Beast Machines episodes (no spoilers please)

[Sam]

So... I have just finished the first six episodes.

I must say that the CG animation is much better than Beast Wars (most likely because the processors were more powerful and cost less by that time).

While the episodes are by no means bad, I must say it doesn't "feel" like a Transformers series (I recall this is what some of you have also told me).

Am I the only one who hasn't seen all of the episodes? If not, what do those of you who are watching this series think?

[liegeprime]

I have seen "most" of the episodes, even ones dubbed in Filo back in Phils (not that appealing believe me - feels so weird watching it in Filo) but yeah it's got that no TF feel to it, its like just watching another CGI toon but not TF at all. its got concepts trying to be metaphysical but at the same time confuses the heck out of me. It doesnt really have that "uumph it TF!" feeling you get when your watching BW even though its a "continuation" of it. I dunno its hard to explain, I dont hate it, but its not in the top of my I like list as well. Thogh I prefer Blackarachnia's look here than in BW much more. Plus she's one of the main good guys not the hero/anti hero that she was back at BW ( kinda like Catwoman in DCU).. Toyline wise I just hate they didnt come out with a normal sized Nightscream

[i_amtrunks]

I think it is worth watching, even if it is just to see how different it is to Beast Wars, and other TF series in general.

It's not a bad series by itself, but it doesnt tie in well with it's preceding series.

[ComicGuy89]

I also haven't had the time to finish the series because I feel that once I begin, the deep story arc will force me to continue to the very end without break. The first few episodes seemed bleak and depressing, and like the others have already said, not very TF-like. Nevertheless, it does look fun, and I'm a Beast Wars sucker, so I'll probably have to get around watching it soon.

At any rate, in my opinion,the CGI is the best in a TF TV series so far, and that alone makes it worth watching. I feel that it will get better as the season goes, like many TV shows.

[Sam]

...its got concepts trying to be metaphysical but at the same time confuses the heck out of me. It doesnt really have that "uumph it TF!" feeling you get when your watching BW even though its a "continuation" of it.

I forgot to mention this, and thanks for bringing it up. This is one of the things I am disappointed about so far. I just want to be able to watch a TF series and appreciate the character interaction and action/fight scenes without having to think about philosophical and pseudo-zen stuff. Not that there's anything wrong with deeper themes, but good entertainment can be just that without having to bring up deeper subjects.

[GoktimusPrime]

...that's the thing with Beast Machines. It's too adult. And not in a pr0nographic way -- you can see that it's heavily rooted in deep philosophy with much less... well... FUN! As you've noticed that Maximals do a LOT of running from the Vehicons. And that "seeds of the future..." line gets really old fast (it's even worse than Spiderman's "With great power comes great responsibility"!)

When they made Beast Machines it's like they forgot that Transformers is meant to be for kids. Engaging adult audiences is good too, but you can't neglect the kids -- and even adult TF audiences like to watch some fun. Then you have Michael Bay who just injects juvenile adolescent humour into Transformers <sigh>

The G1 Marvel Comics and Beast Wars were just fantastic in terms of appealing to both older audiences and kids at the same time. You had deep themes and complex story arcs running alongside lots of action-packed and adventure.

There are also certain elements of Beast Machines continuity that conflicts with Beast Wars. Based on just the first 6 eps, you can see that BM Megatron is an entirely different character from BW Megatron. BW Megatron is a character devoid of morality - one who revelled in being evil (e.g. in The Agenda Part 3 he laughs after saying "evil triumphs!"). Yet BM Megatron has this messiah complex where he sees himself as Cybertron's saviour and is a highly moral character (it just so happens that his moral values are at odds with Optimus Primal's values). There is no definitive good or evil in this story -- which in itself is pretty cool, but to suddenly change Megatron from being a morally bankrupt character to one who's taken a moral highground on maintaining Cybertron's technological purity is a massive and ill explained leap.

Then there's his phobia for organics... where the slag did THAT come from?!? (o_O) The series kinda pretends that it was there the whole time... uhhh... ooookkkkaaaaayyyy... <slowly.backs.away>

As for the Transformers aesthetic or "feel" -- I think the "unTFness" comes from the Maximals. The Vehicons still look pretty TFlike, but the Maximals are technorganic -- something we've never seen in Transformers (aside from the G1 Trans-Organics and Cybertronian Demons -- but they're like "monsters" and not the Transformers themselves). The attempt to fuse organics with the Transformers took it in a unique direction. You'll need to keep watching to see where that leads to.

[Ode to a Grasshopper]

When they made Beast Machines it's like they forgot that Transformers is meant to be for kids. Engaging adult audiences is good too, but you can't neglect the kids -- and even adult TF audiences like to watch some fun. Then you have Michael Bay who just injects juvenile adolescent humour into Transformers <sigh>

Actually, Michael Bay trying to do Beast Machines could be entertaining.

There are also certain elements of Beast Machines continuity that conflicts with Beast Wars. Based on just the first 6 eps, you can see that BM Megatron is an entirely different character from BW Megatron. BW Megatron is a character devoid of morality - one who revelled in being evil (e.g. in The Agenda Part 3 he laughs after saying "evil triumphs!"). Yet BM Megatron has this messiah complex where he sees himself as Cybertron's saviour and is a highly moral character (it just so happens that his moral values are at odds with Optimus Primal's values). There is no definitive good or evil in this story -- which in itself is pretty cool, but to suddenly change Megatron from being a morally bankrupt character to one who's taken a moral highground on maintaining Cybertron's technological purity is a massive and ill explained leap.

Then there's his phobia for organics... where the slag did THAT come from?!? (o_O) The series kinda pretends that it was there the whole time... uhhh... ooookkkkaaaaayyyy... <slowly.backs.away>

This was what really turned me off BM. I didn't like how they changed Blackarachnia and Rattrap either, but BW Megs was such a great, well-realised, and nuanced (for an arch-villain) character in BW. He's without doubt my all-time favourite TF character, smooth, underhanded, subtle, sneaky as well as powerful, manipulative, amoral, utterly pragmatic, and willing to gamble everything for victory...until BM, when as you say he just totally changes for no good reason. For a character who had a defining trait of manipulating others to unwittingly carry out his schemes to suddenly decide that mindless drones are the way to go is just beyond belief...I mean, it gets better, but still.
It's not like it would have been that hard to justify it either: the writers could just have tossed in a comment about how the long interstellar flight back to Cybertron drove him insane or something and be done with it, but instead they just leave it in the air.

[GoktimusPrime]

I like BM Blackarachnia. She's a full Maximal which is what she was already evolving into at the end of Beast Wars, so at least it's a plausible/logical progression. I don't like BM Rattrap either. BW Rattrap was like Maximal MacGuyver -- the master of improvisation, he could _always_ find some way out of a dire situation.

[SGB]

I must say that the CG animation is much better than Beast Wars (most likely because the processors were more powerful and cost less by that time).

I respectfully disagree. I thought the CG animation in BM was a big step back from the CG animation in BW.

[i_amtrunks]

I respectfully disagree. I thought the CG animation in BM was a big step back from the CG animation in BW.

On a technical sidepoint I have to disagree, the animation fluidity, polygon count and effects (particle generators, textures-especially the ability to make surfaces appear to reflect and refract light) were of a much higher standard than BW, if only due to being created with superior software and hardware.

However if you are talking BW being superior on a visual aesthetic (less shadowy, preferred robot and alt mode designs) level then fair point.