Mario's Musings (Quarantine Edition): DuckTales (2017)
“Life is like a hurricane, here in Duckburg…”
Who doesn’t know the theme song to DuckTales at this point in their life? It’s one of the most iconic Disney theme songs besides Chip N’ Dale’s Rescue Rangers. Come on, who doesn’t get this song stuck in their head at least once a week? Just me? Never mind then.
Based on the comics of the same name, DuckTales tells the story of Scrooge McDuck, the richest duck in the world, and his grand-nephews Huey, Dewey, and Louie, who he begins taking care of after their Uncle Donald goes to join the Navy (so THAT’S what that sailor outfit was for!). Little do the nephews know that their Uncle Scrooge is an “adventure capitalist”, so he begins taking them on some daring escapades. It was a staple of the late 80s - early 90s, even getting a movie out of the deal. So it only made sense for Disney to decide to give it a fresh coat of paint and remake it for a modern audience.
Most people were hesitant to embrace the idea of DuckTales getting remade, myself included. Then they made announcements of who would be doing the voice work, and that seemed to get people more excited for the show; David Tennant as the voice of Scrooge, Danny Pudi as Huey, Ben Schwartz as Dewey, Bobby Moynihan as Louie, Kate Micucci as Webby, and Lin-Manuel Miranda as Fenton Crackshell/Gizmoduck. But even with a great cast like that, I was still hesitant to give it a shot.
But then I watched the pilot after hearing Felicia Barton’s rendition of the theme song, and I was hooked.
They made some changes from the original; for starters, the nephews all have their own personalities. Donald Duck is actually a character on the show full time, so you get to see some fun interactions between Donald, his nephews, and Scrooge. Mrs. Beakley and Webby have completely different personalities compared to the original, as Beakley gives off a Judi Dench vibe while Webby is a more adventurous Scrooge protege. Scrooge’s main nemesis, Flintheart Glomgold, is treated more like a Donald Trump-esque buffoon rather than the cold and calculating Sean Connery-esque villain he was in the original cartoon. Even Gyro Gearloose goes from meek inventor to an almost mad scientist, if not a bit of a jerk.
Now for the hot take: I prefer the remake to the original.
Like I mentioned above, the change to many of the characters’ personalities actually brings more life to the characters. On top of that, the show is actually somewhat serialized, in that each season so far has an overarching story. In the first season, Dewey spends the season trying to figure out the mystery behind his mother’s disappearance before he and his brothers were hatched, while Magica De Spell, Scrooge’s most dangerous nemesis, lurks in the shadows. On top of that, the show practically creates a Disney Afternoon Cinematic Universe, with characters like Darkwing Duck, Don Carnage, and countless others making cameo appearances on the show. And for one brief moment in the first season finale, Don Cheadle does the voice of Donald Duck. Seriously, if you loved the original series but also want something to watch with your kids, have them watch this. There’s something in it for EVERYONE.
Both seasons of DuckTales are available for streaming on Disney+.