Transformers: Animated (2007–2009) User Reviews

A Little Something For Everyone except Animation fans.

[xamtaro · 7/10 · 10 August 2009]

Transformers Animated, the latest(as of writing this review) in the line of animated series based on the long running Transformers franchise. I must say that this is the most "balanced" Transformers show in a long time since Beast Machines. The producers have cast their net wide as there is something for EVERYONE to like in this show. Unfortunately, nothing is perfect and there is also something for everyone to dislike.

The overall premise has been changed from the usual "evenly matched good robots vs bad robots". The main team of protagonists are not highly trained defenders of justice, but merely a maintenance crew caught in the wrong place at the wrong time. This gives a greater sense of peril to the battles and when it comes to the good guys facing down the bad guys, you are truly rooting for the underdog here. A well planned storyline allows a good mix of character centered episodes, pure sci/fi adventure ones, comedic episodes and even some serious emotional drama.

The themes that the writers interwove into the story are not as deep as the philosophical Beast Machines nor as preachy as "good morals" plugging Cybertron. They are simple themes pretty much in line with those present in the original 80s Transformers series, such as the importance of teamwork and the value of trust. More social themes like corruption, propaganda, the problems of single parenthood and "empty nest syndrome"(especially after the point where Sari "grows up) are thrown in in the later seasons allowing even older audiences to look at Transformers as not just a show to promote toys.

Mentioning Sari, she is the mandatory "human" character this time around. The ever spunky and high spirited little girl could possibly be the most likable "human" character among all the others from the previous series. Her mannerisms, style of speaking and her reactions to various situations make her a character that any curious, bright eyed kid or "inner child" can relate to.

Now "characters" has always been the strongest point of the original series and Beast Wars. How do the autobot and decepticon characters fare in their latest incarnation? The answer is "very well". Being in a separate "continuity" from any of the previous series, i do not expect a 100% similarity between Optimus Prime in this show and the other Optimus Primes in previous shows. Each new character that is based on a previous existing character still possesses enough distinct personality traits of their predecessors. Optimus, though no longer a confident leader(his wavering confidence in his leadership capabilities is just one of many captivating subplots in the story) is still selfless and courageous, Megatron is still a tyrannical megalomaniac, Starscream is still obsessed with gaining leadership of the Decepticons from Megatron etc. The chemistry between the autobots is the high point here. Very believable in the ways they interact and their sometimes bumpy relationship make for some good comedy here and there. Though the decepticons are still the main threat, there are other "supervillians" that the autobots have to contend with. IMO, some of the supervillians seem necessary but i guess they are there to add variety to the episodes.

In short, there characters are just as likable as in the original cartoon, though it may take some time to warm up to the many little changes. Like the characters for who they are, or hate them for the changes made, its up to you.

Ironically the weakest element in Transformers animated is its animation.(imagine that. lol). The character designs are really up to one's own preference. They are very in keeping with the typical cartoon network minimalistic and highly stylized art. In light of that, One would think that with such an art style, more attention could be spent on creating smooth fluid animation and movement. That does not seem to be the case here. Character animation is pretty mediocre with a lot of scenes, especially fast paced fights, utilizing very notorious animation short cuts such as creating motion blur in-between only two key frames to give the illusion of a fast movement. It just ends up giving a very jerky and jumpy feel to the movements.

I must say that the characters actually look terrible in still shots or on posters(hence the negative fan reaction when still images of the characters were first revealed), but in constant animated movement, the character designs worked pretty well and like the characters themselves, it would eventually grow on you.

I urge anyone who is looking for a good Transformers series to watch this show with an open mind. Do not be so shallow as to dismiss over one or two negative aspects. The children would like this show for its lovable characters and action Older viewers can find something to like too in its well woven story lines, underlying themes and entertaining scripting. Even long time Transformers fans would get a kick out of the numerous in-jokes and homage/references to past Transformers shows and comics. Look past the mediocre animation and there is Truly something for everyone to enjoy.

Recommended!

[rosiemcrobert · 8/10 · 6 November 2008]

Im not to old to appreciate the modern graphics and I'l always be a big fan of G1. But I feel the show needs some justice done on how good it is.

Its original in its own way but keeps to its G1 roots.

I have to admit the first 3 shows didn't sell me on it, I found it a bit childish especially the infamous death scene of yet 'another' optimus prime near death scene.

However the episode which sold me on it was the seventh episode "Thrill of the Hunt" with it being dramatic and having great tragedy, and helping to add back story to not one but two well known G1 character's it had more of an adult theme to it but still gave the feel of a message like G1.

I've not yet seen all of the episodes but no matter how bad the episodes seem I know that they can produce an episode fit to be called "Transformers" and will continue to watch the entire season and the next.

However when you watch it you must not judge it by only G1 and look at it with a clean plate.

Id recommend it for children of any age with its humour and active plot line, while some episode would require an older audience to appreciate the scenes shown, its fit for all age groups.

Highly entertaining series

[TheLittleSongbird · 7/10 · 6 September 2013]

Transformers(1984) is still the jewel of the Transformers franchise, but Transformers: Animated is not a bad show at all and one of the better recent incarnations, better than the Unicron Trilogy at any rate. Of the recent incarnations, Transformers: Prime may be the better animated and written show, has more depth and also has the advantage of having Peter Cullen and Frank Welker as Optimus and Megatron. But what Transformers: Animated does better is that none of the main characters are annoying(Prime had Miko), Bumblebee is much closer in characterisation to the original show, in Prime he was bland, and it is one of the better recent incarnations in terms of recreating the spirit of the original show. Transformers: Animated is not without its problems. The character designs do take some getting used to, in the action sequences they could have done with much more finesse and being less hurried-looking. The human villains could have been better developed and verge on bizarre sometimes. And some of the dialogue- mostly it's fine though- is a little stretched and slap-sticky sometimes, the humans' dialogue at times is not that much of an improvement on that of Prime. The colours and backgrounds though are very nice and detailed, the style is also the closest any of the recent series in the franchise have gotten to the original show too. The music is energetic with some haunting moments, enhancing the action sequences and any of the scenes that require any depth. The dialogue mostly is smart and thoughtful with some funny moments(getting even better once the show found its feet), while the stories are fun and engrossing, taking care also in fleshing out the characters and their back stories. Those for Waspinator and Blackarachnia are particularly well done. The action sequences are thrilling and fun to watch. Optimus and Megatron are still memorable characters, Starscream is a hoot and Sari is thankfully not another Miko, she's interesting and is far from useless. The voice acting is great, you do miss the original voices but these voice actors still do worthy jobs, actually sounding committed and involved in the drama. Standing out are David Kaye, Corey Burton(though these two did have big shoes to fill) and Tom Kenny. Overall, not mind blowing but highly entertaining still, while some of the complaints are somewhat valid Transformers: Animated is not really that deserving of the hate it's gotten. 7/10 Bethany Cox

Transformers With Transformers Veterans

[Terryfan · 7/10 · 1 January 2013]

After the 2007 Live Action Transformers Movie was a hit blockbuster film Hasbro has choice to create a new Transformers Cartoon that tells a different story with The Autobots and Decepcticons The Story is that Five Autobots, Optimus Prime (David Kaye) Prowl(Jeff Bennett) Bumblebee(Bumper Robinson) Bulkhead(Bill Fagerbakke)and Ratchet(Corey Burton) discover a ancient Allspark the forces that gave Life to all Transformers They are soon chase by the Decepticons with Megatron (Corey Burton) Starscream(Tom Kenny) Blitzwing (Bumper Robinson) Lugnut (David Kaye) and many more.

The Autobots crash land on Earth where they remain for many years. Years later the Autobots awaken and soon meet a human friend Sari Sumdac (Tara Strong) The daughter of Isaac Sumdac a man who discover Megatron and use what he learn to make a robot empire.

As the series goes on we meet many Autobots and Decepticons and learn a great deal about their personally.

The story I thought had some promise since they took the time to think of where they want the series to go and have some good characters to go with the storyline the Human villains are just terrible and unneeded.

The cast and voice acting is very good and it was nice to have a great cast of many famous actors and Transformers Voice Acting Veterans like David Kaye and Corey Burton.

The Animation still is a mix bag not that is bad but they really had some issues that I wish could have fix but still they did well with what they did.

So over all if you're a fan of Transformers like me then Transformers Animated is worth a try.

Too bad the series was canned before we could have more promising story lines to go with this series

Ignore the naysayers

[godzilladane · 10/10 · 20 September 2008]

It seems that to the majority of the Transformers fan base, Transformers isn't Hasbro's biggest financial success, which must be refreshed for each new generation, but a sacred relic from their childhood which must never be tampered with. Transformers: Animated proves that Generation 1 can live on in the modern day, whilst giving us a solid, fun, modern cartoon. Firstly, there is the fact that almost every robot in this series is a veteran from the original 1980's cartoons. Optimus Prime, Bumblebee, Ratchet, Prowl, Arcee, Jazz, Ultra Magnus, Grimlock, Megatron, Wreck-Gar, Starscream, Blitzwing and Blurr are among just a few of the cast of robots in this series. We are also introduced to a few newcomers to the series; Lugnut and Lockdown, who are both fantastic characters. All of these characters are perfectly fleshed out, with great personalities and a look which stays true to their G1 counterparts, whilst being modern and dynamic. The voice actors do a great job bringing these characters to life. The development in this series is also fantastic. We get glimpses of the character's back stories, and really begin to understand why these characters are who they are. Another great thing about this show is all the G1 references that are presented. The transforming sound-effect, cameos from the Witwickys, lines of dialogue and so forth. So far, I'd say my favourite episode would have to be "A fistful of Energon". If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend it. Then again, I recommend this entire series. The only bad thing about it is the bizarre human villains, but once the Decepticons get their place in the spotlight, they don't cause any problems. All in all, and awesome show, and I am highly anticipating the third season

9/10

Not what I had hoped it to be. *Spoilers Ahead*

[Kefka_8203 · 7/10 · 17 March 2008]

Well then, a pop-culture phenomenon enters the stage again, with a blockbuster movie and a lackluster cartoon. I am not quite sure where things go wrong these days, as the TF cartoons after Beast Machines and Beast Wars have been so bad as to make watching them a physically painful event. Armada was decently animated, but the humans combined with mecha-Pokémon's annoyed more than they helped the show. Energon was pretty much abyssal with it's human hero being a typical Japanese animation "brash hero" type. Cybertron was the kind of thing you play at Guantanamo to get a confession out of people.

Then comes Transformers: Animated. I've gotten the notion that people love this show, which only confirms what seems to be a cultural handicap amongst some western viewers: That if it is from japan, or at least mostly influenced(red: Ripoffed) from Japanese animation it is inherently superior in some mystic way. because you know, it's totally cool with preteens saving the universe with superpowers while they also attend to college. Back on track then.*coughs* TF:A is a show heavily influenced by Teen Titans, a show that at least was watchable as it depicted superheroes and super-villains. Transformers is pretty much the same show, only with big mecha Pokémon's along and a preteen girl running around wielding the "All-Spark"...Which of course s in the shape of a car-key...Of course.*brain implosion*

The quality of the cartoon is probably good, if you can stand the style, which I by the way, cannot. It's lackluster and childish. The mood of the show is so confused it should get professional help..is it a show about superheroes and super-villains? Or a show about aliens battling it out? is it a serious show with brutal action, betrayal and such? or is it a show that should replace Barney the dinosaur? The greatest consistency is to make the Autobots look like advanced toys and let those toys battle it out with the kind of super-villain you think would be cute in a movie or show making a parody of DC COmics. Highlights like Meltdown (cuz..he melts stuff..both himself and others...), Headmaster(cuz'...He dresses as a Galactus reject and builds a head that is supposed to sit on robot bodies...) and Angry Archer. (guess what he does...) Seriously, this show takes such a huge step backwards Im ashamed. People whine and b*tch about how the humans in the movie got too much place. Then same people come here and praise this train-crash of a show? That's hypocrisy people.

I would give it a lower rating, but at times it shows promise...or just good character ideas. So maybe, in twenty years more..We can get a decent Transformers show not for the culturally challenged.

If you were a fan of the original, you'll hate it!

[Brownsbros3 · 26 December 2007]

Cartoon Network ran the "Transformers Animated Special" which is essentially the pilot for the new series. It was so horrible I don't even know where to begin. Let's start with the animation which looks awful, especially the humans. I wonder if Cartoon Network has the same company do all their animation for them, because it looks just like all their other shows. Plus, they drew Megatron's body to be so big that Optimus Prime looks like a midget standing next to him. They made Prime look so inferior. They also altered Prime's back story to where instead of being the leader of the Autobots, he leads just a repair crew that consists of Bulkhead, Prowl, Bumblebee, and Ratchet. My biggest beef would be with the introduction of their human ally, Sari. Why is it that cartoons need to have some stupid little kid helping out and/or tagging along with the real heroes? It's one of the reasons I have not liked a Transformers based cartoon since the original. This little girl is more annoying than Spridle on the original "Speed Racer" TV show. I wouldn't have had a problem had they chose a human ally like the ones played by Shia LaBouf and Megan Fox from the movie this past summer. However, by choosing a little girl that looks to be maybe about nine or ten years old, and then having her save the day takes the believability away from the entire series. I was hoping she would be just a one shot deal, but apparently she's going to be in every episode, so I don't think I'll bother watching, and I'd advise anyone reading this to do the same.

Autobots rolled too far out.

[Kareiyasu · 2/10 · 9 May 2008]

When I first heard or rather saw that Transformers the TV series was going to be remade, I like many other fans ran to our TV guides and marked the date of release.Unfortunately to many and my own dismay, this was nothing like the old shows.In fact I felt that this was a whole other show on its on, because it didn't feel like a remake or a continuation.

My problems with the series begins with the voice actors.It feels as if they brought a heavily underpaid group of VA's to fill in some very huge shoes.I didn't expect A+ voice acting, but what was given isn't even worth of a C grade.They fail mostly on Optimus Prime's voice.While he is very articulate he sounds more like an angst teenager than a grown autobot.One could blame the poor writing but the voice itself just doesn't match the drawn character.

Another problem I noticed was the transforming itself.I'm a huge fan of the transformers, mainly due to the unique transformations of every Autobot and decepticon.Now I know the old shows didn't lay out every part switching panel to panel, but some sort of transformation was shown.In this series it's only masked by a flash of light and some well sped action line.Ultimately leaving anyone wanting more out of a simple transformation that took Michael Bay all of five minutes to show.

In conclusion this series needs a major overhaul and even some new artists.The show feels like it was rushed just to match the date of the movie.The action is very lackluster and most episodes consist of slapstick humor the easily becomes very old and very boring.If your a fan, you'll hate it, and if your into Animated Series you'll watch a few episodes here and there but will ultimately find something better to watch.

Seriously fun and enjoyable

[andy5955 · 10/10 · 28 December 2007]

When it was announced that a new Transformers series had come out, I was initially a bit sceptical, but as time passed, I grew to love those character designs and the robots personalities from the clips. I had hoped that this series wouldn't let me down, and boy, was I right. The first three episodes so far have given this franchise a kick-start, and from the very first minute, I was hooked to the screen. The art doesn't really distract you, and you'll find yourself becoming used to it later. The storyline was great and the voice-actors sounded like they were the characters - not just merely reading their lines or so. In conclusion, this series might seem a little too kiddy for those who grew up with the original Transformers, but it's really worth watching. Try it and see for yourself if you don't believe me.

This show is ok

[blitzscreamsecond · 7/10 · 11 March 2022]

This show is ok is not like is the best show to ever exist the story is ok and i would say this is the best transformers show as a transformers fan myself really like how it give the original character new back story how Optimus prime in this show is just some teenage boy who was never the leader of the autobot and this show also had a great plot twist when longarm was a decepticon spy and i would say this show is funny if you're new to transformers I recommend watching this or transformers prime.

Worst TF Show to Date

[SilentHell · 1/10 · 9 January 2008]

Oh, how the mighty have fallen. I've been a die-hard since getting Prime for Christmas way back in the day. I adored Beast Wars, and was very satisfied with Beast Machines.

This "show", takes ideas from all previous series, chews them up and mashes them together to present a piece of recycled tripe that is just jaw-dropping, and in this show's case, pun intended.

Could there not have been a more original way to start a new Transformers series? All they did was watch episode 1 of G1 & BW, and the Movie, and mushed them together. Pathetic.

Do the writers even care? Why is Prime even called Prime? Previous Primes earned it. Megatron? The feared demon who eats Protoforms for breakfast? Who is not even smart enough to figure out that letting your evil underling pat you on the back before you leave is a bad idea? Not that he could have missed the large hand-sized bomb that was left in a spot that also didn't impair his transformation, oh no. (God, I despise the writing of this show.)

And why, WHY, do people think a show about ROBOTS needs people? G1 was fine, since it was the first and it took place in "present day" The others were great without a single sapien. Watching this shows human characters made me appreciate the Movie a heck of a lot more. Could we at least have proper proportions?

All together, it is just a big disappointment.

COULD WE NOT HAVE HAD A FRESH START? NEW ROBOTS? COULD WE NOT HAVE THE GREAT PRIME AND MEGATRON BE HONORED BY HISTORY AND HAVE NEW CHARACTERS TO LOVE? I AM SICK AND TIRED OF THE SAME THING. EVERY TIME.

My rating of one was given for the design of the bots. It would have been two if not for the huge chins. This trend started with Godzilla '98 and is getting rather old, very fast.

The Best TransFormers Cartoon in a Long While!

[CCharmanderK · 9/10 · 3 January 2008]

TransFormers has been going a little rocky lately. Both Energon and Cybertron haven't received very good repeption from critics, and the new TransFormers movie from DreamWorks received mixed reactions, especially from Roger Ebert. It looked like, for a moment, that TransFormers was going to flatline. *beeeeeeppp* CLEAR! TransFormers: Animated serves as a defribrillator for the series, as well as showing that an old TV show can still pull it off. Though the anmation takes a little getting used to, the semi-anime approach is surprisingly refreshing. Thanks to Studio 1c for that! The new script is also very good, and will remind you of the old series once you hear it, with references to the Allspark of Cybertron being abundant.

Though I've said all of that, the series isn't without flaws. The script can get a little stretched out like someone's using it as Silly Putty. And the animation can get a little choppy and framed, but I guess they did that to reflect the old animation feel of the G1 cartoon.

Regardless, this is one hell of a series. Long Live Cybertron! 9/10

Good TF show, not great.

[Faceful_of_Kitchen · 7/10 · 28 January 2008]

I'll start off by saying I've been an active Transformers fan for years, not someone who watched G1 as a kid and then forgot about TFs until the recent live-action movie came out (In fact, I actually hated the movie, as both a Transformers fan and a fan of movies in general). I'm 22 years old, so I was just a couple of years too late to catch G1 when it first aired (although I now own every episode), and although I had seen a couple of episodes of G1 when it reran as G2, I really became a fan of the franchise with Beast Wars. Since then, I've watched at least some of every TF show, Japanese ones included. Beast Wars (especially the second and third seasons) is my favorite show to date, not because it was the first one I watched, but because the story lines, character development, and voice acting achieved a level of depth, emotion and overall quality which has been unmatched in TF cartoons before or since.

With that being said, I was a bit skeptical going into this show. The last few shows left a lot to be desired, and the odd designs for this one were a bit of a departure from traditional Transformers. Still, I did my best to approach this show with an open mind (after all, many people initially dismissed my favorite TF series because of the changes it made to the franchise), and I was pleasantly surprised. The designs, while a bit jarring at first, are something you'll get used to surprisingly fast. The pacing is nice and the voice acting is the best it's been in years (due largely to this being made for American audiences rather than dubbed over from Japanese), especially Starscream. Since Chris Latta's death, nobody has really been able to fill the role well (though considering his excellent work as Cobra Commander in the '90s I've long said that Scott McNeil would do a fine job), until now. Tom Kenney totally nails the Starscream voice, and it's really a shame that the character hasn't been seen since the pilot (though I have little doubt he'll show up again eventually). The script quality varies a bit from episode to episode, but even at its worst it's better than anything we've seen since the Beast era.

As good as the show is, it's not without its flaws. The biggest flaw at the moment (keep in mind, it's still fairly early in the show's run) is the villains. Transformers has always been about two warring factions, Autobot vs. Decepticon (or, in the Beast-era, Maximal vs. Predacon/Vehicon). In this show, the Autobots have yet to face more than one 'con at a time (even when the Decepticon ship came in the pilot, Megatron was the only one they actually fought face to face), and half the time their enemy is human. Granted, Megatron is often pulling the strings of whatever enemy they may be facing, but so far the Transformer presence on the villains' side has been severely lacking, which is a shame since the episodes where they fight a Cybertronian enemy (be it a Decepticon or the Dinobots) are clearly the strongest of the bunch. No matter what powers a human enemy may possess, it's sort of hard to make him seem like a significant threat to five giant robots. Hopefully once the Decepticons arrive in force (preferably sooner rather than later), this issue will be remedied. The other major issue with the show is the tone, which skews a bit too much toward the kiddy side. Granted, this is a show intended for kids, and it's certainly no kiddier than the last few shows, but honestly, it's still a valid complaint. The people making this show are clearly aware that adult fans watch the show as well (as evidenced by all the G1 references), and could easily make it a bit more mature without alienating the kids (ie Beast Wars).

In conclusion, I encourage you to give this show a chance if you are at all interested, and keep an open mind; you may be pleasantly surprised. Granted, it's not be the best Transformers show ever, but it's far from the worst.

A cheap cash-in, nothing more.

[Ithorianjedimaster2 · 3/10 · 30 July 2008]

"Transformers" by Michael Bay was a box office hit. With the mix of action movie and special effects expertise of Michael Bay with the superior CG mastery of Steven Spielberg, the movie was a real treat to anyone who can look past the robots' new looks. Transformers: Animated is Cartoon Network's answer to try and get quick ratings, by introducing a new storyline with timeless characters like Optimus Prime and Megatron, but in the end, Transformers: Animated becomes only a cheap movie cash-in, reminiscent to the Transformers video game.

The plot is different than what fans are use to. You remember the whole Autobots VS. Decepticons war for control of the Allspark that the movie revolutionized? In the show, it's over and the Autobots won. Now, Optimus Prime and his pals are all miners of some kind, digging through asteroids looking for artifacts or something. Suddenly, they just happen to come across the great, supposedly-lost Allspark, and where there's Autobots with the Allspark, Decepticons survivors of the war aren't far behind. Soon, the Autobots end up on Earth and like every other Transformer story, they become determined to protect the shards of the Allspark and humanity from the forces of Megatron.

The story seems like it's always trying to shake off the presence of the "Transformers" movie, and yet the characters the producers place into said story are in the movie. The opening credits make sure you know that fearless Optimus Prime, youthful Bumblebee, elderly Ratchet are in the show as well as non-movie characters like stealthy Prowl and lame Lugnut. On the side of evil, and just as annoying as their Autobots foes, the Decepticons are very disappointing with a round-up of bots that consist of fan favorites Megatron, Starscream, and Black Arachnia, and two new bots in which one is a Megatron fanatic and a Transformer version of He-Man's Many Faces who has an aristocratic voice, a mischievous voice, and a really pathetic Arnold Schwarzeneggar impersonation thrown in for some cheap humor.

Speaking of cheap humor, I know they're robots and have mechanical parts, but after a hundredth pun like "Over my cold, offline servo", "I'm going to rip out your piston through your tail pipe", and "You're frying my circuits!", it becomes grating and you're wondering if the robots are actually unsure of their own roles in the cartoon.

Transformer fans may have been forgiving when they saw the remodeled robots in Michael Bay's film, but Transformers Animated is just unforgivable. For one, the characters are all terrible. Hell, even the robots' Autobot/Decepticon symbols don't look right on several occasions. And two, some may be fooled by the idea that making an all-new Transformer that has never been in a cartoon is very difficult, but it's inexcusable when three of the Autobots plus one of the Decepticons have ridiculously long chins and sound terrible.

Then the producers decided to throw in a girl named Sarry whose father creates robots (and ends up housing the head of the 'late' Megatron after Starscream's signature for treachery). Sarry has an Allspark key of sorts that lets Sarry do about anything to machines. You'd think with the key, Sarry would be useful to the Autobots, but she ends up just tagging along for the fun.

The first few episodes are just plain wrong. You have the hour-long pilot episode and then a universe of fillers until the actual plot continues with Megatron's resurrection. These filler episodes turn the Autobots, guardians of Earth and Cybertron, into freakin' superheroes! You have Marvel villain rejects like the Angry Archer and Princess. Sooooo threatening. It would be nice if the show threw in more bots, which doesn't happen for a long time, and the robots introduced are usually around for an episode like two construction worker robots who has a deep love for oil and a retarded garbage bot. It's pretty bad.

Transformers: Animated may have sounded like a good show on paper, but when you try so hard to not be like the movie and yet want people to think it's the movie at the same time, what you got is just a jumble of terrible ideas from people who read a few robot names, looked at the basic plot through a Transformer fan fiction, and decided "this would make an awesome cartoon!" I can't understand why there are people who actually like this show when it's only a cheap cash-in that fails on nearly every level. The two stars I gave this trash was because Megatron and Starscream are the only decent characters in the whole show and personally, I'd rather be ruled by a tyrannical war machine than be protected by the most disappointed Optimus Prime character this side of Beast Machines.

Not as bad as I first thought!

[theqbranch · 9/10 · 8 January 2008]

Being a G1 die-hard, I was naturally skeptical about this new series (especially after catching glimpses of the questionable character design). But I have to say that after watching the first 3 episodes (or was it a full 1 1/2 hour mini-movie?), I think this new series is pretty good. Not great, but good.

The high points: They kept the original transforming sound (which is more than I can say for that damn live-action movie). The storyline vaguely follows in G1's footsteps (it's not exactly the same, but it's close enough). Oh, and you won't even notice the funky character design after a while...it's not actually THAT bad after all, once you start watching.

The one low point: Most of the characters have changed significantly. A lot of these new Transformers seem to be combinations of different G1 characters. Ratchet in particular is a perfect 50/50 hybrid of Ironhide and Kup, Optimus seems more like Rodimus, Megatron has vague traces of Unicron, and so on. However, it must be said that the writers/producers had the good sense to keep at least a few key characters perfectly intact...namely Bumblebee and Starscream.

For somebody who loved the original so dearly, this series doesn't disappoint. It's an entertaining take on the cartoon that defined my childhood. If nothing else, it's definitely fun to watch!

gag me with a hyper-spanner.

[rabid_halfling · 10 March 2008]

This is garbage, what is wrong with animators today. Lazy jag-offs. Teen Titans, and hundreds of more American Anime" garbage. The figures look fine, tho the show is some wimpy stuff, sleep overs? come on. I was a fan of all the series up to Beast Wars and even beast machines ( some really interesting effects in the latter). But with the downhill art style they are teaching in schools today. The voices are fine, except for the stewie headed girl and her WB chuck jones designed dad. Ah, this is horrible. I could even sit through one show. What is wrong with cartoons today.

"I am a G1 fan, and proud of it"

Needs work like any new series; have 1 big gripe

[stumpmee77 · 2/10 · 23 March 2008]

Uglymost Prime. This isn't about fanaticism with 1st G1 prime, indeed the younger Prime approach doesn't annoy me. (I sat through '86-'87 Rodimus Prime; still am convinced no Autobot leader could be worse.) Voice actor David Kaye is doing a good job. But I pity Kaye as the character he's portraying--Specifically looking at it--

NOTHING LESS THAN AN EYESORE!

He knocks my rating TF:A a 6 to two, I hate his look that bad. Focus episodes on everyone but him until revision is decided upon his physical design. Can't stomach seeing "Prime" on screen for any length of time, standing alone or amongst his friends. The instant he's on screen and want him to go away or darken my computer. If they don't want their Prime to rise to prominence this is a good move. I got over Bay prime's mouth REAL fast looking at "this". Mouth plate on or off doesn't help, ugly stick as in beaten with multiple times. My favorite optimus prime v/a doing the voice could not take away from the fact accident bashed truck or Bot, TF:A Prime looks like utter crap.

Great reboot

[jthaule · 8/10 · 18 July 2016]

I was a kid when the first generation of Transformers came out, and it swept me off my feet. Later came umpteen different incarnations of Transformers and none of them managed to interest me. Either the stories were too far fetched and impossible to follow, or the animations were so clunky I just couldn't watch it.

Transformers Animated is different. Some people don't like the light hearted animation style but it's a fresh approach to the franchise. Also the story line actually makes sense, and it's easy to follow without feeding you with a tea spoon.

All in all, a great reboot, with lots of content for new fans and old ones alike.

I remember liking this once - but it's actually pretty bad.

[MikeM1984 · 5/10 · 7 October 2019]

When this show came out the internet reacted very poorly due to the awkward animation choices, strange superhero premise, and drastic changes to the continuity.

After the premiere many fans were pleasantly surprised, and some even regard it as one of the better series made.

This is not the case. The show is just not very good.

I suspect the reason I, and many others liked it initially is A) the expectations set the bar very low and B) the show masks most of it's problems with fan service. Fan service is when you use references and callbacks to tie something to nostalgia. This show has a lot of that. Probably the biggest is getting Corey Burton to reprise his role as Shockwave - which almost seems odd in retrospect - since Cullen and Welker do not reprise theirs. They also get John Moschita to reprise Blurr, but again, it retrospect this has less impact since few of the other movie characters are present. These characters basically show up to say hi, to try and give the show some life support.

The superhero premise is quite silly as the show has to contrive circumstances where humans would ever be a threat to massive robots. They disarm the Autobots as well, which doesn't seem to make much sense, considering these people recently beat a race of much stronger, well armed Decepticons, all of whom are still at large. It gives the Autobots "superpowers" - which is not new - but also adds very little to them. The animation also does not hold up in current era. It seems like they were just trying to do this show on the cheap rather than picking a style that suited it.

The humor is very flat and some of the characters - like Bumblebee - are quite annoying and not in the "charming because it's a cartoon" way - but more the "that's intentionally how this character was written" way. Also the "adult" Transformers behave more like teenagers. Although they are suggested to be "young", they are not that young.

Is the show irredeemable? No, absolutely not. It has certain quirks, but it's also not particularly well made especially when compared to what came before it. It came after the haphazard and often terrible (especially because of the terrible translations and dubbing) Unicron Trilogy, so it probably seemed a lot better than what it was.

Not perfect, but better than anything else Transformers since Beast Wars

[MWPollard · 9/10 · 25 May 2009]

Those looking for this series to fill all their dreams of what the original 1984-1987 show was will be disappointed. Not because this show is that bad, but because the original show had the same flaws. But many don't remember the original flaws due to their "rose-colored glasses".

This show starts with a few weak elements, from the viewpoint of an older viewer. But the show was originally intended as a superhero show with the Autobots playing the role of the superheroes. Fortunately the concept was revised, but much of the initial season, with some holdovers for later, were victims of the original concept; these aspects remind me strongly of the PowerPuff Girls. However, those who were fans of the original show will be thrilled by many elements in the second season, and by almost everything in the third season, rose-colored glasses or otherwise. If they can get past the weak spots at the beginning of the series, which do still have their good points.

Transformers: Animated does have Teen Titans-influenced animation. The style is popular. Yes, this means that mechanical heroes that transform into vehicles tend to favor superheroes in tights for some reason. Remember, this was the original concept. Characters introduced later in the series do not have this problem. Early shows involved human villains. Later shows do not have this problem. Earlier shows have a human sidekick, one of the main complaints of the previous three serieses. (SPOILER) Later shows revealed this was not actually the case. And despite the unusual style (from the technological point of view), the toys are more accurate to the show, in both modes, than with any other Transformers series.

The later seasons bring in many new characters which were closely patterned after characters in the original series, though some has different personalities for plot-driven reasons (Ultra Magnus needed to be a superior officer, not a peer, and Alpha Trion also involved a plot- driven personality shift). These original-series inspired characters include Arcee (voiced by Sue Blu, the original VA and voice director for the TF:A series), Wreck-Gar (voiced by Weird Al Yankovic, the original VA), Blurr (voiced by John Moschitta Jr., the original VA), Elita One, Blackarachnia, Jazz, Shockwave, Wasp/Waspinator, and Omega Supreme. And cameos of original characters were abundant, including, but not limited to, Cliffjumper, Ironhide, Powerglide, Warpath, Beachcomber, Brawn, Wheeljack, Perceptor, Rodimus Prime, Cyclonus, and Stryka.

Oh, and for the reviewer who complained that the Allspark looked like a car key: Did you actually watch the original series, or Beast Machines for that matter? The Allspark key in TF:A is clearly patterned after the Key to Vector Sigma, a plot device in a number of shows in each series.

By the way, the Headmaster unit and Starscream clones were also ways to incorporate G1 elements without too much overhead. Headmasters were involved in a technology at the end of the series (more fully developed in the comics), and the Starscream clones were clearly colored after Decepticon jets who were not introduced in this series. This last point was amplified when at one point Lockdown gave two of the clones different helmets; the G1-era toys were designed that the jet nosecone could be positioned either way, and the animators chose to give the three face-vents and three cone-heads.

Okay, this show is...

[aruhyaatmakuru · 5/10 · 9 June 2021]

The Animated Series one of the most average series in the transformers. Out of every show I have seen this is the most average show I have seen in my life. The story was amazing, but the animation was lagging back. My least favorite thing about this show is the design. This is what was bad about the show. I would put this in 5th place right after Cybertron. With a few fixes this show would have reached first.

Final Rating: 5.2/10.

HARDCORE FANS

[digitaldimensiongamin · 8/10 · 2 August 2018]

I'm reading through the reviews here and what in primus's name! The people who are saying the show is terrible because the plot is too different from the original and and the art style is too different are rediculous. Yes it's good when a remake pays homage and respects the source material but it should be able to take it in its own direction. Which this show does amazingly and has such great writing and story arcs. You really feel for these five characters and understand that they are all a bunch of basically failures coming together and becoming better because of it. Watching these characters grow and change, learn about there vast and interesting backstories and the backstory on the war and why everything is the way it is that's what's great about the show. And may I say the fight scenes in this show are amazing plus the decepticons are great lugnut and blitzwing are the perfect comic relief characters and megatron, shockwave, arachnid, lockdown, and Starscream are some amazing antagonists. Me being such a mega transformers fan this show is still amazing although how different it takes the franchise and honestly if you just wanna watch a great anime like story here you go. 8/10

NEVER judge a show by it's art style!

[WeirdGirl92 · 9/10 · 15 June 2013]

As a fellow Transformers fan, there's a little confession I would like to make: I was almost a Bayformers fan!!! But don't worry, even though I thought the first movie was good, it still wasn't enough to make me a genuine "Trans-Fan". My best friend knew much more about Transformers than I did, as she grew up with the franchise, so I've mostly learned about the main premise of the story from her.

Anyway, by 2007 I knew almost nothing about G1, Beast Wars, or the Unicorn Trilogy (though, from what I've heard, I didn't miss anything from the Unicron Trilogy). Then it just so happened, on Cartoon Network, I came across a TV promo for this new show simply titled, "Transformers: Animated". The moment I first saw their new designs I thought, "It would never catch on, the proportions of the robots look all wrong!" However, when the show finally aired, I took a look at one episode. My first thought was, "Well, the story seems pretty basic, but this Starscream guy looks like a cool character (by the way, this was the show that made me a Starscream fan-girl).

A couple years later, I soon forgot about it, until my friend show me the Allspark Allminac (which is a book that has information about everything from the show). Eventually, my interest for the show lit up again, and I've watched reruns of it on The Hub, then I realized everything I first thought about this show was wrong. The main Autobots, for example, are not the Superman archetypes you see in the original show, in fact Optimus here isn't even leader of the Autobots, but the leader of a small group of rookies. I really like this change, because not only does it make it a lot easier to root for them, but it also makes them more realistic and sympathetic.

Now the main human character, Sari, is another interesting aspect of this show. At first, she appears to be an annoying tag-a-long that never does what she's told. This of course, was a very common trope in Transformers since G1, but instead of just being a tag-a-long, Sari actually has a story arc in this series! She's also not as useless as most Trans-Fans like to believe, she actually helps the Autobots multiple times. Her father, Prof. Isaac Sumdac, is one of the "weaker" characters in the show. He's way too trusting towards Megatron in Season 1, and is clearly irresponsible letting his 8-year old daughter handle the AllSpark Key, but he's not too annoying and you'll eventually grow to love him.

I was also impressed by how the Decepticons were portrayed. Megatron doesn't get a very big role in the first season, but he is BY FAR superior to the clumsy G1 version, and the bland TF: Prime version of the character. The other Cons are also very well written. Blackarachnia and Waspinator both have tragic and interesting back stories, Blitzwing the triple-changer is given a split-personality, and Shockwave is given a more prominent role in Season 3.

It just makes me said that they were never able to release a Season 4 before it got canceled! This is a vastly underrated show, that has more emotional depth than "Transformers Prime", and much more character development than G1.

My Overall rating-- 8.5 out of 10!

Die hard generation 1 fans please give this show a break...seriously

[doris964 · 10/10 · 16 October 2010]

I can understand that there were a few failures somewhat in the franchise, but come one this is actually pretty good mega tron everyones beloved transformers villain has a perfect voice actor and so does star scream, and many other characters,bumblebee is portrayed as a auto bot who never shuts up and always cracking jokes as opposed to him being completely silent in the movie can be funny sometimes, and the way the designers and voice actors manage pulled it off so well in this show from start to finish. I personally recommend this show to everyone who's looking for a good cartoon or even someone who is hoping this newbie of a show is good

Transformers Animated feels right! Tons of G1 fan service.

[Turbo-Lullaby · 10/10 · 30 January 2008]

*For anyone who might not know, G1 refers to the original 1984-1986 transformers cartoon series.

I'm very glad I checked out this show. From the first moments it is very apparent that Transformers Animated is created by fans of G1 transformers, i was glued to the screen for the first eight episodes, and i'm eagerly waiting for more. In fact this show is so good compared to anything since G1, it should be called Transformers Resurrection! Let me tell you about some of the many good things: It feels right! and is obviously made by fans of G1 transformers and other 80s cartoons. It's entertaining from start to finish. The story has so far been good as it takes so much influence from G1, although it's a new story. The other transformers series after G1 has not been able too keep my attention for more than two minutes.

The cartoony style is nice, I love it but fans of a more "serious" style might not like it. The color schemes and the design of the bots are right. All of the robots (even the new ones) have one or more apparent and popular forefathers in G1. e.g. Ratchet = Ratchet with Kup's personality (old grumpy war hero). Prowl is obviously inspired by Kickback. Bulkhead reminds strongly of Hound etc. Optimus Prime here is a less whining version of Rodimus Prime (which in my humble opinion makes for more interesting character development than the original "Ronald Reagan" Optimus Prime).

The voices sounds very G1, and some of the voices are brilliant. Megatron's voice is convincing and starscream sounds like he used to do. He has got his screechy voice (and is plotting against megatron too). Ratchet's Kup voice is cool. One nice thing is that they have the original transformation sound and even starscreams lasers sound a lot like before.

It's great they built on the idea that the autobots are repair-bots, "ordinary people" who has to fight the decepticons, who are big and scary war-machines. It makes the autobots look even more heroic fighting a superior enemy.

One great thing is that the Decepticons are both humorous and wicked evil. (Maybe they got that idea from the excellent 2002 Masters of the Universe cartoon). They also fight amongst each other. I can't stop laughing when thinking of blitzwing talking with a German accent. (He's actually got three faces/voices). A funny Arnold Schwarzenegger imitation, a generally crazy voice and one talking in a superior manner like Michael Schumacher.

One thing the creators have to be praised about is apparently using Blot as basis for the character Lugnut. That truly shows some in depth understanding about G1 transformers! Me and my pals used to laugh at Blot's idiotic design as kids, some sort of big space-gorilla with cowboy boots!? Haha.

The annoying little girl is luckily not very annoying at all. She slightly reminds of the little girl in inspector gadget.

The music is also really nice except for the part "in DiSgUiSE!" in the intro, where the lead singer fails terribly in hitting the right note. Unbelievable someone would let that kind of blunder through! There are some not so great things about the show too that should be mentioned: The animation is pretty jerky (as always) and the quality varies quite much from scene to scene and episode to episode. There are too many cartoon "styles" mixed together. The robots look modern though paying homage to their old designs. Some human characters look like they're from inspector gadget although some statist human characters look like they're from MASK, and kids look like some sort of mix between the modern retro 50s look and manga. What a mess! Still it somehow manages to come out balanced and 80s looking enough not to ruin the whole thing.

Bumblebee dances a very thin line on being annoying, as in too "hip" and too "cool". However most of the time he's likable.

Worst thing to me is that they keep hiding the transformations and when they do show them it usually looks bad. Like they're too hard to draw properly. Sometimes it even looks like they're shapeshifting instead of transforming, and that looks terrible.

Overall however Transformers Animated has so many good elements, it comes out as highly enjoyable. I think most people growing up with G1 would enjoy this. To me it was the first truly enjoyable transformers -anything- since G1.