Transformers Prime is one of those ‘cartoons’ you just have to watch if you’re skeptical about it like I was before I started watching it last year. In the last year or so, I have reviewed season one and a pair of other DVD releases (Darkness Rising and One Shall Stand). Within just a couple of episodes I came to not only accept and like the CG animation, but the focus on the characters and stories was surprising. The series is so much more than just an explosion-happy twenty-two minute show for kids. While it caters to a younger audience, it has a AAA quality pedigree that is captivating to adults as well.
Season two begins with the last three episodes of the One Shall Stand story arc that began in season one. Optimus Prime, in giving up the Matrix, loses his memory and believes himself to be Orion Pax. Under the deception of Megatron, Orion believes he is a Decepticon and begins to help Megatron understand the cryptic library of Iacon. It’s up to Bumblebee and Arcee and the rest of the crew to help him get his memory back and foil Megatron’s plans. The season never rests on its successes, and after this exciting arc comes yet another. Throughout season two, we see the resurgence of Starscream who goes rogue. The in-fighting amongst the Decepticons, which was alluded to earlier, continues as Megatron and Airachnid battle for control. The Insecticons are introduced about a third of the way into the season. A significant story throughout season two is the search and retrieval of missing relics that can offer immense power, enough to shift the control of the war. The search for these reminded me of the GI Joe weather dominator mini-series, for those of you who may recall that.
Hasbro has something really special on their hands with Transformers Prime, which continues to not only bring in stalwart G1 fans and new fans, but also pick up some Emmys along the way. In my opinion this is the highest quality “kids show” not only on the Hub network but on TV. From the outstanding CG — which looks near-Pixar quality on Blu-ray — to the excellent voice acting (Peter Cullen and Frank Welker included) — to the stories and numerous, interesting plot twists, Prime rarely disappoints. For a deeper analysis of the individual episodes, I would point you elsewhere than this review, whose focus is on the set itself rather than the show.
That said, the series isn’t the only thing that has received quality treatment. The packaging of this four disc set is noteworthy. A nice removable cover reveals a double-sized case that contains all four discs, the middle two on a separate ‘page’ from the first and fourth discs. Underneath the first and fourth are summaries of the disc contents, namely, episode names. Each disc shares impressively designed artwork and menu. Viewers can Play All, pick their episodes, or change the sound from 5.1 Surround to PCM 2.0. Bonus features are on disc four only, and include the following:
-Optimus Prime: Up Close And Personal (28m, HD) – This is the recorded interview of Larry King and Peter Cullen from this year’s Comic Con International in San Diego. Larry asks Peter where he got his start, his first big break, his thoughts on Optimus, and then the last several minutes include questions from the audience. For any Transformers fan this is interesting and well worth watching.
-A Look Back At Season 2 (22m37s, HD) – Multiple interviews with a variety of producers, writers, and even the president of Hasbro Studios, Stephen Davis are included here. I believe these interviews are new, but some parts of them seemed familiar to something I saw on One Shall Stand.
It’s really too bad, and honestly surprising, that there aren’t more extras, especially when compared to what season one had. Hopefully this isn’t something that we see again with season three. To be blunt, this show is just too good to have the home release skimp this much on the extra features.
As for presentation quality, Prime is once again, very impressive. Expect a near perfect 1080p image in 1:78:1 ratio. Some picky viewers may fret over a few minor jaggies, but the overall quality is worth being excited about. Audio is similarly of high quality.
To the summary…