More Than Meets the Eye: 'The Transformers: The Complete First Season'

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BEFORE MICHAEL BAY, Shia LaBeouf or Megan Fox put their grubby paws all over the "Transformers" series, tainting it with bad direction, stagnant dialogue and lackluster Angelina Jolie impressions (yeah, we'll tell you how we really feel), there was the '80s cartoon that started it all, laying the groundwork of the rivalry between the Autobots and the Decepticons and revving up a franchise that would evolve for decades.

First airing in the United States in September 1984, "The Transformers" — starring the upstanding, peace-loving Optimus Prime and the manipulative, ruthless Megatron — introduced viewers to those huge shape-shifting robots from Cybertron, made terms such as "Space Bridge" and "energon cubes" a part of kids' vernacular and got that metallic-sounding theme song (and the noise Transformers make when they switch from car/fighter jet/dinosaur/cassette tape to robot) stuck in parents' heads.

The initial popularity of Generation 1 of "The Transformers" would not only make Hasbro tons of money off of themed toys and games, but inspire four more seasons of Generation 1; a Generation 2 series; comic books; "Beast Wars," in which every Transformer was an animal instead of a car, jet or other machine (for example, Optimus Primal — a gorilla — was the leader of the Autobots, while Megatron was a Tyrannosaurus rex); and the Bay atrocity and its upcoming sequel, "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen."

And if you're ready to brush up on your vintage "Transformers" before seeing "Revenge of the Fallen" later this month, then "The Transformers: The Complete First Season, 25th Anniversary Edition" (Shout! Factory) should probably be next on your list of investments before you visit Fandango.

Boasting a three-disc set with all 16 episodes of the first season, bonus features (such as "Triple Changer: From Toy to Comic to Screen," a look at how the series originated and has continued for more than two decades, and a vintage Public Service Announcement starring Bumblebee) and your very own Autobot magnet (yay!), it's pretty much your best bet if you're lacking in the good-vs.-evil backstory that is the entire crux of the franchise.

When examined through the lens of Bay's adaptation, the original "Transformers" episodes pale in technological comparison — the animation here is choppy and flat (the kind of 2-D imagery that was also rampant in Hasbro's "G.I. Joe"), and there are obviously no flashy computer effects to make fights in the desert or Decepticon attacks on humans look any cooler.

But what Generation 1 lacks in glitziness, it makes up for in character development that was sorely lacking from Bay's oversized images: The robots here are far more human and relatable. For example, the Autobots (and there are a lot of them, varying in size and model, from semi truck Optimus to Volkswagen Beetle Bumblebee to Jazz, a Porsche Turbo) have different accents and speak in slang; display real loyalty and unity with one another; and balance goofiness when joking around among themselves with determination and allegiance when protecting humans such as father-and-son allies Sparkplug and Spike Witwicky.

And similarly, the Decepticons — flat, uninspired villains in Bay's blockbuster — are given depth and initiative here. As their take-no-prisoners leader, Megatron has no problems sacrificing his own followers for his plans, using sabotage to attack the Autobots or putting humans in the line of fire, while his comrades — such as Starscream, who transforms into an F-15 Eagle jet and constantly tries to overthrow Megatron — are also able to develop during the season.

One of the set's options allows a viewer to watch all 16 episodes straight through with no interruptions, and doing that — with the three-part pilot, "More than Meets the Eye," and three-part showdown, "The Ultimate Doom," being the most gripping installments — helps viewers get to know the characters, understand Optimus's close relationship with Bumblebee, laugh at the Starscream vs. Megatron drama and marvel at the other creatures in the Transformers universe, such as the Insecticons and the Constructicons. Plus, the super-colorful, informative episode guide (which includes a rundown listing the writer of each episode and its original air date, along with screen captures and a brief synopsis) helps keep everything organized.

When you're done with the hours of episodes, there's also the bonus features disc, which gives some solid insight into how the creators of "Transformers" got their ideas. People such as Senior Vice President of Global Design and Development Wayne Luther, Series Executive Producer Joe Bacal and comic writer Bob Budiansky explain how Japanese toy companies had been making shape-shifting creatures for years, a concept that Hasbro used and added to with their Autobots and Decepticons storyline.

For example, in one of the segment's funnier moments, Bacal says, "At the end of our trip, from Rhode island to New York City, we knew what we wanted to do: ... Kids like cars; OK, the cars will be the good guys. Planes, they're not too sure about planes — how many plane trips do little kids take, especially in those days, right? OK, good, those will be the bad guys. Guns, guns are not good; that will be the head bad guy." Seems pretty straightforward, no?

Other interesting moments include close-ups on the first treatment for the series - a eight-page, typewritten document that has lines like "Optimus Prime ... has the personality of an Abraham Lincoln" and a crossed-out "Ulchtar" in favor of a scrawled, handwritten "Starscream," with information such as, "He believes their words about the war against the Autobots being a holy mission because his soul requires that belief" — comments from Budiansky about naming the Transformers and writing their profiles and explanations of collaborations between Hasbro and Japanese toymaker Takara on the toy versions of the robots.

It's a pretty nerdy way to spend about an hour, yes, but it's also sweet — as are the original commercials for the toys (though probably because of copyright or distribution laws, the faces of the kids playing with the toys are awkwardly blurred out) and the PSA, which features Bumblebee persuading a teenager who was going to run away from home to "try to solve problems instead of running away from them." The other feature — a printable script of the season's fourth episode, "Transport to Oblivion," is also cool, but not necessarily useful or informative in any way; it's just kind of there.

But that's the only downer in this otherwise satisfying set, which not only provides a solid context and explanation of the making of "The Transformers" but also easy access to all of the season's episodes. It's six hours of retro-tastic entertainment — and it should be mandatory for someone who's only seen the Bay version of things.

Written by Express contributor Roxana Hadadi
Photos courtesy Hasbro