Transformers Energon:
The Ultimate Collection

DVD Review by R.M. Eljay

December, 2008
List Price: $59.98

The Package -
At long last, the entire series run of Transformers Energon is now available on DVD in one affordable package. All 52 episodes of this series will be released December 16th in a seven disc set boxed set. The packaging here is a direct mirror to that of the Cybetron Ultimate Collection which was released earlier this year and as a result nothing would look better that having these two sets side-by-side on your DVD shelf. If you already picked up the Armada set, then all the better. The interior thin-style slipcases are again a bit lackluster like the Cybertron offering, but economy is important for an all inclusive set with this much material. Considering, one is likely to find this set for a bit less than the actual list price, there is little excuse not to snatch this one up! It’ll make a great holiday gift for yourself or your favorite Transformers fan.

The episodes are broken down into roughly eight per disc for the total of seven discs in the set.

The titles for this series’s episodes are a bit more descriptive than the single word titles of the Cybertron series, and while I kind of liked the simple/direct approach, I also find a little variety to be quite nice. A lot a familiar names show up in these titles and makes the set very enticing – especially for a fan that may have missed part or all of the show during its original run on broadcast television.

The Discs -
The menus themselves are simple with no real animation or sound, which is actually a plus for me. It’s no secret that I have no particular fondness for elaborate menus on DVDs. In that regard, this set does not dissapoint.

The video itself is full screen like most current broadcast TV. The animation style is a bit more simplistic than the Cybertron series, but as a result the show looks more like traditional old school animation and so, is a bit of a throwback to the 80s in some ways. The transformations are realistic without being tedious in their complexity and as a result, they do not break the flow of the action when they occur. Transformers should not look like some morphing shows which I won’t mention herey.

The Extras -
As with the previously released Cyberton boxed set, there aren’t any extras included. If this series were released in three volumes and with twice the number of discs at twice the price, one might expect a little window dressing. Having the entire series in one package, however, more than makes up for the lack of extras and combined with the price, the set really can’t be beat.

The Series -
Transformers Energon is the series of Transformers television animation that predates the earlier DVD release: Transformers Cybertron. Energon was on the air prior to Cybertron, but DVD releases happened in the reverse order. As mentioned before, Energon is a bit closer the the G1 animation look as it has less subltle rendering of the robots and their vehicle modes. Clean lines and strong colors are the design rule of the day for this outing.

This story is set 20 years after the Unicron war. Autobots and Decepticons have formed an alliance and are working with humanity in a joint search for Energon – the source of all life and the solution to the Transformers’ and Earth’s energy crisis. Of course, evil is afoot as ‘somebot’ is determined not to play nice.

The show feaures a lot of human characters interacting with the ‘Bots. Notorious among these is Kicker who has drawn a wide range of opinion from the fan base over the years. Despite the controversy, this character did result in one of the few human beings to be depicted in a mainline Transformers toy. I liked the toy, so I’ll let the character on the show slide.

Final Thoughts -
If you already have the Armada and Cybertron boxed sets, it really is a no-brainer to pick this one up as well. Paramount has done a great job getting modern Transformers animation into the hands of fans at a very reasonable price and in a nice format. As one who actually remembers the days before home video, I still find it quite amazing that this type of genre material exists in an affordible package that allows practically anynone to have it on their TV screen whenever they desire. It’s a good time for fandom. It’s a good time to be a fan!