ReBoot is a 1994 CGI-animated action-adventure science fiction television series created by Gavin Blair, Ian Pearson, Phil Mitchell, and John Grace.  The series follows the adventures of a Guardian named Bob and his companions Enzo and Dot Matrix as they work to keep the computer system of Mainframe safe from the viruses known as Megabyte and Hexadecimal.

Positives:

• Great characters
• Good voice performances
• Good graphics
• Good score
• Great sound
• Great premise
• Intelligent writing

Negatives:

• Graphics are dated

Plot:  The story is set in the inner computer world of Mainframe, a guardian program sprite and his friends defend the system from threats from viruses and the User. The series goes at a pretty good pace and the adventures are fun and entertaining.  However, during Matrix and AndrAIa’s adventures in the 3rd season the show gets pretty damn dark.  There are overarching stories though the episodes feature mini adventures.  As the series progresses the stories become deeper and more dramatic. (3 out of 5)

Characters:  The series features a pretty awesome roster of characters who are quite memorable.  The main cast includes Bob (the guardian of Mainframe), Dot Matrix (owner of a local diner), Enzo Matrix (Dot’s younger brother), Frisket (Enzo’s feral dog), Phong (Mainframe’s original COMMAND.COM), AndrAIa (Enzo’s friend), Mouse (freelance Hacker), and the hilarious Mike the TV (a walking, talking TV).  The characters are likable and add their own personality and skills into the mix.  The main antagonists are Megabyte and Hexidecimals and they are just awesome in personality as they are with their abilities. (5 out of 5)

Cast:  The casting is solid and the voice performances are just brilliant.  The main cast includes Sharon Alexander (adult AndrAIa), Kathleen Barr (Dot), Michael Benyaer (Bob), Paul Dobson (Matrix), Tony Jay (Megabyte), and Shirley Millner (Hexadecimal).  The supporting cast includes Ian James Corlett (Bob, Glitch Bob), Jesse Moss (Enzo, season 1), Matthew Sinclair (Enzo, season 1 & 2), Christopher Gray (Enzo, season 3), Danny McKinnon (Enzo, season 4), Giacomo Baessato, Andrea Libman (young AndrAIa), Michael Donovan (Phong & Mike the TV), Stevie Vallance (Mouse), Donal Gibson, Long John Baldry, Garry Chalk, Phil Hayes, Snott McNeil, Colombe Demers, Richard Newman, and Blu Mankuma. (4 out of 5)

Visuals:  At the time the show was the only full CGI animated series and as time progressed the graphics become more refined.  Though the animation is a little dated it still has enough quality in its presentation to be appealing.  The women sprites are pretty well proportioned and the male models are well defined. (4 out of 5)

Score: The music and sound design are solid.  One of the best things about the music is that every game has its own score.  Going back and watching it I realized how each game had its own original music.  There are some goofy noises in the earlier seasons to add to the comedic value. (4 out of 5)

Writing:  The writing is pretty damn smart and people with an intelligent eye will appreciate much of it’s content.  There are jokes, references, and scenarios that touch upon popular movies, games, anime, etc.  The setting is well constructed and the rules are clever.  What’s most prominent are the games, cubes that drop from above by “the user” which if characters enter must win or face nullification and damage to the city.  Also, there is the clever way their speech and vocabulary reflects the inner world of a computer; deleted (killed), basic (stupid), the primary antagonists are Megabyte and Hexidecimal (both viruses but the names are cool), the citizens mostly are comprised of binomes (citizens shaped like numbers) and sprites (more humanoids). (4 out of 5)

The Verdict:  In the end, ReBoot is a great series.  Yeah, the graphics are a bit dated but it does get better as the series progresses.  The premise is solid, writing is clever, characters are deep, voice performances are solid, and great humor.  ReBoot gets 4 out of 5.