The original, 1994, all-computer-generated animated seriesReBootis a cult-classic cartoon. It took advantage of cutting-edge CG tech to bring to life the denizens of a computer system by the name of Mainframe. Led by the Guardian program Bob, the team of Dot Matrix and her younger brother Enzo and various other characters defended Mainframe from both the nullifying effects caused by losing to the User in a game as well as damage caused by computer viruses like Megabyte and Hexadecimal. It was a self-contained series that never ventured into the real world outside of the computer system itself and was beloved, in part, because of that.
Now, 24 years later,ReBoot: The Guardian Codeattempts to rekindle the computer-generated magic the original series inspired while folding in a new, modern audience who might find the mid-90s animation laughable and archaic. To do this, Mainframe Studios (which was the same studio responsible for the original series, just under a new name these days) opted to blend live-action with CG animation for a new approach to a similar story. In this tale, a hacker by the name of the Sourcerer (Bob Frazer) is causing all sorts of havoc by corrupting internet-connected devices and systems like power plants and mobile-phone networks. It’s up to four high school students to take on the avatars of Guardians, port into the computer world, and defend it from this new threat.
That’s the idea anyway, and it’s honestly not a terrible one. Shifting away from the all-CG animated original was reported as beinga necessary onein order to get investors/distributors/producing partners to sign on. It could also be argued as either a cost-saving measure or a storytelling decision meant to better connect audiences with the flesh-and-blood protagonists. Unfortunately, the execution is severely lacking.ReBootfans havesavaged the new series on IMDb, whether they’ve watched all 10 available episodes of the 26-episode order or not. I have, so what follows below is a breakdown ofReBoot: The Guardian Code’s strengths and weaknesses to see if it can be salvaged or if it’s destined for the scrap heap.
I’d suggest givingReBoot: The Guardian Codea shot. And by “a shot” I mean at least a couple of episodes. It’s going to take some getting used to if you’re expecting a continuation of theReBootseries. And if you’re against the idea of sending live-action heroes into a CG-animated action sphere, it’s going to be tough sledding. But if you’re open-minded going into this series, there are some things to like.
The cast is charming and likable throughout even if their very predictable characters are mostly one-note. There’sTy Wood’s Austin / Vector, an appointed leader who struggles with the position as well as his father’s mysterious past that’s connected to the computer-generated trouble.Ajay Friese’s nerdy and self-deprecating Parker / Coogz brings in the strategic member of the team.Sydney Scotia’s uber popular and social-media savvy Tamra / Enigma adds a capable female fighter, even if she has her own issues with self-confidence. AndGabriel Darkuplays Trey / Frag, the team’s heavy-hitter who also happens to be a top-tier high school athlete who struggles with academics and an overbearing dad, of course.
The standout here, however, isHannah Vandenbygaartwho is tasked with playing V.E.R.A, a “virtual evolutionary recombinant avatar.” VERA starts off as a computer-generated sprite but soon takes on human form. Vandenbygaart is asked to do ridiculous things in the name of “being robotic”, ultimately delivering something betweenStar Trek’s Data andSmall Wonder’s VICI. Kudos to her.
And kudos to the cast overall because their character interactions, once they finally get going late in the first season, make the story much more compelling. This storytelling approach is more akin to, say,Power Rangersor the recent hit,Jumanjithan that of the original series. If you can anchor the emotional beats of the story through live-action characters, it makes their action-packed adventures in the computer-generated world that much more meaningful.
And those CG characters actually look much better than they did in the previously released trailer. Some characters–looking at you, Megabyte–are still wonky as all get-out, but Hexadecimal (and some surprise returning characters, along with their original voice actors!) look just as good as ever. Unfortunately, the characterdesignis one thing and their animation in entirely another.
Let’s be honest, the CG is just not where it needs to be in 2018. The earliest looks at the series got dinged for somehow lookingworsethan the original. I don’t know how that happens, butReBoot: The Guardian Codeisn’t alone in this regard. (SeeBerserk2016 vs 1997. Yikes.) But just about every action sequence taking place within the computerized world feels janky and stilted; there’s just no smoothness to these supposedly advanced Guardian programs' movements. Their special abilities are pretty cool, but even their vehicular travel looks awkward. There’s simply no excuse for that these days.
There’s also no excuse for writing, acting, and camerawork that’s stuck in the mid-90s. I compared the cast camaraderie toPower Rangersearlier, and the same, though unfavorable, comparison can be made for the quality of the script and its execution. It’s clunky and stilted as well. This could have been a follow-up to mid-90s tokusatsu seriesBeetleBorgs,V.R. TroopersandSuperhuman Samurai Syber-Squadand it would have fit right in. That’s not a compliment.
It’s also got to be said that opting to take the villainy out of the hands of Megabyte and place them into the scene-chewing, keyboard-smashing digits of the Sourcerer was a misstep. It’s very bad, fam. You actually feel kind of bad for Megabyte when this goober drags him out of the ancient past and into the modern era, forcing him to do the Sourcerer’s bidding against Megabyte’s will. (It’s kind of silly. I mean, this is how computer programs work already, viruses or not, but I digress.)
And one of the weirdest places thatReBoot: The Guardian Codefalls short is in just how nice it is. Like, Canadian nice. It’s the kind of nice that takes the edge out of any of the drama or danger inherent to the story; you just know that everything’s going to work out okay in the end, even when a computer virus takes over a vehicle in transit, wreaking havoc on city streets while the driver asks nicely for it to stop and apologizes profusely for not understanding the proper commands. It’s just too nice to make the stakes feel real. (This may be the weirdest criticism I’ve ever levied against a cartoon, ever.)
The biggest problem withReBoot: The Guardian Codeis this: It waits far too long to give fans, new and old, a reason to keep watching. If you stick around until Episode 9 (!), you’ll get your first real emotional moments among the human characters and a bigger hint of the mystery that waits to be solved behind the veil. If you make it to Episode 10, you’ll be rewarded with what fans of the original series have waited for all along: a chance to be reunited with Bob, Enzo, and Dot.
And then Season 1 ends with the new Guardians saying something to the effect of, “Now that Mainframe is back up and running, we can visit Bob and the others anytime we want!” That’s pretty frustrating. We do get to see a game play out in this episode and we get to see what benefits of hindsight and modern living the new Guardians bring to Bob’s outdated ways, but it’s too little, too late.
IfReBoot: The Guardian Codehad started with a passing of the torch between Bob and the new Guardians, an introduction to the mystery behind the whole Guardian creation, and the reveal of Megabyte being resurrected by The Sourcerer,thatwould have been a helluva start that would give people a reason to keep watching and enough good material to help overlook the show’s shortcomings. Alas, you have to suffer through four-and-a-half hours of mediocre programming to get to the final, worthwhile thirty minutes. Hopefully Season 2 will learn from these mistakes.
ReBoot: The Guardian Codeis only worth a watch for the diehardReBootfans among you who are happy for any chance to revisit Mainframe. If the early episodes are too painful for you, I’d suggest at least checking out the finale before checking out of this series completely.
Rating: ★★ Fair — Only for the dedicated
