The Animated Series (in the form of Batman: Caped Crusader coming out in 2023), Avatar: The Last Airbender supposedly getting a live action reboot, and many more. Often, these reboots of beloved series at least earn the hatred of diehard fans. However, there are a few diamonds in the rough.

One of these so-called diamonds is DuckTales (2017). This adaptation of the hit 1987 TV show took the iconic duck triplets and their great Uncle Scrooge and made this Saturday-morning cartoon into a more story driven show. This show introduced the triplets, Huey, Dewey, and Louie, as well as the richest duck in the world to a brand new generation.

Another well-liked reboot was Scooby Doo! Mystery Incorporated (2010). Comparable to DuckTales (2017), this show took a well-loved franchise and made it a story-driven show. Throughout this series, viewers got to see how the characters changed, and the plot developed as the show went on, with new clues revealed as episodes were aired. Among the many reboots of Scooby Doo, this one is, without a doubt, the best iteration of those “meddling kids” and their “stupid dog”. These two series seem to succeed because of how they turned shows that had little to no story at all into shows that developed a storyline that lasted whole seasons. These story-driven reboots seem to be working very well, but sometimes the opposite happens, which is when a story-driven show is turned into an episodic series.

One would usually expect reboots to improve upon the faults of the originals, but this is not always the case. Reboots are often hated due to how much was changed from the original version, usually because of decisions made by executives who barely know anything about the source material. One of the most prominent examples is Teen Titans.

After running for five seasons, the show just ended in 2006 with the episode, “Things Change.” Then, seven years later, in 2013, a new show by the title of Teen Titans Go! came out, to less than favorable reviews by the fans of its predecessor. Teen Titans Go! received a 38% from Rotten Tomatoes, but the original Teen Titans got a 92%.

A reboot that was widely regarded as terrible was Mulan (2020). This movie took the famous Disney film, which in the original was a musical, and completely changed the whole film. While the premise of the film mostly remains the same: Mulan disguises herself as a man and joins the Imperial Army because her father is too old, this remake took out some of the best parts of the film. As a result, this gritty, realistic reboot received a 73% from Rotten Tomatoes whereas the original got an 86%.

Furthermore, the 2016 reboot of the 2005 series Ben 10 also turned the story-driven show with multiple series and well-developed lore and made it into a show similar to Teen Titans Go! by focusing more on comedy than an actual story. This show has been criticized by the fans of the original series, and is regarded as one of the worst reboots. It’s obvious that change isn’t always for the better.

Most reboots are sequels to old film series or old TV shows, for example, the newest installment in the Home Alone series, Home Sweet Home Alone (2021). This film was yet another installment to the Home Alone series, which seemed spent after the second installment.

Many of these titles are setting up shared universes, many inspired by the massive success of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). One of these reboots that has created its own shared universe is Scoob! (2020), beginning the Hanna-Barbera cinematic universe. A lot of these shared universes often fail because they are unwilling to put in the same amount of work as the MCU did and have the necessary buildup for their massive crossovers. Usually, they just lead to even more reboots, further breaking down beloved series.

Reboots are infamous for their failure; however, with new shows like Ducktales (2017), and Batman: Caped Crusader, reboots seem to be getting better and better as time goes on, leaving more promise for returning fans. Hopefully, reboots will be able to capture new audiences while also keeping their existing fanbase, instead of always crashing and burning before they can even get off of the ground.

by Evan Parfitt

Oshkosh West Index Volume 118 Issue 3

November 29th, 2021

Hollywood hacks put boot on other foot for retail regurgitation