While I COULD do more G1, Primus knows Hasbro is obsessed with the evergreen stuff… I think it’s better if now that I’ve done one opening story from G1 to go to the opening story of the next series, the one that saved Transformers and is the reason it’s still around today. HINT this is what all the reviews are going to be like for this month, expect all opening episodes.
Rather than adapt the small pack in comics the first versions of Optimus Primal and Megatron came with, the 1996 cartoon decides to set its own course and make the characters brand new rather than just new versions of the classic cast.
Yet the show starts in a very familiar way. Two ships of two robotic factions emerge in a battle over a planet. We see snippets and salutes of the robotic pilots. The maximal shop has to jettison pods before both crash into the planet. There we find that the Predicon leader was looking for Earth, which while the coordinates are correct, there are details that bring that into question. Either way the planet is rich in energon, in fact too rich, so they have to gain alt modes based on the animals of the world to not die.
We get our first introductions to the characters through their beast forms rather than their robot modes and how they are different from the G1 cast. Dinobot confronts Megatron in how he feels he’s unfit to lead and how he (Dinobot) should take over, somewhat like Starscreams condescension to his Megatron. Yet it is Megatron who pulls the sneaky underhanded move revealing the armed scorpion to fire on Dinobot.
Meanwhile Optimus Primal is not shown to have the complete reverence his ancestor Optimus Prime had as Ratrap won’t follow orders and Cheetor just goes about running wild and free.
The first part does later contain the faceoff between the two forces in robot modes and as Primal retreats he’s confronted by Dinobot who now wants to take control of the Maximals and challenges Primal to a duel.
Its during said duel that we do see Dinobot as a more honourable warrior rather than the underhanded, so while not loyal like Starscream – he wasn’t a Starscream (it became a trope).
The two parters climax ends with another confrontation now with Dinobot aiding the Maximals at a crater full of energon crystals forcing both armies to remain in Beast mode. Following that and a big explosion, Primal declares the start of the Beast Wars.
Honestly while the story in these 2 episodes alone isn’t as good as “more than meets the eyes” the opening to G1, it presents a lot more teases in intrigue as to what’s to come. Elements to the nature of the planet are teased and the characters are already starting to show elements of who they will become.
Of course, it has to be remembered that this is mid to late 90s CG so… it’s dated, and there are people I know who can’t handle the dated animation.
Still it’s a decent opener but not what I would use to judge the series by. Beast Wars will later on become well known for incredibly well loved and developed characters and a very strong plot. You can see it starting here but it’s not there yet.
Rating: 🎅🎅🎅
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