DVD Review: The Transformers - The Complete First Season (25th Anniversary Edition)

Release Date: June 16th, 2009
Running Time: 360 minutes

The Show

If you are a child of the 1980s then there are a few series that have endeared themselves to you over the decades: G.I. Joe, Masters of the Universe, Thundercats, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and The Transformers. With the live-action films breathing new-life into the aging franchise, The Transformers is back and better than ever. But these new kids have no idea where it all began: with a humble yet awesome toy line that spawned an animated series beginning in 1984. The Transformers: The Complete First Season celebrates 25 years of robot goodness and is a must-own title for any self-respecting fan of ‘80s nostalgia.

The Transformers has the unique quality of being a toy line first, followed by a comic, and ultimately a popular animated series. The series began with a 3-part episode retelling the war on Cybertron millions of years ago between two transforming robot factions: the peaceful Autobots, and the power-hungry Decepticons. In a search for energy to turn the tide of the war, both sides crash landed on Earth where they lay dormant for four millions years before being revived. The Decepticons, under the leadership of Megatron, immediately began searching for energy to bring back to Cybertron and claim victory. The Autobots, led by Optimus Prime, are tasked with stopping them along with a new human friend Spike and his father.

The entire first season follows the basic formula of the Decepticons trying to drain Earth’s energy to conquer Cybertron with the Autobots standing as the last line of Earth’s defense. Plots include: the Decepticons trying to drain Earth’s heat and threatening to bring a new ice age; the birth of the Dinobots; the Decepticons mind-controlling the human race against the Autobots and attempting to bring Cybertron into Earth’s orbit to steal its energy; the appearance of the Insecticons; and Starscream’s constant desire to usurp Megatron and take control of the Decepticons. The season ends with the creation of the Constructicons and Devastator, and an ultimate duel between Prime and Megatron.

What’s not to like about The Transformers? Giant robots fighting each other that can transform into awesome vehicles? I mean, c’mon, it’s like every young boy’s ultimate dream. Hasbro really knocked this idea out of the park. With impressive action sequences and a hugely diverse cast of characters, The Transformers was unlike anything else on television. By modern standards it may not seem as impressive, but the series remains forever engrained in millions of peoples’ minds. It truly is “more than meets the eye.”

The three-disc set contains all 16 episodes from the first season. Disc One has: “More Than Meets the Eye, Parts 1 through 3,” “Transport to Oblivion,” “Roll For It,” “Divide and Conquer,” “Fire in the Sky,” and “S.O.S. Dinobots.” Disc Two has: “Fire on the Mountain,” “War of the Dinobots,” “The Ultimate Doom, Parts 1 through 3,” “Countdown to Extinction,” “A Plague of Insecticons,” and “Heavy Metal War.” Disc Three is reserved for special features.

The DVDs

The video is presented in a 1.33:1 Full Frame transfer. These are restored tracks taken from the original masters and featuring animation missing from the previous DVDs, as well as all-new color correction. Though the newly inserted animation is a bit rougher than the rest of the stuff, it’s great to have it. In short, the transfers are as clean and crisp as you could expect from a 25-year-old show. Colors are more consistent and vibrant than previous releases. The animation is smooth with only minor interlacing. Dirt and print errors are there, but the show’s nostalgia overlooks these problems. This is the best The Transformers has ever looked, even if it can’t compare to modern transfers.

The audio is offered in a new English Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo track, but no subtitles or captions are available. The stereo mix is a cleaned up, restored version of the original mono mix without sounding overdone in an unnecessary 5.1 mix. Stereo separation is solid, but don’t expect anything from the rear channels. Dialogue and sound effects are balanced very well. The overall experience can feel somewhat muffled, but that is due to the time period in which it was made. These mixes were created from the originals, so this is as good as it gets.

The Extras

The special features are short but sweet.

“Triple Changer: From Toy to Comic to Screen” is a 20-minute retrospective piece on the origins of the franchise and its evolution into a television series. Along with solid interviews are some interesting archival pieces.

The “Archival Hasbro Toy Commercials” is a collection of three vintage Transformers commercials.

The “rare” Public Service Announcement is a short 30-second piece with Bumblebee talking about running away from home.

Lastly, a printable version of the script for “Transport to Oblivion” is available via DVD-ROM.

Final Thoughts

The Transformers: The Complete First Season is a literal blast from the past. Though not the most technically impressive DVD set by any means, you simply cannot deny the pure nostalgia the episodes bring out. As a child of the ‘80s, I cannot help but love this stuff.