Transformers Cybertron:
The Ultimate Collection
DVD Review by
R.M. Eljay
August, 2008
List Price: $59.98
The Package -
With the release of the lastest DVD boxed set of Transformer animation
to be released, fans can now have the entire series run of Transformers
Cybertron. The entire 52 episode run of this series is spread across
7 discs, presented in 4 slimline cases inside a nicely designed slip
case. The series logo is printed over a foil stamp and the series main
opponents (Optimus Prime and Megatron) are embossed giving the set a
nice presentation on the outside. The interior slipcases are a bit lackluster,
but the art is nice and is mirrored on the interior disc. All in all,
from a packaging standpoint the set is more than adequate.
The episodes are broken down
into roughly eight per disc for the total of seven discs in the set.
It's interesting that all the
episodes from this series have single word titles. It certainly makes
it easier to list them when doing a review, so, thanks go out to the
writers for that! And actually, the simple titles give the episodes
a bit of punch. They are effective at setting the tone of each episode
as well as telling a bit about the story to follow without forcing the
viewer to work out some tongue-twisting limerick on the front end of
each show.
The Discs -
The onscreen menus for the set are pretty straight forward but while
featuring some great art, they lack in animation or sound. Now, for
some this might be considered a bad thing, but personally, I have grown
weary of menus that either make me dizzy with spinning and whirling
graphics and / or deafen me with some repetitive refrain from the materials
soundtrack. I think menus in general are overdone and fall into the
realm of "you had the technology, but should you have used it". Actually
being able to navigate a simple, elegant, and low key menu was a pleasure.
The video itself is presented in full screen format as I'm sure the
series was done that way from the outset. The image is crisp and vibrant
with smooth motion. Visually, it's quite stunning. The use of computer
motion frames for the robots and vehicles gives the series a very…well…mechanical
look. The transformations of the robots to vehicles and back again subsequently
look very 'true' and mimics the play action of the toy characters represented
with the highest level of accuracy.
The Extras -
As far as bells and whistles, this set really doesn't offer any by way
of extras. There are no commentaries or extra video content on this
set, but due to the sheer volume of the episodes, it is not missed.
The Series -
Transformers Cybertron is another in a long series of Transformers television
animation going all the way back to the original show from 1984. This
latest permutation is the follow up to Transformer Energon which was
preceded by Transformers Armada. All in all, this is one of the better
looking outings in Transformers animation as the combination of traditional
animation and computer frames for the tech stuff blends almost seamlessly.
The plot of the series is pretty basic. The Transformers home planet
of Cybertron is threatened by a looming black hole. The Transformers
must spread out across the universe in order to find the lost Cyber
Planet Keys - their only hope for the salvation of Cybertron. Out to
thwart the good deeds of the heroic Autobots are the evil Decpticons.
This is a show designed for kids, so the plots are not multifaceted,
but there is plenty of robot battling action and the robots themselves
are beautiful to look at thanks to the toy design work of Takara and
Hasbro who co-produced the show.
Final Thoughts -
Certainly for the Transformers completist, this set is a must have,
but even the casual fan will enjoy the slickly produced visuals. Kids,
most of all, will connect with this series and the volume of episodes
at a great price makes it a good entertainment value.
