Transformers: Animated

I was a kid when the first generation of Transformers came out, and it swept me off my feet. Later came umpteen different incarnations of Transformers and none of them managed to interest me. Either the stories were too far fetched and impossible to follow, or the animations were so clunky I just couldn't watch it.

Transformers Animated is different. Some people don't like the light hearted animation style but it's a fresh approach to the franchise. Also the story line actually makes sense, and it's easy to follow without feeding you with a tea spoon.

All in all, a great reboot, with lots of content for new fans and old ones alike.

Transformers Animated, the latest(as of writing this review) in the line of animated series based on the long running Transformers franchise. I must say that this is the most "balanced" Transformers show in a long time since Beast Machines. The producers have cast their net wide as there is something for EVERYONE to like in this show. Unfortunately, nothing is perfect and there is also something for everyone to dislike.

The overall premise has been changed from the usual "evenly matched good robots vs bad robots". The main team of protagonists are not highly trained defenders of justice, but merely a maintenance crew caught in the wrong place at the wrong time. This gives a greater sense of peril to the battles and when it comes to the good guys facing down the bad guys, you are truly rooting for the underdog here. A well planned storyline allows a good mix of character centered episodes, pure sci/fi adventure ones, comedic episodes and even some serious emotional drama.

The themes that the writers interwove into the story are not as deep as the philosophical Beast Machines nor as preachy as "good morals" plugging Cybertron. They are simple themes pretty much in line with those present in the original 80s Transformers series, such as the importance of teamwork and the value of trust. More social themes like corruption, propaganda, the problems of single parenthood and "empty nest syndrome"(especially after the point where Sari "grows up) are thrown in in the later seasons allowing even older audiences to look at Transformers as not just a show to promote toys.

Mentioning Sari, she is the mandatory "human" character this time around. The ever spunky and high spirited little girl could possibly be the most likable "human" character among all the others from the previous series. Her mannerisms, style of speaking and her reactions to various situations make her a character that any curious, bright eyed kid or "inner child" can relate to.

Now "characters" has always been the strongest point of the original series and Beast Wars. How do the autobot and decepticon characters fare in their latest incarnation? The answer is "very well". Being in a separate "continuity" from any of the previous series, i do not expect a 100% similarity between Optimus Prime in this show and the other Optimus Primes in previous shows. Each new character that is based on a previous existing character still possesses enough distinct personality traits of their predecessors. Optimus, though no longer a confident leader(his wavering confidence in his leadership capabilities is just one of many captivating subplots in the story) is still selfless and courageous, Megatron is still a tyrannical megalomaniac, Starscream is still obsessed with gaining leadership of the Decepticons from Megatron etc. The chemistry between the autobots is the high point here. Very believable in the ways they interact and their sometimes bumpy relationship make for some good comedy here and there. Though the decepticons are still the main threat, there are other "supervillians" that the autobots have to contend with. IMO, some of the supervillians seem necessary but i guess they are there to add variety to the episodes.

In short, there characters are just as likable as in the original cartoon, though it may take some time to warm up to the many little changes. Like the characters for who they are, or hate them for the changes made, its up to you.

Ironically the weakest element in Transformers animated is its animation.(imagine that. lol). The character designs are really up to one's own preference. They are very in keeping with the typical cartoon network minimalistic and highly stylized art. In light of that, One would think that with such an art style, more attention could be spent on creating smooth fluid animation and movement. That does not seem to be the case here. Character animation is pretty mediocre with a lot of scenes, especially fast paced fights, utilizing very notorious animation short cuts such as creating motion blur in-between only two key frames to give the illusion of a fast movement. It just ends up giving a very jerky and jumpy feel to the movements.

I must say that the characters actually look terrible in still shots or on posters(hence the negative fan reaction when still images of the characters were first revealed), but in constant animated movement, the character designs worked pretty well and like the characters themselves, it would eventually grow on you.

I urge anyone who is looking for a good Transformers series to watch this show with an open mind. Do not be so shallow as to dismiss over one or two negative aspects. The children would like this show for its lovable characters and action Older viewers can find something to like too in its well woven story lines, underlying themes and entertaining scripting. Even long time Transformers fans would get a kick out of the numerous in-jokes and homage/references to past Transformers shows and comics. Look past the mediocre animation and there is Truly something for everyone to enjoy.

It seems that to the majority of the Transformers fan base, Transformers isn't Hasbro's biggest financial success, which must be refreshed for each new generation, but a sacred relic from their childhood which must never be tampered with. Transformers: Animated proves that Generation 1 can live on in the modern day, whilst giving us a solid, fun, modern cartoon. Firstly, there is the fact that almost every robot in this series is a veteran from the original 1980's cartoons. Optimus Prime, Bumblebee, Ratchet, Prowl, Arcee, Jazz, Ultra Magnus, Grimlock, Megatron, Wreck-Gar, Starscream, Blitzwing and Blurr are among just a few of the cast of robots in this series. We are also introduced to a few newcomers to the series; Lugnut and Lockdown, who are both fantastic characters. All of these characters are perfectly fleshed out, with great personalities and a look which stays true to their G1 counterparts, whilst being modern and dynamic. The voice actors do a great job bringing these characters to life. The development in this series is also fantastic. We get glimpses of the character's back stories, and really begin to understand why these characters are who they are. Another great thing about this show is all the G1 references that are presented. The transforming sound-effect, cameos from the Witwickys, lines of dialogue and so forth. So far, I'd say my favourite episode would have to be "A fistful of Energon". If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend it. Then again, I recommend this entire series. The only bad thing about it is the bizarre human villains, but once the Decepticons get their place in the spotlight, they don't cause any problems. All in all, and awesome show, and I am highly anticipating the third season

9/10

As a fellow Transformers fan, there's a little confession I would like to make: I was almost a Bayformers fan!!! But don't worry, even though I thought the first movie was good, it still wasn't enough to make me a genuine "Trans-Fan". My best friend knew much more about Transformers than I did, as she grew up with the franchise, so I've mostly learned about the main premise of the story from her.

Anyway, by 2007 I knew almost nothing about G1, Beast Wars, or the Unicorn Trilogy (though, from what I've heard, I didn't miss anything from the Unicron Trilogy). Then it just so happened, on Cartoon Network, I came across a TV promo for this new show simply titled, "Transformers: Animated". The moment I first saw their new designs I thought, "It would never catch on, the proportions of the robots look all wrong!" However, when the show finally aired, I took a look at one episode. My first thought was, "Well, the story seems pretty basic, but this Starscream guy looks like a cool character (by the way, this was the show that made me a Starscream fan-girl).

A couple years later, I soon forgot about it, until my friend show me the Allspark Allminac (which is a book that has information about everything from the show). Eventually, my interest for the show lit up again, and I've watched reruns of it on The Hub, then I realized everything I first thought about this show was wrong. The main Autobots, for example, are not the Superman archetypes you see in the original show, in fact Optimus here isn't even leader of the Autobots, but the leader of a small group of rookies. I really like this change, because not only does it make it a lot easier to root for them, but it also makes them more realistic and sympathetic.

Now the main human character, Sari, is another interesting aspect of this show. At first, she appears to be an annoying tag-a-long that never does what she's told. This of course, was a very common trope in Transformers since G1, but instead of just being a tag-a-long, Sari actually has a story arc in this series! She's also not as useless as most Trans-Fans like to believe, she actually helps the Autobots multiple times. Her father, Prof. Isaac Sumdac, is one of the "weaker" characters in the show. He's way too trusting towards Megatron in Season 1, and is clearly irresponsible letting his 8-year old daughter handle the AllSpark Key, but he's not too annoying and you'll eventually grow to love him.

I was also impressed by how the Decepticons were portrayed. Megatron doesn't get a very big role in the first season, but he is BY FAR superior to the clumsy G1 version, and the bland TF: Prime version of the character. The other Cons are also very well written. Blackarachnia and Waspinator both have tragic and interesting back stories, Blitzwing the triple-changer is given a split-personality, and Shockwave is given a more prominent role in Season 3.

It just makes me said that they were never able to release a Season 4 before it got canceled! This is a vastly underrated show, that has more emotional depth than "Transformers Prime", and much more character development than G1.

My Overall rating-- 8.5 out of 10!

This is garbage, what is wrong with animators today. Lazy jag-offs. Teen Titans, and hundreds of more American Anime" garbage. The figures look fine, tho the show is some wimpy stuff, sleep overs? come on. I was a fan of all the series up to Beast Wars and even beast machines ( some really interesting effects in the latter). But with the downhill art style they are teaching in schools today. The voices are fine, except for the stewie headed girl and her WB chuck jones designed dad. Ah, this is horrible. I could even sit through one show. What is wrong with cartoons today.

"I am a G1 fan, and proud of it"