( Very rarely does a remade show receive its due.While "Voltron" might never have had the same impact on pop culture as the likes of "Mighty Morphin Power Rangers", "Transformers," or "He-Man and the Masters of the Universe", it has a passionate fanbase that remains precious about the original animated series that debuted during the peak of cartoon-mania in the '80s to this day. So much so that all attempts to reboot it have been met with shoulder shrugs – bar one show.On June 10, 2016, "Voltron: Legendary Defender" debuted on Netflix. In just two and a half years, this colorful and energetic series charged through eight seasons of action, humour, drama, and mecha glory, choosing to stay for a good time – not a long time. It has since departed the platform to join the wild blue yonder because the licensing deal expired.Not many people outside of the fandom talk about it to this day, which is a shame since it's a fantastic example of a reboot done right — even if there are many (many!) YouTube videos about everything wrong with its contentious final seasons. ( The humongous robot Voltron served as the defender of the universe, being the only weapon able to fight off the evil Galra Empire and its ruler, Zarkon (voiced by Neil Kaplan).Voltron is composed of five different coloured Lion ships, much like the Zords from "Power Rangers", and when they come together, they form Voltron (yes, just like the Megazord). After the annihilation of the planet Altea and fearing that Zarkon would get his hands on Voltron, King Alfor (Keith Ferguson/Sean Teale) separated the Lions and hid them away from the Galra Empire.Centuries later, Zarkon continues to menace the universe. That is, until King Alfor's daughter, Princess Allura (Kimberly Brooks), and trusted advisor, Coran (Rhys Darby), encounter five pilots — Shiro (Josh Keaton), Keith (Steven Yeun), Lance (Jeremy Shada), Hunk (Tyler Labine), and Pidge (Bex Taylor-Klaus) — who become the new Lion Paladins and reform Voltron to save the world. Oh, yeah, it's mechan' time! ( Sure, the episodes were fun and hit like too much sugar on a Saturday morning, but they were extremely limited in storytelling scope, since the writers needed to work with the footage available."Voltron: Legendary Defender" doesn't have this issue. Consequently, it's able to unravel and expand the mythology while providing richer backstories for the characters involved. The first season of the show takes its time in setting the stakes, building worlds, and establishing the key players rather than bulldozing straight into intergalactic warfare. This gives the story a more serialised quality rather than just being an excuse to form Voltron, defeat the villain of the week, and peddle more toys to the public.From Pidge's hidden identity subplot to Shiro trying to piece together his trauma and even Zarkon's own complicated legacy with the Black Lion, there are a lot of story nuggets for fans to sink their teeth into. This is something that actually makes the show stronger than the likes of "Power Rangers" and "Transformers", which often trade character development for quick serotonin spikes of sci-fi action. Think about it: how many Rangers or Autobots have there been? Way too many to count or care for. By comparison, "Voltron: Legendary Defender" stays true to its core cast and builds t
He-Man and Skeletor Dancing | Money Supermarket Commercial - YouTube Watch On As every streaming platform inevitably becomes like linear TV and offers up more commercials than common sense, we're left sighing at the 360 that society has taken. Still, if these spots were more like the Masters of the Universe-themed MoneySuperMarket advert that aired in the UK in 2017, maybe audiences would be more tolerant of these incessant ad breaks.Set in the evening, the scene broods as an unknown figure, only identifiable by his terrible Lego haircut and furry boots, stomps toward the Stallion Saloon. It looks like one of those rough places where too much liquor and too much testosterone culminate in bouts of fisticuffs for no good reason. Remember that bar that Arnie walks into in Terminator 2 when he's out shopping for clothes, boots, and motorcycles? It's basically that mixed with the cantina from Star Wars.The saloon's music stops, and the patrons fall silent when they recognize who it is: He-Man. The hero's footsteps thump loudly as he searches around the room. He stops when he sees Baby Skeletor in the corner. The two foes lock eyes. He-Man snarls. Uh-oh! Something is about to go down. ( Yet Eternia's warrior doesn't strike down his bone-headed nemesis with all his might. Instead, he uses the magic to light up the jukebox and play Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes' "(I've Had) The Time of My Life".He-Man trades his mystical sword for Skeletor's hand. Cha-cha-channelling the spirits of Patrick Swayze's Johnny Castle and Jennifer Grey's Baby Houseman from "Dirty Dancing", the eternal rivals let their bodies do the talking here.They re-enact one of the most famous scenes from the 1987 film, as they time their dance to the beat of the bouncy bass. However, there's one minor blip when He-Man overshoots Skeletor's pirouette, resulting in his foe crashing through the wall into the men's restroom. ( Their bodies continue to get lost in the rhythm of the night, while the patrons become a part of the musical number and dance like John Travolta is watching.Of course, the commercial ends in climactic fashion, as He-Man lifts Skeletor above his head for the grand finale and the sorcerer erupts into his legendary cackle.Ten out of ten. No notes. ( The 27 million views the commercial received in only a few days certainly suggest so. According to Born Licensing, ad agency Mother London's whole concept was centered around an "epic" campaign for MoneySuperMarket — a company that claims to save money for people in the UK.Well, no money was saved watching this commercial, but it definitely provided everybody with the time of their lives. Maybe He-Man and Skeletor should have never tussled for the power of Grayskull; they only ever needed to unite for the power of love.Can Masters of the Universe hit the bar set by this incredible commercial? We'll have to find out when it hits theaters on June 5. Sergio Pereira is a scriptwriter and entertainment journalist covering movies, TV, video games, and comic books. His work has appeared in Looper, /Film, CBR, Screen Rant, IGN, and SYFY Wire. Sergio lives in sunny Johannesburg, South Africa with a clan of Chihuahuas that rule his bed and life.
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