Filed under: — Cartoon Network, Television
Written by: Dominick at 7:27 PM
TV Show Info:
Writers: Various
Directors: Various
Cast: Gary Chalk, Sarah Edmondson, Sam Vincent, Richard Newman, Kirby Morrow, Brian Dobson, Lisa Ann Beley, Michael Daingerfield, Scott McNeil, Brian Drummond, Paul Dobson, Richard Ian Cox
Rating: Not Rated
Studio: Hasbro
Release Info:
Original Air Dates: September 19, 2005-October 2, 2006
DVD Box Set Release Date: July 22, 2008
Online Availability: Amazon for $39.99
Episodes: 52 in total
On occasion, I’ll check out what other reviewers have said about the television shows that I’m reviewing, as well. Wanting to find out more about Transformers Cybertron, I googled the series name and came across an array of websites with information and reviews about the show. I was surprised to find that one reviewer had no idea the Transformers were popular. They’ve only have had countless series, a line of products including a successful toy line and more. Of course, they’re really not well known, unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past 20 years!
I have to admit I was somewhat apprehensive about watching Transformers Cybertron – The Ultimate Collection. This box set is filled with 52 episodes from the series. I’m not overly fond of the shows Cartoon Network comes up with and since Transformers Cybertron was on the network I wasn’t sure how fond of this series I would be. In the grand scheme of Transformers television series, Transformers Cybertron is ok. Neither exceptionally well done nor horribly terrible, this series falls somewhere in between; slightly better than those series of mediocrity yet less than the most dazzling of series, the original, of which I grew up watching.
Transformers Cybertron is the third in a series of Transformers series that originally aired in Japan. The other two series are Transformers Armada and Transformers Energon. I’ve been told (though I don’t speak Japanese and don’t know about the original show) that this is a fairly decent dub of the original Japanese show. It remains faithful to the storyline and the action of the original series. Either way, this is one show I enjoyed watching with my son. I knew he’d like the action and most kids who are into these kinds of shows should enjoy Transformers Cybertron, as well.
The Transformers Cybertron Plot
The plot behind Transformers Cybertron revolves around the fact that the planet, Cybertron is threatened by the development of a massive black hole. The black hole was created by the destruction of Unicron. At the beginning of Transformers Cybertron the Transformers are heading to Earth. That’s the closest planet that is friendly to the needs of the Transformers. Before they go, they decide they will take on the form of various types of vehicles and machines so humans won’t know of their existence. The ‘more than meets the eye’ thing is for certain in this series.
Before the Autobots leave Cybertron, an ancient known by the name Vector Prime approaches them. Prime tells of the ancient Cyber Planet Keys. The keys hold the key to stopping the blackhole and saving Cybertron. It is up to the Autobots to find out everything they can about the Cyber Planet Keys before it’s too late. Vector Prime gives them a map, which shows the hidden location of the keys, on four different universes, but this wouldn’t be a Transformers cartoon without the Decepticons interfering. Megatron steals the map and both the Decepticons and Autobots head to Earth where the real fun begins.
The 52 episodes in the Transformers Cybertron – The Ultimate Collection Box Set, are split up amongst seven discs:
DISC ONE
- Fallen
- Haven
- Hidden
- Landmine
- Space
- Rush
- Speed
- Collapse
DISC TWO
- Time
- Search
- Deep
- Ship
- Hero
- Race
- Detour
- Savage
DISC THREE
- Sand
- Champion
- Ice
- Honor
- Primal
- Trust
- Trap
- Invasion
DISC FOUR
- Retreat
- Revelation
- Critical
- Assault
- Starscream
- United
- Cybertron
- Balance
DISC FIVE
- Darkness
- Memory
- Escape
- Family
- Titans
- Warp
- Giant
- Fury
DISC SIX
- City
- Ambush
- Challenge
- Scourge
- Optimus
- Showdown
- Guardian
- Homecoming
DISC SEVEN
- End
- Unfinished
- Beginning
- Inferno
The voice talent is decent, for the most part. It is the story that lacks both depth and originality. That’s really the only thing that prevents this series from being both memorable and magnificent.
Storyline/Plot: 
Replayability:
Acting:
Directing:
Audio/Visual:
The visual quality for the episodes included in the Transformers Cybertron – The Ultimate Collection Box Set are all filmed at an aspect ratio of 1.33:1. The standard full frames are the same quality you’d see if you were still watching Transformers Cybertron on Cartoon Network. The vibrant colors come through and contrast is nice. The show is presented with computer generated Transformers and classical animation for human characters, backgrounds and pretty much everything else. As you might imagine, the show has a modernized look. There are only minor instances of pixelation and not many other animation errors.
Considering the fact that Transformers Cybertron is geared towards a pint sized audience, Paramount provided the bare minimum in terms of audio. The English Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo track is nice, but it’s not as dynamic as a show like this deserves. The action-packed sequences could have rocked a 5.1 surround track like nobody’s business. Still, the 2.0 comes through loud, clearly and serves its purpose. Closed Captioning is available for the hearing impaired.
Visual:
Audio: 
Bonus Features:
There are absolutely no bonuses included in the Transformers Cybertron – The Ultimate Collection Box Set. It’s kind of a jip considering how much you pay and how many discs are in this set, but there’s not much that can be done about this save for complaining to Hasbro and Paramount about it!
Bonus Features:
Bottom Line:
Kids, this isn’t your father’s Transformers. Parents, this isn’t going to be like the cartoons you grew up with, but the familiar faces of Optimus Prime and the gang still elicit some feelings of nostalgia. If you can get past the animation changes and see this for the up-to-date, semi-hip show it is today then you might actually like Transformers Cybertron. While this wasn’t my favorite adaptation of the Transformers series, it wasn’t horrible either. If you’re a Transformers fan, or you have kids you know (or think) will be interested in this series then why not go ahead and purchase it? Everyone else should rent it just to make sure this series doesn’t step on the toes of past Transformers series and creators.
Overall Rating:
Technorati Tags: Transformers Cybertron, The Ultimate Collection, Cartoon Network, Animated, series, Japan, Megatron, Decepticon, Vector Prime, Optimus Prime
Written by Dominick Evans - Visit Website
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Dominick is in his late 20s. He lives in Michigan with his life partner, Ashtyn, their 14 year old son Robert, and their Shih-Tzu, Oliver. Dominick is a writer and the head editor for both LI Kids and Literary Illusions. He enjoys composing music and is an aspiring director/screenwriter. In his free time he enjoys spending time with his family, playing and watching sports, playing video games, watching movies, and singing.
