Ranked #730

Transformers Generation 1

One of the first cartoons I started watching as a kid.

Now this is a review only for the Transformers that aired in the mid 80s, and not for the terrible shows that are on now. Transformers was one of the first cartoons I started watching as a kid along with GI-JOE, Robotech, and Voltron. It had everything, great action, good story lines, the characters were great even though there were talking machines. The show did get old near the end of it's run in 87, but was still a good show. Also the movie was amazing, with Weird AL doing a song in the movie. The show has aged well with time, I can still watch it, every single episode. The same can't be said for GI-JOE and Voltron. It saddens me there's going to be a movie coming out twenty years to late. The previews and articles look bad. I sure I'm going to be disappointed but I'm going to see it.

I used to have almost every toy until my mom through them out. Lets see there was Jazz, Magatron, Mirage, Bumble Bee, The Constructacons, Inferno, Skyfire, Prowel, Grimlock, Shockwave, Galvatron, Soundwave, Iron Hide, Hot Rod, Star Scream, Ratchet, Perseptor, Wheelie, Outback, Thundercracker, Windcharger, Blitzwing, Thrust, Slag, Ram Jet, Smokescreen. I could go on but it gets me mad that I don't have those toys anymore especially after seeing how much their worth. Oh shoot I went way off topic. Any way Transformers is a great show. read more

Being a child of the 90's I grew up with "Beast Wars" not the G1 "Transformers" and thus I don't feel the same sense of nostalgia most do for this show.

Viewing it from this perspective, it's clear to see that a lot of fans have severely rose-tinted visions of the show.

It is by no means a bad show, so long as you accept it as a Saturday Morning Cartoon and nothing more. All the pathos and universe which was built around the cartoon added a great deal more meaning and depth to the world of the Transformers, but this cartoon has none of that.

It has a simplistic plot and compared to the later shows which I have seen ("Beast Wars," "Transformers Animated" and even "Beast Machines") it has nowhere near the same level of cohesive and well-structured story.

Fans may decry "Beast Wars" for being animals rather than vehicles, but anyone claiming that this G1 cartoon is the better show should try rewatching it in the cold, hard light of adulthood.

All this being said, despite the animation flaws and the simple plots, the overall enjoyment factor should not be underestimated. It's still a fun show to watch, and the characters are surprisingly well-developed for such an ensemble cast. Peter Cullen and Frank Welker both deliver star-turns as Optimus Prime and Megatron, as well as the other characters they voice, but some of the voice actors are a little lacking, though this is hardly uncommon of 80's cartoons.

Overall, this IS where Transformers began to develop as a franchise and, while nowadays it leaves much to be desired, even viewed as a kid's show, it's still retains at least some of its appeal. read more