Transformers - Season 1: Boxed Set (DVD, 2002)

Transformers has possibly the largest fan following of any animated show from the mid-80's. And the franchise has continued to grow and evolve to this day.

Rhino Video holds the rights to both the original Transformers as well as GI Joe, and after doing a respectable job with the US release of Transformers: The Movie on DVD, they have outdone themselves with a four-disc boxed set that collects the entire first season of the TV show.

However, instead of just slapping the original episodes on the disc, they gave the shows a complete and stunning digital restoration that makes them look better than ever.

The premise behind Transformers is simple. Robots from a planet called Cybertron are locked into a fierce war between two sides, the Autobots and the Decepticons. Optimus Prime leads the Autobot forces away from Cybertron in order to find energy to bring home. On their journey, Megatron's Decepticon forces attack them and their ship crash-lands on Earth in prehistoric times.

Millions of years later, the Transformers are re-awakened and repaired by their crashed ship so they can transform into modern day earth vehicles. The Autobots ally with a few humans, while the evil Decepticons go off on their own search for energy.

This boxed set collects the entire first season on three DVDs along with a fourth disc of supplemental material:

Disc One:

- More Than Meets The Eye Part 1.
- More Than Meets The Eye Part 2.
- More Than Meets The Eye Part 3.
- Transport to Oblivion.
- Roll For It.

Disc Two:

- Divide and Conquer.
- Fire in the Sky.
- S.O.S. Dinobots.
- Fire on the Mountain.
- War of the Dinobots.

Disc Three:

- The Ultimate Doom Part 1.
- The Ultimate Doom Part 2.
- The Ultimate Doom Part 3.
- Countdown to Extinction.
- A Plague of Insecticons.
- Heavy Metal War.

It's been a long time since I've seen all of the episodes, but I was surprised at how much I remembered. I was also surprised at how bad and laughable some of the lines and mistakes in the series are. Don't get me wrong, I still love the show and had the biggest smile on my face while watching the disc, but some of the writing is just hilarious as are some mistakes that there are in both the audio and video.

A lot of these video mistakes can be seen in their glory on the fourth disc, but one audio mess up takes place in the first episode where Optimus Prime is seen speaking, but Megatron's voice is heard. This isn't a DVD problem as it was like that when the show originally aired.

There are some really good episodes on the discs despite the laughable flaws. More Than Meets The Eye is great, the Dinobots episodes on disc two are really fun, while on disc three A Plague of Insecticons is good and Heavy Metal War is excellent.

Overall, you couldn't ask for a better collection of a series that most people (myself included) have fond memories of. But before you fire up the hate mail over my score, remember that nostalgia alone isn't enough to warrant a 5/5. Especially considering that the movie is so good, and later seasons of the show are a bit better.