Are we all feeling nostalgic today? Well, too bad, because there’s nothing here for you.
Recently, a trailer dropped for the new ReBoot: The Guardian Code, the modern follow-up to the 1990s original ReBoot, in which a group of computer-generated characters live in a video game world where they must battle it out in varied scenarios for the amusement of the players out in the real world. At the time, the 3D animated title could be seen as a forward-thinking series exploring the possibilities of technology and using new visual techniques to bring to life its experimental adventure story. Which is why it puzzles many to find that what we have in this new ReBoot is a derivative, backward-glancing live-action series with CG integration that looks like something we’ve already seen and forgotten years prior. Does not compute.
What’s most interesting is that the thing The Guardian Code seems to be cribbing on most especially is actually something quite familiar to us here at Henshin Justice Unlimited. It’s kind of our main thing, actually.
In the new ReBoot reboot, a group of young students (one might even call them teenagers… with attitude) is called upon by a non-human entity to wield special powers in color-coded avatars and save the planet from an otherworldly threat. In other words, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers from 1993 and just about every other year since then, with its many, many offshoots and imitators.
One of those imitators, of course, being Superhuman Samurai Syber Squad, which in some ways sounds even more like the new ReBoot, with a teen troop of heroes fighting “megavirus” monsters in a digitized landscape.
To be honest, this isn’t the worst idea for those of us who found something to love in the charms of these kinds of properties. In fact, we expressed excitement over the animated revival of the Gridman story (Tsuburaya Productions’ original series upon which Superhuman Samurai is based) in animated form in the coming year. It’s just confusing that, of all things, someone would choose ReBoot as the name to attach to such a project. I mean, why?
It’s especially bothersome when one considers the advancements in technology, both in entertainment and everyday life, that have been made since the original ReBoot left the airwaves. I would think the makers of this new take would jump at the opportunity to capitalize on the cornucopia of new ideas at their fingertips. To say something about the new world we’re living in while having oodles of fun doing it. Instead, we get this. Not the worst thing ever, by my estimation, just… What?
I wondered if it was just me who found the new trailer confusing, but in having a look around the cyberverse, I was hit with a wave of negativity that I could not have expected. Clearly, I had underestimated the strength of the fan community surrounding the original ReBoot. I’m thinking there may be some tension here.
“How does this visually look worse than the original series back in the 90s with their limited budget? lol This is tragic looking”
“Could this possibly have less to do with ReBoot?”
“Please say this is a bad joke, the spy kids had better writing and looked more authentic than this nonsense.”
“Warning: Incoming Disappointment.”
“I wish I could downvote this more than once.”
“The only way Netflix can save this show now, is to release it on April 1st (April fools day) and then say it was all a joke. Then air the original episodes.”
And those are the polite comments.
To be fair, the internet is a dark and merciless abyss of negativity from which there is no escape once its claws have sunken in. Even the best the entertainment world has to offer will garner at least a few sharp criticisms. Sadly, in this case, that seems to describe an overwhelming majority of those even motivated to speak on the matter. We don’t doubt there are people who would be really into this. They’re just a lot harder to find.
ReBoot: The Guardian Code, such as it is, releases all episodes to stream March 30, 2018 on Netflix.
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