Tooniversary: Zorro: Generation Z (2006)

 Since the dawn of the 21st century, Hollywood has stupidly tried to reboot classic heroes in a more modern setting.

In 2003 alone, the WB network had tried a contemporary take on Tarzan as a weekly series, and a Lone Ranger TV-movie, starring One Tree Hill's Chad Michael Murray in the title role, but they created a new Ranger unrelated to John Reid, likely because the studio didn't have the rights to Green Hornet, and couldn't maintain the family connection.

Syndicator-producer Allen Bohbot didn't learn anything from those failures.

Three years after those twin flops, Bohbot acquired a license from the rights holders of Zorro to develop a contemporary animated series, set in the not-too-distant future of 2015, or, 9 years after the year the series was released.

Zorro: Generation Z brings Johnston McCulley's hero back to animation, 25 years after Filmation's one season wonder for CBS. This time, Zorro is a college student, and the grandson of the original Diego de la Vega. He fancies the daughter of the corrupt mayor, but she, too, has a secret identity as Scarlet Whip, Zorro's occasional partner. 

The 21st century's Zorro has a motorcycle instead of a horse, although he did have to go old school in one episode. Bernardo, his mute associate, is a computer genius, and the whip is a multi-purpose laser tool. Not only that, but Zorro's cape is designed to be bulletproof, and protect him from all kinds of harm. It's a case of coming full circle, since the Batman, inspired in part by McCulley's classic hero, had similar upgrades in his costume and equipment over the years.

In "The Earthquake Machine", Zorro & Scarlet Whip have to deal with a deranged professor whose titular invention attracts the attention of the mayor.....

Bohbot Kids Network had planned a 2nd season, but that went nowhere, and the company went belly up, its assets claimed by Cookie Jar. Based on what we've seen, I'd think WB would do a better job.

Rating: C.