In other related news, which most folks who lack a geek urge for cybertronians would be aware of: The Hub's CG Transformers Prime series ends this month after 3 seasons and a feature length finale (which I am just itching to see), and I am currently left thinking that this just doesnt make sense?!
Don't get me wrong, I agree that every show should end on a high point before it has outstayed it's welcome, and even the original 80's series (now forever known as Generation One) had clearly dropped in quality for both season 3 and it's final 3 part story (season 4 kinda i guess). But this 7 time Emmy award winning show is just way more interesting and better scripted than all 3 of it's big screen, big budget counterparts to date, and again will no doubt be superior to T4: Age of Extinction when it's released next year.
It just ticks all the boxes for a good TF franchise that a modern young audience and old fanboys like me will both enjoy:
- It uses characters from previous versions of the franchise, reimagined for this continuity (classic Wheeljack design was cool, and Megatron is a merger of G1 and Bay's mess which is hugely successful... hell, even the use of the Bay Bumblebee is well done).
- It includes mythos and weaponry/ artifacts from past continuities, and gives it's own take on them.
- Not only do you get Peter Cullen as Prime, but Frank Freakin' Welker is Megatron just like the good ol days (this excited me so much it was verging on ridiculous.. the man's a VO God). Plus Steve Blum.. AND Jeffrey Combs for Re-animator/ Star Trek DS9 fans.
- Megatron is a Badass again, and a really intelligent one. Not that Michael Bay understands that.
- It's dark; the stakes are genuinely high and when a character is a risk you believe it.. or they die.
- It ties in all and any plotlines and threads from earlier in each season, and it all makes sense.
- There NO lame toy based gimic like powerlinx or cybertron keys or such; like Generation one each charcter is unique, and well rounded. Even the "Beast Hunters" rebranding for season 3 was painless (and actually kinda pointless as we only see one Predacon until the Finale.. this bit was a toy sale ploy clearly)
Trailer for finale "Rise of the Predacons"
As the wife would say... "Huff!!"
Seriously, I can count all the negatives about this show on 3 fingers:
- Miko: annoying Asian teen girl rebel character who quite frankly should have been killed off by now, given all the hassle she causes, gets into. This use of pre teen/ teen human characters started happening in the late 90's, and it has always sucked. Thankfully Miko is the ONLY problem here; Jack and Raf are alot better.
- The fact that the episodes are released in chunks of 5-6 eps during each season (with gaps of a couple of months between blocks) due to the time needed to animate CG.
- No Grimlock.. sorry- lame obvious one, but I'd have loved to have seen a TF Prime version of Grimlock, especially disappointing as "Beast Hunters" got alot of people hoping.
Long blog short.. I am gonna miss this show. It was a shame enough when they condensed 2 years of planned plots into season 2 (though to be fair that was a good season), and I really hope the finale is a fitting end to the continuity, especially given how good the majority of previous episode "Deadlock" was (you can find it on youtube, but seriously watch everything else first to really appreciate it).
Meantime folks; remember to run away screaming when T4 is released!
(Sigh).. Why don't they release this on R2 DVD? That's it, I've had enough of this BS- I'm getting a Blu-Ray player!
Cheers all!
M.x
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