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Re: Reminder: Transformers Rescue Bots Airs Today

PostPosted: Sun Dec 18, 2011 7:06 am
by cotss2012
I'm finding this surprisingly tolerable. High points: A rockin' opening theme, good if somewhat uninspired writing, non-annoying voices, non-useless humans, an early shout-out to the Dinobots, and PETER CULLEN AS OPTIMUS. Low points: animation more worthy of a TF parody on Newgrounds than an actual TF show, no Decepticons. Neutral: general approach seems rather light on drama, though not nearly as much so as RID or Animated.

Thus far, I'm going to put this slightly ahead of Animated and slightly behind G1 Season 1.

Re: Reminder: Transformers Rescue Bots Airs Today

PostPosted: Sun Dec 18, 2011 12:43 pm
by Sabrblade
cotss2012 wrote:I'm finding this surprisingly tolerable. High points: A rockin' opening theme, good if somewhat uninspired writing, non-annoying voices, non-useless humans, an early shout-out to the Dinobots, and PETER CULLEN AS OPTIMUS. Low points: animation more worthy of a TF parody on Newgrounds than an actual TF show, no Decepticons. Neutral: general approach seems rather light on drama, though not nearly as much so as RID or Animated.

Thus far, I'm going to put this slightly ahead of Animated and slightly behind G1 Season 1.
You got really odd tastes in quality, man. ;)

Re: Reminder: Transformers Rescue Bots Airs Today

PostPosted: Sun Dec 18, 2011 1:07 pm
by 5150 Cruiser
Saw the show this morning. I liked it. Great characters with good stories for children. Just what it should be. Overall great show and a good way to bring in the younger audience to TF's. :APPLAUSE:

Speaking of a younger audience,..

I seee alot of people really creatiquing this show. While that's somewhat natural being a TF fan, you must remember who the target audience is. While certain aspects might not nessasarly meet to your liking/aproval, you have to sit back and remember that these shows are made for kids. Some parts may be overly corny, predictible, etc, but so was the oringal G1 cartoon that many of us grew up with. (not to meantion several other TF TV series). Just a fun series that gives the litte ones something to look forward to on Saturdays next to Sponge Bob and Yo gabba gabba. Keep that in mind when watching. ;)

Re: Reminder: Transformers Rescue Bots Airs Today

PostPosted: Sun Dec 18, 2011 3:57 pm
by cotss2012
I just realized that this show would be 100,000x more awesome if it had a guest appearance from that pink-haired Esurance lady.

Image

You'd be amazed by how much Rule 34 there is of this character...

Re: Reminder: Transformers Rescue Bots Airs Today

PostPosted: Sun Dec 18, 2011 8:10 pm
by El Duque
Yesterday the Hub offered fans an exclusive sneak peek at their new kids series Transformers Rescue Bots by airing the first to episodes, "Family of Heroes" and "Under Pressure". Seibertron.com resident researcher Sabrblade (click here to check out his ridiculously comprehensive guide to the Aligned Universe, "Exodus Vs") has written informal reviews of both episodes, check them out below:


Episode 1 -

According to Optimus, Cybertron has fallen. Could this series also be set in the Aligned Continuity?

"Rescue Force Sigma 17" is what these newcomers are called.

Argh! Once again, like the "Darkness Rising" premiere before it, Rescue Bots gets shafted in the theme song department.


Sorry, this particular note is not about the episode itself, but ZOMG TF: Prime season 2 commerical! Not much was shown that we haven't already seen. The only really new piece of material was Knock Out's voice saying "Welcome to he winning team." Also given was the airdate of "February 2012". Okay, back to the Rescue Bots episode.


Um... hello old guy with... helicopter hat. Mr. Harrison...

I can see this show taking place before the Prime cartoon (if it is set in the same world, that is).

Blades has the same heights phobia as G1 Silverbolt and WFC Silverbolt.

Seems like Chief Charlie Burns will play a similar role to Agent Fowler's role as human-Autobot liaison in this series.

So, the town's name is Griffin Rock, and it's known for its advances in technology kinda like Detroit in Animated (only not as extravagant). Guess this explains that hat from before.

The Rescue Bots pretend to be human-made automatons sent by the U.S. Government instead of real lifeforms, so as to not cause panic.

All four of the Bots have different human partners than what the toyline has. Though, both Chief Charlie Burns and Cody Burns are in the toyline, Charlie is partnered with Chase (instead of Optimus), and Cody's the tag along kid. Heatwave is partnered with Kade Burns (instead of Cody), Blades with Dani Burns (instead of Sawyer Storm), and Boulder with Graham Burns (instead of Walker Cleveland). Also, the toys have Charlie as a fire chief, but the show has him as a police chief.

Boulder is totally an expy of Bulkhead.

Cody Burns = male Sari Sumdac (and a fraction of Bud from Cybertron).

I like Heatwave. He knows when acting like a zombie is too silly.

Okay, how exactly did some water leaking into its circuits cause an animatronic T-Rex with no known supernatural (i.e. - Cybertronian) properties to come to life and go on rampage?

Despite not having any Deceptcions,that was still a pretty enjoyable fight against the T-Rex.

Ha! Nice reveal at the end.

Pretty good first episode. Great atmosphere, likable characters, a fair amount of characterization, and it felt like a true beginning. I give it an A.


Episode 2 -

Whoa! While episode 1 got the short end of the stick, episode 2 gets the full blown theme song! And it's... a rap... and long. Though, once it gets to the chorus, it gets a little catchy. But, it does need some work to be better. At least it's an actual song with actual energy, unlike TF: Prime's mellow opening. And, it kinda reminds me of the song "You're the Best" from The Karate Kid. And one more thing to note about it is that, for once, it's NOT another variation of the typical Transformers theme song, being completely unique and original.

LOL at Chase giving the Robo-Landscaper the Miranda Rights.

Hey, Chase transformed from vehicle to robot an back again with Charlie inside, who was seemingly uneffected by it. A historic moment in TF fiction history!

And so did Heatwave! Though, here, Kade appears cramped and pressed up against the windshield on Heatwave's chest.

Optimus: "I have found that the young of this species are the most valuable allies." - Did Optimus just reference Jack, Miko, and Raf? Maybe this could take place during TF: Prime season 1 (off screen)?

So saw that coming with Boulder ripping off the pinball plunger.

I like that they give Cody a purpose in this show, instead of just being the token human sidekick.

Why is LeVar Burton using an accent for Doc Green? Why not just use his natural voice? It sounds way cooler. Here, however, he sounds like an aged Kwame from Captain Planet.

Okay, what genius leaves an artificial volcano active when it isn't in use? Was there no one instructed to keep its lava pressure in check? In fact, why did they leave the lava in that fake volcano if the World's Fair had been over since 1939? If there's no more need for its use, then dispose of the lava already. Don't keep it if it's going to be an obvious safety hazard.

After stopping the lava at the volcano, the lava has instead decided to go kill Cody at the bunker... things just got real!

Self-sacrificing heroes about to be charred to death by lava. Are we sure this is for preschoolers?

Yes, I know they don't die, but these dangers they're facing are quite lethal to be all that friendly for toddlers.

Well, a very strong episode in characterization and such. Another A.


Overall, this show has far exceeded my expectations. I was expecting something along the mindset of the Playskool Go-Bots cartoon (which I re-watched right before watching this), but this blows that out of the water. This was GOOD! Very good, indeed. Much more entertaining than I found "Darkness Rising" to be on the first watch. While it was a bit silly, cheesy, and weird at times, it had acceptable animation, a lovable atmosphere, superbly written characters/characterization, above par acting, wonderful writing, and a great sense of fun and endearment. I will watch this show when it officially debuts later in 2012.


Re: Reminder: Transformers Rescue Bots Airs Today

PostPosted: Sun Dec 18, 2011 11:10 pm
by Bumblevivisector
Got into collecting Convertors this past year, so when I saw the secret bunker of this tech-testing-town had a pinball machine, I kept thinking, "It's Tilt, and will therefore come to life to provide comic relief, possibly talking like Johnny 5!"

So when Bulk-der ripped out the plunger, it struck me as more horrifying than it should have.

Agree that it's a worthwhile watch. Haven't seen much of The HUB's other preschool fare to compare it to, but I did force myself through the chore of watching season 1 of the Super Hero Squad, and this is something you won't feel embarrassed about letting your kids watch.

Now all it needs is 3-part season finale called "The Kremzeek Saga".

Re: Reminder: Transformers Rescue Bots Airs Today

PostPosted: Mon Dec 19, 2011 9:02 am
by rpetras
Watched the shows with my 4-year-old, and we both really enjoyed them.

The writing is definitely geared towards the younger set that won't question things like an active FAKE volcano.

But aside from that, the characters were interesting and well acted, even if Blades and Boulder were retreads of well worn characters.

I hope they do introduce Decepticons, because fighting random earth-based threats could get a bit dull in pretty short order. At the very least it could begin to feel more like a Thomas the Tank engine rip off, and a lot less like Transformers.

All in all I expect this to be a fun little show aimed squarely at the 4-6 year old age group.

Re: Reminder: Transformers Rescue Bots Airs Today

PostPosted: Mon Dec 19, 2011 10:11 am
by Sabrblade
rpetras wrote:I hope they do introduce Decepticons, because fighting random earth-based threats could get a bit dull in pretty short order. At the very least it could begin to feel more like a Thomas the Tank engine rip off, and a lot less like Transformers.
Ever seen Rescue Heroes? Cuz that's what this show could be like, and that show would get pretty intense at times during its later seasons. They don't need Decepticons for this to be good, just as long as the dangers they face are large enough threats to make the stakes higher and such.

The Rescue Botys in this show are a lot like the Headmaster Juniors of Masterforce and the Rescue Patrol Team of Victory: A secondary unit of Autobots who specialize in emergency response work while the main Autobot unit handles the Decepticon menace. If this show is in the same world as the Prime cartoon, then that kinda makes things easier for both parties being able to flesh out and focus both groups as they are without having to overlap on each other's duties. ;)

Re: Reminder: Transformers Rescue Bots Airs Today

PostPosted: Mon Dec 19, 2011 2:29 pm
by rpetras
Sabrblade wrote:
rpetras wrote:I hope they do introduce Decepticons, because fighting random earth-based threats could get a bit dull in pretty short order. At the very least it could begin to feel more like a Thomas the Tank engine rip off, and a lot less like Transformers.
Ever seen Rescue Heroes? Cuz that's what this show could be like, and that show would get pretty intense at times during its later seasons. They don't need Decepticons for this to be good, just as long as the dangers they face are large enough threats to make the stakes higher and such.


There are a lot of good shows on TV in which the protagonists don't fight Decepticons, but to me, that would not feel like a proper Transformers show.

Not that it couldn't be a good show if they go that route. But they tried that in season 1 of TFA, and it really hurt the show.

Now, if they have no Decepticon presence at all, as they have not, it may work better than it did in TFA where you knew they were going to show up, and everything else felt like you were wasting time.

In any case, I liked it and I'll be watching the show.

Re: Reminder: Transformers Rescue Bots Airs Today

PostPosted: Mon Dec 19, 2011 8:00 pm
by Sabrblade
rpetras wrote:There are a lot of good shows on TV in which the protagonists don't fight Decepticons, but to me, that would not feel like a proper Transformers show.

Not that it couldn't be a good show if they go that route. But they tried that in season 1 of TFA, and it really hurt the show.
Nonsense. What it did in Animated was make the Decepticons look better and all the more worthwhile. On top of that, fighting second tier villains enabled them to even further enhance the characterization of the Autobots, since the Decepticon fights gave more attention to the Cons' characterization. While there was a balance between the two in other series, it somethings didn't reach the extent that Animated gave to both sides at different times, instead of both at once. Doing both at once causes the character development to be split down the middle, while doing each at a time gives each chance the opportunity to go all out in portraying the characters. :)

rpetras wrote:Now, if they have no Decepticon presence at all, as they have not, it may work better than it did in TFA where you knew they were going to show up, and everything else felt like you were wasting time.
They seemed to have hinted that the Decepticons do exist in this universe (which might be the same universe as the Prime cartoon), but are neither present in this location nor what the Rescue Bots are designed to face against. So, Optimus is probably dealing with the 'Cons while Rescue Force Sigma 17 focuses on developing their own skills and keeping Griffin Rock safe and sound.

And, who knows? Maybe there's some greater purpose at work here. Maybe Griffin Rock, being a testing site for experimental technology, is the ideal location to be targeted by the Deceptcions, and so Optimus may be having the Rescue Bots keeping it quiet and safe so the Decepticons won't notice it or even pay attention to it. Why in these two episodes alone, we see plenty of things that would catch the interest of 'Cons: Robotic dinosaurs that could prove to be lethal weapons in the wrong hands, an artificial volcano that could act as a great power source for the 'Cons, all sorts of interesting tech and gadgets. It's no wonder Optimus wants the Rescue Bots to guard it; Griffin Rock is an accident waiting to happen.

Re: Reminder: Transformers Rescue Bots Airs Today

PostPosted: Tue Dec 20, 2011 2:30 am
by cotss2012
rpetras wrote:The writing is definitely geared towards the younger set that won't question things like an active FAKE volcano.


The volcano was artificial, but hardly fake. They actually drilled down to the magma layer to make the thing. It was pretty clearly explained.

rpetras wrote:I hope they do introduce Decepticons, because fighting random earth-based threats could get a bit dull in pretty short order.


Indeed. We wouldn't want a repeat of this...

Image

...would we?

Sabrblade wrote:Robotic dinosaurs that could prove to be lethal weapons in the wrong hands, an artificial volcano that could act as a great power source


Couldn't the Decepticons make their own Dinocons and volcanoes?

Re: Reminder: Transformers Rescue Bots Airs Today

PostPosted: Tue Dec 20, 2011 8:25 am
by Sabrblade
cotss2012 wrote:
rpetras wrote:The writing is definitely geared towards the younger set that won't question things like an active FAKE volcano.


The volcano was artificial, but hardly fake. They actually drilled down to the magma layer to make the thing. It was pretty clearly explained.
True. But both Cody and Doc Greene used the word "fake" to describe the volcano. ;)

cotss2012 wrote:
rpetras wrote:I hope they do introduce Decepticons, because fighting random earth-based threats could get a bit dull in pretty short order.


Indeed. We wouldn't want a repeat of this...

...would we?
If done right, maybe. Meltdown was the best human villain in that series, and the Headmaster would have been cool if not for his lame 1337 personality. Besides, G1 gave us human villains too.

Plus, I doubt we'll see any such villains in this show anyway. The Rescue Bots are designed for search and response missions, not combat. Bringing in 'Cons or bad guys would put our heroes out of their element. And, unlike Animated, in which this was a good thing, it wouldn't be a good idea since it would detract from what this show's primary objective is.

cotss2012 wrote:
Sabrblade wrote:Robotic dinosaurs that could prove to be lethal weapons in the wrong hands, an artificial volcano that could act as a great power source


Couldn't the Decepticons make their own Dinocons and volcanoes?
They could. But why waste their own time and energy to create such things when they can just steal these readily available ones?

It's like in every other series. Why would the Decepticons bother to create their own energy sources when they can just raid the Earth of its own? It's much more efficient for the 'Cons to just take what they need instead of making their own.

Re: Reminder: Transformers Rescue Bots Airs Today

PostPosted: Tue Dec 20, 2011 10:09 am
by Autobot Megatron
That's the thing about this. It is geared towards littler kids, and considering we have Prime right now to compare it to, which killed off a not so main, but very looked foward to Autobot within the first 5 minutes, and then made him a zombie, this looks way kiddier than it probably is.
I would say it beats some of the other Transformers shows in maturity, though, and many more other shows that are geared towards an even older audience. It's just with Prime fresh in our minds, it taints our opinions. I would love to see a fan review it that hasn't ever seen Prime. That would probably be a more unbiased review than any of us could probably give. >:oP (ignore the smiley that makes no sense here)

Re: Reminder: Transformers Rescue Bots Airs Today

PostPosted: Tue Dec 20, 2011 2:09 pm
by Sabrblade
Autobot Megatron wrote:That's the thing about this. It is geared towards littler kids, and considering we have Prime right now to compare it to, which killed off a not so main, but very looked foward to Autobot within the first 5 minutes, and then made him a zombie, this looks way kiddier than it probably is.
As Animated has shown us, looks can be deceiving. ;)


Autobot Megatron wrote:I would say it beats some of the other Transformers shows in maturity, though, and many more other shows that are geared towards an even older audience.
It certainly beats the live action movies in terms of maturity. :lol:

Though, it's still yet to top Beast Machines maturity-wise, since that one's still the most mature.

Autobot Megatron wrote:It's just with Prime fresh in our minds, it taints our opinions. I would love to see a fan review it that hasn't ever seen Prime. That would probably be a more unbiased review than any of us could probably give. >:oP (ignore the smiley that makes no sense here)
It doesn't taint my opinions. IMHO, Rescue Bots accomplished much more in just two episodes than "Darkness Rising" did in five.

Re: Reminder: Transformers Rescue Bots Airs Today

PostPosted: Tue Dec 20, 2011 3:12 pm
by cotss2012
Sabrblade wrote:True. But both Cody and Doc Greene used the word "fake" to describe the volcano. ;)


That's because Cody doesn't understand the difference and Doc is insane.

Sabrblade wrote:If done right, maybe. Meltdown was the best human villain in that series, and the Headmaster would have been cool if not for his lame 1337 personality. Besides, G1 gave us human villains too.


I would crap my pants if Rescue Robots did an episode with Dr. Arkeville...

Sabrblade wrote:Though, it's still yet to top Beast Machines maturity-wise, since that one's still the most mature.


I too looked upon BM with rose-tinted glasses... until I saw it a second time and realized that it still carried a lot of annoying baggage from BW, mostly Rattrap's constant whining and the calling out of transformations. Plus, Blackarachnia's whole character seemed to have degenerated into being defined by her relationship with Silverbolt; contrast Airachnid, who is more reminiscent of the independent and complex Blackarachnia from Beast Wars.

Re: Reminder: Transformers Rescue Bots Airs Today

PostPosted: Wed Dec 21, 2011 7:29 am
by Sabrblade
cotss2012 wrote:
Sabrblade wrote:True. But both Cody and Doc Greene used the word "fake" to describe the volcano. ;)


That's because Cody doesn't understand the difference and Doc is insane.
Fan theory is fan theory. No canon evidence to support the latter. ;)

cotss2012 wrote:
Sabrblade wrote:Though, it's still yet to top Beast Machines maturity-wise, since that one's still the most mature.


I too looked upon BM with rose-tinted glasses... until I saw it a second time and realized that it still carried a lot of annoying baggage from BW, mostly Rattrap's constant whining and the calling out of transformations. Plus, Blackarachnia's whole character seemed to have degenerated into being defined by her relationship with Silverbolt; contrast Airachnid, who is more reminiscent of the independent and complex Blackarachnia from Beast Wars.
I meant by how it was mature with all its deep philosophical themes and controversial topics such as "harmony vs. extremism", "the needs of one vs. the needs of many", "conflict and inequality in a free society", "free will vs. totalitarianism", and "religious faith in a higher order". The fact that it included all of these heavy adult-minded aspects shows that it took risks and dared to go the extra mile of children's entertainment. It was definitely ahead of its time in that regard. :APPLAUSE:

And that said, I would be immensely surprised if Rescue Bots also got that deep. If it were to that deep, though, then it may rank itself up to being the most mature pre-K cartoon ever. :lol: