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- Review: Transformers Animated "Blast From the Past"
Review: Transformers Animated "Blast From the Past"
- By Matt Zimmer
- Published 05/19/2008
- Animation
- Unrated
Matt Zimmer
Matt Zimmer has been a member of online fandom since 2004.
View all articles by Matt Zimmer
"Blast From the Past" is another one of those set-up episodes that seems to tell the audience that the story in headed in a certain direction much like "Home Is Where the Spark Is". This episode however is a lot more fun and enjoyable to watch. Spoilers under the cut.
The episode starts off with Sari taking the Autobots to a wilderness reserve that houses robotic Dinosaurs. The opening scenes involve Prowl trying to teach Bulkhead new concentrating skills (as he did to Bumblebee in the previous episode) to amusing results. Meanwhile Megatron, (who is currently just a giant head in Professor Sumdac's lab), reveals himself to the good doctor as a "friend" of the Autobots. Sumdac, who seems to be this series resident sap, falls for his story and gives Megatron unprecedented control over his inventions, while promising to keep his existance a secret. Megatron naturally decides to create mischief in upgrading the robotic dinosaurs for the wilderness museum.
Once the Dinobots are created Megatron quickly manipulates them into believing that cars, which run on fossil fuels are bad, and that cars that transform into robots are worse. The series is clever enough to make the Dinobots (led by Grimlock) falling for it believable by having them watch a film where they learn that fossils are what's left of the original dinosaurs. This causes the Dinobots to go off on a rampage and the Autobots have to stop them.
I think the cast is really starting to gel together. The Autobots all seem to care for one another and enjoy each other's company and that rubs off on the audience. Sari, Sumdac's daughter is turning out to be a funny, spunky, human sidekick. The animation is nice and colorful too.
I like how the episode sets up the idea that Sumdac might have some secrets of his own. I certainly don't completely buy the idea that a professor is following Megatron's excedingly obvious manipulations because he's that dumb. Rather, I think that he's afraid to reveal Megatron to the Autobots for personal reasons, and is scared that having the truth come out could shake lose some skeletons in his closet. If this doesn't turn out to be the case I'll be a little bit disappointed. But I'll get over it.
We'll have to see, but I'm thinking the series will pleasantly surprise me by going in a different, better direction which is fine with me.
All in all, this was a pretty good way to kill half an hour and the series is shaping up to be something I really enjoy. I look forwarding to seeing more.
The episode starts off with Sari taking the Autobots to a wilderness reserve that houses robotic Dinosaurs. The opening scenes involve Prowl trying to teach Bulkhead new concentrating skills (as he did to Bumblebee in the previous episode) to amusing results. Meanwhile Megatron, (who is currently just a giant head in Professor Sumdac's lab), reveals himself to the good doctor as a "friend" of the Autobots. Sumdac, who seems to be this series resident sap, falls for his story and gives Megatron unprecedented control over his inventions, while promising to keep his existance a secret. Megatron naturally decides to create mischief in upgrading the robotic dinosaurs for the wilderness museum.
Once the Dinobots are created Megatron quickly manipulates them into believing that cars, which run on fossil fuels are bad, and that cars that transform into robots are worse. The series is clever enough to make the Dinobots (led by Grimlock) falling for it believable by having them watch a film where they learn that fossils are what's left of the original dinosaurs. This causes the Dinobots to go off on a rampage and the Autobots have to stop them.
I think the cast is really starting to gel together. The Autobots all seem to care for one another and enjoy each other's company and that rubs off on the audience. Sari, Sumdac's daughter is turning out to be a funny, spunky, human sidekick. The animation is nice and colorful too.
I like how the episode sets up the idea that Sumdac might have some secrets of his own. I certainly don't completely buy the idea that a professor is following Megatron's excedingly obvious manipulations because he's that dumb. Rather, I think that he's afraid to reveal Megatron to the Autobots for personal reasons, and is scared that having the truth come out could shake lose some skeletons in his closet. If this doesn't turn out to be the case I'll be a little bit disappointed. But I'll get over it.
All in all, this was a pretty good way to kill half an hour and the series is shaping up to be something I really enjoy. I look forwarding to seeing more.