Re: Revisiting BEAST WARS
Posted: Fri Feb 05, 2010 4:58 pm
Law of the Jungle
written by Mark Leiren Young
on YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GH9z5pNnsE0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wMSv7GEg ... re=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6WvUk5hu ... re=related
Oh dear Lawd, another Tigatron episode. It seems like there's a lot more of these then I remembered. But wait! This one is actually good! Starts off with a quick nature lesson; frog eats dragonfly. Snake eats frog. Eagle eats snake. And that's how rock, paper, scissors is played in the wild. Or... more likely a message on how nature is rough. Eat or be eaten! That's what I always say!
We find Cheetor and Dinobot walking along a mountain path nearby. They've been sent out to scout for more of the alien sites that they've located in the past. It's just a single throw-away line, but really foreshadows what's coming in the next 3 eps. Inferno flies up behind them and sets off what is easily his best showing in battle in the entire series! I mean it! The fire ant is really tearing loose this time! Pins down both Cheetor and Dinobot, easily dodges all their attacks, blasts Cheetor off the mountain. And he's just laughing and cackling the whole time and firing non-stop. Dang, Inferno's my favorite today!
Nearby Terrorsaur and Waspy are complaining that Inferno didn't wait for the signal to attack. Ah, that just makes me like him even more. Just takes the initiative when he sees the perfect moment! That, or he just got tired of waiting. Terrorsaur and Waspy join the battle, but are quickly dispatched in ACME fashion. Oh, and Terrorsaur somehow managed to take out Dinobot in the process. We got 4 solid minutes of awesomeness. Then Tigatron showed up. He jumps on Waspy's back and rides him into the ground! Nice. Not bad. A good start for the striped one.
Quickly reaching a damaged Cheetor, the two cats find themselves under attack from Inferno again. For just a brief moment Inferno's laugh goes high-pitched and it's borderline creepy, but kind of giddy too. I love it! Crank up the flamethrower! Oh, that just makes my day. Tigatron lines up his sites and takes a few precise shots at the psycho fire ant; all but one of his shots connecting. Ah, what's one stray shot?
OH MY GAWD, HE BLEW UP THE MOUNTAIN!!!
Tigatron looks on in horror as the stray shot tags the stockpile of bombs the Preds had stored on a nearby mountain, creating a giant rockslide that buries Tigatron's little tiger friend, Snowstalker, in rubble. Snowstalker. Why we haven't gotten a non-transforming white tiger toy called "Snowstalker" is beyond me. Come on, Hasbro! I feel cheated now. I can just imagine all the points of articulation; a turning head and tail, maybe some joints on the limbs. And it could transform from tiger mode to sleeping mode with a quick shift of the leg joints. Sleeping mode also doubles as "stalking mode". I'd buy it.
Anyway! Sidetracked, sidetracked. Tigatron recovers Snowstalker from one pile of rubble and gives her a proper burial under another pile of rocks. It's a solemn moment. Obviously traumatized, Tigatron denounces the Beast Wars, stating that he himself is guilty of causing the death of an innocent. Pretty powerful stuff for a kids cartoon.
Dinobot: "There are no innocents!"
Ah, I like that guy. The first of many great lines he delivers during this ep. His argument doesn't exactly sway the white tiger though. Tigatron is fed up with all the fighting and leaves the Maximals! He sheds a single tear before running off. Aww! Cheetor's in disbelief, but Dinobot knows what to do.
Dinobot: "Predacons know how to deal with those who won't fight."
Hehehe. He then orders Cheetor to return to base for repairs in a manner that says, "You don't want to be around when I find Tigatron."
Inferno's been observing the whole transaction and regroups with Waspy and Terrorsaur. I love this little bit! Inferno, acting like a sane person now, persuades the others to continue the pursuit until they capture or destroy Tigatron. Terrorsaur accidentally refers to Megatron as the queen, and Waspinator's love of the glowing signal beacon they'll use to announce their attack is adorable. Wonferful bit!
Later that evening... Dinobot is stalking through the jungle on the heels of Tigatron. Every time I see the big close-up of Tigatron hiding behind a fern leaf, I can't help but think of Xena. What can I say? Both shows were on at the same time. Tigs manages to surprise him, but Dinobot only wants to talk.
Tigatron: "I have nothing more to say."
Dinobot: "Then... LOOK!"
Ahh, that makes me happy. In so many shows, whenever you have a situation like this arise, the other person always seems to say, "Then listen." I'm glad they changed it up. Dinobot could've easily said something, but showing the visual image of an orange tiger stalking and running down its prey (complete with horribe screams) is a more powerful and direct way to convey the message; the Beast Wars is about survival.
Dinobot: "You do not really know the Predacons. We- ... They... "
I love that he caught himself. Still thinking like a Pred even though he's a Maximal. In fact, having Dinobot play the foil to Tigatron in this ep really works. Their viewpoints are so different, yet their basic understanding of survival of the fittest is right in-line with each other. We get a cool little "What If" moment where we see what would happen if Megatron wins the Beast Wars. His ship flies over Cybertron raining down havoc, and though it's a little hard to see due to having Megs' face transposed over the action, you can actually see half of Cybertron exploding. Really cool.
Tigatron still refuses to return to the Maximals, and Dinobot's heard just about enough. He snaps at the tiger! A miss! Another snap, but all Dinobot snares is a palm leaf. He transforms with the leaf ending up in his robot mouth, which he promptly spits out. Nice touch. He blasts the area surrounding Tigatron with eye lasers though it's apparent he's not actually trying to harm him. Dinobot orders him back to base, but Tigatron STILL refuses! At that point I think Dinobot pretty much loses it and intends to kill him right there (or maybe drag his carcass back to the Axalon for reprogramming), but Optimus arrives on the scene to break it up.
He orders Dinobot to return to base while he talks with Tigatron. Again, nothing can persuade Tigatron to change his mind. Just then they hear the sounds of battle in the near distance; the Preds have found Dinobot.
Another great showdown! The three flying Predacons all converge on Dinobot and keep him off-balance. He can't hope to take on all three of them and is put down by none other than Waspinator. Pretty incredible. Optimus shows up to lend a hand but gets blasted before he knows what hit him. Interesting to note; if you pause the screen at the moment Optimus is shot (by Terrorsaur, I'm assuming) you'll see a ghost image of Dinobot in the explosion. I don't know why the animators put it there, but there you go.
Optimus recovers mid-air and dispatches both Waspy and Terrorsaur in a single hit, but Inferno gets the drop on him and sends him crashing to the ground.
Inferno lands to finish off both Primal and Dinobot, when Tigatron pounces on the Predacon. Yay, Tigatron!
Tigatron: "You'll kill no more beasts today."
Watch Primal and Dinobot as Tigatron delivers that line. They're both wagging their fingers at Inferno along with Tigs! Inferno, laughing maniacally (god I love that guy), soars back into the air, but Tigatron dispatches him. You know, I never thought of it before, but the final confrontation between these two exactly mirrors their fight at the start of the episode with Inferno in the air and Tigatron firing up at him. Except this time all his shots count.
OH MY GAWD, HE BLEW UP ANOTHER MOUNTAIN!!!
Tigatron: "No. . . NOOOO!"
*L* Kidding, kidding. Everything's fine. Tigatron finds that no matter if he's part of the Beast Wars or not, the Predacons will continue to threaten this world. He can't stand by and let that happen, though states that he still needs to grieve for his fallen friend. A good note to end on.
This, I feel is one of the strongest episodes of the first season. Really well done from the opening crazy fight to the pacing, the moonlit jungle scenery, just everything is great in this one. Also, it feels more like a classic, self-contained season 1 episode, which is all about to change with the cliffhanger coming up. I am glad to see Tigatron interacting with Maximals other than AirRazor. Too often it seems they're kind of saddled together, and their relationship never seemed to work on a very deep level to me. Tigatron and Dinobot make for some great drama though.
This episode kind of reminds me of the G1 ep, "The Golden Lagoon," due to its message about war and nature. The message may seem a little more blunt here, but I think it works just as well if not better. I do like that in this case both Tigatron and Dinobot were right in regards to the their own world views. When it comes to pacifism, TV shows tend to oversimplify the issue or make the pacifists out to be cowardly. I don't think anyone would call Tigatron cowardly though (except maybe Dinobot, but he took it back ) Good stuff and definitely reccomended.
Next up: Before the Storm
http://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd16 ... /LotJ1.jpg
http://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd16 ... /LotJ3.jpg
http://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd16 ... /LotJ4.jpg
http://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd16 ... /LotJ7.jpg
http://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd16 ... /LotJ9.jpg
http://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd16 ... LotJ12.jpg
http://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd16 ... LotJ13.jpg
http://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd16 ... LotJ14.jpg
http://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd16 ... LotJ15.jpg
http://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd16 ... LotJ16.jpg
http://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd16 ... LotJ17.jpg
written by Mark Leiren Young
on YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GH9z5pNnsE0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wMSv7GEg ... re=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6WvUk5hu ... re=related
Oh dear Lawd, another Tigatron episode. It seems like there's a lot more of these then I remembered. But wait! This one is actually good! Starts off with a quick nature lesson; frog eats dragonfly. Snake eats frog. Eagle eats snake. And that's how rock, paper, scissors is played in the wild. Or... more likely a message on how nature is rough. Eat or be eaten! That's what I always say!
We find Cheetor and Dinobot walking along a mountain path nearby. They've been sent out to scout for more of the alien sites that they've located in the past. It's just a single throw-away line, but really foreshadows what's coming in the next 3 eps. Inferno flies up behind them and sets off what is easily his best showing in battle in the entire series! I mean it! The fire ant is really tearing loose this time! Pins down both Cheetor and Dinobot, easily dodges all their attacks, blasts Cheetor off the mountain. And he's just laughing and cackling the whole time and firing non-stop. Dang, Inferno's my favorite today!
Nearby Terrorsaur and Waspy are complaining that Inferno didn't wait for the signal to attack. Ah, that just makes me like him even more. Just takes the initiative when he sees the perfect moment! That, or he just got tired of waiting. Terrorsaur and Waspy join the battle, but are quickly dispatched in ACME fashion. Oh, and Terrorsaur somehow managed to take out Dinobot in the process. We got 4 solid minutes of awesomeness. Then Tigatron showed up. He jumps on Waspy's back and rides him into the ground! Nice. Not bad. A good start for the striped one.
Quickly reaching a damaged Cheetor, the two cats find themselves under attack from Inferno again. For just a brief moment Inferno's laugh goes high-pitched and it's borderline creepy, but kind of giddy too. I love it! Crank up the flamethrower! Oh, that just makes my day. Tigatron lines up his sites and takes a few precise shots at the psycho fire ant; all but one of his shots connecting. Ah, what's one stray shot?
OH MY GAWD, HE BLEW UP THE MOUNTAIN!!!
Tigatron looks on in horror as the stray shot tags the stockpile of bombs the Preds had stored on a nearby mountain, creating a giant rockslide that buries Tigatron's little tiger friend, Snowstalker, in rubble. Snowstalker. Why we haven't gotten a non-transforming white tiger toy called "Snowstalker" is beyond me. Come on, Hasbro! I feel cheated now. I can just imagine all the points of articulation; a turning head and tail, maybe some joints on the limbs. And it could transform from tiger mode to sleeping mode with a quick shift of the leg joints. Sleeping mode also doubles as "stalking mode". I'd buy it.
Anyway! Sidetracked, sidetracked. Tigatron recovers Snowstalker from one pile of rubble and gives her a proper burial under another pile of rocks. It's a solemn moment. Obviously traumatized, Tigatron denounces the Beast Wars, stating that he himself is guilty of causing the death of an innocent. Pretty powerful stuff for a kids cartoon.
Dinobot: "There are no innocents!"
Ah, I like that guy. The first of many great lines he delivers during this ep. His argument doesn't exactly sway the white tiger though. Tigatron is fed up with all the fighting and leaves the Maximals! He sheds a single tear before running off. Aww! Cheetor's in disbelief, but Dinobot knows what to do.
Dinobot: "Predacons know how to deal with those who won't fight."
Hehehe. He then orders Cheetor to return to base for repairs in a manner that says, "You don't want to be around when I find Tigatron."
Inferno's been observing the whole transaction and regroups with Waspy and Terrorsaur. I love this little bit! Inferno, acting like a sane person now, persuades the others to continue the pursuit until they capture or destroy Tigatron. Terrorsaur accidentally refers to Megatron as the queen, and Waspinator's love of the glowing signal beacon they'll use to announce their attack is adorable. Wonferful bit!
Later that evening... Dinobot is stalking through the jungle on the heels of Tigatron. Every time I see the big close-up of Tigatron hiding behind a fern leaf, I can't help but think of Xena. What can I say? Both shows were on at the same time. Tigs manages to surprise him, but Dinobot only wants to talk.
Tigatron: "I have nothing more to say."
Dinobot: "Then... LOOK!"
Ahh, that makes me happy. In so many shows, whenever you have a situation like this arise, the other person always seems to say, "Then listen." I'm glad they changed it up. Dinobot could've easily said something, but showing the visual image of an orange tiger stalking and running down its prey (complete with horribe screams) is a more powerful and direct way to convey the message; the Beast Wars is about survival.
Dinobot: "You do not really know the Predacons. We- ... They... "
I love that he caught himself. Still thinking like a Pred even though he's a Maximal. In fact, having Dinobot play the foil to Tigatron in this ep really works. Their viewpoints are so different, yet their basic understanding of survival of the fittest is right in-line with each other. We get a cool little "What If" moment where we see what would happen if Megatron wins the Beast Wars. His ship flies over Cybertron raining down havoc, and though it's a little hard to see due to having Megs' face transposed over the action, you can actually see half of Cybertron exploding. Really cool.
Tigatron still refuses to return to the Maximals, and Dinobot's heard just about enough. He snaps at the tiger! A miss! Another snap, but all Dinobot snares is a palm leaf. He transforms with the leaf ending up in his robot mouth, which he promptly spits out. Nice touch. He blasts the area surrounding Tigatron with eye lasers though it's apparent he's not actually trying to harm him. Dinobot orders him back to base, but Tigatron STILL refuses! At that point I think Dinobot pretty much loses it and intends to kill him right there (or maybe drag his carcass back to the Axalon for reprogramming), but Optimus arrives on the scene to break it up.
He orders Dinobot to return to base while he talks with Tigatron. Again, nothing can persuade Tigatron to change his mind. Just then they hear the sounds of battle in the near distance; the Preds have found Dinobot.
Another great showdown! The three flying Predacons all converge on Dinobot and keep him off-balance. He can't hope to take on all three of them and is put down by none other than Waspinator. Pretty incredible. Optimus shows up to lend a hand but gets blasted before he knows what hit him. Interesting to note; if you pause the screen at the moment Optimus is shot (by Terrorsaur, I'm assuming) you'll see a ghost image of Dinobot in the explosion. I don't know why the animators put it there, but there you go.
Optimus recovers mid-air and dispatches both Waspy and Terrorsaur in a single hit, but Inferno gets the drop on him and sends him crashing to the ground.
Inferno lands to finish off both Primal and Dinobot, when Tigatron pounces on the Predacon. Yay, Tigatron!
Tigatron: "You'll kill no more beasts today."
Watch Primal and Dinobot as Tigatron delivers that line. They're both wagging their fingers at Inferno along with Tigs! Inferno, laughing maniacally (god I love that guy), soars back into the air, but Tigatron dispatches him. You know, I never thought of it before, but the final confrontation between these two exactly mirrors their fight at the start of the episode with Inferno in the air and Tigatron firing up at him. Except this time all his shots count.
OH MY GAWD, HE BLEW UP ANOTHER MOUNTAIN!!!
Tigatron: "No. . . NOOOO!"
*L* Kidding, kidding. Everything's fine. Tigatron finds that no matter if he's part of the Beast Wars or not, the Predacons will continue to threaten this world. He can't stand by and let that happen, though states that he still needs to grieve for his fallen friend. A good note to end on.
This, I feel is one of the strongest episodes of the first season. Really well done from the opening crazy fight to the pacing, the moonlit jungle scenery, just everything is great in this one. Also, it feels more like a classic, self-contained season 1 episode, which is all about to change with the cliffhanger coming up. I am glad to see Tigatron interacting with Maximals other than AirRazor. Too often it seems they're kind of saddled together, and their relationship never seemed to work on a very deep level to me. Tigatron and Dinobot make for some great drama though.
This episode kind of reminds me of the G1 ep, "The Golden Lagoon," due to its message about war and nature. The message may seem a little more blunt here, but I think it works just as well if not better. I do like that in this case both Tigatron and Dinobot were right in regards to the their own world views. When it comes to pacifism, TV shows tend to oversimplify the issue or make the pacifists out to be cowardly. I don't think anyone would call Tigatron cowardly though (except maybe Dinobot, but he took it back ) Good stuff and definitely reccomended.
Next up: Before the Storm
http://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd16 ... /LotJ1.jpg
http://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd16 ... /LotJ3.jpg
http://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd16 ... /LotJ4.jpg
http://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd16 ... /LotJ7.jpg
http://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd16 ... /LotJ9.jpg
http://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd16 ... LotJ12.jpg
http://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd16 ... LotJ13.jpg
http://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd16 ... LotJ14.jpg
http://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd16 ... LotJ15.jpg
http://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd16 ... LotJ16.jpg
http://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd16 ... LotJ17.jpg