Paramount+’s Rugrats Reboot Feels the Same but Looks Very Different
Photo Courtesy of Paramount+
To lure subscribers in, Paramount+ is investing in nostalgia and rebooted intellectual properties—a huge portion of the platform’s catalog includes older Paramount movies and television shows reworked as modern releases. Now, a reboot of the beloved children’s series Rugrats, which premieres on the streaming service on May 27, is the latest example of this trend.
Despite looking a bit different, the whole gang returns for the new series: Tommy, Chucky, Phil and Lil, Susie, and Angelica. Most of the babies are voiced by their original voice actors, like Tommy (Elizabeth Daily) and Angelica (Cheryl Chase), although new additions include Tony Hale, Timothy Simons, and Nicole Byer as their parents. Further, the innocent jokes and vague cultural references are faithful to its predecessor. In “Lady De-Clutter,” a Marie Kondo-esque professional organizer visits the Pickles’ home, leading the babies on an adventure to rescue their toys. A different episode shows us that Grandpa Lou is now on a seniors-only dating app called “Silver Beagles.” And Stu is still up to his nerdy DIY antics, installing high-tech doorbell cameras.
Straying away from the iconic, hand-drawn look of the original series, the new Rugrats is instead computer generated. The chunky 3D animation style isn’t as charming, even jarring at first, and unfortunately detracts from the reboot overall. While the original feels related to the babies’ point of view that the show takes on, this oversaturated, glossy look disconnects us.