Beast Machines: Transformers

Dragon Ball GT of the Transformers series, but reworked into a sequel to one of the best installments of the Transformers franchise and being rushed beyond saving about 3 years before Capcom came up with the exact same concept.

Beast Machines: Transformers is a Canadian animated television series produced by Mainframe Entertainment as part of the Transformers franchise. Hasbro has the full distribution rights to the show as of 2011. It was a direct sequel to Beast Wars, taking place within the continuity of the original Transformers series. The show ran for two seasons, airing on YTV and Fox Kids from 1999 to 2000. Of the Transformers animated series produced in North America, Beast Machines was the only one to have been completely conceptualized and outlined in advance, lending it a more serialized and linear storyline than the others. Prior to Transformers: Prime in 2010, Beast Machines was also the last, and second only entirely computer-animated Transformers series produced, along with its predecessor Beast Wars. The Beast Machines intro theme was "Phat Planet", by Leftfield. It is also the third/final installment in the Generation 1 cartoon era of Transformers, and compared to much of its predecessors, the show features more mature storytelling elements than most children's television programs.

Plot

Following their victory in the Beast Wars, the surviving Maximals - Optimus Primal, Cheetor, Blackarachnia and Rattrap - finally return to Cybertron, only to discover that their people have vanished and the world is now ruled by the mindless Vehicons. To make matters worse, the quartet are trapped in their beast forms without any of the upgrades they gained during the Beast Wars - and they are swiftly losing their memories of anything but each other. Forced to retreat deep underground, the Maximals discover the Oracle, a powerful supercomputer that reformats their bodies into new, even more powerful techno-organic forms.

The Maximals soon learn that their old enemy Megatron - who managed to break free and return to Cyberton before them - is the malevolent intelligence behind the Vehicons. Megatron has declared war on both beast modes and free will itself, imprisoning the sparks of Cyberton's entire population. With the odds stacked against them, the Maximals set out to free the sparks of their people, discover what really happened to their allies Silverbolt and Rhinox, bring organic life to Cyberton once more and finally put a stop to Megatron.

Bad Qualities

1. The main reason as to why Beast Machines was hated is because of its tone, it is too dark from it's original plot to Beast Wars due to it's depressing atmosphere, and there is little to no humor.
   • While there's nothing wrong with making Transformers more mature and dark. Most of them that are serious (e.g Transformers Prime and yes, even both The Transformers: The Movie and the seven Micheal Bay movies.) have some light-hearted/funny moments to balance it out considering that they were kid shows (and in the case with Micheal Bay movies, kids films). However in Beast Machines, while there are a few light-hearted/funny moments here and there, it goes so dark that Beast Machines feels more like an edge-lord fan fiction (similar to the likes of "The Matrix") that comes to life than the true sequel to Beast Wars.
     • Granted it should be noted that while Beast Wars does have a fair share of dark/serious moments (especially in the second and third seasons, including the finales), those don't overstate their welcome, and even then, the second and third seasons of Beast Wars had more light-hearted moments than this.
       • Hell, even Transformers Prime when compare to Beast Machines had more light-hearted/funny moments, and that has a higher rating than Beast Machines.
2. Very confusing introduction to the series, the entire show (as in season 1) beginnings with Optimus Primal and the other Maximals (Minus Rhinox and Silverbolt) in their beast modes from the first season of Beast Wars on Cybertron and on the run of tank-like drones, it wouldn't be until seven episodes of the first season (which should be pointed out, is somewhat HALFWAY in the first season as both Season 1 and 2 have 13 episodes each) in which that the show explains what happening by its three-part episode "Revelations", and as such, it raise a few question from fans.
   • Why are the Maximals on Cybertron?
   • Why are the Maximals no longer in their Transmetal/Transmetal 2 forms that the previous show end on?
   • Why can't the Maximals transform?
   • Were is Rhinox and Silverbot, and what happen to them?
3. To get the Elephant-Out-Of-The-Room is the design of the Maximals (as shown in the image), the techno-organic designs of the Maximals in robot form looks absolutely hideous, as they are way too humanoid due to them having teeth in their mouths, puples in their eyes, smooth rounded organic bodies and no boxy heads, and this falls into the uncanny valley due to this, some of which looking more like rejected Disney's Pixar/DreamWorks Animation characters, they also have weird design elements to them.
   • While Primal's robot mode has the most passable design, his head/face resembles very little to his previous heads, and looks like Zeus from Disney's Hercules.
   • Cheetor's robot mode looks way out-of-design when compare to his previous forms, having a face that looks much more cat-like (which fits due to Cheetor's beast mode but still out-of-place) and has chicken-like legs, his design overall makes Cheetor look like a poor man's version of Hunter from Spyro 2: Ripto's Rage (which ironically, came out nearly two months after Beast Machines: Transformers aired).
   • Rattrap's robot design is also passable, but his face looks way more like a human boy than a robot and also has wheels for legs/feet.
   • Blackarachina robot mode is way too humanoid like due to her face (that strangely has four more eyes hidden) and black hair, also she has no feet, but rather having long insect-like legs for feet.
   • Silverbolt's robot mode is very indie-like with a Samurai-like motif in design with weird bug-like eyes, making him look rip out of Disney's Pixar film, A Bugs Life.
   • Nightscream's Robot mode looks more like an ant than a bat, and also for no reason he has a hair flop, because of his design, Nighscream looks more like knock-off version of a character from the DreamWorks Animation, Antz.
     • In fact the worse one out of all of this is Silverbolt (Who was Jetstorm), Blackarachnia and Nightscream, as not only are they way too humanoid in their robot forms (especially Blackarachnia), but Silverbolt's and Nightscreams' beast mode are awful for two reason.
       • Nightscream's beast mode is just the reskin of his old beast mode and nothing else aside from a few metal bits on him, which is incredibly lazy.
       • Silverbolt on the other hand, while is mentioned to be a condor, looks more like and eagle than a condor, due to the huge beak-like appearance.
         • Whats even more puzzling is that in Beast Wars previously, Silverbolt was a Transformers Fuzor, meaning that his beast mode was a combination of two animals, and in his case, Silverbolt's beast mode was a combination between a wolf and a condor, how did he went from something that looks like a mythological-like creature to a simple condor?
4. Specking of which, the show introduces three new Maximal characters, such as Botanica, Nightscream and Noble/Savage, while Botanica is a good character and Noble/Savage is an interesting character, Nightscream on the other-hand is utterly annoying, having a very typical teenager-like personality.
5. Later on in Beast Machines, the show also introduce two new Vehicons, Obsidian and Strika, who are interesting, but they get introduce way too late in the series.
   • On that note, Botanica also gets introduce way too late in the series, appearing in episode 6 of the second season, which is somewhat the halfway-point of the series.
6. The pacing for Beast Machines is oddly pace, the first season has a continuous and liner story, which makes it difficult for fans/new comers to watch the series, and the second season is way too all over the place, specie mention goes to its character ark with Noble/Savage who is later reviled to be Megatron, from the way that the two episodes are played out, it feels like they wanted to build up the revile, but the episodes goes WAY to fast that it makes it hard for viewers to get invested into it.
   • On the subject of the second season, it's way too relining on Multi-Parters, out of the 13 episodes, ruthly six of them are part of a Multi-Parter, and not just a Multi-Parter, but two of them are THREE-PARTERS, as such, if considered Multi-Parters as one episode, it makes the second season of Beast Machines only have nine episodes, which even for Transformers understands is ridiculous.
7. There are moments in which Beast Machines feels very rushed and unfinished.
8. When the Maximals transform, they don't exactly transform but rather, mutate or shapeshifting, which does not fit with the Transformers estates.
9. In the first season of Beast Machines, whenever the Maximals need to transform, they say the phrase "I am transformed.", which gets very repetitive and annoying to hear, something that was thankfully drop in the second season.
10. Barely any callbacks to some of the characters from Beast Wars, not even Dinobot and Tigerhawk (two of the most important/popular characters in Beast Wars) even gets mentioned.
11. This show has many plot-holes that are never explained:
    • How was both Cheetor, Blackarachina, Nightscream, Silverbolt and even Botanica able to transform into their Robot Modes in their first try in one try, and yet in the case with Rattrap, it took him three episodes for him to transform into his Robot Mode?
    • How the heck was Megatron able to take over the entirety of Cybertron with out any resources and/or allies to aid him, and how was able to even do so before the Maximals arrive on Cybertron literary seconds later?
    • How was Megtron able to create a powerful virus in order to take over Cybertron?
    • Biggest Plot-hole: Megatron's goal is to get rid his beast mode, yet somehow during the first season, he has trouble trying to even get rid of it, Megatron has the ability to create a powerful virus and take over the entirety of Cybertron and de-evolved the Maximals, and yet in the case with getting rid of the Organics, Megatron can't simply revert them back to base form and in the case with Megatron wanting to get rid of his Beast Form, he can't just simply reset himself to his original Cybertron Body as shown in the the first episode of Beast Wars: Transformers or scan something not Organic to get a different Alt Mode?
      • To add further confusion, in the three-part series final episode "Endgame", Megatron was able to create Primal's Optimal Optimus form with no Beast Mode, how was Megatron able to easily get rid of the Optimal Optimus' Beast Mode when in the first season he "couldn't" get rid of his dragon mode when he wanted to?
    • Why does Megatron have a scar on his right eye, and when did he get it?
    • Waspinator is somehow at Cybertron when he got kicked out by the Cavemen, even though it would not be possible for Waspinator to return to Cybertron without a wormhole.
    • When at any point in Beast Wars: Transformer did Megatron at any point started to hate Organic Material and his own Beast Mode(a mode that came from G1 Megatron's Spark)?
    • At one point in the show, its reviled that Noble was actually Megatron, but in a previous episode when Noble explain his backstory, he was a normal Transformer running away from Megatron's takeover before falling into a pit and waking up as a wolf/dragon hybrid like Nightscream.
    • During the three-part episode "Revelations", Thrust is shown rescuing Blackarachina though out most of the three-parter, this gives off the impression that Thrust is actually Silverbolt, but later on in "The Catalyst", not only does it turn out that Thurst is actually Waspinator, but its also reviled that he has a crush on Blackarachina, when at any point in Beast Wars: Transformers did Waspinator have a crush on Blackarachina?
    • When and where at any point in Beast Wars: Transformers did Rhinox(a pacifist mind you) had the idea to wanna be evil and side with Megatron?
    • Perhaps the biggest plot hole in the show has to do with Cybertron, in the first part of the three-part "Revelations" saga season 1 episode, "Revelations Part I: Discovery", its reviled that Cybertron (you know, a planet about giant robots) was once an organic planet with plants similar to the likes of Planet Earth, even tho it's been establish in the five-part Season 3 pilot episode of The Transformers, "Five Faces of Darkness" that Cybertron was always a mechanic planet, so when, were and HOW was Cybertron an ORGANIC planet?
    • In "Endgame Pt. III: Seeds of the Future", when Megatron (and Optimus Primal) is falling into the Core of Cybertron, why doesn't Megatron just turn into his JET form and FLY out?
    • Near the very end of the show, its reviled that not only is Waspinator back to his original self, but is now tiny and for reason's unknown has Thrust's head. When did Waspinator revert back to normal? Why does he have Thrust's head and also, why is he tiny?
12. Despite the new forms that the Maximals gain, they seem WEAKER in terms of powers and abilities than they had in Beast Wars: Transformers in their robot modes(even more so then in their Beast Wars: Transformers Season 1 forms), for examples:
    • The original Optimus Primal had two wrist mounted cannons, two swords and two shoulder cannons, his Transmetal Form has two maces which also doubles as a blasters, and his Optimal Optimus form had blades which acts as shields and has a chest cannon, in Beast Machines, Primal simply has Hand Laser and Chest Disk Launcher in his Tech-organic Form.
    • Rattrap was a demolition expert and a sharp shooter in his normal form and his Transmetal form gave him a fishing tail and has shields in Beast Wars, now Rattrap only has "Wheel Mode" in Beast Machines.
    • In Beast Wars, Cheetor had a gun in his normal form, his Transmetal mode gave him a hand blaster and whip/sword, and his Transmetal 2 form also gave him a blaster, in Beast Machines, he only has swords.
    • Blackarachina had a blaster that has MANY side effects and has shoulder mounted guns in her original form, and her Transmetal 2 form potentially keeped all of her abilities and gave her a shocking power, but in Beast Machines, she only has the webbing and shock power.
    • In Beast Wars, Silverbolt has a pair of clubs/axes and can fire off missiles from his wing tips, in Beast Machines, he can only fire wing-like blades.
13. Another reason as to why this show has been disliked is due to the overall theming and plot of the show, the Maximals are attempting to rid Megatron's virus and turn Cybertron into an organic planet similar to the likes of Earth, which is what Optimus Primal does after defeating Megatron in the three-part series finale, "End Game", this is perhaps the biggest "Jumping the Shark" moment in all of Transformers history, as while the idea of the Maximals attempting to make Cybertron organic sounds good on paper, it hugely clashed with pretty much all of the previously written lore of Transformers, including Beast Wars, and this is especially insulting considered that Transformers are, you know, giant mechanical robots.
14. Somewhat mean-spirited moments, such infamous example is in the episode "The Catalyst", were Waspinator (who as explained in the 7th pointer of the #11 segment, was Thrust) explains how he got kicked out of earth by the cavemen... as if the series had not tortured poor Waspinator enough.
    • Also as explain in the Plot-Hole segment, even if Waspinator was kicked out by the cavemen, it would not make any sense for him to return to Cybertron as he has to get in the wormhole along with the others for that to happened, but this takes place after the series finale of Beast Wars, so therefore its a major plot hole due to this, adding in to that, this would be mere moments before Megatron took over Cybertron. Its most likely the writers just wanted him to put in Beast Machines out of plot convenience than for understandable reasons.
15. Some of the characters had been flanderized badly.
    • Optimus Primal went from a serious but caring leader to a religious nut job who acts way too strict to the other Maximals.
      • Optimus Primal thankfully snaps out of it in the second half of the series becomes his old self.
    • Silverbolt (Who was Jetstorm) went from a kind and loyal warrior into an extremely sour and serious character after his stint as Jetstorm, which is a complete 180 from his noble personality in Beast Wars: Transformers.
      • Granted Silverbolt does have a serious side (which is especially shown in the Season 3 episode of Beast Wars: Transformers "Crossing the Rubicon"), but not to an extent like this.
    • Rattrap went from quirky, sarcastic wise-ass, yet brave Maximal into a coward, became the main comic relief of the show and even lost a lot of the loyalty he gained in the previous series, Rattrap is also treated far more like a butt-monkey though out most of the show.
      • There are also many episodes in which Rattrap can act VERY put-of-character, one of the biggest examples is in the Season 1 episode, "The Weak Component" were he becomes so sick of not having weapons that Rattrap has out-of-nowhere decided to portray his friends and also randomly side with Megatron(the Transformer who enslave all of Cybertron) all because he wants weapons, the episode was widely considered one of the worst episodes in the show, and for good reasons.
    • Megatron went from a funny and yet serious Predacon into a complete and pure evil monster hating all Organic Life and (as describe in the plot-hole segment in #11) trying to rid his body of his Beast Mode, this is especially jarring considered that in Beast Wars: Transformers, Megatron never had a problem with his or anyone else's Beast Modes.
    • Rhinox (Who was Tankor) suffered the worst, he went from a calm, intelligent and loyal technologist into a pure evil villain whom take Megatron's side, due to permanently ending up as a villain even after his brainwashing as Tankor was broken.
      • This is made even worst due to the fact that after Rhinox gets defeated by Megatron in the Season 1 finale, and after his cameo in the first episode of Season 2, he is never seen or even mentioned again, what a way for Beast Machines to push aside one of the most popular characters in Beast Wars to the side lines....
        • Do we need to remind you that not only did Rhinox brought Primal back to life in the two-part "Coming of the Fuzors" saga of second season of Beast Wars: Transformers, but was also the one who defeated Megatron in the series finale of Beast Wars: Transformers?
16. Beast Machines is very inconsiderate with its tone, as stated in the #1 segment, many moments can get too dark to be in a kid show, even for Transformers standards, and yet at the same time it feels too campy and light-hearted to being a teenager/adult show.
17. Despite being on Cybertron, there are no Cybertronians on Cybertron, and when they do appear, it's at the series finale.
    1. On that note, because most of Cybertron is either damage or blocked by Megatron, it's never seen in full power, and its because of this, plot elements from Beast Wars: Transformers such as the Secrete Police and the Tripredacus Council(the ones that prevents the Maximals from seeing the Transwarp Wave) have to be dropped and are never even mentioned.
18. The plot for most of season 1 is basely just the same over and over again it basely goes as follows.
    • Characters tried to transform, but failed.
    • They argue with each other for the sake of Drama.
    • The infamous example is when the Maximals run away from the Vehicons while also playing the same music over and over again.
19. Beast Machines: Transformers feels somewhat unnecessary, Beast Wars: Transformers already had a good closing ending, with most of the Predacons defeated, Megatron being captured by the Maximals after being defeated and Waspinator being a new leader of the cavemen.
20. A selection of Meteoric to bad episodes.
21. While the ending of Beast Machines: Transformers (as in the ending of the three-part series finale "End Game") is very good and heartwarming, it feels unfinished and still has a few plot-threads that are not solved (most likely due to the third season being cancelled), made even worst considering that Beast Machines is the final installment of the Generation 1 Era of Transformers (which was not intentional), such examples:
    • What happens to Obsidian and Strika?
    • What's gonna happen to Waspinator now that he's a half Vehicon and half Beast?
    • What actually happens to Optimus Primal if according to Cheetor, he is considered "with the Maximals", is he trying to say that Optimus Primal is still alive?
      • A later comic by Dreamwave clarified that Primal was indeed dead, but then he came back like almost every other incarnation of Optimus Prime has.
    • Biggest Question: How are the Maximals and Cybertronians gonna be like on the now "organic" Cybertron?
22. Overall, because of the drastic change in tone, some of the main characters acting too differently and barely any call backs to Beast Wars, Beast Machines feels more like a soft reboot to Beast Wars than an actual sequel to Beast Wars.
    • On that topic, Beast Machines also doesn't feel like a Transformers show at all and feels more like a basic CGI cartoon action show ala like Reboot (which was previously created by the same company).

Good Qualities

1. The Maximals' beast mode design isn't that bad and look cool (with the only exception being Silverbolts and Nightscreams).
2. The Vehicons are the highlights in the show, as they are not only the funny parts in season 1 of Beast Machines, but also had personality like Jetstorm being the opposite to Silverbolt's knight personality in Beast Wars.
3. Cheetor and Blackarachnia are the only two characters to act like themselves, especially Cheetor as he matured and by the end of the series, he takes the lead of the Maximals once Primal "sacrifice" himself after defeating Megatron.
4. The show could have worked as it has really good ideas, but poor execution.
5. There are some really good episodes here-and-there.
6. The CGI animation is decent and far better than that of Beast Wars: Transformers.
   1. On that note, the atmosphere for Beast Machines: Transformers is also excellent, as its dark colors are present to look at and has a very uneck stile(unlike a later 3D Specie made two years later), given it a very futuristic look to it, and the final scene of the now organic Cybertron after Primal defeats Megatron and turns Cybertron organic looks especially beautiful, looking like something out of Toonami and the Hub Network.
7. Good fan-service with MANY call backs to Transformers G1 and even some call backs to Beast Wars as well.
8. While not as good as Beast Wars, Beast Machines does have some genuine good funny/humorous moments here and there, namely in the first season episode "Mercenary Pursuits" were Rattrap says "The hockey-poky, what does it look like I'm doing?!" as he's having trouble with his transformation.
9. The action scenes are great.
10. The soundtrack (both the theme song and background music) is fantastic, giving off precisely the dark and gritty cyberpunk vibe the story called for, especially the trailer theme "Evolution Revolution".
11. While the idea of turning Cybertron organic was a very bonehead move, much like Dragon Ball GT, the three-part series finale "End Game", was fantastic, as not only did it have a really epic showdown between Primal and Megatron (in Primal's Optimal Optimus body) near the end of the finale, but it also concluded both the Beast Era and (technically) ended the Generation 1 continuity, even if it was not intentional.

Reception

While receiving positive reviews by critics and fans alike, many generally considered Beast Machines: Transformers as one of the weaker entries in the Transformers series and one of the low points to the franchise along with Transformers: Energon, the Combine Wars Web-Series and it's two sequels.

Trivia

• Beast Machines was intended to get a third season which would have truly concluded the Beast Machines series, but it was scrapped for reasons unknown.
  • On that topic, Beast Machines was also not intended to be the last installment in the Generation 1 era of Transformers, as it was intended to get another sequel, "Transformers Transtect", which would have been a combination of Beast Wars, Beast Machines, and G1, with all of the surviving Maximals returning, as well as Depth Charge, Optimus Prime, Shockwave and Starscream also making an appearance, and a new character named "Immorticon", but was also scrapped for unknown reasons.
    • Though over the years, a number of possible reasons have been speculated, among them: negative fan reaction to Beast Machines, conflict with Mainframe, economic difficulties due to poor performance by other Hasbro toylines at the time (notably the significant under-performance of the first Star Wars prequel), differences with Takara, or simply a desire to go in a new direction. The most likely explanation is not a singular culprit, but a number of corresponding culprits, perhaps culminating in the closing of Hasbro's Cincinnati offices and departures of staff, followed by the subsequent relocation to Hasbro's central offices in Rhode Island. In the end, Hasbro imported Takara's new Transformers: Car Robots line and anime as Transformers: Robots in Disguise (confusingly, Takara treated Car Robots as a G1 midquel taking place between "Transformers B.O.T." and the 1986 movie, while Hasbro treated it as a full-blown reboot) as a stopgap until both companies could develop a jointly-produced toyline, which ended up being Armada.
• Botanica is the only Maximal in Beast Machines to not get a toy rendition, likely because her design would have made her a nightmare to engineer.
• Megatron was original meant to have an original body for the climaxes agents Optimus Primal in the three-part series finale of Beast Machines "End Game", but due to time constraints, they decided to give Megatron Optimus Primal's Optimal Optimus' body as a way to save time and money, this is even reference in the first part "Endgame Part I: The Downward Spiral" when Megatron says "I need a stronger body, but there's no time to design an entirely new one. I require... a Template.", which reflects to the original idea.

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