All-new all-Armada thread

[Bogatan]

I may join you, I remember just about enjoying Armada by the end, but that it began horrifically.

Curious to see what I think 10 years later (Yes Matt one decade).

[Philip Ayres]

I would but I'm missing a load of the later ones

[blueshift]

Feb 19, 2013 22:10:50 GMT Bogatan said:

I may join you, I remember just about enjoying Armada by the end, but that it began horrifically.

Curious to see what I think 10 years later (Yes Matt one decade).

I genuinely remember the announcement of Armada as if it was yesterday.

It's SCARY to think that now is to Armada as the BW 10th anniversary reissues were to BW.

[Philip Ayres]

I can't think of the early Armada episodes without thinking of THAT trip to Paul C's house in Croydon and the rather long route a certain forum member used to get there!

[jameso]

I keep meaning to watch all of Armada but I can never remember which episode I got to the last time I tried and end up watching the first two or three again and again, and they're not very good.

[Jaymz]

I made it to ep 14 of Armada back in the day, never watched any Energon, and saw the first and last episodes of Cybertron. I too have been meaning to watch all of it at some point, but haven't found the drive yet.

[Bogatan]

As I remember it season 2 of Armada turned into a decent story, but the animation was still just too bad for words.

Saw half an episode of Energon, kind of curious to see it now.

I really like Cybertron. I seem to be the only one not annoyed by the ridiculous accents. Very crude CG animation at times (walk cycles that dont make any effort to look like the foot is coming into contact with the ground made me very mad), but the models were sound and the 2d animation I dont remember hating. I know I liked the show because it made me want to own terrible toys like Backstop, which to this day I still struggle to resist, even the Universe repaint finds itself in my hand every time I go to TRU.

[The Doctor]

I too remember Armada starting as if was yesterday. Scary. there's more time between now and then than there was between G2 (1995) and my first TF con (2002). G2 had only faded out 7 years previously. Argh, I remember when sealed G2 was sitting around for cheap! Where has my life gone?

-Ralph

[The Huff]

I too, loved the diffrent accents in the Cybertron series - especially after everyone sounded so alike in Energon (and I think it was the constant use of "Oh maaan!" that put me off that one).
    Mudflap being French and Metroplex being scottish were probably the best.

    Back to Armada, it did move slow at first but after Sideways was introduced I felt it really picked up storywise. I remember videoing it before work each morning and watching it after work. It was good because there were no spoilers as (I think) it overtook the US screenings and also the toys seem to come out as they appeared in the show which was a first for UK Transformers.

  Hah! We have mellowed in our old age. Look at us all finding nice things to say about Armada!

[Deleted]

aaah Armada
part of the Unicron Trilogy

the thing about Cybertron was at east we got to see Primus in it, plus a toy of it came out too, which I still don't have

in Energon I could never understand why they reformatted Tidal Wave into Mirage plus the Mirage mold didn't look anything like what Tidal Wave was plus I see that recently they've retooled & recoloured the Energon Omega figure for the Year Of The Snake WFC Omega.

& Armada, good series great toyline & it also had Nemesis Prime in it on one episode

but the trouble with all those series was that they never came out fully over here onto DVD, & only a selection of episodes from each made it onto DVD
luckily I got the full series of Armada from Ebay

[Andy Turnbull]

Episode 3 - Base

More grating recap dialogue from Rad as he introduces the episode. The battle is incredibly static, as the limited animation budget shows. The benefits of the Minicon bonding are shown quickly, however the ability to hit a cows arse with a banjo isn't one of them, as they display stormtrooper levels of marksmanship.

Already we have the Decepticons portrayed as a largely ineffective force, it took Sunbow 4 episodes to do this, Armada does it in 2 and a half.

Fuck me, more recaps of the previous two episodes. Dear lord, oh look old G1 character models, brief moment of joy.

Painful Autobot, human interaction and fist bumping. Dear lord let it stop, oh shit only 12 mins in... One point of note, Rad calls the Autobots out on wanting to exploit the humans for power. Optimus tells him that is correct but they see the minicons as equals.

Oh yeesh, more crap with Rad, Carlos, Alexis, Fred and Billy. This is painful.

Oh look the humans using the minicons as transport, I believe they have ceded the moral high ground.

The in-fighting starts in the Decepticon ranks, and Starscream and Demolishor are actually more competent than in the earlier battle, and Megatron becomes den-mother. Wow. They have completely robbed the Decepticons of any real menace. More restating the series premise.

Demolishor's minicon put me in mind of Omega Spreem.

Back at Autobase, we get more bonding and Laserbeak, an alarm goes off and a state of panic and characters rush from one room to another and then stand still to look at a monitor.

This actually is as awful as a I remember it. The pacing is completely wrong, the tone is all over the shop. We have characters telling us how dangerous the Decepticons are, when their own actions make them more ineffectual than Team Rocket.

This is going to be hard going.

Andy

[Andy Turnbull]

Episode 4 Comrade

We start with exciting watching of the monitor as a Minicon is discovered. Ah the human's get some super clothes for going out into the field. Looks like Matt Trakker's cast offs!

Nice fade to black to avoid showing us the Autobots transforming. Gotta love the cost-saving. Rad's only function so far seems to be to ask questions so that they can all be explained nice and easily. He would make an excellent, if rather annoying Doctor Who companion.

A nice painted background for Big Canyon.

Wacky hi-jinks as the Autobots split up to look for the Minicon.

Rad's dialogue is about the only thing to move the story on...

We are four episodes in now and that's Optimus now got his Minicon. This is rapidly becoming a sub-par Pokemon. Now I actually enjoyed the Pokemon cartoon, it had a consistency of tone and felt like things happened.

Here we have vast swathes of dialogue to move along the story, which is now glacially slow in execution. It's turning into Minicon of the week.

There's no real sense of danger from the Decepticons at all.

I remember we slated RID for beng cheaply animated, but it is the Fleischer Bros "Superman" compared to this.

Andy

[Bogatan]

Here we go.

I dont know how long I've owned it but it's still wrapped.
And only cost £1.00

[Bogatan]

Well that was better than I expected. But if I remember correctly they blew the first season budget on this first three parter. So all down hill from ep 4.

But even here at its early best, it is not animation. It's an animatic with the odd fleshed out section. So depressing.

The last scene when Prime and Megatron come together, it probably has four frames. 2 of close ups are cycled to show straining as they grapple while the camera scans across to give the impression of extra movement. then 2 more frames of the wide shot, again with just slight difference to show them still grappling and this time the camera zooms out to suggest more animation than there really is.

4 frickin frames for 10 seconds or more of animation of animation. So so so depressing. And when they do do some proper animation its used for random bits like the shots of Cyvertron, you'd think if the budget was that limited they would focus on decent animation for the series regulars in the hope they could reuse it. Not a group of G1 jets transforming and flying away.

On the plus side I still do really like the animation models for Armada at least when they stick to them. Also never noticed before that Prime here looks very much like his RID version.

[Bogatan]

Argh! Mr Blueshift has ruined Armada for me (or not time will tell), each time Hotshot speaks all I hear is JaAm! jam JAM JamM.

[blueshift]

Feb 21, 2013 19:51:41 GMT Bogatan said:

Argh! Mr Blueshift has ruined Armada for me (or not time will tell), each time Hotshot speaks all I hear is JaAm! jam JAM JamM.

My function is to ruin things for people :v

[legios]

Ah, Armada. I think this thread will rapidly over-run the point at which I stopped watching back in the day - I didn't make it very far into the show as I recall, and I lack the DVD's (and iron constitution) needed to follow along in real time.

I do recall that the extremely cheap-and-nasty looking animation didn't help it to engage my interest - I don't mind cheaply-animated shows perse, it is just that they need to have a bit of extra oomph in the writing department to make up for it. Compared to RiD/CR, Armada was singularly lacking in the charm and wit department, which hurts it badly in the comparison.

That said, I think I am the only person in the world who actually liked Alexis - she may have been bossy, and more than a little cranky but it felt like she was nevertheless displaying more actual character than the majority of other folks in the show!

Karl

[blueshift]

Feb 21, 2013 21:08:00 GMT legios said:

Ah, Armada. I think this thread will rapidly over-run the point at which I stopped watching back in the day - I didn't make it very far into the show as I recall, and I lack the DVD's (and iron constitution) needed to follow along in real time.

I do recall that the extremely cheap-and-nasty looking animation didn't help it to engage my interest - I don't mind cheaply-animated shows perse, it is just that they need to have a bit of extra oomph in the writing department to make up for it. Compared to RiD/CR, Armada was singularly lacking in the charm and wit department, which hurts it badly in the comparison.

That said, I think I am the only person in the world who actually liked Alexis - she may have been bossy, and more than a little cranky but it felt like she was nevertheless displaying more actual character than the majority of other folks in the show!

Karl

Of course compared to all the horrible CGI stuff we got in Energon and cybertron it seems like high-art!

[Andy Turnbull]

Episode 5 - Soldier

Amusing hi-jinks as Hot Shot and the mini-cons play with the kids while Red Alert moans as Hot Shot wasn't doing any work. I say amusing, what I mean to say is utterly out of place and completely ridiculous.

Some thoughts from Alexis remind us of the Decepticons. Oh yeah, the bad guys. Best watch out for them as they have been terribly effective up until now.

Lecture by Optimus to the annoying Hot Shot about responsibility, cut short by an alarm telling is this episode's minicon has been found in the South Pole.

Wow, we actually get to see transformation sequences on screen - spoiled! Ah but then we go to video trickery instead of any real animation for a spell

Decepticon HQ picks up the alert as well and they indulge in the playground teasing of Starscream who still does not have his own minicon. Will this be his episode?

Penguins!!! A brief moment of joy.

Optimus Prime's trailer transforms into the playset as the Autobots set up. It is pretty toy accurate and the dialogue couldn't be more of blatant advert for that toy. Not a criticism, merely an observation.

Hot Shot tools off with Carlos in tow, while Red Alert his repairing Optimus Prime breaks down in the cold while Starscream spots the minicon first, before engaging Hot Shot in mildly exciting conflict. The end result sees Hot Shot pitched off a ravine.

Thankfully Jolt is attached to him and flies him out, the plucky little helicopter.

I'll give the show this much, as an advert for the toys it does a bang up job, giving you a good look at them and the gimmicks.

Starscream and Hot Shot engage in battle, with the minicon enhanced Hot Shot beating Starscream, which leads to the rest of the Decepticons pitching up and laughing their asses off. Again, there is no sense of menace with the other three Decepticons and the fact is, Hot Shot is a deeply unlikeable character so much so that you find yourself rooting for Starscream in these moments.

So Hot Shot is now up against it with the Decepticons, and it isn't looking good minicon or not, as the Decepticons are similarly enhanced.

Hot Shot almost does a swan dive off the ravine, but Transforms out of the way, while poor Carlos goes over the ravine, Hot Shot does not make any mention of this. Thankfully Jolt saves the day.

Thank crunchie for Hot Shot that Red Alert turns up, Starscream disappears to get the Minicon.

Nice but of dialogue, when Hot Shot thanks him. Red Alert says he is just doing is job and nothing more. There's a lot you could read into that, perhaps they may be fellow Autobots, but they might not be friends. Hot Shot then remembers about the human friend who may be falling to his death. Wottaguy.

Then sadly undermined a few minutes later when they team up, soon it's three on three as Optimus pitches up and the traditional Decepticon retreat is now enacted.

It looks like Starscream will get his Minicon after all, but the timely interference of Red Alert sees it taken from him and Starscream plummeting to his death. Yes, that's right the Transformer who can turn into a jet makes no attempt to change to plane mode and fly out of there, and simply falls into darkness.

Back at base Red Alert and Hot Shot bond.

THE END

Every brief moment of interest seems to be undone by the most basic and awful storytelling. This is utterly generic and bland. Which is the worst thing, it's not awful, just so bloody dull. I can't even be bothered getting angry with it.

[primenova]

Wasn't it ep 4 or 5 where Hotshot was called Hot Rod?

[Andy Turnbull]

Episode 6 - Jungle

That opening narration by RAD instead of a proper intro/theme is absolutely boiling my piss now.

Oh we start off with a ridiculous battle scene - 3 on 3 behind little rock barricades. That is absolutely ridiculous. Starscream breaks formation and transfoms and tries to use his aerial skills to get the upper hand. He fails and Optimus Prime shoots him dead.

Turns out it's a battle simulation run by Megatron.

Demolishor and Cyclonus rag on Starscream for not having a minicon, and he bleats like a pathetic character. Dear lord, how badly must you remove any real threat from the enemy? A minicon signal is detected and the Decepticons move out.

Cut to the humans, and Rad turns up to meet Carlos and Alexis with a whole host of supplies. He figures (quite sensibly) that if they are hanging with the Autobots and Minicons some human supplies might be needed.

Back at Autobot H.Q, the Minicon from last episode is still dormant, Red Alert theorises the data is protected. He should look for a tab to pull up or down then. The Autobots now get the signal of the new minicon and move out. Cue the limited teleportation effect which goes on far, far too long. Hammering home the cheapness.

Jolt takes to the air, and spots the Mincon, Sparkplug is left behind to watch Prime's container as they walk in search of the minicon through a dense forest (yes, that's this episode's jungle). Hot Shot is about to cut the trees down, until Rad, Red Alert and Alexis tell him all the reasons he shouldn't. Gotta have a message.

They find a path which is curious. Rad says he knows who built and he believes it's for illegal cutting. Cue more MESSAGES, bloody heavy handed editorialisation. Think the He-Man PSA's x 1000. What they are saying isn't wrong, but kids don't editorialise like that.

Meanwhile the Decepticons are on the trail of Minicon, more bashing of Starscream by Demolishor and Cyclonus. Some thoughts and we see this Starscream harbours desires to command the Decepticons ahead of Megatron.

A mighty tree falls almost taking out Hot Shot, it turns out the Decepticons are responsible, cue another exiting battle. Prime tells the Autobots not to shoot unless there is a clear line of fire. They will harm the trees. The Decepticons care none of this and a firing wildly. Starscream transforms and is about to strafe the Autobots when Cyclonus gets in the way as he wants the glory, Starscream's shot goes haywire and we have a FOREST FIRE, or should that be JUNGLE FIRE?

Rad and the humans save the Animals, and Optimus stops the trees from falling on them. The Autobots go to stop the fire but they need Prime's container, so Sparkplug (or Leader 1 as he is referred to by Red Alert) brings it along.

Demolishor and Megatron find the Minicon, Megatron claims it for his own, and Starscream moans and bleats that he was promised it. Megatron rebuffs him.

Meanwhile, a nearby lake is used by the Autobots to stop the fire. Rad tells the Autobots they have the situation in hand and to go and stop the Decepticons. Prime interrupts the Decepticons claiming the Minicon. Cue a pitched battle of very limited animation. Starscream abandons the battle and claims his own Minicon, Swindle much to Megatron's chagrin.

He links up with Swindle and triggers his Null Laser Cannon and leaves a massive crater. The Decepticons retreat with Megatron swearing that Starscream will pay, and Starscream follows after bragging about his new power.

More moralising between the Autobots and the humans about stopping the fire being more important.

Back to the Decepticons we get a reprise of the opening battle sequence, although the Minicon enhanced Starscream wins the day, and he claims to be the most powerful Decepticon, even more so than Megatron, who is watching and says that we'll see about that.

Well fingers crossed this kills off the playground bully characterisations of the Decepticons and perhaps we will get to see them as a credible threat again. I have my doubts though.

More and more the cheapness of the show is showing through, this is nowhere near as entertaining as the Marvel stuff from Grantray/Lawrence in the 1960's.

I have to say that aside from Starscream, Cyclonus, Demolishor and Optimus I am not enjoying the vocal performances. The ADR process gives limited scope for the actors and David Kaye's Megatron is a rather indifferent figure compared to the theatrical portayal we have had in Beast Wars and Machines.

[The Doctor]

This thread is like some form of self-harm! I fear for Andu.

-Ralph

[Andy Turnbull]

It's why I am only watching one episode a day.

Andy

[The Doctor]

Prolonging the agony? You poor man. Where, cough, are you getting the episodes from?

-Ralph

[Andy Turnbull]

yes, cough, yarr run of the DVD's via the usual channels.

Andy

[The Doctor]

You are a lone man on this walk of pain but I will man up when you get to Energon. Seeing all of Armada back in the day was enough for me.

-Ralph

[Andy Turnbull]

Coward.

Andy

[The Doctor]

I have done the marathon before, back as it aired with Nick as my companion in pain. Arguably we had more pain as from week to week we still had hope and had less life experience of watching shit.

The following two shows I have seen very little of so will man up then.

-Ralph

[blueshift]

Feb 24, 2013 9:45:56 GMT The Doctor said:

I have done the marathon before, back as it aired with Nick as my companion in pain. Arguably we had more pain as from week to week we still had hope and had less life experience of watching shit.

The following two shows I have seen very little of so will man up then.

-Ralph

Part of me wants to join in this

Part of me thinks "oh he's got to ep 6, no point in joining in now OH WELL" :v

[duffism1981]

One day I will have to put myself through this torture as I have now seen all of Beast Wars, that leaves only Armada and Energon as the only TF shows I have never seen (not including the Japanese Beast Wars II as so on).