The ThunderCats opening, Ryan argues, is one of the best pieces of animation ever.
Here’s how it predates modern, CGI action scenes…
The introduction to the original 1980sThunderCatsTV series is one of the greatest pieces of animation ever produced.
Take a look at it again: the speed, the fluidity, the colour.
How the movements flow into the music.
The way the animators have gone for visual impact rather than storytelling logic.
You dont have to know exactly who theThunderCatsare all that matters is that they look heroic and cool.
Look: the heroes have their own fortress which also resembles a cat.
you could tell the corpse is evil because of all the lightning and yelling.
The intro also featured the requisite anthemic theme-tune, this one written by Bernard Hoffer.
Whether they were forUlysses 31orJem And The Holograms,these opening sequences were vital for capturing kids attention.
These opening sequences, on the other hand, gave animators the opportunity to let their imaginations run riot.
As a showcase for pure technique, the originalThunderCatsopening is arguably the best of its era.
The original show was done in Japan, and many people probably dont know that, Spaulding toldMTV.
SoThunderCatsdoes have a footprint in Japanese animation.
But wait, you may be thinking.
One of the best pieces of animation ever produced.
In its own way, Id argue that it does and for two reasons.
Number one: pure technique.
If you dont believe me, head to YouTube and watch the opening again at the slowest possible speed.
This is all there on the screen in theThunderCatsopening.
The fluidity of the animation is undeniable, particularly compared toThunderCats.
At 36 seconds, were introduced to Cheetara.
The heroine then takes to the sky, and the camera follows her as she performs an effortless backflip… Back in 1985, this kind of thing was unheard of.
The advent of CGI means we now take fast-paced, assaultive battle sequences for granted.
Even some bigger-budget TV ads now look like Hollywood action films.
