It *was* a bit of a unique experience listening to a commentary track on a Transformers episode and hearing words like "Kabbalah" being thrown around. The fun thing is that my kids can watch it with me and enjoy it just as much on their own level too.

i refrained from commenting until my copy of the set arrived.  (Obviously, you all know which side of the fence I'm on, if I ordered the box set...)

 

1 - Having only been able to watch my (poorly) taped copies, this is just BEAUTIFUL.

 

2 - The interviews were all very interesting, and I could listen to David Kaye do Megatron bits all day.

 

3 - Ultimate fanwank would be able to have watched perhaps a 5 minute segment of the VAs doin their stuff...

 

4 - box art very nice.  colors pop out, excellent choice of scenes.

 

5 - To comment on the series -

 

This is by far my favorite Transformers series.  I mean - I love them all, but if they were all sitting in front of me, and I hadn't watched anything in a while, I'd pick BM.  Skir's desire to do a 26-chapter TV novel has been realized, at least in my book (no pun intended).  I felt the character shifts were justified for the most part.  You can't tell me that any one character in both shows that went through the changes that occurred between the end of BW and the beginning of BM wouldn't change.  Drastically, at that.  consider this -

 

1 - you feel personally responsible for your homeworld's complete surrender to your mortal enemy, and all the sparks of every member of your species sucked out of their now lifeless bodies.  Which you are able to bear witness to.  Simply because you didn't kill your nemesis when you had the chance.

 

2 - You play Robot-Mode-Roullette, and get dealt a bum hand, at least your first impression of it.

 

3 - You actually achieve your megalomaniacal goals, and don't know what to do with yourself.  I mean, that would make me go a little coo-coo.  You're also alone on your homeworld, having offed EVERYBODY, and have no one to bounce off of, and no one to soothe your ego.  Again - coo-coo!!

 

4 - You finally get to experience the homeworld you never knew, only to be physically removed from your body right after you get there, spiritually caged up like veal, and forced to engage a role completely opposite of every fiber of your being.

 

5 - After personally besting Megatron at the end of the BWs, you're shoved into a cretin's brain, and you have your very soul tainted, against your will.

 

Quite frankly, the idea that Cybertron had absolutely no nature to it always struck me as kind've weird anyway.

 

And I also found it weird that folks that were so into TRANSFORMERS were opposed to CHANGE.

 

Make Mine Beast Machines.

Apparently Ransack is loosely based on TT Rattrap, so I've heard...

I don't dislike BM for being radically different from BW or G1, I dislike BM because, despite what you say, and despite that it had a new writer (welcome to showbiz :roll) it was BW season 4.  The same that TF g1 season 3 had new characters, new priorities, and new writers.  The problem is the only thing BM really accomplished (despite it's superior animation and writing) was to completely render everything in BW, every sacrifice, every battle, completely obsolete for the cybertronians.

It should be pretty obvious to anyone who's watched BW and BM that the two shows are radically different from one another, despite using many of the same characters and taking place in the same universe. My point is that it was supposed to be that way.

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Nobody disputes that, but it doesn't change the fact that this was just a continuation or sequel.

Just like TNG, DS9 or Voayger were to the original Star Trek or the Japanese G1 series to the original.

 

Just like BM, some who watch wanting more of the original are dissapointed, just like BM, it is easier to watch them as seperate entities, just like BM, they can be watched as both sequels and something new, they can change the way you percieve the old, making it a more enjoyable experience.

 

But, just as with the other series I mentioned, some people feel that the story of the Maximals and Preds was wrapped up nicely at the end of BW.

That there wasn't really anymore to tell.

That maybe these new directions and themes were maybe better served in a completely different and unrelated line with no ties to the past at all.

That any ties can actually be harmful to the enjoyment of both series.

 

And as someone who has often said similar things when people talk of a new G1 series, I'm sure you can understand where they're coming from.

Apparently Ransack is loosely based on TT Rattrap, so I've heard...

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I've seen TT designs from various sources and there's never been a Rattrap amongst them - I think this is a rumour triggered by a kitbash that appeared shortly after Ransack hit the shelves.

I don't dislike BM for being radically different from BW or G1, I dislike BM because, despite what you say, and despite that it had a new writer (welcome to showbiz :roll) it was BW season 4.  The same that TF g1 season 3 had new characters, new priorities, and new writers.  The problem is the only thing BM really accomplished (despite it's superior animation and writing) was to completely render everything in BW, every sacrifice, every battle, completely obsolete for the cybertronians.

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Isn't that the point?

I don't dislike BM for being radically different from BW or G1, I dislike BM because, despite what you say, and despite that it had a new writer (welcome to showbiz :roll) it was BW season 4.  The same that TF g1 season 3 had new characters, new priorities, and new writers.  The problem is the only thing BM really accomplished (despite it's superior animation and writing) was to completely render everything in BW, every sacrifice, every battle, completely obsolete for the cybertronians.

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Isn't that the point?

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:tflaugh i guess, i'm just saying why i dislike it.

I don't dislike BM for being radically different from BW or G1, I dislike BM because, despite what you say, and despite that it had a new writer (welcome to showbiz :roll) it was BW season 4.  The same that TF g1 season 3 had new characters, new priorities, and new writers.  The problem is the only thing BM really accomplished (despite it's superior animation and writing) was to completely render everything in BW, every sacrifice, every battle, completely obsolete for the cybertronians.

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You are really stuck on this connection, and I think it's the main source of your problem with the series. BM is not analagous to season 3 of G1. It is not analgous to Spider-Man 2. And it is definitely not "BW Season 4". What it *is* analogous to is a SW graphic novel I saw in a bookstore right before RotS came out. It was full of different stories taking place in the SW universe, but each was done with its own style and tone. In short, each story represented a different take on the SW universe, even while using the characters and main story within that universe. They all fit into the larger SW continuity, but they were meant to represent the individual writers'/artists' visions.

 

That's exactly what BM is. It's a different take on the Transformers universe. And all this continuity obsession is keeping you from seeing that. G1 was not written with BW in mind. BW was not written with BM in mind. They *can* be watched together, if that's what you want to do, but it does a disservice to each show to view it only as a sequel or prequel to another TF series.

 

Beast Wars was great, but the story was done at the end of the third season. More of the same would have been just that -- more of the same. And perhaps that would have satisfied the more unimaginative and insular fans, but creatively it would have been pointless. But I'm sure the BW comic will provide more of the same for anyone who's looking for that.

1 - Having only been able to watch my (poorly) taped copies, this is just BEAUTIFUL.

 

2 - The interviews were all very interesting, and I could listen to David Kaye do Megatron bits all day.

 

3 - Ultimate fanwank would be able to have watched perhaps a 5 minute segment of the VAs doin their stuff...

 

...And I also found it weird that folks that were so into TRANSFORMERS were opposed to CHANGE.

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I couldn't agree more w/ these statements.

 

I would absolutely love to see Kaye (who is by far the best Megatron voice IMO) do some of his VA work, and I would really like to see the others do it as well (especially Scott McNeil doing all his voices).

 

I loved the statement in the interviews (don't remember who actually said it) that the animation for BM was fantastic b/c it was timeless. There was no problem comparing the animation from '99 to that of today b/c they weren't trying to make the animation for BM realistic and therefore dated. I think it looks phenomenal and I am still highly impressed.

 

I think that Skir and the others did it just about right, maybe a bit too much, but pretty close to changing things just enough to keep it fresh and entertaining, but not too much to destroy everything that TFs were built upon. They did go too far in some things, but at least they tried to give us something new.