Wow, look at that; it's been five months since my last post, and of course, what's better to get this blog moving again than with a bit of review of one of the most anticipated films of the year? :)

I've been having a countdown for the first installment of The Hobbit films for quite some time, what with me and a bunch of others waiting for such a thing to happen for TEN years! I do recall the very last time a group of Tolkien/The Lord of the Rings enthusiasts watched The Return of the King together in theaters in 2003; most of us were in tears, for when shall we re-visit Middle-earth again, until The Hobbit would be made into a film?

Despite the long road of issues (like the film rights, among many others) The Hobbit had to endure in order for filming to begin, fans all over the world were gifted with not only one but THREE films (and I'll let you know my reaction to this afterwards). However, I believe some good kind of sorcery is about. :P

Now, on to the review:

One of the earliest teaser posters released in 2011

From the time the teaser trailer was released, I've been following Peter Jackson's Production Video-Blogs as he went through the process of bringing the book to the big screen: from cast rehearsals on set, to on-location scouting, and so on and so forth; all that just built up the excitement for the film as it opened by the end of the year.

I think ten years just did it, for as soon as the opening scenes rolled, I felt tingles down my spine, and I most definitely had a moment then and there when I thought I'd just explode from happiness. The viewer is at once greeted with Howard Shore's familiar tunes from Lord of the Rings, transporting them immediately to Middle-earth, and off into an adventure.

One of the official posters, starring Mr. Bilbo Baggins and his yet unnamed letter opener xD

The adventure begins when Bilbo Baggins, a respectable hobbit of the Shire, gets prodded out of the comfort of his hobbit-hole when Gandalf the Grey, a wandering wizard known for his fireworks among the hobbit-folk, recruits Bilbo into the company of thirteen dwarves (he was their fourteenth companion, thus making them a "lucky number;" he was also their official burglar--as hobbits are light and quick on their feet) in a quest to retrieve their long-lost gold and the kingdom of Erebor from the clutches of Smaug the dragon.

How Peter Jackson managed to cram in all thirteen dwarves--I'm sure it was no simple feat! In fact, the sheer number of characters among the dwarves was one of the reasons Peter Jackson hesitated in taking the helm, but so far he managed quite nicely. While most of the dwarves still appear as blurs in the first film, you may already get to know some of them through appearance, and even in personality, apart from the evidently distinguishable "a very important dwarf," the Company's leader, Thorin Oakenshield (played by deliciously dashing Richard Armitage).

Thorin and Co., with name tags :P (click to enlarge)

Richard Armitage as Thorin Oakenshield, Dwarven King-in-Exile

Other than perhaps a dwarf or two, each one had speaking lines in the film, which shows that a good amount of effort was made to help ease audience's confusion on who's who, and why there were so many dwarves in the first place! :) This is one of the points where I appreciate the film: every dwarf is given a distinct appearance, albeit taking more liberties than what was described in the book (where they had simply color-coordinated hoods and beards).

There are many points to appreciate in the film, in fact! While there are new faces such as Martin Freeman, who plays a much younger Bilbo, Richard Armitage, and a host of others such as (see photo that shows who plays who in the Dwarf Company):

The Dwarf Cast! (click to enlarge)

...there were also familiar faces, characters who have been introduced in The Lord of the Rings, such as Gandalf (Ian McKellen), old Bilbo Baggins (Ian Holm), Saruman the White (Christopher Lee), Lady Galadriel of Lorien (Cate Blanchett), and Lord Elrond of Rivendell (Hugo Weaving). Andy Serkis also reprises his role as Gollum, so he's back in the motion-capture suit and playing Gollum's creepy hiss of a voice. The blend of familiarity and novelty of actors and characters works for the film, I think; it's like meeting new friends with familiar faces, or coming home to old furniture arranged in a new way. :P

Of course, Middle-earth won't be Middle-earth without its vast landscapes and jaw-dropping scenery. The film was generous with its sweeping aerial shots, which also lent me a chuckle: Peter Jackson is most definitely showing off! The film was shot, after all, in New Zealand, where the director is native to. :)

A landscape scene from one of the teaser trailers (click to enlarge: you'll see the Company right there)

Moreover, even with a much larger cast of characters, they all contributed their acting skill to the mix. The more notable performances, of course, came from Ian McKellen, and Martin Freeman just made an adorable, most fitting hobbit! Freeman is known for his "furrowed brow expression," and it gave the character of Bilbo a trait of constant worry, irritation, and pondering--perhaps, for most of the time, of why he had gotten himself into this mess and why should he not have just stayed in his nice, warm, hobbit-hole. :P Richard Armitage brought the stern, grim Thorin Oakenshield to life, with his dwarvish pride, stubborness, commanding bearing and all. And I don't find Sylvester McCoy's Radagast the Brown annoying at all, as I have read in initial reviews. He's quite a fun character, and being an animal lover myself, I found that the character now has a nice, cozy spot in my heart.

Galadriel, Elrond, and Gandalf in Rivendell

While the primary characters have more time to shine, the rest of the Company gave solid performances. The dwarf cast established an essence of Tolkien's Dwarven race, if I may be so bold as to put that out. :) These are no bumbling comic relief dudes. They're a race full of purpose: brave one moment, frightened the next, then cheery in another: rambunctious fellows with not-so-refined manners but with a steadfast obstinacy of never backing up from a quest (even when a number of them doubted Bilbo in the first place, and suspected him of backing up from the journey!). In The Lord of the Rings, Elves were all the rage; now, with The Hobbit, dwarves are taking the front seat, no longer a shadowed Middle-earth race, but a more fleshed-out, relatable one.

What puts this film together as well is the musical score. Howard Shore came aboard the project once more, stringing melodies from his old work with new ones. The old themes send a good amount of warmth to the heart, while the new ones pound lustily into the viewers' heads: the "Misty Mountains" theme is one of the newer ones, played frequently enough throughout the film to leave an impression. :) However, there are also moments when the soundtrack lends a "sleepy" feel to the film, at least in my opinion; the "Riddles in the Dark" scene, although played well, went slower than I thought it should because of how the score "lazily" trickled into it.

"The Hobbit" soundtrack cover

Furthermore, I can say that I have encountered a problem about the film which a lot of critics share: the over-stretching of some scenes which make the film longer than it should. I won't be pointing out particular scenes to avoid spoilers for those who have not seen the film yet (although I'm quite certain nearly all the populace has! :P), but some scenes may have improved the pace of the film more had they been cut shorter, or had not been over-embellished. Alright, a hint: some action scenes can start becoming tedious after a while. It's a shame, really, since I do know that a lot of the cast did their own stunts and trained hard for such demanding scenes.

Riddles In The Dark...

Other than that a couple of issues I had with the film, I say that the trilogy is off with a good start! Ah yes, my thoughts on ONE BOOK becoming a TRILOGY: initially, I raised an eyebrow and kept it that way for a short time only; I got over it quickly. :P The "trilogy announcement" happened a mere few months from the opening of An Unexpected Journey that I imagined everyone involved in the film, as well as the press going haywire about the last-minute decision. Why did I get over it quickly, though? I've re-read The Hobbit after some years, and apart from Peter Jackson, et al. assuring fans that their extra material will come from the appendices found in The Return of the King (and a bit from Peter Jackson's own imagination for his adaptation), I did see how a book can manage to stretch into three films (albeit the first installment had a little excess). For example: one page of narration in the book chronicles events which happen in three-days' time. That could easily be about fifteen minutes' worth of film, in my opinion.

A Dwarf Holiday in Bag End. :P

Now on to the final touch which I feel very much contributed to the film to fans (male and female, I suppose, but more on the latter!)

WELL YES HOT DWARVES.

No offense to the race, but after encountering a beard-laden, frequently-taciturn Gimli in the LOTR trilogy, it's quite unlikely to the imagination that a very handsome dwarf would spring from stone or a bearded dwarven mother. But lo and behold! It's been a known joke among the cast and crew that if Middle-earth had a share of boy bands from Durin's Folk (which a good part of the dwarven race is often referred to), well, they would be:

DURIN'S HEIRS (click for optimal viewing pleasure :P)

THORIN, FILI, and KILI.

Appealing looks win the eye over, and perhaps apart from making good-looking dwarves a selling point of the film, I would say that these three: Thorin Oakenshield, Fili, and Kili (both of whom are Thorin's nephews or "sister-sons") were given the attractiveness of dwarves of royal lineage in their prime. Dean O' Gorman and Aiden Turner lent their youthfulness to Fili's and Kili's roles who, in the book, are considered the much younger and more able-bodied dwarves of the Company. Of course that translates to hotness as well as you can see.

KILI IS NOW THE NEW LEGOLAS HE HAS A BOW TOO AND EVERYTHING AND LOOK AT THE GAZE CAPSLOCK ABUSE

Aiden Turner as Fili

Fili isn't half-bad, either! Fili is Kili's older brother of five years.

Dean O' Gorman as Fili

Look at that. The royal line of Durin at its finest, I believe. :P (And I hope you didn't miss the photo I included of Richard Armitage as Thorin earlier. NOW THAT'S A KING RIGHT THARRR)

Well, you can say that adding a dash of hotness isn't the only stunt which Peter Jackson and crew tried to pull off. :P The film was shot using state-of-the-art equipment, and the film as well is being screened at 48 frames per second, when a "normal" movie would be at 28 frames per second. This has been introduced as HFR-3D, with "HFR" standing for "high frame rate."

I have watched it in both HFR-3D and IMAX 3D, and I can say right off the bat that I do prefer HFR-3D. THE CLARITY BLEW ME AWAY. Yes, 48 fps can lend a very clear quality to the film so that it registers almost like a television show, but the detail that can be gleaned from such quality is astounding. IMAX 3D got me, in some parts, dizzied up, but not so with HFR-3D. I actually enjoyed the experience, for all the critics say about it. And if you must know, I haven't watched the film in 2D yet, so I can't compare; although if I were to watch a movie in theaters, I might as well eat up all the "experience-enhancing" gimmicks for all they're worth--but only if it's a movie that I really have been anticipating, such as this one. :)

Tip: Make sure you get 3D goggles that are NOT fogged up from use. :)

Thorin & Co. 

While The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey may not have reached an all-time high among critics (it's only about 65% positive in Rottentomatoes.com), it has and still continues to win old and new fans over. 3 hours on the theater seat can be uncomfortable, but not so much when you're enjoying a nice adventure! With a great cast, epic visual effects (which don't drown out the actors as most visual effects-laden films tend to do), lingering musical score, quotable script, humorous bits in the right places--you'll still feel the wonder of Middle-earth in this new film. :) It may not be as novel as when you have first encountered The Lord of the Rings, but that doesn't mean that The Hobbit trilogy is out of great promise. I'm looking forward to The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, and The Hobbit: There And Back Again more than I could ever admit, and if Peter Jackson and crew have heard what could've been worked on in their first installment, they'd be working out the knots and cogs of the upcoming ones. I'm sure they'll be no less than sweepingly epic. :)

And with that, I give The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey a four stars out of five. Which reminds me: I ought to watch it at least a couple of more times before it disappears from theaters! :P

I KNOW THIS IS A LENGTHY REVIEW (AS ALWAYS). :P But hey, if it's something dear to me, I really put the effort to it. :)

So have any of you watched The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey already? What? No? FOR SHAME!!! I'm kidding. ^_^



LURVE,

*Movie posters and photos are copyrighted to Warner Bros. :)

YES I KNOW. It's been about a couple of months since my last post and I'm well aware that I am slacking in my blogging faculties. :((( BUT as they say, better late than never: a cliche that saves many sanities. I am not about to abandon this dear blog o' mine. :P

Which brings us to our today's product for review: Etude House's Silk Scarf Hair Treatment. :3

I am not (yet) a huge fan of pink, but one of the things that first drew me to this product is its PACKAGING.

aheeheeheehee.

Have some similar products in the mold of this packaging on your dresser table or bathroom vanity and VOILA. Yes, princess. You have a very pretty collection of grooming tools and potions. Your brother will avoid them like the plague. Your sister, however, might covet them. :3

This is what the back of the tube looks like: with Korean instructions on top, followed by English instructions and ingredients list at the bottom:

                            

At 200 ml, it's a good-sized tube with enough product to last me for about three weeks to a month. I have long-ish and UTTERLY DAMAGED hair from so much bleach and color treatments. Maintaining my red hair as long as I can had me washing my hair at least two to three times a week (Ewww, you might say, but if you follow some Youtube gurus, a number of them make the discovery that washing hair daily can strip hair of its natural oils, causing it to be drier and frizzier if not careful...) So, I was meaning to say that this tube lasts me long enough to treat my hair and cover it from root to tip without spending too much or using too much. ^^;;

I have no idea why it's doing this. If you see nothing but lines, do take note that I am TRYING to post a photo of the ingredients list. >___>

If this terribly HELPFUL photo has ceased to enlighten you somewhat, I'll make it all the more helpful and post some noteworthy details of the product:

It's meant to be used 1-2 times a week.

It's a conditioner which you leave in for 5 minutes onto the hair before washing it out. It's not a leave-in conditioner. (Though the Silk Scarf line has one which I haven't purchased nor tried yet... but will probably do, someday)

It has a mix of natural and synthetic ingredients. Refer to terribly helpful photo if you can take a glimpse of its ingredients. ^^;;;

It's a flip-to-open-top tube:

It looks like this out of the tube:

If you see lines, click the photo to enlarge and hopefully that will help

It has a floral scent that may be overpowering at first, but depending if you like scent on your products or not, it's also noteworthy that the scent does not linger long in the hair after you've washed the product out and dried your hair. I usually simply air-dry my hair and the scent doesn't last very long. It's both a shame and a relief, because while the smell is pleasant, a little too much of it can create a bit of a headache.

SO... Does the stuff work?

As I mentioned earlier, my hair is damaged beyond belief. O_O I do use semi-permanent vegetable-based dyes for my hair, but before that, bleach and DIY hair dye kits ravaged my locks. Boredom and vanity don't really mix sometimes; you'd tend to overdo it. :P All I can say is that the hair treatment works WITHIN REASON. :P

For example:

Psylocke and piratical me at Toy Con 2012 ^_^

You can still see how damaged my hair looks. The dye is fading a bit and the light rather gave my hair a crispy kind of texture. IT DOES NOT LOOK HEALTHY. That much I admit. BUT!!

Look, Ma, no serious frizz from the depths of Hades.

I can actually put my hair down and keep it that way without my hair going all over the place. :3 While at a point my hair does get tangly, it doesn't end up being too unruly. I have naturally wavy hair and the waves just kept their place without looking too disgustingly wiry, as what my waves tend to do when my hair's all a-frizz.

Of course, I do use quite a bit more than usual when I go to events such as Toy Con. :P Here's another photo with some of my cosplay buddies:

Cosplays are known for costumes that go with wigs. But lo and behold, I used my real hair in all its copper glory. Eh. Whatever glory it has summoned at that time. :P

And while we're in the subject of hair, let me put this here for the absolute LULZ of the populace:

Gods of BadAss-Gardian Hair. 

I do believe that with regular use, the Silk Scarf Hair Treatment will give you similar results. Also I wanted an excuse to fangirl some more over these two ah yes 

On with the drill:


PROS:

• It WORKS well enough depending on your current hair situation
• Its packaging is adorable. Its place is SO NOT my bathroom floor.
• A little goes a long way. You don't have to drown your hair in it in order for it to work
• Makes your hair look presentable (again, depending on your hair situation) at events where a lot of photos will be taken
• It smells nice, and while the smell is strong, it doesn't last long so as to overwhelm you.
• Etude House products, as far as I know are CRUELTY-FREE. 

CONS:

• It has DIMETHICONE. Most conditioners have this in order to seal moisture in. Used according to product instructions, your hair will be quite fine; used too often, Dimethicone will kill your hair.
• If you're not fond of powerful floral smells (even if it fades quickly overtime as you use it on your hair), then this stuff may not be for you
• Be careful with the flip-top cap. Like other flip-top caps, if you're not careful, the cover might tear out of its plastic-y hinges.

Do I recommend: YES, I've already done so to a couple of friends and they loved it. :3

Overall Rating: 4.5/5 

Will I repurchase: This hair treatment. I LIKE IT. ANOTHER!!!!!!!

I am already on my third tube and will probably keep repurchasing until I find something better. :P

THERE THERE THOR, THERE'S PLENTY OF HAIR STUFF FOR ALL TO GO AROUND

I wonder if any of you tried it and actually hated it? :P Perhaps you loved it too. Let me know in the comments section or something. Teehee.

LURVE,

Well, April is almost done and I haven't really been actively attending to my blog since my first April post on April first (geddit? Ahahaha... b'awww nevermind. ^^;)

I had this plan of reviewing products that are against animal cruelty for this month... and of course, the philosophy is better to start late than never placing the idea at the backburner to simmer till next summer altogether (so many "-er's" thar). So I'll be doing this instead for the entire summer, from here on until June. :)

Why for the summer when I can do reviews on cruelty-free stuff for the entire year? Of course I can do that, and I do plan to remain doing so among a variety of topics after June, but I'd just want my post to be timely. xD April has been dubbed Prevention of Cruelty To Animals Month by OrangeRibbonForAnimals.org; a cause has been circulating around Facebook to spread such awareness all throughout the month of April. I signed up, of course. :) And so sign up if you're all for the cause so they reach their targeted numbers. ^_^

Now, on to the product review!

Photo from their web site

The sun's more potent in this here tropical country in the summer (and while the bit that says that it's because the sun is closest to the earth during the summertime is false, let's leave the science to the scientists haha), so the sunblock and sunscreen craze in local supermarkets, drugstores and department stores has erupted. There are a whole lot of choices out there with different levels of SPF, so pick your poison, put on your hat, and walk down that sunny road.

Whilst I--well, I picked mine own poison through DeVita's Solar Protective Moisturizer with SPF 30+. It's mainly for the face, and it can be use for both day time AND nighttime. While there's already a photo provided above, I'll pitch in some photos of mine (just click on them to enlarge):

The box and the tube

The ingredients list

The cruelty-free label, and all the other good stuff

And this is what it looks like on the back of me hand:

Forgive teh spottled hobbit hand. ERK.

...And all blended out. It leaves a bit of a sheen which disappears after about a minute:

It's quite an understatement if I simply say, "hey, this is a pretty good moisturizer." It's more of: "I can't believe it's sunblock!!!" Because IT DOESN'T FEEL LIKE SUNBLOCK. That's a big plus for this product. Whilst I will list the pros and cons of the product later, I can say right now that it's non-greasy (for real), it absorbs quickly, and it doesn't leave a ghastly white cast on your FACE as most sunblock face creams and lotions do. It's exactly what it says and more: it's a light moisturizer with sunblock properties that really do wonders to your skin.

SO YEA. This stuff helped with the tone and texture of mah skin.

Anya, my kitty's and my mugshot ahehehe

There I am, no makeup, nearly just woken up, but I don't look as horrible as I thought I would without makeup. Of course I still have a bit of marks from acne scars, but THEY ARE FADING as I use this product regularly. At least, they fade faster than they usually do if I just go with my usual skincare routine.

YOSH!!! I think it's Holy Grail-worthy for me!

Now, on with:

LIKES: 

• Non-greasy and easily absorbed
• No discernible scent
• Has relatively high SPF for a moisturizer
• Has natural ingredients. No parabens and all that icky stuff
• Cruelty-free
• Visible improvement on skin tone and texture (I used this day and night for 2 weeks now)
• Can be used as your normal moisturizer (for both day and night)

DISLIKES:

• Like sunscreen, it must be applied liberally, so this isn't a "little goes a long way" product
• Not available locally (as far as I know)
• Can be quite expensive. It retails for $25.95; that's about Php1,000 more or less for a 2.5oz tube
• If you're allergic to zinc, this product is a no-no for you; it's active ingredient is ZINC OXIDE

I got mine from Vitacost, where it's being sold for a percent cheaper than its retail price, via my mom who visited from the States some time ago. BUT!! Vitacost and DeVita SkinCare ships internationally, so if you'd like to give this a try, I say, go for it. :D

Rating: 5/5 (despite the dislikes)

Will I repurchase: YEP! I actually have a spare tube of this goodness. haha.

Do I recommend: INDEED. :3

This summer, the wisest words are: HYDRATE REGULARLY AND DON'T FORGET TO PUT ON SUNSCREEN. Yes, even when you're bloody INDOORS. At least something with Spf15 for indoors. 

Have a grrreeaaat summer, ya'll! :D And don't forget to sign up for the orange ribbon cause. 

LURVE,

[Note: I may be babbling quite a lot in this review and would more often than not spoil the show for those who haven't seen it yet. I'll try not to give too much away, though, but beware the visual aids; most of them are screen shots from the show. :)]

So... is the thunder back?

It is, indeed!

In fact, I don't even know where to begin! From the Miyazaki-like touches in the show's atmosphere and overall design; to the tweaks that are mostly improvements from the original; and an all-new soundtrack which may need some getting used to (that is, if you're a fan of the original series' music) but brimming with great potential, the 1-hour series premiere of Cartoon Network's ThunderCats was quite a pleasant surprise for those who have been skeptical at first, like me (yea, but I only had to admit that now, right? Lulz).


Now, the premiere is very much like a drawn-out "Prologue" with bits of "Chapter 1" thrown in for good measure to keep things hanging, starting slow at the beginning, but eventually building up until the point where it cuts at the very part that would make you go "AAAGGGHH, and then what happens next?!?!" Yes, kiddies. That brings us to the first noteworthy distinction the new series has with the original one: the original series had episodes which are mostly stand-alone and quite a few that are multi-parts, but upon reaching the end of the new series' premiere, you'd know that each episode would consist a part of one huge story arch, so you know that there's continuity like a good old afternoon soap, only heaps better. :P

The once and future king...

...against Ancient Spirits of Evil?

Ah yes, of course, everything begins with a "prophecy." The (now wizard) Jaga narrates what is written in the Book of Omens, something about a great king, the past, and the future, blahblahblah. It does set the tone of the series, sparking a quiet curiosity among the viewers and having skeptics suspend judgment for a while before even reaching a hasty conclusion. At least, in my opinion, anyway...

The walled kingdom of Thundera

[Behold the spoilers:] In this version, Third Earth and Thundera--two separate planets in the original--are one realm, with Thundera seemingly the name of the ThunderCat empire, ruled by the mighty King Claudus with his two sons: Tygra, an adopted son, and Lion-O, his biological son. Now, the very premise of Lion-O and Tygra being siblings in the first place paves way for a background story or two (or three), and the premise which opens the series of magic and sorcery being the norm, and technology being "imaginary" and even taboo, adds more than a touch of intrigue. Jaga, albeit still much a close friend/counselor to both King Claudus and the young Lion-O, is now head of the clerics, known as the "legendary guardians of the crown" who combat with speed and magic.

The clerics bearing the Sword of Omens

Jaga, wizard counselor

Furthermore, to add to the new spread of things in this adaptation, Snarf--a talking, ever-berating and worrying nursemaid of Lion-O in the original--is now made into a "pet" to Lion-O that doesn't talk but makes the cutest sounds very much like a small child's. WilyKat and WilyKit are introduced as two orphaned, thieving siblings, with their sense of frivolity and a bag of tricks up their sleeves still intact, the one factor kept from the original. The twins now sport young children's voices--very pleasing to the ears if you've got your maternal/paternal instincts tingling.

WilyKit, Snarf, and WilyKat

Lion-O is portrayed as the clumsy, curious young heir to the Thunderan throne, a struggling teenager finding his place in the grand scheme of things in the kingdom his father rules. His mind is but a clean slate, not overly eager to take his responsibilities as prince, yet having the urge to prove himself when it matters to both his father and older brother, and even to reptilian prisoners. The reptilian species has long been considered an enemy to the kingdom of "Cats."




Tygra--wow, so much changes done to this character, I must say!--is Lion-O's adopted older brother, the one who takes his princely responsibilities a little more seriously, who takes into account what the people in the kingdom say, who bests his younger brother in pretty much everything, so that's why he's frustrated with the fact that he can't be king in his brother's stead. In the premiere, however, Tygra's not so glamorous qualities are seen: smug, confident, and rather conceited, a contrast to Lion-O's uncertainty of himself and sense of wide-eyed wonder. This contrast already sparks some tension between the brothers, and as I mentioned earlier, this premise may work itself up or down the scale of awesome, so we'll just have to wait and see how the upcoming episodes play that out.

Cheetara, admittedly, was characterized somewhat flatly at this point of the series--which is still forgivable, given that the focus is more on Lion-O and the brewing of events that would lead to his ultimate calling. Then again, that may be part of her characterization scheme as well: a mysterious young cleric with amazing powers of speed and the ability to kick butt way better than Lion-O and Tygra combined. She's still beautiful, she's still well-built, but we still need to see her play out bigger roles in the future to get a real feel of her new character (fanboys, down, please! That's not the "feel" I meant! :P). The writers have initially planned a love triangle among her, Lion-O, and Tygra, and also admittedly, that made me do a semi-epic facepalm. I could only hope that the love triangle is integral to the plot, and not just a dollop of something to give a romantic angle in the new series which the old one didn't (at least, not evidently!).

The aforementioned changes were ones which fans of the original series took time to debate on and get comfortable with, as these changes draw far away from the 80's version and may make or break the new adaptation. So far, however, these changes are falling into place, bringing out a new dish of "high fantasy" with  sci-fi thrown into the mix in a more organized way! To compare it a bit with the 80's version: well, Third Earth in the 80's version was a hodgepodge ecosystem made up of different species and living things and odds and bobs, and while the show inserts many an element of fantastical surprise throughout, there ARE instances when a viewer--old and young/new--might just simply grab their heads and think "WTF???" as their suspension of disbelief would be tested to the LIMIT. That was the charm of the original series in the day, but in all honesty, that version lacked the structure which the new one is trying to build. By Thundera, I do hope it does! :P

A feast at the palace grounds

So MANY denizens!

The royal balcony :P

Third Earth and Thundera is also hugely populated, unlike the sparse quantity of life featured in the original. An entire civilization with a long history is established, and a brief glimpse of the history of the quarrel between "Cats" and "reptilians" is made.

I say, though, that the creators of the new series should try not to get carried away in trying to bring the new series to epic heights. There is a well-done tale, and there is an overdone tale. The premiere alone already borrows from so many mythos (cough, Trojan Horse strategy, cough cough Brutus and Julius Caesar cough) and as Paul Montgomery from ifanboy.com puts it, "It looks like the Battle of Helms Deep with cat people!" Of course, that remark is for the overall impressive feel of the new ThunderCats world if not for the battle scenes alone. But while the borrowed elements are considered classic and maybe archetypal, the creators should also draw the line between that, and being cliché. Else, the series might end up being too predictable, and would cause the inevitable downfall of an already impressive start! That's looking too forward, though, with being overly-critical. Right now, I'm just delighting on how the premiere launched the series with a bang that present and possibly future missteps may be overlooked. ^_^;;;

Elvish-looking armor! :D  At the battle of Helm's Deep for Thundera

I've noticed something coming into trend among films, shows, etc. which goes beyond the black-and-white panels of the good versus evil conflict device, and ThunderCats may have adopted that as well. The ambiguity of who are the good guys and the bad guys in the bigger picture is revealed like a tip of an iceberg, revealed in snatches of dialogue (so listen closely when you get to watch it, my pets! :P). While there's no doubt that Lion-O, Cheetara, and yes, even Tygra (who most likely would cause some opposition in future episodes) are the protagonists (the real Panthro will make an appearance in the future, but we don't know how that's going to turn out!), there's a hint that the reptilians in league with the apparent baddie, Mumm-Ra the Ever Living (tm) have their own side to the story. Now, that's something to look forward to as the series progresses!

Mumm-Ra, the Ever Living

Slithe and his reptilian soldiers--armed with TECHNOLOGY!

Grune the Desotryer

YES, there are MECHS--unfortunately, not on the ThunderCats' side

One can almost guess what the "necessary tragedy" is to make way for Lion-O to step up to his place as the new lord of the ThunderCats. That's one short-lived voice cameo for Larry Kenney; but who knows, he might pull off an Obi-Wan just like how Jaga did it in the old series. :P The potential and possibilities of the new ThunderCats series are wide and great, and some fans are already gearing it up as the next Avatar: The Last Airbender (one of TC's current producers has worked on A:TLA). The voice actors themselves know that they have expectations to meet, as the original series had been a part of their childhood too (see the cast interview here)! ThunderCats is already having big shoes to fill, and so far, at least at this point, they're getting the size right. :)

So... what awaits our young heroes Lion-O, Tygra, Cheetara, and well--Snarf? Will WilyKit and WilyKat come to their aid soon? Will they rescue Panthro or will Panthro rescue them from the vast reptilian armies and the ancient spirits of evil? Find out in the next episode of--!!! OKAY, enough cheese. :P

Cheetara, Lion-O, Snarf, and Tygra: "This is only the beginning."

All in all, I give this 1-hour premiere a 4.5 out of 5 stars. That's a pretty high rating, but I believe a good number of TC fans, old and new, would agree! :)

ThunderCats airs every Friday, 8:30/7:30c on Cartoon Network in the United States. Some have already set their DVR's in record mode for the upcoming episodes. :P

So, for those who have watched it: what do you think of the 2011 adaptation of a beloved 80's cartoon? Thundercats HOOOOOO or Thundercats NOOOOO? I say, it's the former, but don't let me cloud your own impressions and opinions of the show! ^_^

*most photo credits go to thundercatsthemovies.blogspot.com. They've pretty cool screen shots from the show.