Last Saturday, the reboot of an animated series that was beloved by most of the world made its special hour-long premiere on Disney XD. “Ducktales” was one of the pioneering TV shows of the House of Mouse back in the late 1980s that went on to somewhat overshadow the original comic books they were based on. And this new reimagining of the classic has the special premiere episode, entitled “Woo-ooh!” in order to cement to both old fans and a new generation of viewers just what sort of animated adventure it will aspire to be. What it did turn out was a beautiful blend of appeals to nostalgia (on more levels than one) and a thoroughly modernized story to remember.
Beginning of a family
The special “Ducktales” premiere episode “Woo-ooh!” is actually structured more like two regular episodes joined together for a one-hour presentation (including commercial breaks). In a nutshell it establishes the universe that the show takes place in, centered on the port city of Duckburg. Single parental figure Donald Duck (Tony Anselmo) has to go to a lengthy job interview, so he decides to leave his nephews under the care of a relative that he has not had contact with for a decade.
The relative is the richest duck in the world, Scrooge McDuck (David Tennant). A business mogul and veteran treasure hunter in the past, he initially comes off as a crotchety and disinterested has-been.
He leaves his grand-nephews Huey, Dewey and Louie (Danny Pudi, Ben Schwartz and Bobby Moynihan) to their own devices in his mansion, causing them to meet Webby (Kate Miccuci), the hyperactive but friendless granddaughter of Scrooge’s housekeeper. While telling stories of past exploits of Scrooge and Donald together, she and the boys awaken ancient spirits and ghosts from some of the treasures in McDuck Manor, forcing Scrooge to go into action to save them, and in turn reawakening his adventurous spirit.
The ‘Duck-blur’ kicks off
With the character introductions out of the way, the “Ducktales” premiere moves into the second half. Scrooge enlists his grand-nephews and Webby to accompany him on an undersea treasure hunt in sunken Atlantis. This time they have dangerous competition from rival duck magnate Flintheart Glomgold (Keith Ferguson), and he apparently has hired (an unwitting) Donald as one of his henchmen.
Disney XD has been on a roll with his slate of upcoming new programs, and they have scored a major jackpot with how they handled the reboot for “Ducktales.” Their casting choices have proven their impeccable worth as well, especially David Tennant as Scrooge. Establishing the fact that the series will be partly episodic with an underlying seasonal plot arc was also executed brilliantly. All in all, the series will not be lacking for viewers when it resumes in earnest this September on a weekly basis. But for now, certain territories can enjoy the premiere “Woo-oh!” episode officially online at the Disney XD app or YouTube channel. It won’t be there forever, so watch it now.
