Transformers Cybertron

I watched the original G1 series as a child, and even then it was a little too dumbed down for me.

I (like many others) ground my teeth when they released "Transformers Generation 2" which was just the original show packed with some CG transitions.

I slogged through the first boring season of Beast Wars - but then something happened: The show got good. It got so good, that it became one of my favorite television series of all time. The characters developed, the story moved ahead, and then it ended (though I think they ended it sooner than they would have liked; some things were resolved too quickly).

Despite the horrible character designs Beast Machines was even a larger step forward in terms of story, and the series ended in a way I never would have foreseen.

Then the animes started.

This is where everything Transformers started to come apart for me: The lack of animation, the re-use of the same five minute transformation sequences twelve times an episode (I'm exaggerating, but it sure feels like it), the horrible, trite and contrived Japanese-to-English localization, the introduction of anime child geniuses who you want to fall into a black hole just for opening their mouths...

I'm sorry, I just don't get it. "Cybertron" looked more interesting than previous endeavors because it had computer-modeled Transformers, but FOR PETE'S SAKE WAKE UP PEOPLE - THEY'RE BARELY ANIMATED! It's not difficult to do once the models are made, but apparently the production company doesn't have a single computer animator on staff because the Transformers' stiff, completely weightless movements give less of an impression of living machines and more of the impression of talentless animators. This may be intentional because the models don't seem to move any differently than the toys, but better Transformers shows have always compensated (do you think the "Ironhide" toy from G1 looked anything like his cartoon counterpart?).

I'm sorry, but this show is just anime cliché with some impressive-but-boring computer models and another "we gotta collect 'em all" story line.

They should just call this show "Generic Anime Cartoon-like Show Number 5: Now With Transformers!" and let it stand.

After two shaky series, Transformers Armada and Energon, Hasbro as now given us Transformers Cybertron. Though far from perfect, this show is a lot better than its two predecessors. It seems to incorporate some of the best elements of past Transformers fiction.

• A sprawling, multi-arced, space epic from the comics

• A good balance of some lighthearted elements with more heavy duty sci/fi from the original cartoon

• Exceptional voice acting, scripting and a sense of fun from Beast wars

The overall plot is nicely summed up via the show's opening sequence. "Our worlds are in Danger. To save them and the galaxy, we(the autobots) must find the 4 cyber planet keys, before the decepticons can use them for evil.".

The overall plot does not feel stretched or padded for the most part. Some episodes near the middle of the series do tend to get repetitive(especially the part on Velocitron) but thanks to some entertaining scripting and multiple story threads being addressed within a single episode, they are still watchable without feeling like useless fillers. Things might start off a little slow at first, but unlike Transformers Armada, the pace picks up after only 6 episodes following its debut(which throws you thick into the action with the Autobots already in the process of evacuating their home planet).

The first act incorporates many easy-to-relate to themes, especially involving the three human protagonists. A number of episodes convey moral teachings about the importance of rules, responsibility and honesty among many others without sounding too preachy. The style for this act may come across as a little juvenile, along the lines of Digimon(which is not surprising as the director also directed a number of digimon series) with rather tame action scenes(compared to Armada and Beast Wars) and lots of time dedicated to the kids' hi-jinks instead of on the Transformers themselves.

Then comes the second act. Once the setting moves into space and across the galaxy, the story likewise soars to new heights. The writing and script changes into something better that even older teenagers can relate to, throwing in some darker aspects and more thought provoking underlying themes.

The core achievement of Transformers Cybertron, is that throughout the show's evolution into a darker storyline, it never loses its sense of fun, just like the original cartoon in the 80s. Scripts are peppered with in-jokes and homage references to past series that would please any long time fan of the franchise. The high spirited and entertaining script is help along by some of the best voice acting in Transformers since Beast Machines. Very strong performances are turned, giving each character a distinct voice and personality. Some might have found the accents distracting but i personally loved them as they added variety. Accents are, afterall, not a new thing in Transformers with a number of characters from the original cartoon did sport a variety of different accents and speech patterns.

Not everything is sunflowers and rainbows however. This series does suffer from an over usage of stock footage in the Transformations(which seem a lot longer than previous series, with some single transformations lasting a whole half a minute.) and the battle scenes. Thankfully, in the English version, dialogue is written into the otherwise repetitive and boring stock sequences. These inserted lines range from planning battle strategy, to highly comedic in-jokes. Sometimes characters even break the fourth wall by asking each other why they have to undergo the same transformation animation all the time.

Just like Energon, this series uses a mixture of 2D and 3D animation. The 2D animation does not seem as polished as in Energon, with many of the human characters and 2D artwork looking flat with only basic color filling and minimal detail. Movements are jerky at times, even for a TV series standard of animation. The 3D elements, which involve mostly the robots, are a huge step up from Energon and Beast Wars. However, they are only slightly on par with Beast Machines which was produced 5 years prior to this show. Movements are smoother but there are still scenes where the 3D models "snap" from pose to pose like photographs in a slide show instead of actually move. The style metallic shading as opposed to the previous cel-shading causes the highly detailed 3D elements to jarringly clash with the simple 2D art. Such jarring differences in the animation are especially apparent when the 2D characters have to physically interact with the 3D ones.

One would think that utilising 3D animation would allow the director more freedom and ease to choreograph a good fight scene. That is not the case. Fights tend to get repetitive with boring camera angles and sometimes lengthly monologues. Later into the series, the fights DEVOLVE into something out of Dragonball Z. Most of the combat involves each combatant charging up their power and flying at each other, smashing together in a explosion of badly rendered CGI effects. Wash, rinse and repeat the cycle, throw in some clichéd dialogue and do it all over again.

I must say that Transformers Cybertron is the best among the post-2000 co-produced Transformers series. Sub-par animation and repetitiveness is saved by its marvelous scripts, story and voice acting. Do not let the bad reputation of the other series prevent you from watching this. Sure it might not be on par with the original, or Beast Wars, but it definitely worth checking out, and a good show for which to introduce newcomers to the Transformers Franchise.

I'm loving the Cybertron series very much. I think it took some time for me to get used to some of the changes that happened. Scott McNeil not reprising his role as Jetfire, and Brent Miller not reprising his role as Hot Shot, which I think is the worst thing the writers could have ever done, and a lot of other things. I think it the thing for me was that Cybertron wasn't Energon and that's something that still have to get used to. Overall it's a good show with excellent CGI animation similar to that of Beast Wars only more Asian influenced. I think it's the best thing to come along since Beast Wars. I hope this CGI animation will continue on into the next series and hopefully it will be just as good as the other series.

Three things redeem Cybertron somewhat, the character of Megatron, the use of the Transformers, robots in disguise line in the theme song and the dynamic voice acting of Garry Chalk and David Kaye. Apart from them, the voice work is a mix of over-compensating, uninterested under-playing and inexplicably weird accents, sad seeing as from their other work there are some talented voice actors here. The characters are not very interesting, in fact the human characters are very annoying(not exactly old news though, they were in Armada- this show is marginally better than that, Armada was a mess- and Energon). Starscream has always been an interesting character but he's bland here, and the writers clearly had no idea what to do with Scourge(shame he had potential) he is not that fearsome and the constant changing of sides got confusing and you are like make up your mind already. The animation is very little improvement either, the traditional cell animation is rather flat and sloppy and the CGI is over-saturated. Not only that, the mouth movements of the characters are far too Nutcracker-like which was very distracting, and the Transformation sequences are all flash and no subtlety. The theme song has one good line which is gone to waste by a generic hip-hop-styled tune with inane lyrics that gives the music a dated feel. The rest of the music is dull and forgettable, lacking expression or atmosphere. The dialogue is the very meaning of clunky, the light-hearted moments veer on awkwardly goofy and the more intense moments almost too grim and over-serious. It also seemed really stilted. The basic story is a good idea that is sadly also too thin structurally and too padded. The story lines just don't engage for that reason, as well as the uncompelling dialogue and characters and lack of tension and excitement in the action sequences. To conclude, Cybertron is the best of the Transformers franchise's Unicron Trilogy but that doesn't say much, it really did disappoint hugely and really not one of the franchise's finest hours. 4/10 Bethany Cox

Billed as the final entry in what is called The Unicron Trilogy (with the first two shows being Armada and Energon), Cybertron is a show I saw some of, but not all due to Cartoon Network placing it in a timeslot that is after the Adult Swim block goes off the air.

In this series, the destruction of Unicron has created a black hole that threatens to swallow Cybertron, the population evacuates to Earth after one of the Autobots, Landmine, is warped there by Vector Prime during a battle with the Decepticons. Now in hiding and with air of three human kids, Coby, Bud, and Lori, the Autobots must collect the four Cyber Planet Keys, one on Earth and the other three on different planets with their own Transformers, to save Cybertron from destruction. However, the Decepticons also seek the keys, but instead of saving Cybertron, they seek to use it to destroy the Autobots and rule the galaxy.

This anime can get a bit bumpy. While this was connected to Armada and Energon in America, for its Japanese release as Transformers Galaxy Force, it was made as a different continuity, thus requiring a lot of additional scenes and script edits for the English dub in order to connect it to the past two series. Also, while some of the voice actors do return, some of them end up giving their characters foreign accents (Jetfire now speaks in an Australian accent, while Red Alert, who was in Armada, but absent from Energon, is made British), a move possibly done to show Transformers can be different in more ways than how they look. The show mixes traditional animation for the human characters with the CGI used for the Transformers, and it makes it work. Coby, Bud, and Lori serve as replacements for Rad, Carlos, Alexis, and Kicker (which is due to the Japanese version being its own universe), and thankfully, they are better than Kicker, and even have more of a role aiding the Autobots in some situations. And while the script has some continuity errors, they are well written, and the show does explore other planets (like Jungle Planet, a planet with Transformers who adapted animals as their alternate mode). While not as good as Armada, Transformers Cybertron fixes the many mistakes that Energon (considered the worst of the trilogy in my book) made.