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Post by legios on Jun 26, 2011 20:05:48 GMT
I have realised recently that although I have owned the whole of the Sunbow The Transformers series on several occasions I still haven't actually seen all of the episodes.....
I guess that in the interests of completeness I really should get around to seeing the ones I haven't seen (so mostly the back half of Season Two then). The initial episodes watched as part of this final push - Auto Berzerk and Blaster Blues (which I realised halfway through I actually had seen, just blanked from my memory) did not fill me with confidence that this would be a painless process.....
I have this terrible fear that I have already seen the good stuff, namely Megatron's Master Plan. Hey, me WST Grimlock say you full of Beryllium Baloney!
If you would let me finish.
Hmmm. Ok.
Thank you, as I was saying..... namely Megatron's Master Plan and episodes featuring the Dinobots. That better. Something makes me concerned that there are no more diamonds to find in that rough... just rough from here to the finish line....
Me WST Grimlock say you better watch yourself. Or more better still put Dinobot Island on and me WST Grimlock watch me-self!
Karl
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Post by duffism1981 on Jun 26, 2011 23:01:42 GMT
The second half of season two does have some good episodes such as:
The Golden Lagoon,
Kremzeek!
The Key to Vector Sigma
War Dawn
Cosmic Rust
Starscream's Brigade
The Revenge of Bruticus
But there are some painful to watch episodes. Most famously the last episode of series two B.O.T. Do not watch that episode what ever you do. It is awful and full of unlikable humans. For the love of mankind do not watch that episode. It will make your brain explode.
Child's Play is also an episode I hate, but that could also be down to the numerous terrible animation errors that happen during this episode. Plus it's full of giant green aliens.
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Post by The Doctor on Jun 27, 2011 7:09:55 GMT
This is like some strange form of self-harm!
-Ralph
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Post by legios on Jun 27, 2011 11:55:21 GMT
It is a kind of mountaineering kind of thing, a sort of "because it is there."
Me think it is because Karl is two diodes short of a circuit
.... and also possibly a little bit of that as well. Thanks for that WST Grimlock.
No problem
I have already seen those..... it was not a fun experience, or at least, not fun for the intended reasons.....
Karl
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Post by The Doctor on Jun 27, 2011 16:56:11 GMT
The latter is good tosh. Not a good cartoon, but strangely watchable.
-Ralph
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Post by Fortmax2020 on Jun 27, 2011 21:55:51 GMT
I did something similar a few years ago. Shortly after I decided to do something safer and got into handling venomous spiders.
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Post by legios on Jun 28, 2011 20:15:01 GMT
I've seen large chunks of Transformers: Energon, a large chunk of Mobile Suit Gundam S.E.E.D and three episodes of Gundam Wing during my lifetime.... I figure that has rendered me somewhat hardened to suffering, so the voyage might just be survivable.
I'd also agree that Key to Vector Sigma is quite entertaining, not necessarily in the way that those who made it intended but it has a certain accidental charm. The Golden Lagoon on the other hand.... I have fortunately already seen, so do not have to watch again...
Karl
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Post by duffism1981 on Jun 29, 2011 17:45:07 GMT
There not that bad. Are they?
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Post by The Doctor on Jun 29, 2011 22:02:01 GMT
I think appreciation for Sunbow goes along with the age we are when first viewed. I only saw the Movie as a nipper and love it with a fiery passion. I did not see the show until I was an adult and the DVD's came out. I don't think it's a good show. There are around a dozen entertainingly tosh episodes but overall I don't rate it highly and very rarely watch it. I didn't actually see any of TF animated series until I was an adult so I've viewed them all through that prism.
But then some of you may also have first encountered it as an adult and loved it!
-Ralph
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Post by duffism1981 on Jun 29, 2011 22:12:55 GMT
I admit i did enjoy the show as a child, but i didn't really see many of the episodes then. It was only maybe 10 or so I saw either on videos I had bought for me or videos I watched at friends houses in the last Eighties.
When they started showing Generation 2 in 1994 on the DJ Kat show, I came across a few I hadn't seen, but most I hadn't seen until I bought 96 of the 98 episodes on VCD from ebay in 2003. Most of the episodes were of poor quality, but at the only way I could access them.
I hold my hand up and admit that the ones I saw as a child are still my favourite episodes, such as Desertion of the Dinobots which is still my favourite episode/episodes of the Sunbow series. It may not be great, but I do still enjoy it and it gives the dinobots, well at least Swoop some character. Due to this episode alone Swoop became my favourite dinobot, just edging out the mighty Grimlock.
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Post by Andy Turnbull on Jul 3, 2011 13:21:45 GMT
Indeed - Desertion of the Dinobots was available to rent from the local video store. So I did. Lots of times. It along with Megatron's Master Plan are faves of mine.
Andy
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KoshNaranek
Minicon
Friends with the Zog Folk
Posts: 484
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Post by KoshNaranek on Jul 4, 2011 14:02:49 GMT
I rented Megatron's Master Plan numerous times as well. It was one of only two Transformers video's they had at the time, the other being The Key To Vector Sigma/War Dawn. War Dawn is one of my favourite episodes of the cartoon and is one I'd recommend. Cosmic Rust and Masquerade are also quite entertaining.
- Tony
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Post by legios on Jul 5, 2011 12:07:02 GMT
Like Ralph I didn't really see the Sunbow cartoon when I was a kid. It only ever seemed to be on when I was going out of the door to school. I saw five or six episodes in video over the course of my young age but that was about it. (I didn't see the Movie until about three years later because it didn't get a cinema airing near me.) In honesty my main point of familiarity with the cartoon was the theme tune. So like Ralph I don't really have any real sense of nostalgia about the cartoon and I approach it with an unclouded appraising eye.
There are a few episodes that I think are entertaining (not all of them for the reasons intended by the creators) but in general it does feel like it has been thrown together at a breakkneck pace, and on a relatively low budget - and I think it shows in the fact that a lot of the episodes are fairly uninspiring in terms of the writing and the animation is often somewhat unpleasant to look at (especially the deeper into the first production block one goes, it does look a lot like the time and money were progressively running out).
For the record I've now seen the majority of season two, with about five or six episodes to go, having dealt with Sea Change and Kremzeek on Sunday evening. Neither of which were really at all inspiring....
Karl
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Post by Grand Moff Muffin on Jul 5, 2011 16:37:46 GMT
On the whole, the 1980s was a poor decade for cartoons, in terms of both scripts and animation. But as kids we devoured it all uncritically. I remember the rule of after-school children's TV being: live action = boring, cartoons = fun. But I can't fathom why now.
Martin
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Post by legios on Jul 6, 2011 19:20:50 GMT
I don't know that the 1980's were any worse than the decades that came after it for kid-centric animation. There are always plenty of poor shows around, with a few diamonds in the rough which stand the test of time. I'm not convinced that the ratio of good to bad was any worse in the 1980's than it is now to be honest.
I have been making my way through Season Two slowly - last night it was the turn of Prime Target...... or "The Most Dangerous (bloodless) Game". At least the national stereotypes are being shared out evenly - Kremzeek gave us an "Ah-So" Japanese scientist and this episode serves up a british blood-sports enthusiast with a butler to assist in waxing the mustache he cultivates on his stiff upper lip.... (It was actually something of a relief to have a story which didn't end with Megatron leading the Decepticons in a heroic retreat after failing to steal energon).
I still have not managed to come up with a good reason for why I am doing this, other than that I feel I should see it so that I can justify having an opinion. Butstill, once I have completed the run through I don't necessarily have to watch these episodes ever again...
Karl
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Post by The Doctor on Jul 6, 2011 19:44:30 GMT
Have you seen all of season 1 and 3 then?
-Ralph
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Post by legios on Jul 6, 2011 19:58:05 GMT
Have you seen all of season 1 and 3 then? -Ralph *scratches head thoughtfully* I know I have seen all of the first season and I think I have seen all of the third.... give me a second whilst I check... It appears that I still have Only Human and The Burden Hardest to Bear to see of Season Three. At least, I have no recollection of having seen those two episodes as yet. Karl |
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Post by legios on Jul 6, 2011 20:59:55 GMT
Auto-Bop and The Girl Who loved Powerglide this evening.
I was surprised to see Track's special friend Raoul recur. For some reason I had thought that only Spike and Sparkplug had that honour in the Sunbow show. (I also found myself thinking, after the Oktober Guard cameo in the previous episode that the brainwashed punks looked like they were the sort of folk who got rejected by the Dreadnoks....). I am almost certainly overthinking it, but the plot of the episode appeared to revolve around the Decepticons brainwashing people to build a perfectly ordinary skyscraper.... Even for the Decepticons this seems, perhaps, unduly complicated....
As to The Girl who Loved Powerglide I can honestly say that it claims a definite distinction - Astoria Carlton-Ritz is the biggest brat that I think I have seen in a cartoon..... And considering the competition that is quite a feat!
Karl
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Post by blueshift on Jul 7, 2011 7:47:49 GMT
As to The Girl who Loved Powerglide I can honestly say that it claims a definite distinction - Astoria Carlton-Ritz is the biggest brat that I think I have seen in a cartoon..... And considering the competition that is quite a feat! Karl I have a soft spot for this one because it was one of the few I owned on video, but holy heck Astoria was annoying and Powerglide was the biggest jerk in the world (a girl annoys you? SMACK THEM ACROSS THE ROOM!) |
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Post by Grand Moff Muffin on Jul 7, 2011 7:51:02 GMT
(a girl annoys you? SMACK THEM ACROSS THE ROOM!)  Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, I present evidence for the prosecution item 234 - words posted by the defendant 'in jest' on an Internet discussion forum. Martin |
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Post by legios on Jul 12, 2011 21:55:39 GMT
Trans-Europe Express has been watched, I am beginning to fear for Megatron's sanity as he steadily falls victim to the one fatal mistake of cartoon villians - going about everything the incredibly difficult and complicated way..... Just stealing Augie Canahey's car would seem to be far more effective than setting up a fake race as an opportunity to.... steal Augie's car....
I now have only five episodes of Sunbow remaining to me - Revenge of Bruticus, Masquerade and B.O.T. of Season Two and The Burden Hardest to Bear of Season Three. I think I may well stick to broadcast order, and head into the future of a couple of years ago to visit Rodimus complete the journey that way.
Karl
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Post by The Doctor on Jul 13, 2011 6:59:48 GMT
Can't wait until you see B.O.T. Heh heh heh.
-Ralph
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Post by jameso on Jul 13, 2011 11:50:10 GMT
Never seen Revenge of Bruticus!? Madness.  |
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Post by legios on Jul 13, 2011 19:40:46 GMT
Can't wait until you see B.O.T. Heh heh heh. -Ralph
Never seen Revenge of Bruticus!? Madness. I've technically been in a room when it was on, but I wasn't paying any attention whatsoever so it doesn't really count and thus must be watched properly to count against the tally. The fact that it is seen as a sequel to Starscream's Brigade does not entirely fill me full of hope for it though.... Karl |
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Post by The Doctor on Jul 16, 2011 19:20:50 GMT
He's watching B.O.T.! Much distressed texting. Heh heh heh.
-Ralph
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Post by duffism1981 on Jul 16, 2011 19:27:49 GMT
I would not wish B.O.T upon my worst enemy. I hope Karl manages to make it through to the end without causing himself any self harm.
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Post by The Doctor on Jul 16, 2011 19:42:21 GMT
I'm not sure he will. He's gone silent. I fear the worst.
-Ralph
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Post by legios on Jul 17, 2011 13:13:22 GMT
Wait! I stiiiillll func Tion!
And so Season Two comes to an end.....
Revenge of Bruticus surprises - a second episode which actually not only acknowledges but requires the existence of a previous episode. There isn't much of a story to it - the Combaticons decide to respond to being sent on a time-out by throwing the Earth into the Sun (really, Decepticons - stop throwing things into the sun or I am going to run you in for littering), the Autobots, Shockwave and Starscream all play a part in stopping them - pretty thin, but at least it is reasonably coherent. Bruticus does have one of the worst hidden achilles heel's anywhere in fiction though. At least he looks like all the members are integral parts of the combined mode though, unlike some of the combiners in this show... The animation is a bit ropey in places too. Not the worst experience I have had on this odyssey mind you.
Masquerade is.... not quite as good..... The story is even thinner than Revenge of Bruticus and the episode seems to lose track of what the actual situation is supposed to be as it goes on. Megatron's plan is pretty rubbish too - boiling down to "I shall build a big gun and then I will conquer the world", and his logic as to determining which Menasor is which is not exactly terribly sound-seeming. It feels a bit like a shaggy dog story as well. But that isn't entirely uncommon with cartoons of the era anyway is it though? Cartoon Menasor must be the most pointless combining-mecha that I have seen. He seems to work by Motormaster growing to larger size and then wearing the other Stunticons as elbow and knee pads, making it unclear what the point of the other Stunticons is if Motormaster basically turns into all the vital parts of Menasor by himself...
B.O.T, my final episode of Season Two has also been watched. Good grief, that is so far from good I'm not sure you can see good from where it is. It seems to be made from a mismatched assortment of parts which don't really line up with each other. So we start out with a story about Swindle buying parts to repair the Combaticons from a random dictator who is on a ship in an American habour selling weapons. This plan seems to involve him selling the parts of the Combaticons that he already has to the dictator, who sells them onto some random Middle Eastern folk and some Russian squaddies who put them in a shed in Siberia... This does make me doubt Swindle's business acumen a little..... At the same time we have two other episodes going on simultaneously - one with some of the most irritating kid characters in television building a robot as a science project and one with Megatron building a device to push the moon out of orbit so that he can control the tides with a machine and build a hydroelectric power plant in a small canyon in America. The kids are just irritating, whilst Megatron's plan is just simply epically rubbish because it would be easier just to build his secret hydroelectric plant and disguise it as a hydroelectric plant (apologies to Leozack). But then, once these three episodes run headlong into each other and wind up in a pile of scrap on the floor Megatron's Orbit Disrupter turns out to be comprehensively rubbish anyway - being a laser beam that is just powerful enough to knock over an Autobot really doesn't live up to its billing. Mind you, the award for being truly, truly rubbish must go to Defensor - who has a forcefield which usefully protects him when no-one is shooting at him but who can be taken out by one shot as soon as he drops the forcefield (which process he aids by standing stock still in front of the enemy until they are ready to fire at him).
The resolution to the plot makes no more sense than the actual plot did, and I was left scratching my head as to what all the different scenes really had to do with each other. A pile of random gibberish even by the standards of the Sunbow show B.O.T really is the absolute nadir - a shambling pile of rubbish. Very, very pleased to see the back of that.
Two more episodes of Sunbow to go, and then I can lay down this burden hardest to bear.....
Karl
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Post by blueshift on Jul 17, 2011 14:52:28 GMT
Megatron's plot in BOT really is incredible isn't it.
Why doesn't he just buy a plot of land and build a dam there. Why does he need to boot the moon out of orbit first?
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Post by The Doctor on Jul 17, 2011 18:55:20 GMT
It's in the Villain Handbook. Subsection c4.
-Ralph
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