December 18, 2008

Transformers are a house hold name these days. Ever since their creation in 1984 to the recent box office hit, generations of fans have fallen in love or back in love with them. Personally I grew up with the Transformers and they still remain one of my favorite cartoons of all time. Many fans of the show will contest which of the numerous shows was the best Transformers series. To me, one that cannot narrow his choices down to one in some cases, there are three series that I hold as my favorites. My first choice would obviously be the Gen 1 series, followed by Beast Wars and finally Transformers: Cybertron.

This brings me round to the point of this article in the first place as I give you my review of Transformers Energon: The Ultimate Collection. This 7-Disc Collection covers the second section in the Unicron Trilogy. In this Ultimate Collection, viewers will get to see all 4 Seasons of the Transformers: Energon show. This show features 3D cel-shaded characters with would later become the standard in the next series.

This part of the Unicron Trilogy takes place 10 years after the events of Armada. With Unicron destroyed and Megatron out of commission, the humans of Earth join forces with the Autobots in secret working together to build vast Cybertron Cities on Earth and in the solar system to mine for Energon, the energy-rich mineral that Transformers need to survive. But darkness is not easily defeated and the Autobots are once again faced with a threat they though they had vanished for good.

The story of Transformers: Energon follows the advancements of human technology. The humans use their resources to help the Autobots find and mine Energon to use to defend Earth as well as other planets in the universe. As the series progresses they construct Energon Towers that will both protect each Cybertron City and turn the tides against the ensuing attacks from Megatron and Alpha Q. As this box set features all 4 seasons of the Energon arc there is just too much to really talk about. What I will say is that, old familiar faces will reappear such as Arcee, Prowl and Rodimus will make appearances as well as reiterations such as Hot Shot, Ironhide, Scorponok, and Omega Supreme.

Filmmaking: 9
Transformers Energon: The Ultimate Collection is a good representation of the Transformer Universe. It brings to it several references from Gen 1, Beast Wars and various other shows along the way. There are also references to other films and classic pop culture within that are nice touches. I won’t explain what they are but you’ll know when they arise.

Graphics: 9
Graphically, Transformers: Energon is amazing. This show mixes the classic animation of the old days with 3D cel-shaded Transformers. The classic animation which is used for backgrounds and human characters may be a bit more up to date and is more in line with shows like Digimon and the sort. The Transformers themselves take center stage but part of their success is due to their human friends. The human characters are well animated especially on the main human character Kicker. The “Super Saiyan” flares treatment that his hair gets when he is alerted to Energon or other issues is pretty cool.

Sound: 8
Transformers Energon: The Ultimate Collection has a very well rounded voice cast. Gary Chalk, the man behind Optimus’ voice for Optimus Primal in Beast Wars continues his roles as the AutoBot leader for Transformers: Cybertron. I have to say that he does an amazing performance that is worthy to fall in the footsteps of Peter Cullen’s work. David Kaye also continues his role as Megatron from the previous arc as well. The theme song for Transformers: Energon is not as flashy as say Cybertron’s was but it is still kind of catchy.

Value: 8
Transformers Energon: The Ultimate Collection features no special extras like the Cybertron box set but manages to deliver nothing but action in this 7-disc set. This set retails for around $40 dollars and for 52 amazing episodes you would be crazy not to pick this set up. Essentially 4 seasons in 1 Box set and still managing to keep it under $ 50 dollars is impressive.

Overall: 9.0
All in all, Transformers Energon: The Complete Collection is impressive. I admit that I did not see this series in its entirety when it was on TV, but it still remains in the public’s eye via various DVD volumes. It is still not my ultimate favorite as it would not be around if not for the Gen 1 cartoons but it holds its own and deserves a spot in my Transformers memorabilia. As a long time fan, I have no doubt that any fan of the Transformers will let Transformers: Energon pass by unnoticed. I recommend Transformers Energon: The Ultimate Collection to any Transformers fan or to anyone that is just getting acquainted with our huge robotic friends.