TRANSFORMERS (TV SERIES) - DVD review

For diehard "Transformers" fans, the original 80's animated series is the only version they'll accept. Not "Beast Wars," not "Transformers: Armada," not "Transformers: Robots in Disguise," and certainly not the live-action films directed by mayhem master Michael Bay. Thanks to Shout Factory, Transfans have another chance to relive those fond childhood memories with this expansive collection. "Transformers" was originally released on DVD by Rhino and those sets have long since fallen out of print. The rights passed on to Sony Pictures who planned to release both "Transformers" and "G.I. Joe" under their sub-brand, Sony Wonder. However, they only released the 20th Anniversary Edition of "Transformers: The Movie" before shutting down in 2007. Luckily for us children of the 80's, Shout Factory snatched up the rights and released both cartoons in amazing comprehensive packaging. The boxsets were released exclusively through Shout's website this summer, but will hit mass retailers to coincide with the release of the new live-action films. So if "Revenge of the Fallen" didn't light your darkest hour, then pop this bad boy into your DVD player.

This 16-disc set contains all 98 episodes of the original animated series. Discs 1 and 2 feature the first season of "Transformers" which begins with the two-part "More Than Meets the Eye," which finds the Transformers crash landing on Earth after fleeing their home planet of Cybertron. The first season would go on to introduce many popular characters such as Jetfire, a noble Decepticon who defected to the Autobots' side, and the brutish Dinobots. The first season ends with "Heavy Metal War" where Megatron attempts to banish the Autobots from Earth with the help of the newly created Constructicons.

The series was greatly expanded for the second season which is spread over discs 4 through 10. With nearly four times the amount of episodes, the cast of characters just had to be bolstered to fill up all that airtime. While the Decepticons had Soundwave, the Autobots added a heroic counterpart to their ranks in Blaster who could transform into a boom box. Not to be outdone, the Decepticons now had the Triple Changers, Astrotrain and Blitzwing, a pair of evil robots who could transform into not one, but two vehicles. Some of the highlights of the sophomore season include; "The Search For Alpha Trion" (female Autobots continue to fight the Decepticons on Cybertron), "The Key to Vector Sigma" (which introduced brand new combiner teams, the Aerialbots and the Stunticons), and "War Dawn" (Starscream builds his own combining force in the Combaticons).

Discs 12 through 15 house the third season and fourth seasons which begin shortly after the events of "Transformers: The Movie." New characters introduced in the theatrical release such as Ultra Magnus, Arcee, Springer, and Hot Rod (now Rodimus Prime) all take center stage. The third season also delves deeper into the history of the Transformers beginning with "The Five Faces of Darkness." In this five-part season opener, the multi-faced alien race known as the Quintessons are revealed as the creators of the Transformers and thrown into the mix as adversaries for both Autobots and Decepticons. The third season culminates in the two-part finale, "The Return of Optimus Prime," as the stoic leader of the Autobots returns following his controversial and traumatizing death. Admit it, guys, you cried when he died too.

"G.I. Joe" fans should pay close attention to this season as a certain chrome-faced supervillain makes an appearance in "Only Human." Meanwhile, the Autobots' new human ally, Marissa Fairebourne, has long been hinted as being the daughter of Flint and Lady Jaye.

For me, the series ended with a whimper rather than a bang as season four consists entirely of the three part, "The Rebirth." Here, we're introduced to the goofy concept of the Headmasters, humans in armored suits who can transform into the heads of the Transformers. Sorry, but I just didn't care much for the Headmasters.

VIDEO:
The video is presented in the original fullscreen aspect ratio. Shout has remastered the cartoon, going to amazing lengths to color correct certain sequences and fix as many animation flubs as possible. While the colors appear sharper from time to time, the new transfers aren't that much different from the Rhino releases. Those of you looking for a significant improvement may be disappointed.

AUDIO:
The audio is presented in Dolby Digital Stereo 2.0. For the Rhino DVDs, "Transformers" was given a remixed 5.1 track with newly re-done sound effects that many felt were overblown. Shout's stereo mix sounds great without being overwhelming.

EXTRAS:
On Disc 3, you'll find Triple Changer: From Toy to Comic to Screen (19:54), a featurette with interviews from animators, producers, and staff from Hasbro and Marvel who trace the growth of the toy line and the beginnings of the comic books and cartoon.

Disc 11 contains The Combiner: Forming the Transformers Animated Series (29:34), a much more in-depth look at the actual making of the cartoon featuring interviews with the writers, actors, and producers. The majority of the piece is spent discussing the voice actors and recording the show.

Also on Disc 11 is The Headmasters: Voicing the Robots in Disguise (34:03), a roundtable discussion with several members of the cast including the ultra-talented Frank Welker (Megatron, Starscream). This is a loose and informal get-together as the actors talk about their characters, working on the show, and share anecdotes about

Disc 16 holds The Autobots, The Decepticons, & The Fans (11:26) a short featurette about the hardcore fans and the interactions those involved with the show have had at conventions. You'll also get Into the Creation Matrix: A Conversation with Bob Budiansky (17:01), an interview with the Marvel Comics writer who was responsible for creating much of the backstory and naming many of the Transformers. Interesting note, Budiansky only got the job because several other writers and editors turned it down. This was the case as well with Larry Hama who worked on "G.I. Joe." Rounding out the Disc 16 is a CG-animated "Transformers" fan-film with optional commentary and fan art.

Spread over each of the aforementioned discs are several PSAs ("…and knowing is half the battle"), original toy commercials (with the faces of the kids blurred), art galleries, and printable material including scripts and the series bible.

The entire set is packaged in a sweet box with cover art that resembles the Autobot Matrix of Leadership. The package even opens up from the sides. The DVDs themselves are kept in four soft cardboard digibooks and there are all sorts of neat artwork on the cases and discs. You'll also get a softbound booklet containing an episode guide (though some are listed out of order) and two magnets, one Autobot, one Decepticon.

FILM VALUE:
Shout's "Matrix of Leadership" is a dream come true for devoted fans of the original Generation 1 Transformers. It may be pricey, but this complete series boxset has just about everything a Transfan could want, except a big honkin' truck that turns into a big honkin' robot. I can't really give a wholehearted recommendation to double dip, if you already own the Rhino sets The video quality isn't that drastic of an improvement and the extras are decent enough, but not mind-blowing. "Transformers" is also available in individual season sets for those of you on a budget.