Ben 10 2016 Reboot: Final Thoughts
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Instead of continuing my episode review series for the Ben 10 2016 reboot, I'm just going to go ahead and get straight to my final thoughts of this very show based on everything that I saw and that came out. I'm also going to make a...proposal...for fans, kids, newcomers, and every other viewer of Cartoon Network in regards to what I suggest we should do here. I will also continue my coverage of the Ben 10 reboot and the Ben 10 franchise as a whole as well so this doesn't mean the end. This is especially considering that season 2 of the Ben 10 reboot was announced recently at the time this is posted. This is also a long topic page that I made so feel free to take your time reading through it and I do encourage you all to read through it entirely and understanding it as I do find this to be very important for the sake of the Ben 10 franchise.
Long story short, the Ben 10 2016 reboot is a mediocre show. Whether or not it's better than Teen Titans Go! and the Powerpuff Girls reboot, it's still a mediocre show regardless. Arguably terrible but it's not the worst reboot out there nor is this the worst show on Cartoon Network. At best, it's average but most certainly NOT a good show. It's overall, mediocre.
Season 1 has no main central story and I don't know if there is going to be a main central story in season 2. For a reboot, it doesn't even provide a proper introduction to help set the show up for any newcomers of the Ben 10 franchise and the reboot relies on the viewers already having prior knowledge of the previous show, most notably the 2005 original Ben 10 show, in order to be all set up for watching it and to know what's going on in the reboot. As far as I could tell, each episode is just an episodic, filler episode that revolves around Ben, Gwen, and Max encountering different villains and shenanigans and that's it. The characters and villains from the previous shows are nothing but shells of their former selves with pretty much the exception of Dr. Animo and the new characters and villains don't have much substance to them either. The voice acting is decent and that's it. It's just decent. Most of the comedic elements and jokes are just bland and felt forced with only a few jokes being only funny enough to get a chuckle out of and that's it. The action scenes are decent but most of them lack tension and the action scenes are just really there to set up more jokes and therefore also felt forced. The art style overall is just bland. It's the same art style that we've seen over and over again in other recent Cartoon Network show. Many of the redesigns of Ben's aliens don't favor well for the show and just really undermines the aliens themselves in a significant way. The human characters look decent but again, it's the same art style as other recent CN shows. Many of the villains in this show are the ones that benefit more out of their designs. The background art is just absolutely terrible though. Likely one of the worst that I've seen to date in any animated show. Looks like young kids drew and colored the background art with crayons. The animations are overall decent. Sometimes the animations look stiff; sometimes it looks smooth. There's also just so so many elements and concepts from the original Ben 10 show that the reboot reuses in many of their episodes but done in much lower quality and worse execution; even using the same exact premise as the original show. For those of you that follow me around on Deviant-art or the Ben 10 Club website, you would very much notice that I compare the Ben 10 reboot to the 2005 Ben 10 original show. I do this because, well, it's a reboot of the original show and how can you not compare the Ben 10 reboot to the original Ben 10 when the reboot keeps using so many elements, concepts, plots, and even the same premise that comes from the original show. The Ben 10 reboot even feels so similar to other recent Cartoon Network shows because the reboot uses stuff from those other shows as well such as the art style and the cartoony, energetic, comedic direction that so many other Cartoon Network shows use nowadays. If anyone wants to use my comparisons of both shows to criticize my opinion on the Ben 10 reboot, that's all I have to say about that. This is also just a very safe show as well. It doesn't really step outside of it's comfort zone or something of the likes. It doesn't really do anything risky like the original show did. Remember how in the original show Zombozo was an actual nightmare vampire clown with a lot of creepy imagery or how Charmcaster was abused by Hex or how Kevin was an absolute psychopath who was willing to do things like kill hundreds of people just to get a train full of cash or how Zs'Skayr possessed Gwen, a 10-year-old girl, and threatened to make her jump off a building to her death against her will if Ben didn't surrender. Yeah stuff like that was in the original show, and even in the sequel shows, and the reboot doesn't really do anything like that. It just plays it safe. All these issues that the Ben 10 reboot has is mostly, if not completely, due to the show just overall not having a good, strong, proper direction to drive it forward and to give it the proper treatment that the Ben 10 franchise very much needs. Man of Action and Cartoon Network Studios took the wrong and bad direction with making a reboot for the Ben 10 franchise and this is what contributed to the Ben 10 reboot having these very issues that makes it a show of mediocre quality.
Like I said, overall, the Ben 10 reboot is a mediocre show and is pretty much the worst show in the franchise. I don't recommend this show to fans of the Ben 10 franchise. I don't recommend this show to any newcomers of Ben 10. I wouldn't even recommend this show to the "new generation of kids" that Cartoon Network claimed for this show to be made for. It's obvious that the Ben 10 reboot was made to sell more merchandise. That Cartoon Network is trying to repeat the success of the original show in regards to merchandise sales much like how they're trying to do the same with the Powerpuff Girls reboot. Fans and viewers deserve much better than that and the Ben 10 franchise deserves much better treatment than a mediocre show made to advertise more merchandise.
Why was this reboot even made? Why did they even go this direction? There is clearly a much better direction to go for the Ben 10 franchise. I know they made another Ben 10 show because Cartoon Network wanted to sell more Ben 10 merchandise. I'm talking about in regards to Cartoon Network's "claim" that they wanted to introduce the new generation of kids and newcomers to the Ben 10 franchise, even though that claim is really bullshit. In regards to that very "claim," why this direction and why make the same mistakes that they made with the Powerpuff Girls reboot? In regards to the show being a full continuity reboot, why this very premise? Why use the same exact premise as the 2005 original show? Why copy so much from the original show? If you're going to go for a full continuity reboot, make a new story. Go for a different premise. Try doing something that is more original and unique. Don't do something that you already did before and especially in a worse state of quality. In fact, an even better direction to go is to do a fully advertised rerun of the 2005 original show. If Cartoon Network wants to sell more Ben 10 merchandise, then organize a new merchandise line based on the original Ben 10 show. That way, the new generation of kids and other newcomers can have a much better and proper introduction to the Ben 10 franchise while longtime fans of Ben 10 can have a nice trip down memory lane. I know Cartoon Network can do this as well. Hell, they did a rerun of the first ten episodes of the original Ben 10 show in the US before the 2016 international premiere of the Ben 10 reboot. So yeah, they can do a full rerun of the entirety of the original show. Plus, if Man of Action and Cartoon Network Studios want to make a reboot of the Ben 10 franchise, then while the original show is being re-aired on Cartoon Network, they can get to work on making a new and more proper and better treated sequel of the original show. They can get to work on rebooting the sequel shows and give the original show a much better and more deserving sequel. I find that to be the best direction that they can take the Ben 10 franchise towards. It’s cheaper and more affordable. It’s a better use of resources. It has much greater potential and many great opportunities that can be fulfilled. If done right, it can give the Ben 10 franchise the treatment that it deserved for so long. It’s a much more rewarding direction to go. Do a rerun of the 2005 original Ben 10 show that will properly introduce new viewers to Ben 10 and then follow that up with a new sequel to the original show.
For those of you that followed me around well enough should know that I made a topic page about how to better properly advocate on convincing Cartoon Network to cancel the Ben 10 reboot and make a better Ben 10 show. I'll leave the links to it down below for those who haven't seen it yet.
Ben 10 Club: https://ben10club.org/topic/265/how-to-properly-advocate-on-the-ben-10-reboot-and-other-shows
Deviant-art: http://tacticalochoa122.deviantart.com/journal/How-to-properly-advocate-on-the-Ben-10-Reboot-669398822I point this out because I want to encourage people to try something different instead of just constantly demanding for Cartoon Network to just cancel the show and whatsoever because that strategy is not going to work. Constantly demanding for Cartoon Network to cancel the Ben 10 reboot, saying that it's terrible without giving any actual constructive criticisms as to why, and constantly saying that it "ruins your childhood" are some of the many reasons as to why Cartoon Network doesn't listen to us. This is stupid and immature and gives the impression that we are noting more than entitled and unintelligent little brats. We deserve better shows than this but if that's how people are going to "advocate" towards shows such as Teen Titans Go! and the Ben 10 reboot, it's no wonder why Cartoon Network continues to not listen to their viewers and why we continue to get such mediocre shows on the network. You all have to be smarter than this. You all have to play your cards right.
In regards to getting into contact with Cartoon Network, stop trying to contact Cartoon Network directly. Stop trying to contact their official accounts on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, the official website, etc. Clearly Cartoon Network themselves aren't going to listen. What I want for you to try instead is contact the very people that are working on the Ben 10 reboot. Contact Man of Action and Cartoon Network Studios. Look up everyone that's involved and check to see how you can get in contact with them. Directors, artists, animators, writers, producers, voice actors, etc. Look up the Ben 10 reboot on IMDB. You'll find everyone's name on there for you to look up on social media. Once you find a way to get in contact with them, send them your criticisms of the Ben 10 reboot and ask for them to relay your criticisms to the rest of the team. Also, when you're making your criticisms, make sure that they are actual, proper, well-thought-out, intelligent, thorough, mature, respectful, reasonable constructive criticism. Take...your...time. Think carefully and intelligently about it. Be specific; not vague. Really show that you know what you're talking about. Make sure that you make good constructive criticism. Once it's finished and ready, go ahead and send your constructive criticisms to them. Having good, well-made constructive criticism will greatly help to encourage the team working on the Ben 10 reboot to make some actual improvements to the current show or the next show that they might plan to make. That is what I'm asking for all of you to do. Contact the very production team that's working on the Ben 10 reboot and send them good, proper, well-made constructive criticism.
Here's another thing that I want for people to try. Cartoon Network and Man of Action "claimed" that the Ben 10 reboot was made to introduce the "new generation of kids" and other newcomers to the Ben 10 franchise. Why don't we, as loyal fans of the Ben 10 franchise, help them out...by promoting the 2005 original Ben 10 show and introducing that show to the new generation. Post clips of the original show on YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, etc. Show kids the original show and persuade them in a reasonable way to go and watch that show instead of the reboot. Convince viewers to buy/rent the original Ben 10 show on iTunes, Netflix, Amazon, etc and watch them. Places that are legal and can attract a lot of attention, being very much noticeable to Cartoon Network and Man of Action. Do stuff like that to promote the original Ben 10 and give it a lot of attention and support. For the new generation of kids and other newcomers to Ben 10, if you don't like the Ben 10 reboot, then I really would recommend for you to look up the 2005 original Ben 10 show. I bet that you'll definitely like to watch that show instead. It really is, still to this day, the best Ben 10 show in the franchise. Even if you do like the Ben 10 reboot, I would still highly recommend the original show as it's even better than the Ben 10 reboot in every way and you newcomers would surely like the original show if you like the reboot. Overall, that is something that I would want for people to give a try on as well. Just initiate a major promotion of the 2005 original Ben 10 show that will attract the new generation of kids and other newcomers to the show and convince them to watch it instead of watching the reboot. If the promoting of the original show works out well, then it'll definitely influence and impact the viewer ratings and merchandise sales for the Ben 10 reboot while also still establishing that there is a demand for more Ben 10. That there is still a lot of great potential and opportunities that the Ben 10 franchise could fulfill. That it would convince Cartoon Network and Man of Action to bring a much better direction for the franchise and thus make a much better Ben 10 show.
Also, don't give the excuse that you don't have the time to do something like this. If you certainly got this far into reading this very topic page, you most certainly have the time to do something like this. Not only that but if anyone wants to influence and convince Cartoon Network and Cartoon Network Studios to make better quality shows and give their franchises, like Ben 10, much better treatment, we all need to get to work and do stuff like this. Thanks to the internet and social media, we have the resources and capabilities to influence and convince network companies, like Cartoon Network, to practice better business practices and make much better quality products. It's such a shame that so many people out there are not utilizing those very resources and capabilities to its fullest potential and that is one of the major reasons as to why the entertainment industry, such as video games and animated shows and whatsoever, is getting so badly screwed over. We are part of the problem and we have to go and fix that problem.
In regards to Ben 10, like I said before, the best direction to take the Ben 10 franchise towards is to make a new and much better made and deserving sequel to the original Ben 10 show and I say that is the direction that we should all advocate and establish a demand for. Not a full continuity reboot that is very much unnecessary to make. Not a sequel to Omniverse because the sequel shows really screwed up the continuity so badly and we don't need a galactic road trip. We've already seen plenty enough of the Ben 10 universe and we also don't need another show that decides to have the main focus being that our characters go into space. I agree with RebelTaxi on the whole "taking a futuristic/trip-to-space setting" concept. As great as this would be, I say that we don't need a Ben 10,000/Ken 10 show just yet. Until we get a much better and more proper link between the original show and the Ben 10,000/Ken 10 show concept than what we got, I don't think the Ben 10 franchise is ready for such a show like that yet. What we and the franchise really needs is a new sequel to the original Ben 10 show that takes a much better and more deserving direction than what we got with Alien Force, Ultimate Alien, and Omniverse. That is the direction that the franchise should go and that we should advocate for. For the sake of the Ben 10 franchise and its fans and viewers, that is the direction that Ben 10 should go.
If anyone has any thoughts on this, feel free to leave a comment. I also encourage for anyone that reads this to share it around on the internet. To share this page on social media and help it get more attention and support. Thank you for taking the time in reading this and understanding my thoughts on it. I really appreciate it.
Feel free to follow me on Twitter, Deviant-art, and the Ben 10 Club. Links are down below.
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/Gabrielzm122Deviant-art:
http://tacticalochoa122.deviantart.comBen 10 Club:
https://ben10club.org/user/tactical-ochoaAlso, feel free to help support the Ben 10 Club by subscribing to their YouTube channel and watching and liking their videos as well as joining the official website itself and going to the link #SaveBen10Club on their website home page to donate to them through PayPal to help keep the website up and running. Feel free to follow the Ben 10 Club on Twitter as well.
Official Website:
https://ben10club.orgYouTube Channel:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVuVgrKdnHirU63g1BCN2fATwitter:
https://twitter.com/ben10club_bg -
@Tactical-Ochoa
The Ben 10 Club YouTube Channel link doesn't work I think it was the deleted channel link.
Try this one:Ben 10 he's a kid and he wants to have fun
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@Ben-10-Fan No, that's the right link. I copies and pasted this from Deviant-art and the stupid website has the links cut off at a certain point. I'm going to fix that.
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@Ben-10-Fan Got it. I fixed it.
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Well can I show them the sequals?
And just like that I made a enemy out of probably everyone here for being one of those UAF fans who still exist and must be purged to maintain fandom purity right?
Fine I'll go away.
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@Z-25 Lol.
If you want to promote the Ben 10 sequel shows as well, go ahead. I would much rather recommend the Original Series though. Like I said, it's still the best show in the franchise and there is also considering just how much the reboot copies off of the original show plus everything else that I mentioned on this page. Still, it's up to you.
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Something I have noticed about the Ben 10 Reboot. While I do agree with a lot of what you said, there is something I've kinda noticed for why CN made this show too. If you look at how other countries have handled this series, you can see that people have been wanting something different from Ben 10. If you noticed that they censored a bunch of scenes from UAF, and that some don't even air UAF because they just want a Young Ben series, or even for a fact that they make super silly commercials for Ben 10 like those "three new aliens", you can see that they're wanting something like what we're getting right now. Despite it not being in the best quality, I think this is more of a show that's meant for International CN, other than the new comers, its because you can see they want Ben 10 to be more of a silly show where this kid has a watch decides to do anything he wants with it, rather than use it like any other Marvel hero and go through a tense amount of action scenes.
I mean we all want Ben 10 be the way we saw it in the first three series, hell we want it to journey to Ben 10,000 so he can become the hero we want to see him turn into, but CN wants to focus on a series about a kid who turns into things and I think the focus on comedy kind of works, the episodes are a lot like the original show despite its comedic turn, I know I probably pissed a lot of people for saying that but that's how I'm seeing it.
The reused concepts, imo, if its for a Reboot its understandable as long as the take is done in a different direction, which has worked, meanwhile at the same time we've just been seeing it over and over for almost every series. Ben's in a dream using aliens, Ben turns into baby aliens, Ben screws up the watch and become fusions. Each which has happened 3 times now, while yes its good for a Reboot to be showing this, they do need to be showing something new along with it.
I know you're a huge fan of the original, so I can tell how upsetting it is for having this Reboot and watch it not be done entirely like how it used to be, but just try not to think to nostalgic about it so it doesn't bug you as much, that's what I've been doing, I love OS, love AF even more, and UA was ok, while OV I also like. But a tip for watching the reboot, just try not to think too much about into the past and focus on how the episodes and stuff are going now. But I mean the Reboot hasn't been exactly the best imo, but I think they maybe pulling a Steven Universe on us, since they did say in Season 2 we're going to be discovering more about the Omnitrix and the aliens, and Man of Action said that if we piece up all the puzzles, things are going to connect, maybe we just need to figure out what that is and hopefully soon understand what is going on.
It's Action Time!
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@Ebomnitrix You make some good points. Yeah, Ben 10 is more successful internationally (although, of course that would be the case since that you're comparing the United States to...well...the rest of the world so I don't find that to be a fair comparison) but that doesn't mean that we should get a show that is of mediocre, or at the very least lower, quality. Yes, they should try to take a different approach considering that it's a reboot but they also need to make sure that this show is an improvement over the previous shows as well. To me, there is no excuse for a show to be of lower quality and that includes the one that you gave. Even then, come on. We all know that Cartoon Network really had this show made just to sell more merchandise. This is Cartoon Network here being the Cartoon Network of today that so many are getting so sick and tired of. It wasn't made for the new generation of kids. It wasn't made for international viewers. That's really just bullshit. This show was really made to sell more merchandise.
I also try not to look at things from a nostalgic perspective when discussing such topics like this as well. I make sure to look at things from a more...I guess "objective" is the right word...perspective. Or maybe "analytical" is a better word to use. Either way, I try not to look at things to nostalgically because I don't want to be biased. Even when compared to other recent Cartoon Network shows like Clarence, Steven Universe, Uncle Grandpa, the Powerpuff Girls reboot, We Bare Bears, etc, the Ben 10 reboot doesn't have a lot of substance to it because it's just so similar to those other shows. Even when I don't compare it to the original Ben 10 show or even the sequel shows, I don't find the Ben 10 reboot to be a good show; especially when it comes to the writing and direction. If the Ben 10 reboot really was a good show, I would be more than happy to praise it. However, the Ben 10 reboot is not a good show. At best, it's average but this is a mediocre show that, like I said, was made just to sell more merchandise.
