Ducktales 2017

[bn2010]

Webbigale Vanderquack. Part 2. Final twist.

There are enough controversial moments in the animated series, both important for the plot and insignificant. The revelation of the truth about Webby is the most grandiose event of them all. Because this is the main twist of the finale. Some people like it, some don't.

What can I say here that no one has said yet? First of all, this twist is not so amazing. Here, a reference to "Doctor Who" is visible to the naked eye. Surprised? Of course not.

The creators stated that they conceived this twist from the very beginning. Whether it's true or not, we won't know for sure. It's not that important. Firstly, we need to figure out what kind of plot load this twist carries. In fact, none. Webby's coolness, love of adventure and obsession with the McDuck clan have already been explained by three facts. She was raised by a retired spy. She grew up in the house of the great adventurer Scrooge and practically never left this house (the causal relationship, I think, is clear to everyone).Blood connection is completely optional here. Papyrus stories don't need that either. In the First Adventure, Scrooge stipulated that only Scrooge's true heir could find the Papyrus. It was the heir, there was no question of a descendant. The triplets could also have found the Papyrus (or maybe Donald and Della). It was Bradford, with his limited mind, who decided that a son or daughter was needed. Meanwhile, Webby is not Scrooge's child in the full sense of the word. She's an artificial bird (yes, it sounds rude, but it's a fact). It's just that Scrooge McDuck was the only male figure present in her life for 10 years. This and several more years of close relationships and joint adventures made Webby Scrooge's family and one of his heirs.

Anyway, I hope that's the case. A different situation would be unfair for the nephews who were Scrooge's heirs in the comics. And not because they are his blood relatives or inherited his specific qualities (intelligence, strength, cunning). No, they just had a talent for running a business and also loved adventures very much. That was quite enough. Webby, though a nice girl, has no right to be the sole heir. But I think I'm right.

Many said that the twist with Webby kills the found family aspect. Others objected because she remains a receptionist for Beakley. And there are enough other examples. I personally think the situation is a bit more complicated. In Ducktales 2017, family is a very vague thing. It lacks clear boundaries. McDucks accepts everyone into the family: friends, allies, work colleagues. Most of the main characters have never even seen some of them before the finale (rescue rangers). Apparently, the creators are not aware that there are other types of relationships besides family and enmity. Or they were inspired by the "Fast and furious" and "Spy Kids" franchises. There, former enemies were accepted into the family, often without even showing their remorse. How to treat this, let everyone decide for himself. Personally, I am not a sentimental person and I am not happy with this simplification. That's why I liked the tenth Fast and Furious, which deconstructed this idea. The important thing here is that everything is more than OK with the idea of a "foster family" in rebut.

Let's return to the question of what the purpose of the twist is. I have two assumptions. The first is just a reference to Doctor Who, which the creators used to shock and touch the viewer.

The second sentence is a way to confirm the close connection between Webby and Scrooge. Symbolic connection (as in the original), the creators probably did not seem enough. They wanted a direct confession. They wanted to give Scrooge what he was deprived of in the Don Rosa comic. There he once said that he had the opportunity to have a wife and children, but did not take advantage of it. Angones and Youngberg wanted to give Scrooge their own child, not just nephews or an adopted granddaughter.

As a result, two more questions arise. Does Scrooge need such a gift and does he deserve it? To the first question, alas, I will answer in the negative. Yes, it's all very touching. But Scrooge has a big family in the remake without that (especially compared to the hero of Don Rosa). So he could have done without daughter. In addition, the situation looks unfair to Donald, who has never been called dad in all the years of his guardianship over his nephews. Apparently, the creators decided that the relationship already existing between them is enough. Here again, let everyone form their own opinion.

I can't answer the second question. On the one hand, Scrooge ignored Webby for 10 years and it makes a painful impression. On the other hand, there are reasons for this disregard (Scrooge's serious condition and Beakley's prohibition to his granddaughter to disturb Scrooge).

As a result, the question of whether the final twist is good or bad, I consider incorrect. It is either superfluous or just optional, but touching.

I am waiting for your opinion.

[bn2010]

#5. Donald Duck. Part 1.

Perhaps this is the only main character in the animated series that the absolute majority of viewers like. Huey seems boring to many. The debate about Donald is whether other characters (and creators) treat him fairly or not.

The reason for the love for this character is easy to see. Donald is a brave and persistent bird, infinitely devoted to his family. He has a good and tragic backstory (the creators are generally good at backstories). Since childhood, Donald has loved adventures no less than his sister. In the first episode, Webby called Donald the coolest adventurer. It was his talent. But after the disappearance of his sister, Donald's life changed dramatically. He hated adventures, quarreled with his uncle, whom he considered the culprit of the disaster. Of course, it was unfair, because Della herself flew away on a rocket. But you can understand Donald, he was overcome with fear and sadness. The victims of this fear and sadness were Donald's nephews. On the one hand, they had more freedom than Webby. But at the same time they lived in poverty and quite boring. However, in the course of the animated series, Donald reconciled with his uncle, returned his sister. In the third season, he got a nice girl with whom he will go on vacation in the finale. Plus, he's apparently going to adopt May and June. Does this mean that everything went well for him and the fans have nothing to complain about? Well, I've just shown the general picture of events. But, as the well-known idiom says, "The devil is in the details". And in the animated series there are details that raise questions and lead to bad thoughts.

1) The Role of Butt-Monkey — I repeat that I have not read comics, but even on Tv Tropes it is written that in the comics of Don Rosa, Donald was an even bigger loser than in the early cartoons. It can be seen that the creators of the remake studied these comics because their Donald adopted this feature. Outside of family adventures, he is practically incapable of anything. He was constantly driven from work, and he lived with his nephews on an old tugboat. Despite the fact that in the comics he had a completely normal house. Even in the course of the animated series, Donald could not find a profession in which he would succeed (the idea with a musical group failed). I wonder how he is going to support his two adopted daughters in the future? With Scrooge's money or Daisy's? I do not believe. He's too proud for that. In general, the problem here is bigger than it seems. Although the show often talks about the benefits of hard work and diligence, in fact, the remake does not teach the viewer these things well. When Huey and Dewey got an internship with Mark Beak, it wasn't the hardworking Huey who got the job in the end, but his upstart younger brother. Dewey himself is successful in golf, in flying an airplane and in other things for which he has talents. He learns all this quickly, almost without difficulty. But as soon as he came across cloudkicking, for which he had no talent, he stopped studying after the first unsuccessful attempt. Kit Cloudkicker has not learned to fly an airplane without a crowbar in thirty years. Goldie constantly robs honest businessman Scrooge. I understand that the animated series encourages you to do what you love, but that's not how it works. Any skill requires time and effort to master it properly. You can't become a master right away. The original Gosalyn became a good archer only after visiting the archery club. And in the future, she sometimes missed. In any case, effort without talent is worth more than talent without effort.

And how many domestic misfortunes happened to Donald, it is impossible to count. Are viewers invited to laugh at this? But we're not sadists (right?). We laugh at Butt-monkey only if he is a villain or if his misfortunes are related to specific shortcomings of his character (bragging of Darkwing Duck, for example). In the early comics, this is exactly what happened to Donald. He was lazy, greedy or short-tempered and received appropriate punishment for it. At the same time, he showed great hopes, Scrooge himself admitted that his nephew could surpass him if he put enough effort into it. But the new Donald is too nice. He even holds back his anger, which makes him look exhausted and causes even more sympathy. Kind viewers are not amused to look at his efforts. And knowing that Donald is simply not capable of success in everyday life makes the situation worse. All this is unfair.

2) A small influence on the plot — Although Donald's role has undoubtedly increased compared to the original, he still looks more like a minor character than the main one. He appeared in only half of the episodes (31/69). Della has 27 episodes, although she began to play an important role only from the second season. There is a clear explanation for this only in the first season (Donald was repairing his boat). In the second season, there is an explanation, but it lost its meaning even at the stage of rest. Why did the nephews choose a cruise without communication with the outside world? Why wasn't Scrooge surprised that Donald still managed to call him from there? And the hero's flight to the moon is generally an outright scam, a way to get him out of the way. Apparently, the arguments about the methods of education seemed boring to the creators and they preferred that Della learn everything on her own. Donald's activities on the moon also turned out to be meaningless (even if Angones claimed otherwise). Penumbra has already caught the general in evil intentions, Donald did not affect her intentions in any way. He also could not delay the invasion or warn his family about it. And when he returned to Earth, he was stuck on a desert island until the final. And in the third season, there is no explanation for Donald's absence in most episodes at all. It wasn't every day he went on a date with Daisy.

This problem wouldn't be serious if Donald had a good story arc. In fact, it is. Not even alone. Although there was little interaction between Donald and Scrooge in the first season, so forgiveness in the finale looks hasty. It was the same with adventures. In the third season, in the episode "Quack Pack", the authors returned to this topic. The episode is interesting, but something doesn't add up there. Donald behaves in it as if he had never liked adventures. But he was a great adventurer and in the "Shadow War" he made a whole speech about the fact that adventures are in their family's blood. The episode would have turned out better if the creators had moved him to the first season or made Louis the central character. Because he is the one who constantly complains about the dangers and at the same time is selfish enough to send his family to the world of sitcoms (this is uncharacteristic for the local Donald). In addition, Louie, unlike his uncle, accompanied the family in all adventures. So his fatigue would make more sense. Donald's relationship with Daisy is not bad (although Daisy is more of a credit here). The adoption of May and June is very nice (it's a pity that Donald didn't communicate with them at all before). In general, it could have been worse.

[bn2010]

Donald Duck. Part 2 (end).

3) Donald's relationship with children — In the early cartoons, Donald and his nephews were always fighting among themselves. The triplets were caricatured minx and their uncle was not a role model. Carl Barks' comics added realism. Huey, Dewey and Louie became like ordinary children, not perfect, but good. As far as I understood, Donald loved children, but he could also be very strict. Sometimes he could even beat them (for that time it was normal). He also enrolled his nephews in the "Young Woodchucks", whose commander he sometimes was himself. Nephews could play pranks, but they loved and respected their uncle. Don Rosa made Donald's devotion to his children absolute, but did not change their attitude towards him much. The same is true in the original. In the "Quack Pack" they started bickering again. This was explained by the nephew's teenage period and Donald's grumpy disposition. One thing has remained unchanged since the advent of comics. Donald was an authority for children and knew how to be a strict educator.

The relationships of the characters in the reboot personally remind me of the novel "4:50 from Paddington" (Agatha Christie). Young Alexander Eastley called his father Brian by name and treated him more like a son than a father. Brian was a military pilot, a brave and dashing man. But completely not created for everyday life. Alexander, being a smart boy, understood this and treated his father condescendingly, albeit with love. The situation in the remake is similar to this. Donald could even afford his own house in Don Rosa's comic book. But here he and his nephews are forced to huddle on an old tugboat. We can't call him a strict educator either. The original Donald sought to prepare children for the future life and raise them to be good birds. The new version primarily sought to protect children from danger. Apparently, fearing to harm them, he forgave them too much and behaved too gently. Perhaps he didn't even want them to become "The Young Woodchucks". Firstly, in this version he was kicked out of the ranks of this organization. This is even worse than if he was simply not allowed there (as the hero of Don Rosa). Secondly, as it turned out in the episode "The challenge of Senior Junior Woodchucks", membership in this group is sometimes fraught with dangers. But Huey somehow managed to convince his uncle, and his brothers first joined him, but then became disappointed.

Fans sometimes asked why Donald and Della never argued about parenting methods (Halloween doesn't count). Because Donald himself did not succeed in this matter. The original character would have prevented Dewey's recklessness and Louie's cheating. In any case, he would not allow himself to be robbed for three years. The new version could not or did not want to change anything. As a result, children love him, but do not consider him an authority. Subsequently, they will respect him as an adventurer, but not as a simple citizen. Yes, twice they gave inspiring speeches for him ("House of Lucky Gander" and "The Shadow War. Part 1"). But for the first time, their lives depended on it (Gladstone lured them into a trap). And the second time, the triplets were disappointed in Scrooge and tried to prove to themselves that Donald was better than him. In The Three Caballeros, Huey suggested that his uncle lie to his friends in order to make himself look better. In the 1987 animated series, the nephews, on the contrary, assured Donald that he was good on his own and he didn't have to pretend. At Louie's eleven, there was a break-in at a party by dishonest means. At the end, Donald goes on a journey. Sooner or later he will come back. But his relationship with his nephews will not be the same. The triplets now have Della and Scrooge. And Donald has May and June. Only the creators know what this will lead to.

In general, it is not surprising that Donald was often sidelined. We're still watching Duck Stories. And Donald is not particularly important for this animated series. Don Rosa said it right: "If earlier Scrooge owed his existence to Donald, now the opposite is true."

[donaldistducktoons]

Aug 22, 2023 11:26:37 GMT bn2010 said:

Webbigale Vanderquack. Part 2. Final twist.

There are enough controversial moments in the animated series, both important for the plot and insignificant. The revelation of the truth about Webby is the most grandiose event of them all. Because this is the main twist of the finale. Some people like it, some don't.

What can I say here that no one has said yet? First of all, this twist is not so amazing. Here, a reference to "Doctor Who" is visible to the naked eye. Surprised? Of course not.

The creators stated that they conceived this twist from the very beginning. Whether it's true or not, we won't know for sure. It's not that important. Firstly, we need to figure out what kind of plot load this twist carries. In fact, none. Webby's coolness, love of adventure and obsession with the McDuck clan have already been explained by three facts. She was raised by a retired spy. She grew up in the house of the great adventurer Scrooge and practically never left this house (the causal relationship, I think, is clear to everyone).Blood connection is completely optional here. Papyrus stories don't need that either. In the First Adventure, Scrooge stipulated that only Scrooge's true heir could find the Papyrus. It was the heir, there was no question of a descendant. The triplets could also have found the Papyrus (or maybe Donald and Della). It was Bradford, with his limited mind, who decided that a son or daughter was needed. Meanwhile, Webby is not Scrooge's child in the full sense of the word. She's an artificial bird (yes, it sounds rude, but it's a fact). It's just that Scrooge McDuck was the only male figure present in her life for 10 years. This and several more years of close relationships and joint adventures made Webby Scrooge's family and one of his heirs.

Anyway, I hope that's the case. A different situation would be unfair for the nephews who were Scrooge's heirs in the comics. And not because they are his blood relatives or inherited his specific qualities (intelligence, strength, cunning). No, they just had a talent for running a business and also loved adventures very much. That was quite enough. Webby, though a nice girl, has no right to be the sole heir. But I think I'm right.

Many said that the twist with Webby kills the found family aspect. Others objected because she remains a receptionist for Beakley. And there are enough other examples. I personally think the situation is a bit more complicated. In Ducktales 2017, family is a very vague thing. It lacks clear boundaries. McDucks accepts everyone into the family: friends, allies, work colleagues. Most of the main characters have never even seen some of them before the finale (rescue rangers). Apparently, the creators are not aware that there are other types of relationships besides family and enmity. Or they were inspired by the "Fast and furious" and "Spy Kids" franchises. There, former enemies were accepted into the family, often without even showing their remorse. How to treat this, let everyone decide for himself. Personally, I am not a sentimental person and I am not happy with this simplification. That's why I liked the tenth Fast and Furious, which deconstructed this idea. The important thing here is that everything is more than OK with the idea of a "foster family" in rebut.

Let's return to the question of what the purpose of the twist is. I have two assumptions. The first is just a reference to Doctor Who, which the creators used to shock and touch the viewer.

The second sentence is a way to confirm the close connection between Webby and Scrooge. Symbolic connection (as in the original), the creators probably did not seem enough. They wanted a direct confession. They wanted to give Scrooge what he was deprived of in the Don Rosa comic. There he once said that he had the opportunity to have a wife and children, but did not take advantage of it. Angones and Youngberg wanted to give Scrooge their own child, not just nephews or an adopted granddaughter.

As a result, two more questions arise. Does Scrooge need such a gift and does he deserve it? To the first question, alas, I will answer in the negative. Yes, it's all very touching. But Scrooge has a big family in the remake without that (especially compared to the hero of Don Rosa). So he could have done without daughter. In addition, the situation looks unfair to Donald, who has never been called dad in all the years of his guardianship over his nephews. Apparently, the creators decided that the relationship already existing between them is enough. Here again, let everyone form their own opinion.

I can't answer the second question. On the one hand, Scrooge ignored Webby for 10 years and it makes a painful impression. On the other hand, there are reasons for this disregard (Scrooge's serious condition and Beakley's prohibition to his granddaughter to disturb Scrooge).

As a result, the question of whether the final twist is good or bad, I consider incorrect. It is either superfluous or just optional, but touching.

I am waiting for your opinion.

Sorry I didn't have time to comment about your comments and criticisms about Webby and Donald, I've been busy, and unfortunately I will be in the next days and weeks, so until I'm done I won't be able to comment and give my criticisms about Ducktales characters. But I will give some of my comments and my criticisms of what you have presented.

Webby Vanderquack was definitely next to Scrooge the main focus of Ducktales 2017, mainly to prove that girls can be the main characters in Disney cartoons, and it's not the only one. If you've noticed, the latest Disney cartoon series mostly have the main characters as female characters, not male anymore. I mean, I have nothing against it, but there is a dimorphism between male and female characters, where the female characters are shown as capable, while the male characters are clumsy and dumber than the female characters. Unfortunately, Ducktales 2017 was like that and not only with Webby, but with most of the female characters. If you are a woman and a feminist, excuse me for these comments I made a moment ago, just to state my views.

You're right around Webby in the OG Ducktales, she's a little girl who wants the best for everyone, but often acts like little girls do. But let's not forget that Webby managed to win more money for the Junior Woodchucks than the boys in one day (I think it's the "Scrooge's Pet" episode, not sure) and when she outsmarted the Beable Babes (the episode "The Good Muddahs"). She is also a friend and lover of animals and often comforted Scrooge when Scrooge was feeling down. And indeed the relations between Scrooge and Webby were on the level of grandfather and granddaughter. Yes, there were episodes where she was too focused and it was boring, but overall Webby is not a bad character. I kind of picture her as Dottie, Daisy's distant niece from the old comics, since I assume the character Webby was based on that, not Daisy's nieces, April, May, and June.

What the authors did to Webby in the Ducktales reboot, I can say that they improved her for the better, but they also ruined her. Even fans of Ducktales 2017 complained about how Webby was too focused in the series and how she was much more advanced than the boys. And yes, Webby is a Mary Sue, no matter how many people deny it, because simply, she didn't have any flaws that she would regret and have to correct. And as much as the authors say that she is not a Mary Sue, they only proved that she is that and that especially at the end of the series, which I will talk about later. I know that they wanted to get the fourth season to show her arc, that is, her development of her personalities, but the first season itself, especially the first episodes, focused quite a lot on her. I agree with most of what you said about Webby, in addition to the improved good qualities from the original, they put her on the level of a belligerent girl that no one can harm and put her on strange formats. It's strange that she should be stuck in Scrooge's mansion all her life until Donald's nephews found her and that she admires Donald as the greatest adventurer, and there was absolutely no contact between her and Donald after that. I understand some reason for her grandmother Mrs. Beakley to protect Webby from various dangers, but this is insane. And there is no way that the boys will be more dexterous and smarter than her. For this, the classic version of Donald's nephews should have been left, where they were very mischievous and dexterous and smart and all together are "evil triplets" and they could agree with such a version of Webby and then there would be no problem with the focus of the characters in that series. Of course, this was just my suggestion. And this is how it turned out that you really have to have literally all the elements and focus on the characters to succeed. But back to the topic, and you're right, even though the reboot Webby loves animals, she loves them in even more bizarre ways than in the original. All the personalities she had in the original have increased her to an even greater hyperactive level.

But the worst part is not that, as she belongs to the McDuck family and that's where the message from the first season needed to stay as it was. However, the finale of the series completely destroyed her and she became the daughter of Scrooge McDuck as a clone, thereby canceling the message that family is not made up of blood alone. But with this, they confirmed that Scrooge McDuck was Gary Stue, even though he didn't appear specifically in that series. You're right, they took from Doctor Who and Batman Beyond, but I'd say they took from the Transformers: Animated series (Matt Youngberg was one of the writers of that series) where they really made the character Sari Sumdac to be both a clone and robot (seems impossible, but still possible) and that character was the basis for girl characters like Webby, Gosalyn, Lena and Violet. It's just proof that the writers don't know how to properly write the series and the ending itself (the first episode was phenomenal, then the decline starts). Eventually that series boiled down to mostly focusing on Webby and Scrooge, as I said before. And that Webby is April, that her sisters May and June are actually Scrooge's daughters, also collapses the Duck family tree itself, even though the Ducktales reboot universe has no connection to the Donald Duck universe from the comics and earlier cartoons. Even fans of Ducktales lamented and complained about it. I mean, it all depends on the writing of the script and the story how it ends up, but this ended up being really awful. Although I'll be honest, May and June didn't turn out too bad.

By the way, as I said with Donald's nephews, I'll say it again, it's good that they made good friendships Webby with Lena and Violet as best friends and I could say a good focus of that series and it's a shame that they didn't give it too much, although when there were those scenes, it turned out bad (the episode "The Phantom and the Sorceress!"), but I enjoyed those scenes. I would say more about Webby, but maybe another time. For the most part, I agree with what you said.

[donaldistducktoons]

Aug 27, 2023 16:15:05 GMT bn2010 said:

Donald Duck. Part 2 (end).

3) Donald's relationship with children — In the early cartoons, Donald and his nephews were always fighting among themselves. The triplets were caricatured minx and their uncle was not a role model. Carl Barks' comics added realism. Huey, Dewey and Louie became like ordinary children, not perfect, but good. As far as I understood, Donald loved children, but he could also be very strict. Sometimes he could even beat them (for that time it was normal). He also enrolled his nephews in the "Young Woodchucks", whose commander he sometimes was himself. Nephews could play pranks, but they loved and respected their uncle. Don Rosa made Donald's devotion to his children absolute, but did not change their attitude towards him much. The same is true in the original. In the "Quack Pack" they started bickering again. This was explained by the nephew's teenage period and Donald's grumpy disposition. One thing has remained unchanged since the advent of comics. Donald was an authority for children and knew how to be a strict educator.

The relationships of the characters in the reboot personally remind me of the novel "4:50 from Paddington" (Agatha Christie). Young Alexander Eastley called his father Brian by name and treated him more like a son than a father. Brian was a military pilot, a brave and dashing man. But completely not created for everyday life. Alexander, being a smart boy, understood this and treated his father condescendingly, albeit with love. The situation in the remake is similar to this. Donald could even afford his own house in Don Rosa's comic book. But here he and his nephews are forced to huddle on an old tugboat. We can't call him a strict educator either. The original Donald sought to prepare children for the future life and raise them to be good birds. The new version primarily sought to protect children from danger. Apparently, fearing to harm them, he forgave them too much and behaved too gently. Perhaps he didn't even want them to become "The Young Woodchucks". Firstly, in this version he was kicked out of the ranks of this organization. This is even worse than if he was simply not allowed there (as the hero of Don Rosa). Secondly, as it turned out in the episode "The challenge of Senior Junior Woodchucks", membership in this group is sometimes fraught with dangers. But Huey somehow managed to convince his uncle, and his brothers first joined him, but then became disappointed.

Fans sometimes asked why Donald and Della never argued about parenting methods (Halloween doesn't count). Because Donald himself did not succeed in this matter. The original character would have prevented Dewey's recklessness and Louie's cheating. In any case, he would not allow himself to be robbed for three years. The new version could not or did not want to change anything. As a result, children love him, but do not consider him an authority. Subsequently, they will respect him as an adventurer, but not as a simple citizen. Yes, twice they gave inspiring speeches for him ("House of Lucky Gander" and "The Shadow War. Part 1"). But for the first time, their lives depended on it (Gladstone lured them into a trap). And the second time, the triplets were disappointed in Scrooge and tried to prove to themselves that Donald was better than him. In The Three Caballeros, Huey suggested that his uncle lie to his friends in order to make himself look better. In the 1987 animated series, the nephews, on the contrary, assured Donald that he was good on his own and he didn't have to pretend. At Louie's eleven, there was a break-in at a party by dishonest means. At the end, Donald goes on a journey. Sooner or later he will come back. But his relationship with his nephews will not be the same. The triplets now have Della and Scrooge. And Donald has May and June. Only the creators know what this will lead to.

In general, it is not surprising that Donald was often sidelined. We're still watching Duck Stories. And Donald is not particularly important for this animated series. Don Rosa said it right: "If earlier Scrooge owed his existence to Donald, now the opposite is true."

The way you described Donald is so true. One of my main disappointments in the Ducktales reboot is certainly how Donald Duck turned out in the end. Totally wrong and I'm sure they didn't know what to do with him considering they had completely different plans for him as well as another actor for him. Yes, djnyr explained well, the Ducktales crew wanted another actor instead of Tony Anselmo, but Disney management wouldn't let them. That's why I'm not surprised why Tony Anselmo was often dissatisfied with that series, because he didn't even fit that team. Although it is unclear to me how he acted well in the first episode, only to be somehow accelerated afterwards so that it is impossible to understand what exactly he said.

One of the main problems is that Donald has his bad personalities taken from him and given to his sister Della and his nephews, and he uses his purpose to protect his family which highlights a particular problem. And what if his family doesn't appreciate what he did? That's exactly what happened in that series during the second and third seasons where Donald was depressed and blamed for causing trouble, and he just wants a good peace. And this about his anger is strange considering that he always gets angry when someone insults him or when things are not his way. It's always been like that in cartoons and comics. This in the Ducktales reboot made sense at first because he was defending his nephews, but then it gets tiresome. And the fact that his neighbor Jones is a psychiatrist is really idiotic, because in the comics they are the worst neighbors. But back to the topic, we all know when Donald gets angry and how he gets angry, I'm not saying it wasn't in the Ducktales reboot, but somehow it's not funny when he does it and loses that significance, especially at a time when his family avoids him. You said this well that he is a Butt-Monkey, which he is, but only in the event that he does bad things, then bad luck happens to him which is a characteristic for him. This in the Ducktales reboot is too much suffering for it to be worse. This was not even in the Jack Hannah classic shorts where Donald is annoyed by various "pests" such as Chip and Dale or a small bee, but Donald always gets what he deserves. In the Ducktales reboot, that's not the case and that's really not right. Realistically, if I were him, I would have left Duckburg a long time ago because of the sheer disrespect towards me. The most painful thing was that even his nephews no longer cared about him, except for Huey, no matter how much Donald saved them. Yet even though Donald has met his Caballeros and Daisy and adopted two daughters, and started his new family, he still feels the sadness of leaving his original family from where he came, and of leaving his boys, who loved them. It's something that would really hurt a family man in the real world. Even if it's a cartoon, but if you show the reality in one part, then the relationships in the family should also be shown in a good way, and not that one person who sacrifices himself has to suffer every day. Unfortunately, Donald is not the only one, such examples in cartoons already exist such as Daffy and Sylvester in Looney Tunes, Squidward in Sponge Bob, Kyle in Sound Park, Meg Griffin in Family Guy, etc. where these characters mostly struggle and only get bad luck mostly undeservedly. Yes, Donald is not like Meg, because Family Guy is a cartoon for adults, but Ducktales 2017 was not far from that, because it was still aimed at nostalgic people and those who liked modern things, not children, as I mentioned, so Donald was unfortunately at that level, because as Donald he is a classic character. And he is, Donald, but you can't just strip him of his original personality that he was known for. And that I talked to some Donald Duck fans who didn't like the way he was cast. I like Donald as a family man, but the Butt-Monkey role really doesn't suit him. As well as of course the poor use of bad luck, which I commented on earlier. Without his bad personalities, he really has no purpose in having bad luck.

Yes, they used bad stuff from the Jack Hannah classic shorts and House of Mouse where indeed Donald had bad luck, but for a reason, because he was a real jerk. Yes, they used that stuff from the Don Rosa comics, as you mentioned and Donald, was mostly canceled from his own, however if you've read the better Don Rosa comics like the two Three Caballeros comics and the one where Donald goes to another dimension where Donald doesn't exist pretty much says that Donald Duck is still a great character and useful to everyone, especially his family and his best friends. Even in the Quest for Kalevala comic, Donald outsmarts Death which shows how capable Donald is and that Don Rosa knows how to use Donald for great purposes. But it looks like the writers of Nu-Ducktales probably haven't read that or the other comics.

The next thing you may not have mentioned is the use of jokes around his voice. That's something that particularly drives me crazy and I don't approve of. I know there were jokes about his voice before and how no one understood it, but it was used when it should be used. The classic short "Donald's Dream Voice" best indicates how the problem was with the people, not Donald's voice. Yes, they unfortunately used that problem unnecessarily in House of Mouse and The Three Musketeers where Mickey didn't understand what he was saying, which hurts Donald quite a bit, because it turns out that Donald was a useless idiot, which he wasn't. Fortunately, Mickey Mouse Cartoons by Paul Rudish improved Donald quite a bit, although he was a jerk at first, he became a friendly and family duck and there were no jokes in his voice. The Ducktales reboot should have done a better job of improving Donald, not tearing him down through it. The episode "Shadow War" showed the best how it should not be done, because in serious moments they put a joke about his voice, how no one understands him and then the arrogant Gyro put a "Barks modulator" pill to change Donald's voice. In my opinion, this is an insult to both the character Donald Duck and the author Carl Barks, who made Donald the best in his comics. Yes, Donald was played by Don Chandle, who is a great actor, but it's absolutely wrong to put it in a time when it's not the place, I guess it should have been if Donald became Duck Avenger (which happened in the video game PK: Out of Shadow where Donald as Duck Avenger voiced by Rob Paulsen), in in this case it turned out badly. Come on, I forgave them for doing that at the end of the first season, but they did it again in the episode "Quack Pack!", showing that they didn't understand Donald's character. I don't know if it was Donald's desire to change his voice that they ruined the relationship between Donald and Goofy, and Tony Anselmo and Bill Farmer are a great match as the voice actors of Donald and Goofy. Yes, that episode in particular pissed me off and I consider it one of the worst episodes in the Ducktales reboot. They changed Donald's voice unnecessarily plus referenced the original Quack Pack, and there is no similarity between that show and the episode except for the name and the poses. And yes Donald, guilty of everything. The horror! Even sadder that Daisy Duck was the one who understood Donald, being one of the few people, and loves that Donald sings even though Donald sings we know how. This begs the question, if Donald's nephews lived with their uncle all their lives, why didn't they understand him properly? This has to do with the actors, because voice actors and celebrity actors are not on the same level. And this shows how much the authors of Nu-Ducktales respected Tony Anselmo, so I'm not surprised at his regret. Just to note, in the book The Art of Ducktales, Tony Anselmo is not even mentioned as a participant in that series, but Don Chandle. I don't know if you know, but Matt Danner, the creator of the series The Legend of The Three Caballeros that was supposed to be shown instead of the Ducktales reboot, knew very well how with Tony Anselmo, to change the text in such a way that Tony can speak well with his duck voice and that Donald be even more understandable. That's why I prefer that series to the Ducktales reboot, because they know how to deal with the character of Donald Duck and his voice.

I could understand why the OG Ducktales couldn't use Donald Duck but sent him to the Navy, which was Roy Disney's excuse for not wanting the famous six characters (Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Pluto, Donald and Daisy) to be in Disney Afternoon series all the way to Goof Troop. But for the Ducktales reboot, I don't understand why, except as I said before, that they wanted to change Donald as they saw fit, and that he is not played by Tony Anselmo, but by another actor. Yes, many expected Donald to be the main character, which was the case in the first episode, and after that Donald was more of a side character than the main character. As I said before, giving his personalities to his sister Della and his nephews led to the destruction of his original character and therefore was unworkable. Although it's strange to me how they managed to use Donald as a little boy to communicate with his sister, rather than as an adult duck. Although I would say that it has something to do with the actors, but then again, the writers of those scripts are also to blame. Yes, Donald certainly turned out to be great at communicating with his cousin Gladstone, his girlfriend Daisy, and his friends Jose and Panchito. Regarding the relationship between Donald and his nephews, I said earlier when I spoke at Donald's nephews, that good dynamic relationships are not just excuses like he took care of them for ten years, if we didn't look at what the relationships were really like, and not just short hugs. Also, Donald showed them what it means to be a real parent, and they didn't show it well except for Huey, as an exception. The comics, OG Ducktales and Quack Pack as well as the movie "Mickey's Once Upon A Christmas" did a great job of portraying the great dynamic relationship between Donald and his nephews Huey, Dewey and Louie as a father and son relationship and it's really touching and it shows that Donald Duck is the best parent for them, not Della or Scrooge. In The Legend of The Three Caballeros, Donald Duck was shown to be a really friendly duck, despite his bad luck and a penchant for adventure. All the opposite of what the Ducktales reboot should have done, but didn't do unfortunately.

Certainly an excellent analysis and I would comment more, but due to the current situation I am not able to, but if I remember some other things about Donald, I will definitely say so.

[bn2010]

#6 Scrooge McDuck — The parody of the Dickens character completely separated from its prototype and lived its own life. What can be said about this?

OG Scrooge was a light and soft version of Carl Barks' character — greedy but sweet, attentive to family and more capable of improvement. Scrooge 17, in turn, is the same version of the hero Don Rosa. He has significantly reduced his avarice, now he is more greedy for adventures (the authors explicitly stated this). And he didn't push his family away from him. His main drawbacks are selfishness and pride (in Rose's comics, it was just also multiplied by greed). And here's the thing. It's a good idea. A billionaire can commit immoral acts even if he is generous. Scrooge, more willing to spend money, but problematic in other aspects, is still interesting to watch. It's just that his shortcomings manifest themselves mainly in minor episodes and storylines (The impossible summit to Mt Neverrest, How Santa style Christmas, Life and crimes of Scrooge McDuck). They do not have a global impact on the plot and do not constitute a single arch of character development. By the end of the episode, Scrooge corrects the mistake and everything is forgotten. Major troubles at Scrooge 17 certainly happened. But to what extent are they his fault? Let's go through it in order.

Let's start, of course, with many years of separation from the family. In the comics, Scrooge pushed them away from himself. His desire for wealth turned almost into madness. He stayed alone for 17 years until he finally changed the situation by inviting Donald and his great-nephews for Christmas. In the rebut, Scrooge's guilt is limited to the fact that he built a rocket too early (why he hurried so much remains a mystery). But Della flew away on her own, and Donald took out his anger on his uncle. No, his reaction is quite logical, but it doesn't make it right. Rage and fear prevailed over prudence. And Scrooge could not reconcile with his nephew, he would have rejected all his attempts. As a result, he turned to him for help. Scrooge has been alone for only 10 years, and his condition cannot be called loneliness. After Duckworth's death, Beakley and Webby appeared in his mansion. In the comics, wealth did not bring happiness to the hero in the end, because he became too stingy to spend money. In the remake, Scrooge tried to use them to get Della back. Yes, the vultures have stopped the search, but I don't think Scrooge has come to terms with it. Rather, he wanted to save money again and resume the search. The repeated quarrel at the end of season 1 was also only partially due to Scrooge's fault. He reacted too violently, but you will agree that it is difficult to control yourself when you are being made a scapegoat despite the fact that you tried to fix everything. In the story of Glomgold, Scrooge was let down not so much by selfishness with vanity, as by notorious greed (he paid ten cents instead of a dollar) and excessive romanticism. He thought that in this way he would inspire the guy to succeed. He did, but not the way he wanted. The bet with Glomgold was the result of Scrooge's pride, I do not dispute, but if it were not for Louie's schemes, McDuck would have won calmly.

The confrontation with the Bombie is just a comedy. In the original, Scrooge committed a grave crime and was cursed for it. In the remake... Bombie pursues every richest one who brags. Scrooge just loudly declared himself the richest duck in the world. But what's wrong with that? Why can't he rejoice in his victory? Apart from that, he didn't do anything reprehensible. That is, it is about humility, I understand. But after Scrooge apologized to the monster and cleaned his shoes, he did not change his behavior in any way. In the third season, he will build a big robot with his appearance, and then try to monopolize Christmas. Doesn't that go against humility? It turns out that the old man was punished only for specific boasting, and the bully was not interested in everything else. A pitiful sight.


The story about Magica is good. Scrooge really behaved unsightly, although he is more to blame for the villagers than for Magica. But I don't think this action changes anything globally. The enmity with the witch would have remained even if Scrooge had helped her to disenchant her brother. But this episode deserves a separate discussion.

In general, Scrooge's vices as such did not cause him serious trouble. And in general, this version of the character is MUCH happier than all the previous ones. His parents are alive, he sees Goldie relatively often (they did not enter into a full-fledged relationship only because of the lifestyle of a woman), and his fame is huge. Don Rosa's Scrooge was just a famous adventurer, and the hero of the remake is almost a deity. He is 150 years old, and he is cheerful and healthy. The original was 80 years old, and Rosa wanted to put him to rest at the age of 100. According to Angones, his Scrooge did not even make a will, because he believes that he will never die (The wolf from the second "Puss in boots" growls and sharpens sickles). However, Goldie looks even younger. Apparently, she and Scrooge have found ways to slow down their aging. But then the episode about the Fountain of Youth does not make sense. What difference does it make if heroes drink from the same source if they have a bunch of alternatives?

There is another interesting circumstance. Scrooge is declared as an incredibly strong character: he prevents Ragnarok every 10 years, the Ghosts of Christmas hang out with him every year, Zeus constantly loses to him. But in the show itself, Scrooge gets into trouble quite often. In the case of the central antagonists of the seasons (Magica, Lunaris, Bradford), this makes sense. They invested a lot of time and effort to think over an attack plan. But there are also several minor episodes with the same outcome (Three Caballeros, for example). Yes, Scrooge has flaws, but didn't they bother him before? Scrooge must be either exaggerating his merits, or appropriating the glory of relatives. In fact, this is explained by the narrative of the animated series. Its main characters are triplets and Webby. So Scrooge has to get into trouble so that they can prove themselves.

It is also interesting that in comics and shows 87, he often lost his fortune. And there was no such thing in the reboot. The bet doesn't count because Louie is a family member. It might have happened in season 4, but we won't know that anymore.

I've already talked about the final twist with my daughter. In general, if the original character was the richest in the literal sense (but quite problematic in other respects), then Scrooge 17 is such in metaphorical terms. He has a huge family and a lot of adventures ahead of him. He had tragedies, but they left a minimal trace.

[bn2010]

#7 Della Duck. Part 1. From Appearance to Timephoon.

So we got to the main attraction of the remake. The mother of the triplets appears on the screen for the first time. We are unlikely to see the biological father in the near future. Donald has firmly taken his place, but the mother is another matter.

The audience treats her differently. Some people love her for her cheerful disposition, perseverance and the fact that she is not perfect at all, but she tries to become a good mother. But others cannot forgive her for abandoning the children, causing Scrooge and Donald to quarrel, and already during the show she committed several ambiguous acts. Interestingly, some critics call her Mary Sue, while others, on the contrary, consider her a bad person. A difficult situation.

What can be said about her? I don't think Della is Mary Sue. She has enough flaws, and she sometimes suffers failures. At the same time, she knows how to admit mistakes and gets better with time. The problem is not with her, but with the script. Many important details remained behind the scenes. Some topics were not touched upon at all. And sometimes the creators openly play along with Della, make it easier for her. But first things first.

As we know, Della flew away on a rocket and crashed. The question immediately arises: why did she do it? It is clear that it was reckless, and I believe that she sincerely repents. But why did she take "Spear of Selene"? The audience has several theories, but none of them has been confirmed. It's hard, you know, to empathize with a hero whose motives you don't understand.

Then there are Della's adventures on the moon. The problem here, in my opinion, is obvious. Too much comedy. All these attempts to jump to the Ground, tearing up instructions, grumbling at gum do not contribute to the viewer's sympathy for the character. It is clear that the show is comedic and no one tried to make it completely gloomy. But even humor is right and wrong to serve. Why not make Della a Stepford Smiler, so that she could fight loneliness and guilt with the help of jokes. Coupled with the drama that was in the episode, it could have turned out fine. But the jokes and buffoonery of the episode "Whatever happened to Della Duck" are too sincere and natural. There is simply no sense of tragedy. Add to this the fact that Della has not changed outwardly in ten years (only she lost her leg, but you easily forget about it, since the prosthesis does not affect her movements in any way). As a result, it is absolutely unbelievable that she spent at least a year on the moon (not to mention 10 years).

The heroine's relationship with the inhabitants of the Moon, friendship with Penumbra are shown well. And her return home and the first meeting with her family are generally wonderful. On the one hand, there is a stormy joy, but on the other, there is a wariness about how to live on. Della had a different relationship with each of her sons. I was wondering how they would be developed further. I liked "Raiders of the Doomsday vault" too. Della and Dewey are birds of the same feather. It is logical that they have a good time together, but at the same time they make the same mistakes. The situation is similar with Webby. But when the show began to develop the heroine's relationship with other sons, the result was controversial.

In "Happy Birthday, Doofus Drake," Della and Huey had a joint adventure in a video game. Given the differences in their characters, one of two things could be expected. Either Della will teach her son to act faster and more decisively, developing intuition, or Huey will teach his mother a lesson in prudent caution. Instead, the episode was about getting out of your comfort zone. Why? Huey constantly flies with his family on adventures, sometimes finds them even at home (or rather, at Scrooge's house). He is also a member of the "Young Woodchucks" (judging by season 3, it can be unsafe there). What's wrong with him not taking risks in a video game, but doing peaceful farming? After all, the game can be a recreation area for him. But no, both leave the protective bubble. As a result, the dragon destroys the farm, and Huey, protecting his mother, loses self-control and has to be dragged out of the game by force.

Mind you, I'm not blaming the heroine. She didn't insist, just Huey decided to meet her halfway. The outcome of their adventure could still be a lesson for both Huey (he needs to defend his position more firmly) and for Della (she needs to moderate her desire for fun, learn how to separate the peaceful hobbies of her sons). But the authors did not focus at all on the fact that the heroes did wrong. But these are still minor quibbles. The most interesting thing is ahead.

[donaldistducktoons]

Sept 11, 2023 6:47:11 GMT bn2010 said:

#6 Scrooge McDuck — The parody of the Dickens character completely separated from its prototype and lived its own life. What can be said about this?

OG Scrooge was a light and soft version of Carl Barks' character — greedy but sweet, attentive to family and more capable of improvement. Scrooge 17, in turn, is the same version of the hero Don Rosa. He has significantly reduced his avarice, now he is more greedy for adventures (the authors explicitly stated this). And he didn't push his family away from him. His main drawbacks are selfishness and pride (in Rose's comics, it was just also multiplied by greed). And here's the thing. It's a good idea. A billionaire can commit immoral acts even if he is generous. Scrooge, more willing to spend money, but problematic in other aspects, is still interesting to watch. It's just that his shortcomings manifest themselves mainly in minor episodes and storylines (The impossible summit to Mt Neverrest, How Santa style Christmas, Life and crimes of Scrooge McDuck). They do not have a global impact on the plot and do not constitute a single arch of character development. By the end of the episode, Scrooge corrects the mistake and everything is forgotten. Major troubles at Scrooge 17 certainly happened. But to what extent are they his fault? Let's go through it in order.

Let's start, of course, with many years of separation from the family. In the comics, Scrooge pushed them away from himself. His desire for wealth turned almost into madness. He stayed alone for 17 years until he finally changed the situation by inviting Donald and his great-nephews for Christmas. In the rebut, Scrooge's guilt is limited to the fact that he built a rocket too early (why he hurried so much remains a mystery). But Della flew away on her own, and Donald took out his anger on his uncle. No, his reaction is quite logical, but it doesn't make it right. Rage and fear prevailed over prudence. And Scrooge could not reconcile with his nephew, he would have rejected all his attempts. As a result, he turned to him for help. Scrooge has been alone for only 10 years, and his condition cannot be called loneliness. After Duckworth's death, Beakley and Webby appeared in his mansion. In the comics, wealth did not bring happiness to the hero in the end, because he became too stingy to spend money. In the remake, Scrooge tried to use them to get Della back. Yes, the vultures have stopped the search, but I don't think Scrooge has come to terms with it. Rather, he wanted to save money again and resume the search. The repeated quarrel at the end of season 1 was also only partially due to Scrooge's fault. He reacted too violently, but you will agree that it is difficult to control yourself when you are being made a scapegoat despite the fact that you tried to fix everything. In the story of Glomgold, Scrooge was let down not so much by selfishness with vanity, as by notorious greed (he paid ten cents instead of a dollar) and excessive romanticism. He thought that in this way he would inspire the guy to succeed. He did, but not the way he wanted. The bet with Glomgold was the result of Scrooge's pride, I do not dispute, but if it were not for Louie's schemes, McDuck would have won calmly.

The confrontation with the Bombie is just a comedy. In the original, Scrooge committed a grave crime and was cursed for it. In the remake... Bombie pursues every richest one who brags. Scrooge just loudly declared himself the richest duck in the world. But what's wrong with that? Why can't he rejoice in his victory? Apart from that, he didn't do anything reprehensible. That is, it is about humility, I understand. But after Scrooge apologized to the monster and cleaned his shoes, he did not change his behavior in any way. In the third season, he will build a big robot with his appearance, and then try to monopolize Christmas. Doesn't that go against humility? It turns out that the old man was punished only for specific boasting, and the bully was not interested in everything else. A pitiful sight.


The story about Magica is good. Scrooge really behaved unsightly, although he is more to blame for the villagers than for Magica. But I don't think this action changes anything globally. The enmity with the witch would have remained even if Scrooge had helped her to disenchant her brother. But this episode deserves a separate discussion.

In general, Scrooge's vices as such did not cause him serious trouble. And in general, this version of the character is MUCH happier than all the previous ones. His parents are alive, he sees Goldie relatively often (they did not enter into a full-fledged relationship only because of the lifestyle of a woman), and his fame is huge. Don Rosa's Scrooge was just a famous adventurer, and the hero of the remake is almost a deity. He is 150 years old, and he is cheerful and healthy. The original was 80 years old, and Rosa wanted to put him to rest at the age of 100. According to Angones, his Scrooge did not even make a will, because he believes that he will never die (The wolf from the second "Puss in boots" growls and sharpens sickles). However, Goldie looks even younger. Apparently, she and Scrooge have found ways to slow down their aging. But then the episode about the Fountain of Youth does not make sense. What difference does it make if heroes drink from the same source if they have a bunch of alternatives?

There is another interesting circumstance. Scrooge is declared as an incredibly strong character: he prevents Ragnarok every 10 years, the Ghosts of Christmas hang out with him every year, Zeus constantly loses to him. But in the show itself, Scrooge gets into trouble quite often. In the case of the central antagonists of the seasons (Magica, Lunaris, Bradford), this makes sense. They invested a lot of time and effort to think over an attack plan. But there are also several minor episodes with the same outcome (Three Caballeros, for example). Yes, Scrooge has flaws, but didn't they bother him before? Scrooge must be either exaggerating his merits, or appropriating the glory of relatives. In fact, this is explained by the narrative of the animated series. Its main characters are triplets and Webby. So Scrooge has to get into trouble so that they can prove themselves.

It is also interesting that in comics and shows 87, he often lost his fortune. And there was no such thing in the reboot. The bet doesn't count because Louie is a family member. It might have happened in season 4, but we won't know that anymore.

I've already talked about the final twist with my daughter. In general, if the original character was the richest in the literal sense (but quite problematic in other respects), then Scrooge 17 is such in metaphorical terms. He has a huge family and a lot of adventures ahead of him. He had tragedies, but they left a minimal trace.

Scrooge McDuck in the Ducktales reboot was, so to speak, a Gary Stue model. A man or a duck without any flaws and always right. Djnyr explained very well that the creators of the Ducktales reboot wanted to make him the Disney version of Bruce Wayne, that is, Batman, that Scrooge is a superhero and that he has no flaws. But those who read DC comics (I mean the old comics), especially Batman would know that Bruce Wayne wasn't entirely clean either. But to return to the topic, as much as they magnified Scrooge in Ducktales and everything revolved around him, what was inappropriate was the focus on him, as the main character. Donald's nephews and Webby were the stars of that series, and I know it's because of the kids' audience, and since I've had a lot of trouble with fans defending it, it's fair to say that kids know more about Donald Duck and they've watched more him rather than Donald's nephews. After all, Donald's nephews didn't even behave like children of their age, but like older teenagers, and not only because of their voices, but because of the actions they made, they even fought against adults and of course with Scrooge's permission. Old Scrooge would not allow children to get into dangerous life-threatening situations and always warned them not to go where they should. This was especially true in the comics and the original Ducktales. Scrooge didn't like it whenever Webby got lost, because Webby herself was a little girl (she was between 5 and 7 years old, certainly younger than HDL), while in the reboot Scrooge it was always convenient for Webby to fight and win and outrun the enemies. Not to say how it was at the end of the series, that Webby was like Scrooge, i.e. his daughter. And what kind of message could be sent to others? The original Ducktales did a good job of putting Donald's nephews and Webby in their place, where they weren't fighting the enemy, but outsmarting them with their tricks, as children would normally do. In the reboot, it's as if they put Dragon Ball on steroids. Although I've already explained about Donald's nephews and Webby, this is very much related to Scrooge's actions. And yes, he's in the reboot as a moral person who right the wrongs, which somehow wouldn't go with him. Yes, he was like that in the original Ducktales, but he often made mistakes precisely because of his greed and some bad decisions, so he had to correct that.

Yes, I agree with most of what you said, but I wouldn't agree that he was to blame for the disappearance of Della Duck, it was Della herself who made rash decisions and being very hyper, decided to go on a rocket to help her uncle, without his permission and so she went to get Selene's spear and then got stuck on the moon. And she left as soon as she hatched her sons. Is it a good message that it is okay for mothers to abandon their children? Okay, this is more of a comment for Della Duck, but the point is clear. What Scrooge would be really guilty of is how he raised Donald and Della, especially Della in bad ways, since they lived with him for most of their lives. The same goes for the misdeeds of Donald's nephews and Webby, whom Scrooge picked lightly, no matter how dangerous it was to their lives. Mrs. Beakley on the other hand was cautious in her upbringing regarding her granddaughter Webby, and defended her, even though Webby learned all her martial arts from her grandmother. Donald blamed Scrooge for not stopping Della from leaving, even though Donald blamed his sister for it as well. I mean, if the Ducktales reboot did what the original Ducktales did, it made Scrooge a good family man which is the total opposite of his character in the comics. The episode "The Last Crash of the Sunchaser!" which was difficult in itself wanted to show how Scrooge was to blame for breaking up the family, and in the end it turned out not to be his fault. Although he was really rude when he told Webby that she wasn't part of the McDuck family. In Shadow War they reconciled and Scrooge himself admitted that family is not made by blood, but by feeling itself, which was supposed to be the moral of the series, until they threw it away in the final episode.

Yes, as you mentioned, Scrooge was definitely invincible, even a communicator with the gods and no one could do anything to him. Except for the three season finale villains, Magica, Lunaris and Bradford. Although I am not a fan of Bradford, I admit that he was certainly the most dangerous to Scrooge's life, although his intentions were unclear to me. That's what Djnyr mentioned, Scrooge was the superhero ideal without actually being a superhero, which is another contrast with his character. I'll explain what he's like in the comics later. And yes, it's true, Scrooge didn't miss anything, he even liked how Donald's cousins, Gladstone and Fethry, fared. He had living parents, Goldie, Donald and Della living, sister Matilda, Donald's nieces, certainly daughter Webby with her sisters, May and June. And certainly Sister Hortense, if they were allowed to bring her and Quackmore in, but their excuse, I mean the writers' excuse was that they were at Grandma Duck Farm. Interesting that Grandma Duck and Gus Goose weren't in the Ducktales reboot, considering they were the most important part of Donald's family. All in all, Scrooge was a man without flaws, and even those mistakes he made could be corrected. Which is another contrast to Scrooge's character in the comics. Episode "The Life And Crimes of Scrooge McDuck!" confirmed just that, that Scrooge was not to blame for the actions of Glomgold and Ma Beagle, but he was for Magica, the villagers and Poe, Magica's brother. This episode was the worst for me out of many things, but what's amazing is how they wanted to show the expressiveness of grief in Magica, even though they made her a total crazy witch, which is definitely at odds with her character in the comics. And precisely because of her brother. Yes, Scrooge was supposed to bring the villagers back, but he was seen lusting after wealth more than helping the villagers, which is certainly part of his character and a mistake he could not allow. And as for Poe, I don't know if the writers ever wanted to bring him back, and there could be a reconciliation between Magica and Scrooge. These are some things that the writers of the Ducktales reboot shouldn't have done, especially in terms of character assassination. Especially watch "The Living Mummies of Toth-Ra!", "The Forbidden Fountain of the Foreverglades!" and "The Last Adventure!" where it was shown. Otherwise, if they wanted to really humiliate Scrooge, they just had to start with his sisters, Hortense and Matilda. Considering how they made Matilda, the only one who could really blame Scrooge was Hortense, and that was precisely because of her daughter's disappearance and how Scrooge treated his sister badly. This is where you could really see Scrooge's lack of respect for his family. Unfortunately, this did not happen. The last episode showed all the carelessness of Scrooge's flaws and showed that he did a good thing by going on adventures, which is ok, but they just confirmed that he's a Gary Stue, like a Webby Mary Sue character. By making him immortal he confirms the rule that he is like a deity and with him Goldie and will always be young in spite of everything. But again, it's not bad if there are characters who live a long life, the problem, as you mentioned, is their youthfulness and that they haven't lost anything. It certainly contradicts his characteristics and the very way of writing in the cartoon, because if they wanted to introduce reality in Ducktales, then they should not have made Scrooge an immortal character who is still holding strong. And the relationship between Scrooge and Goldie was too much to say the least, they did it just to get fans of the comics and the OG Ducktales, and they botched things at least as far as their romance was concerned. Yes, about Bombie the Zombie, you're right, but they probably did it so that Scrooge wouldn't turn out to be a bad colonizer, because in today's western media it's bad to portray him as a colonizer, so they changed Scrooge so that he only acquired wealth and became the richest duck in the world. Also, one of the worst episodes I've seen. Although luckily they were still able to use that character back then, given that today they censored that character, but there was already a topic about it, so I wouldn't comment further. And as for Christmas and Santa, yes, they wanted to make Scrooge their own version of the Grinch, but that's wrong because the Grinch truly hated Christmas, not so much because of the gift giving, but because he never got anything. Scrooge doesn't like it, because he's a miser, and all that was needed was concrete proof of that, and not to say that the character was based on Ebenezer Scrooge from A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens and that the reference is implied, which is another wrong sign of misunderstanding given series.

Basically, Scrooge in the Ducktales reboot wasn't such a bad character, unlike the other versions who were really bad and not at all reminiscent of the original versions (Donald's Nephews, Gyro, Glomgold, Beagle Boys, Rockerduck, Goldie, Magica, Darkwing Duck, Doofus and other characters). And I love how David Tennant voiced Scrooge really well, he's not like Alan Young but he fits the bill. The only thing I really complain about is how they did the characterization of Scrooge. I know he can't be like the old comics, the miser and the bastard man, but then again, I can show him with certain flaws, like he was in the original version of Ducktales and he'd be ok there. Although it's not like Disney is portraying him as a bastard duck like in the case of Mickey Mouse Cartoons.

As for the comics, even though Carl Barks portrayed him as an antagonist, he still became one of the most popular duck protagonists, right after Donald. And no, he wasn't the ultimate adventurer, Donald was, but Scrooge was certainly in his element when it came to treasure hunting. In the OG Ducktales Scrooge was a great adventurer and a family man, but he had the flaw that he always wanted to have more wealth than others and that he neglected his employees and his family, until later he realized that it's not all about money, but also about family. Donald's nephews, Webby, Mrs Beakley and Duckworth helped him there. Ducktales Movie: The Treasure of The Lamp portrayed him as a bastard and a poor old man, but he had a fighting heart and even sacrificed himself to save Gena's life and fight Merlock and succeeded. The Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck by Don Rosa best portrayed the characteristic of Scrooge and showed what Scrooge really is. Scrooge wanted to start an independent business and be the pride of his family, which he succeeded, but unfortunately he did the wrong things, such as burning native villages in Africa, specifically in the Congo River Valley, and drove his sisters away from him, which showed things which were really hard to fix. It was Scrooge himself who confessed to his sister Matilda what he had done. "A letter from home", was one of my favorite comics by Don Rosa, where it specifically related and showed that Scrooge is neither sinless nor is he totally corrupt. His life was changed a lot by his nephew Donald and his nephews, Huey, Dewey and Louie and that for the better and Scrooge could feel like he used to again. That's what was missing from the Ducktales reboot, as much as they boasted that they used material from the Don Rosa comics, they still didn't capture the essence of Scrooge's character, which is Scrooge's depression and loss that he won't be able to correct some things from the past, but that he has a new hope for new members of their family. And I will always consider "A letter from home" to be a great ending to Scrooge's adventures and his reconciliation with his sister. Yes, Don Rosa did praise Scrooge's characterization in the Ducktales reboot, although he has a negative opinion of that series, which suggests that they did some things well, but still not enough. Still, it's a far cry from Scrooge from The Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck. Scrooge as a superhero was already Masked Mallard in the OG Ducktales and Masked Tophat in the comics (he came off as more of a bastard there than not being a superhero) so I wonder why they didn't do some reference to that.

All in all, I mostly agree with your criticisms about Scrooge, so I also said my own, although more than I should have, but if Scrooge should have been less pleasant and more like a bastard, he should have.

[bn2010]

7 Della Duck. Part 2. Conflict with Louie.

The conflict between Louie and Della is not inferior in terms of inconsistency, and perhaps surpasses the twist with Webby. There are a lot of opinions about this. This is not surprising, because although the situation looks simple outwardly (Louie is seriously guilty, Della punishes her son after Beakley's advice and personal experience, and in the next episode he tries to earn forgiveness), in fact there are many nuances in it.

On the one hand, Louie's motives were good (unlike the story with Louie's kids, it would be better if he was punished for this), he tried to foresee the consequences and began to correct the situation as soon as he sensed something was wrong. On the other hand, his apologies at the end were completely theatrical and fake, as if he did not repent a bit. And in the next episode, he seemed more worried about not being taken on an adventure than that the family was angry with him. Della was also guided by the best intentions. To Louie's reasonable remark ("from whom did I get this"), she could well answer that the consequences of her stupidity were also terrible. But she chose not to talk to her son at all, and her upbringing is frankly strange: a robot shooting lasers, unintelligible lectures. But the main thing is that as a result, Louis found himself without support at the time of the villains' attack (Duckworth could not do anything). Yes, Della didn't expect this, but Louie didn't expect a disaster either. However, this did not justify him.

It can also be noted that other relatives behaved very passively. At first they forgave Louis, but then they took Della's side. It is clear why they did not interfere in their conversation. But why were they silent later? Huey and Dewey could support their brother and convince him to be submissive so as not to inflame the situation. And Scrooge could calm Della down and tell her more about Louis so that she could make an informed decision (she doesn't know him at all). But, apparently, they were scared and preferred that they confront to each other themselves.

I have not mentioned all the nuances. They can be listed for a long time. And it takes even longer to argue about what matters and what doesn't. So I'll leave it and try to look at the situation as a whole.

The most important thing, in my opinion, is that Della was very lucky and many times in her relationship with Louie. And this luck began immediately after her return home. First she saved him from the Gilded Man (whom she herself had awakened). Then Louie finally accepted her as a mother. However, he spent a lot of time with her. Moreover, having invited Goldie to his place, the guy was looking for more from her than just tips on getting rich quickly. No, he wanted her care and support. If Goldie had given him this, she could have become a mother figure for him (Louie felt a kindred spirit in her). But Della was lucky the second time. Goldie chose to rob the boy and run away. The mother's place remained unoccupied.

However, these two have not become particularly close yet. Della would have to show a lot of ingenuity and patience to improve the connection between them. Keep in mind, I believe that he would have succeeded, even if not immediately. But the authors made an unexpected trick — turned the situation upside down. Louie had staged the apocalypse, and now he had to earn forgiveness and acceptance from his mother. As for Della, I'm not saying that punishing a child is easy, but at least a lot of patience is not required here. Besides, Della didn't think much about it. She just applied all the harsh measures she could think of. It is pointless to reproach her: she was furious, the family did not object (on the contrary, gave her carte blanche) and Louie behaved unreasonably.

In "Glomtales", the heroine was also lucky at least three times. At first, her phrase "stop if you want to be part of the family" (for whatever purpose it was uttered) scared Louis enough that he stopped any resistance, but not enough that he completely despaired or became embittered. Then Glomgold's "family" attacked the estate, not only did not harm the child, but also blindly trusted him, as a result of being left in the fools. Finally, the last time Della was lucky, when Louis did not accuse her of anything. After all, he was left alone and had to save his life on his own. But the joy of victory and Louie's guilt prevented the resumption of the dispute.

It seems to me that the creators didn't care much about this conflict, and they didn't try to work it out properly. Remember, the main idea of the episode "Timephoon" was that Della needs to learn rigor when it is needed. And Glomtales was dedicated to how Louis redeemed himself and confirmed his place in the family (apparently, Angones and Youngberg are not those who believe that a place in the family should not be deserved). The conflict between mother and son has become, so to speak, a side effect. The authors did not want to dive into this topic too much. They preferred that the conflict be resolved quickly. This explains why the characters had almost no contact in those episodes. One conversation at the end of "Timephoon" and 2 more short conversations in "Glomtales". Another proof is the words of Angones himself. When asked about the conflict, he said something like: "There are no rights and wrongs in that conflict. Both have a lot to learn." In fact, he didn't say anything, just took a neutral position between the fans. Because if both are wrong, why did only Louie apologize?

But the most important disappointment for me was that the conflict between Della and Louie ended in vain. Louie, having barely corrected one mistake, immediately made a bunch of new ones. You know the consequences. However, this is not surprising, because the opportunity to realize his dream opened up before him. Della also asked her son not to harm those he loves anymore. The request is, firstly, insulting (because he did not want to harm them), and secondly, impossible. Louie can't foresee everything. However, Della promised to help her son with his schemes, but in the third season we will never see their joint planning. Even after "Louie's eleven" the boy will work alone.

I've been blabbing about it. The main thing I wanted to convey is that the potentially interesting topic of relations and contradictions between a mother and her youngest son was cut off without a worthy climax and denouement. Singing a lullaby in "Moonvasion" was, of course, touching. But it fits into the overall picture of events so-so. The idea deserved a better implementation.

[mousemaestro]

Jul 8, 2023 22:37:08 GMT Mesterius said:

Imagine if Uncle Scrooge in animation was like the Scooby-Doo franchise, with new TV shows and direct-to-video iterations in constant production. If that was the case, they'd almost be bound to get SOME of the adaptations right. (I'm not even a Scooby-Doo fan in general, but "Scooby-Doo: Mystery Incorporated" was amazing.)

Ugh,

SDMI was insufferable to this Scooby Doo fan. The characters weren't deeper. Their flaws were exaggerated and flanderized. 

[Mesterius]

Sept 21, 2023 21:34:28 GMT mousemaestro said:

Jul 8, 2023 22:37:08 GMT Mesterius said:

Imagine if Uncle Scrooge in animation was like the Scooby-Doo franchise, with new TV shows and direct-to-video iterations in constant production. If that was the case, they'd almost be bound to get SOME of the adaptations right. (I'm not even a Scooby-Doo fan in general, but "Scooby-Doo: Mystery Incorporated" was amazing.)

Ugh,

SDMI was insufferable to this Scooby Doo fan. The characters weren't deeper. Their flaws were exaggerated and flanderized. 

For me, the experience was the opposite. I watched bits and pieces of some of the older Scooby cartoons on TV while growing up (mainly, I think, The Scooby-Doo Show and What's New, Scooby-Doo?), but never really got into them. I felt that the characters were all pretty cardboard and uninteresting, and the same with their relationships. Scooby-Doo: Mystery Incorporated was the first Scooby cartoon I ever watched where I felt interested in the characters. Velma became my favorite character over the course of the series' run, and by the time it ended I even cared about Scooby! That was amazing to me, as I had never expected to feel that strongly about any of these characters. Addtionally, it was refreshing to see a take on the show where the mysteries could be genuinely frightening (but still funny in many cases), and the stakes overall were higher and continuously building. It was the version of the series I never knew I wanted to watch.

Gravity Falls, which premiered a couple of years after Scooby-Doo: Mystery Incorporated, has many similarities when it comes to concept, story beats and overall structure. But I think Mystery Incorporated actually did it better.

[donalddisneyfan]

Sept 21, 2023 22:02:35 GMT Mesterius said:

Sept 21, 2023 21:34:28 GMT mousemaestro said:

Ugh,

SDMI was insufferable to this Scooby Doo fan. The characters weren't deeper. Their flaws were exaggerated and flanderized. 

For me, the experience was the opposite. I watched bits and pieces of some of the older Scooby cartoons on TV while growing up (mainly, I think, The Scooby-Doo Show and What's New, Scooby-Doo?), but never really got into them. I felt that the characters were all pretty cardboard and uninteresting, and the same with their relationships. Scooby-Doo: Mystery Incorporated was the first Scooby cartoon I ever watched where I felt interested in the characters. Velma became my favorite character over the course of the series' run, and by the time it ended I even cared about Scooby! That was amazing to me, as I had never expected to feel that strongly about any of these characters. Addtionally, it was refreshing to see a take on the show where the mysteries could be genuinely frightening (but still funny in many cases), and the stakes overall were higher and continuously building. It was the version of the series I never knew I wanted to watch.

Gravity Falls, which premiered a couple of years after Scooby-Doo: Mystery Incorporated, has many similarities when it comes to concept, story beats and overall structure. But I think Mystery Incorporated actually did it better.

Surprised you didn't find issue with how mean Velma was to Scooby in that plot between her, Scooby, and Shaggy with one episode showing she didn't care when Scooby was thrown in jail if it meant she'd have Shaggy to herself, likely why Shaggy dumps her in the first place. Granted she got better after Shaggy dumps her but still.

So what made Scooby Doo Mystery Incorporated work in ways that DuckTales 2017 didn't for you Mesterius?

[bn2010]

#7 Della Duck. Part 3. End of second season and third season.

When Louie took over his uncle's company, Della chose not to interfere. She and Scrooge were lucky again, certain circumstances forced the boy to come to his senses soon. Although the damage had already been done, but the creators were not going to resume the conflict. So Louie's guilt was soon forgotten, and the relationship between mother and son was fixed as good and cerene. Instead, the authors focused on the woman's fear that Penumbra was only pretending to be her friend (of course, this fear was erroneous). Not that this plot was bad, but not too interesting either. Della had no good grounds for suspicion (except for Dewey's fantasies), and the audience already knew that Penumbra was a positive character.

But her role in "Moonvasion" is very good. Having escaped from Duckburg before the battle, Della essentially did the same thing as her brother 10 years ago. The fear of losing children overcame prudence. By the way, this was the perfect moment to tell her about Donald and Scrooge's quarrel. This would be a decisive argument in favor of returning. Running away isn't the answer. But the authors apparently decided that this information would plunge the heroine into depression, and there was no time to get her out of it. Louie's song would definitely not be enough here. So they preferred not to touch on this topic (Della found out the truth, but behind the scenes).

I also liked my sister's reunion with Donald. It seems to be in their blood, first to shout at each other, and then to rejoice. Of course, their interaction could have been given more time, but the heroes need to return and win the battle, and the timing of the episode is limited. As a result, the heroine's arch in the second season is interesting in itself. It is clear that she tried to redeem herself and get closer to all family members. But the other characters didn't give her too many reasons to diligence (at least not for the kind of diligence that would be absolutely useful for her. Louie's punishment is an ambiguous case).

But no matter how much we criticize Della's storyline in the second season, we must admit that it was very important. You can't say that about the third season. Della appears there quite often, but plays more of a supporting role. She no longer has a goal that would go beyond one episode (with the caveat that "The Last Adventure" consists of three episodes). It's funny that she was even more unlucky here than Donald. At least he had a relationship with Daisy. But Donald never accompanied his family on the trips that took place between the "Harp of Mervana" and the finale. Della has one exception — "Lost cargo of Kit Cloudkicker". Otherwise, all their adventures took place only in Duckburg. At the same time, none of them visited the McDuck mansion in Scotland. It's not very good of them not to visit their grandparents once.

In fairness, some interesting things happened to the heroine. She overcame her fear of the sea in "Mervana's Harp" (although it was limited to the fact that she hit the fish with her prosthesis on the shore). And on Halloween, she argued with her brother about how to organize a holiday for children. Watch carefully, this is the first and only dispute between these two about raising children (I'm sure this is not what the fans expected). And she was the devil, not Donald (not canon). Her suggestion is to scare her sons harder. It's immediately obvious why she's Scrooge's favorite. He dragged the children to Neverest for Christmas. What's wrong with both of you? Give the children at least a holiday break. All right then. They eventually came to their senses.

In the final, Della noted that she was the only one who was worried about Donald's departure. Which is understandable, she hasn't seen him for 10 years. I have already expressed my opinion about this. By itself, Donald's journey does not bother me (he will return in a few months or a year). But what he will do next is interesting.

It's worth considering that Della Duck herself was the opening of this show. Therefore, the authors could afford not to worry too much about her character and development. So it could have been worse. She's a good character, but she deserved more than the creators gave her.

[bn2010]

#8 Launchpad Macquack

In the original, he was an eccentric, naive, but definitely an adult hero. He did not understand some of the details and subtexts of the events. But in general, he was guided by what was happening. Moreover, by the end of the original and in the "Darkwing Duck" he learned to land normally. Launchpad was a strong fighter and often saved his friends.

Is it possible to call the rebut version a complete fool? It's not that simple. Of course, in some episodes ("Terra-Firmians", "Neverest", "Halloween") he looked more like a big kid. He was not aware of what was happening, it was not possible to understand his thinking. Logic, in principle, did not work on him (remember an airplane that works with the help of chewing gum). Canonical Scrooge would not tolerate such an employee. He would have fired him in a moment. But Rebut's character prefers the same crazy ones as himself. However, in the series where Darkwing Duck appeared, the Launchpad was an order of magnitude smarter. I don't know why.

Interestingly, the Launchpad received two of its own adventures before the third season (in Macau and in some underwater kingdom), but they happened behind the scenes. In the third season, he was in the spotlight twice. "Double-o-Duck" and "The Last Adventure". However, in the first case, his intelligence was increased. In the second case, he acted in a Gizmoduck costume. The original did not require such amplifications. He was coping without it. At the same time, when he himself was in a super suit, he destroyed half of the city. Because they need to be able to manage. But on the Launchpad 17, as already mentioned, the logic does not work.

However, there is hope that in the future the character will become smarter. He moved to St-Canard and became the hero's partner on a permanent basis. In addition, the smart Launchpad was preserved in his brain at the subconscious level. Perhaps they will enter into a symbiosis (like Huey with his aggressive alter ego).

[entut1]

I recently read part of the DuckTales artbook released last year. It's not difficult to find online and I think it might inform the debates going on here. Here's a few pages!