Reboot Review
A decidit tae watch throu aw the ReBoot episodes available the nou, the gemm an some toys.
A didnae watch ReBoot as a wean, but a did see it’s sister programme, Transformers Beast Wars, a micht dae that anither time. A wis convertin a tape fur a client, an ‘e end o’t haed an episode recordit, an decided tae gie it a bash, an a really injoyed it! Wintit tae see mair!
A haed tae watch maist o’t on Youtube, cause the ainly wey tae watch it itherwise is tae rip a hole in ma wallet on ‘e dear DVD boxset, an 2 VHS vollum thit hiv the first 4 episode in total.
Coorse, the fack thit it came fae Canadae meant the programme is in Ingels an French, wi nae Scots version, but a decided tae dae the review in Scots onywey cause why no? Gies Scots fowk mair tae read, ay?
A got ma hauns on ‘e first vollum o the VHS, an it wis mouldy, an gied ma VCR some problems, bit am slawly gittin baith wirkin again, micht dae a pairt here whaur a document hou a did it.
Fur fowk thit dinna ken, ReBoot wis a programme fae Canadae thit aired atween 1994 an 2001 wi 4 seasons in total. The 4t bein basically 2 fillum split intae 8 episode.
Awricht, wioot ony mair delay, lat’s git wirself fired intae the review!
Ths visuals leuk awfy nostalgic fur iz! A grew up in an era whaur 3D wis a novelty, an whan ye did see it, it wis pure primitive an unrealistic.
The fowk thit wrocht the programme kent their electronics an terminology, an a lot o the terms thay uised matched wi whit thjay war uised fur. (Except fur “Delete” an “Offline”)
The general format fur the programme is thit Bob (Heoric name) is a guardian meant tae bield mainframe (The ceetit thay bide in) fae viruses Megabyte and Hexidecimal, the programme’s twa baddies, kent as Viruses, an fae “Games” thit the uiser stairts up. Gin the uiser wins a Game, the pairt o mainframe the Game wis in is malafoustert. Gaun!
Smashin concept fur a gemm, ay? Heheheh, mair on the gemm anither time…
Bob haes 2 friends tae gie him a haun an aw, Dot Matrix (Git it?) an her brither Enzo. Dot awns a diner an her wee brither is a muckle fan o Bob. Thay hiv a dug, tae, cawed Frisket.
Thay hiv Phong tae consult fur advice an sic an aw. He’s like an wyce elder thit bides at the core o Mainframe. Thay hiv tae beat him in a game o pong tae git advice.
Ma favourite chairacters hiv tae be Hack an Slash! Thay’re comic relief chairacters meant tae be Megabyte’s henchmen, but ur awfy incompetent.
A hink thay’r awmaist adorable, an wis aye pure happy tae see thaim!
A luve Mike the TV an aw, he’s a TV thit takes on the personality o TV presenterss an sic, wi interchyngin vyces like he’s uisin clips.
a wad hink thit ithers fun him annoyin, but a didnae, a luved his charisma an wintin tae help oot, e’en whan he cudnae!
Mair chaiaracters come alang later on, bit am no gaun’ae spoil thaim.
Aw the chairacaters are verra weel written an memorable, tho! The Writers haed duin a smashin job comin up wi thaim!
Nou, the programme kin be spleet intae 2 pairt: Season 1 an 2 an Season 3 an 4
Season 1 & 2
The first 2 seasons war faur mair simple, an war subjeck tae censorship, wi some mair unco rules thay haed tae follae, sic as nae reference tae hockey.
Bit thay war some rules thay haed tae follaed thit a hink made the programme better, sic as nae cliffhingers. A hate cliffhingers! A hink thay’r a cheap wey o keepin the viewer engaged. Thay’re guid whan uised richt, bit a hink programmes sud aim fur fowk tae wint tae keep watchin cause thay wint tae, no cause thay felt thay hiv tae!
An a defo wintit tae! A wis hivin muckle fun watchin it, an wis addictit fur the richt raisons! Ye ken thit ye’v a braw programme on yer hauns whan ‘at happens!
Ilka episode wis it’s ain hing, bit the plot wis generally Megabyte, wan o the programme’s heels, tryin tae tak ower Mainframe, an Bob wis aye staps thaim in ‘e end.
Hexadecimal is anither foe, sort o, she juist dis her ain hing, an maist o’t involves threatenin Mainframe.
A thocht the programme haed the perfect balance olicht-hertit-ness an intense an fun!
Season 3 & 4
Than we haed season 3, thit teuk a faur different direction tae the first 2.
The cast an setup war chynged, an in a wey thit a wisnae expectin at aw. Credit tae thaim fur daein somehing fresh!
The 3rd, an 4t seasons war cliffhingers aw ower the shop! A hatit it, a endit up watchin mair’n a wis wintin tae juist tae git closure… it heichlichtit exackly how A hate thaim!
Wis it guid, tho? Ay, a injoyed it!
Bob cawed on Megabyte an Hexadecimal fur tae gie thaim a haun tae hain Mainframe fae infectit guardians, but bein viruses, thay backstabbed Bob, an sent him tae the “Web”, which is a massive void thit ruins iverhing thit ends up in thare. A wis shocked whan ‘at happened, like that “Jeezo! Did thay actual dae that?!”
A wis happy tae see thit thay fund Bob in the end an aw, an surprised tae see hou he chynged. A liked his newer leuk!
The 3rd season wrapped maist hings up, an wis a happy endin! Luved it!
An maist importantly, Hack an Slash ur nou guidies!
The 4t season wis a lot shorter’n the first 3 an wis, like a said at the stairt, originally pit oot as 2 fillum, an later on spleet intae 8 episode.
A liked thit the 4t season haed mair licht-hertit breaks’n the 3rd yin, an a guid story progression.
The problem wis: It ended on a cliffhinger… cause o coorse it did!
Thay war originally gaun’ae pit oot a 3rd fillum an aw, but fuindin an time wis cut short, an thay cudnae dae that. The director says thit he willnae pit it oot the final script unless he gits paid fur it, or gits fundin tae mak the fillum.
A mean, it’s his property, an haes ‘e richt tae, bit it’s a bit o a dick muive tae dae whan ye’v mulȝeons o fans wintin closure. It’s delusional an denyin reality an aw, cause times hiv chynged an e’en gin he gits it, it willnae be as guid as e’en season 4, cause it’s been ‘at lang.
A’m gittin aff track here, here’s the conclusion.
Conclusion
A luved ReBoot an hink it’s a smashin programme thit, awtho micht no hiv aged weel wi it’s visuals (tho nostalgic), the writin defo haes, an is awfu injoyable, e’en the day.
See gin ye kin git yer hauns on the awfy dear DVD Boxset or the VHS vollums (thit willna kill aff yer VCR), defo gie it a bash!
A’ll be playin the gemm at some pynt an aw an gittin some o the toys later on an gien thaim ma thochts. Watch ‘is space!
Cobra!'s Retro Room 