Beast Wars Question

[Abaddon]

I thought the plot was very intriguing. However,they could've used some more of the old Beast Wars characters,though I believe a few of them survived in different forms(Jetstream is one that comes to mind).

 

[TheCorpulent1]

The question wasn't directed at me, but I'm here and I'm bored so I'll answer anyway.

Beast Machines' story holds up to Beast Wars' pretty well. Not quite as good, but there's plenty of G1 lore involved and a lot of interesting plot twists. The only problem is that the overarching story of both seasons really has no place in a Transformers cartoon, in my opinion.

There's a major tonal shift. Beast Wars was mostly light-hearted with the occasional serious episode ("Code of Hero" and "Transmutate" come to mind). Each episode was likely to have equal parts comedy and action. Beast Machines is much darker. The comedy's scaled back to just the occasional joke here and there from Rattrap, and the action becomes a lot more prominent. Instead of the odd skirmish here and there that Beast Wars featured, the Maximals are pretty much fighting for their lives every time they go out into the open.

The storytelling's pretty much the same: mostly self-contained episodes that all tie into the overarching plot, with subplots woven throughout the episodes.

 

[Nathan]

Doesn't actually sound too bad. I'll give it a try.

 

[Abaddon]

Well, in your opinion, how good is it compared with the Beast Wars series? Are there any changes in tone or story telling?

There are quite a few changes in tone and story telling. Essentially the main Beast Wars crew return home to find their planet has pretty much turned against them, and run into a number of problems which was interesting. FRom memory(which I'll admitedly say isn't very good),Beast Wars was a bit more complex in that it had a variety of characters and evolving story archs going on at once. However,the main plot remained the same. Beast Machines had very few subplots,but the main plot evolved more throughout the season. There's a philosophical aspect about it I enjoyed the most.

 

[Nathan]

Just watched the first Episode and thought it was ok. I just don't understand why everyone is in their original forms again because at the end of Beast Wars most were Transmetal and Optimus transformed into Optimal Optimus.

But since Optimus mentions something abour memory loss, I hope that get's explained soon. Oh, and I hate the new designs.

 

[Spidey-Bat]

I hated Beast Machines for 2 reasons. They made Optimus seem more like a spiritual old kook rather than the honorable leader he was in BW. The second is SPOILER

Spoiler

Tankor being Rhinox's spark. It never made sense and just pissed on Rhinox's character from BW, being a loyal Maximal to Optimus. Plus, why would Megatron use his spark when he tried to make him a Pred before and failed?

 

[lars573]

Just watched the first Episode and thought it was ok. I just don't understand why everyone is in their original forms again because at the end of Beast Wars most were Transmetal and Optimus transformed into Optimal Optimus.

The Matrix or the oracle did it (don't remember which). Changed their forms and wiped their memories.

But since Optimus mentions something abour memory loss, I hope that get's explained soon. Oh, and I hate the new designs.

Your gonna cry when you see Ratraps robot form. I did.

 

[lars573]

I hated Beast Machines for 2 reasons. They made Optimus seem more like a spiritual old kook rather than the honorable leader he was in BW. The second is SPOILER

Spoiler

Tankor being Rhinox's spark. It never made sense and just pissed on Rhinox's character from BW, being a loyal Maximal to Optimus. Plus, why would Megatron use his spark when he tried to make him a Pred before and failed?

They explain that.

Spoiler

The process that Megatron used on the sparks to make his generals is similar to what turned Rhinox into a pred. And they were fully aware of what their vehicon bodies were doing. Plus Rhinox agreed on some level with what Megatron was trying to do.

 

[Nathan]

Your gonna cry when you see Ratraps robot form. I did.

He actually wouldn't look so bad... if he just had legs. I'm kinda enjoying the show, but Guru Prime, the whole Organic-cybernetic deal and the horrendous designs just kill it for me.

 

[TheCorpulent1]

They explain that.

Spoiler

The process that Megatron used on the sparks to make his generals is similar to what turned Rhinox into a pred. And they were fully aware of what their vehicon bodies were doing. Plus Rhinox agreed on some level with what Megatron was trying to do.

I still refuse to believe that.

Spoiler

In my mind, Rhinox's mind was somehow corrupted by the Tankorr transformation, and when his spark was finally returned to the Matrix he came to his senses. His later appearances kind of support that, when he tries to talk Optimus out of using the plasma thingamajig, saying he made a mistake but he understood things better then. So for me, Tankorr isn't really Rhinox, he's a severely ****ed up Rhinox. Taken in that light, the story's actually bearable, as opposed to believing that Rhinox just turns because he suddenly hates all things organic.

There are quite a few changes in tone and story telling. Essentially the main Beast Wars crew return home to find their planet has pretty much turned against them, and run into a number of problems which was interesting. FRom memory(which I'll admitedly say isn't very good),Beast Wars was a bit more complex in that it had a variety of characters and evolving story archs going on at once. However,the main plot remained the same. Beast Machines had very few subplots,but the main plot evolved more throughout the season. There's a philosophical aspect about it I enjoyed the most.

Beast Machines had a pretty good amount of subplots, I thought. Not at first, naturally, but by the end of the second season they've got a few, and by the middle of the second season they're all over the place.

 

[Abaddon]

I just remembered how much I thought Rattrap and Cheetor's designs sucked.

 

[TheCorpulent1]

I liked Cheetor's design. Rattrap's sucked all around, though. I wasn't too fond of Blackarachnia's either.

 

[lars573]

Cheetors was good Rattraps did suck balls.

I just think it's funny how many voice actors from Beaties/Beast machines were also on X-men: Evolution.

Dinobot/Rattrap/Silverbolt/Wapinator=Wolverine
Megatron=Prof. X
Black Arachnia=Jean Grey

 

[Archangel]

Megatron was actually Magneto. Or maybe that was the guy who did Megabyte's voice in ReBoot...

 

[TheCorpulent1]

Megatron was voiced by David Kaye in BW and BM, Tony Jay voiced Megabyte, and Christopher Judge (a.k.a. Teal'c on Stargate SG-1) voiced Magneto.

Want to see a really weird voice/actor correlation? The guy who voices Inferno is Jim Byrnes, none other than Watcher Joe Dawson from the Highlander TV series.

 

[lars573]

No, Magneto was Christopher Judge. You know Teal'C from Stargate. Prof. X and BW-Megatron are the same man, David Kaye. Because YTV interviewed him and the staruday morning PJ (Paula ) asked him what was his favorite scene that he ever voiced. His answer was a scene he did as Megatron on Beasties. Where he's in an energon bath with a rubber ducky ranting at the camera.​

 

[Spidey-Bat]

Megatron was voiced by David Kaye in BW and BM, Tony Jay voiced Megabyte, and Christopher Judge (a.k.a. Teal'c on Stargate SG-1) voiced Magneto.

I liked Inferno. He was like a campy Joker.

 

[The Kid]

I looooooooooooove beast wars and I've recently gotten into beast machines even though I hated it at first. after suffering through the anime transformer shows for too long, beast machines doesn't look so bad. ++Oh cartoons used to be so good before pokemon.++ It's actually a good, interesting, show.

Interesting because of the mystery. Good because of the drama. Optimus lamenting over failing to save cybertron really stunned me. this is quality stuff. We just don't see toons like this anymore... ones about talking robots in disguise anyway, unless I'm missing some shows.

yep, I am. I forgot the new TMNT and Avatar. Those are the only good quality toons I can think of that still exist...

 

[TheVileOne]

Just FYI, the valiant Silverbolt was turned into an evil general as well.

No Transformers series in recent memory was as good as the 3 seasons of Beast Wars and the two seasons of Beast Machines.

Every other series shown in the US has been garbage. Robots In Disguise. Armada. Energon. All crap.

None of them had the depth or complexity of Beast Wars/Machines.

 

[Nathan]

I know Armada, Energon and Cybertron were all collaboration work between Hasbro and Takara, and that the show was mainly produced by a Japanese company. Which explains the same Transformation footage over and over and all the focus on children.

But I heard a american company is going to take over and is going to make a new Transformers cartoon. Any of this true? And if it is, when can we expect to see it?

 

[TheCorpulent1]

Maybe they're moving the franchise back to America to coincide with the upcoming TF movie. I wouldn't mind another series based on the G1 robots...

 

[Knives122]

Just FYI, the valiant Silverbolt was turned into an evil general as well.

No Transformers series in recent memory was as good as the 3 seasons of Beast Wars and the two seasons of Beast Machines.

Every other series shown in the US has been garbage. Robots In Disguise. Armada. Energon. All crap.

None of them had the depth or complexity of Beast Wars/Machines.

Armada was the only good one out of the pos shows you listed. It actually had an interesting story and probably the best fight in any Transformers show(upgraded Optimus vs. Galvatron; you could tell they actually put effort into it).

Energon, RiD, and Cybertron made no sense to me.(although Energon tried to follow the story of Armada)

 

[Spidey-Bat]

Maybe they're moving the franchise back to America to coincide with the upcoming TF movie. I wouldn't mind another series based on the G1 robots...

Transtech would have included some G1 characters as well as BW characters. Too bad that got canned in favor of RID.

 

[TheCorpulent1]

Armada was the only good one out of the pos shows you listed. It actually had an interesting story and probably the best fight in any Transformers show(upgraded Optimus vs. Galvatron; you could tell they actually put effort into it).

Energon, RiD, and Cybertron made no sense to me.(although Energon tried to follow the story of Armada)

I tried to watch Armada but I was immediately turned off by the horribly stereotypical Mexican kid. I'm not even Mexican, either.

 

[Knives122]

I know, I really hate when they put kids in transformers shows(that's why I love beast wars, no kids). If you just ignore them then the show is much more enjoyable.