The latest incarnation of everyone's favorite Robots in Disguise, "Transformers Prime," is now available for fans to get in a limited Blu-ray edition packed with four discs full of all sorts of goodies. This time around, we get CG animation instead of the hand-drawn kind we've come to expect from the original series and "Transformers Animated." Young kids used to the new CG look of animated shows, and old fans will find " Transformers Prime" Season 1 Limited Edition Blu-ray a must-have for their collection.
The Show:
It's not any different than what we've seen before. Optimus Prime and the Autobots are on the Earth to protect humankind from the evil clutches of Megatron and his Decepticons. The robots are helped in their endeavors by three teenagers and a special agent. Another thrilling aspect is its voice cast. Original voice actors Peter Cullen and Frank Welker return to voice Optimus Prime and Megatron respectively. Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson ("Journey 2: The Mysterious Island"), Ernie Hudson ("Ghostbusters"), Tony Todd ("Final Destination"), Jeffrey Combs ("Re-Animator"), Clancy Brown ("Star Wars: The Clone Wars"), and Adam Baldwin ("Chuck") also star.
Video Quality:
The high-definition transfer of this show looks absolutely beautiful. It's clean, crisp, and clear. There are times that the details on the cars look so real. There are smudges and such on the vehicle that show technical details you never knew you could see in an animated series. The blacks and darker shades are separated nicely and don't blend together. The robots and their surroundings are intricate and full of vivid colors. My only visual complaint is how "artificial" the human characters look.
Audio Quality:
The 5.1 surround sound assures viewers they will hear every single laser cannon firing, gun shooting, or vehicle blowing up. Every transformation from vehicle to robot rings out. The dramatic theme music and score pumps through loud and clear but balances well with the dialogue. You won't miss any little clink, clank, screech, or explosion thanks to a great high-definition transfer.
Special Features:
This is where it gets interesting for "Transformers Prime" fans. Many of the major studios release these animated series collections bare bones with no bonus material on them. Shout Factory won't find themselves guilty of that. This box set comes with an original "Making Of" special that includes interviews with the actors who voice the characters, the director, producer, writer, and other members of the crew. There's also a 16-minute "Toy Featurette," "Season Two Preview," and audio commentary for episodes featuring different members of the show's crew. We also get a an actual print copy of the "Transformers Prime" original graphic novel prequel to the television show.
Final Analysis:
If you're a fan of "Transformers," this is a must-have item. It will appeal to enthusiasts who grew up watching the original shows in the 1980s and the 1990s. It also looks cool enough to new kids who are used to only seeing the robots come to life in the Michael Bay films. That makes perfect sense knowing that movie screenwriters Robert Orci and Alex Kurtzman executive produce this show. The " Transformers Prime" Season One Limited Edition Blu-ray collection won't let any type of consumer down. It has a great high definition picture and plenty of special features to sweeten the deal.
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Eric Shirey is the founder and former editor of Rondo Award nominated movie news websites MovieGeekFeed.com and TheSpectralRealm.com. His work has been featured on Yahoo! , DC Comics, StarWars.com, and other entertainment websites. Eric has interviewed and worked with actors like Harrison Ford, Brooke Shields, Kenneth Branagh, Gerard Butler, Brendan Fraser, Selena Gomez, and many more.
