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19 January 2008

Transformers: Animated

Posted by Wutaku under: Anime .

Transformers: Animated is the latest animated series based on the Transformers name.  It is not a continuation of the smash hit movie of 2007, Transformers.  Transformers: Animated starts out like the recent animated tv series with one 90 minute movie and standalone episodes to follow.  The movie is call “Transform and Roll Out!”

In this version of Transformers, the Autobots have driven off the Decepticons from their home planet Cybertron with the help of the Allspark during the war.  Unlike the original Transformers Generation One, the Transformers of this universe have never been to Earth.  However, the other concept of the Transformers remains the same like the Allspark.  The Allspark is the creation of life for Transformers.  It has the power to bring mechincal beings to life and it has the power to destory everything.  That is why the Autobots protect it and the Decepticons want it.  After the war, the Autobots hurl the Allspark into a space bridge to an unknown location of space so the Allspark would not fall into the wrong hands.

The movie begins with Optimus Prime and his crew doing repairs on a space bridge in the outer parts of space.  That is when the Allspark found them.  Prime’s crew consists of Bumblebee, Ratchet, Bulkhead and Prowl; their main function is to repair and maintenance.  Not long after the Allspark found them, the Decepticons arrived.  Megatron, leader of the Decepticons tried to retrive the Allspark from the Autobot’s ship.  But because of Starscream’s treachory, Megatron failed and the Autobots traveled through the space bridge and crash landed on Earth.  Megatron’s head also crash landed on Earth after the Autobots.  With Megatron out of the way, Starscream proclaimed himself the new leader of the Decepticons.  However, all of the Decepticons abandoned him after the Megatron’s defeat.  With nobody supporting Starscream, he continued his search for the Allspark.  The Autobots went into hiberation during the crash into Lake Eriee near the Motor City, Detroit.  50 years passed since the crash and now Detroit became futuristic like a city from Batman Beyond series.  The Autobots were revived during an attack by a monster from an experiment of combination of nano and bio technology that had gone wrong.  That is when the Autobots look on disguise to help blend into the new environment.  Prime became a firetruck.  Ratchet, an ambulance.  Prowl, a motorcycle.  Bumblebee, a souped up hot hatch.  Bulkhead, a green SWAT truck.  The Autobots fought off the monster and destroyed it.  They also befriend Sari, daughter of the Issac Sumdac, after rescuing her from the monster.  Not long after the awakening of the Autobots, Starscream arrived.  Starscream and the Autobots fought.  Starscream demanded the Allspark from the Autobots for the exchange of the human hostages and a damaged Bumblebee.  Sari devised a plan to save everyone.  Everyone was saved by the Autobots failed to protect the Allspark.  Starscream in the possession of the Allspark, began the destruction of Earth.  Prime who refused to give up literally fought to the death with Starscream.  Prime was revived with the help of Sari and her key.  It appears that Sari’s key was changed during her first encounter with the Allspark.  The movie ends with Issac Sumdac leaving his lab after the monologue asking for forgiveness from the Autobots next to the damaged head of Megatron.

In my personal opinion, this animated Transformer series is not too bad.  In terms of storyline and plot, it is not too out of this world.  However, my personal gripe is with the art style.  The lead character design for this series is Derrick Wyatt who is also responsible for Teen Titans, Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends, and Legion of Super Heroes.  I understand that Japanese Anime and Manga art style are pretty big right now in the U.S.  However, I don’t think it was the right choice to make the Transformers with the same style.  It was weird to see the Autobots, in vehicle mode, make facial expression by bending the roof of the car or move the windshield.  I think this art style works best with living things like humans, cyborgs or maybe even for the Transformers from the Beast Wars/Beast Machines series.  I also have the feeling that the concept of “death” will not apply to the Autobots in this series.  In the movie, Prime actually dies and you can see him change color just like the original Prime in the original Transformers movie.  Yet, he was so easily brought back by a human little girl.  Prowl also had a near death experience but was also saved by Sari.  In the Beast Wars series, death happens to both Maximals (decendants of Autobots) and Predators (decendants of Decepticons).  Besides the death thing and the art thing, the Autobots seemed so weak compare to the Decepticons.  All the Autobots combine barely defeated Megatron and that was with the help of Starscream’s treachory.  They also barely defeated Starscream with the help of the Allspark.  It appears that if any two or more Decepticons combine their forces and fight the Autobots at once, the Autobots are doomed.

Transformers: Animated Opening Intro:

Optimus Prime’s last fight and his death from the Original Transformers Movie:

Beast Wars: Code of Hero

This is the episode where Dinobot dies.

Part 1:

Part 2:

Part 3:

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