Challenge
Of The GoBots: The Series - Volume 1 (1984/Hanna-Barbera/ Warner
Archives DVD)
Picture:
B Sound: B- Extras: D Episodes: B-
PLEASE
NOTE:
This GoBots
DVD release is now only available from Warner Bros. through their
Warner Archive series and both can be ordered from the link below.
Created
in 1983 by Tonka, slightly before Hasbro/Takara's Transformers,
The GoBots started as a toy-line before becoming a popular
animated series. In animated form Challenge of the GoBots
followed the exploits of a band of transforming robots that had
the good Guardians battling the evil Renegades.
Challenge
of the GoBots ran from 1984 to 1985 for a total of 65 episodes.
Produced by Hanna-Barbera for Tonka, specifically to promote and push
the toy-line.
GoBots
originally premiered as a 5-Part miniseries before jumping into a
full-fledged animated series.
The
GoBots, split into two sides as previously mentioned, live on the
planet GoBotron where The Guardians are led by Leader-1 and The
Renegades by Cy-Kill. The backstory is similar to that of
Transformers where the two leading factions have been battling
for thousands of years. The initial events that created the two
sides are overly complicated and had the original leader of the
Guardians (originally GoBings) named 'The Last Engineer' saving the
planet and its people from the brink of destruction. 'The
Engineer' was meant to retreat to a workshop in a distant
galaxy, only to have the rug pulled out from under him by leader of
The Renegades (Master Renegade) and his ship stolen. 'The Last
Engineer' then retreated to GoBotrons Core and entered a state of
constant hibernation.
From
here we are treated to a series of battles each episode that have
slight elements of continuity. There are a troupe of four Guardians
and four Renegades that duke it out in each episode, plus or minus
'guest GoBots.'
The
episodes are nothing too deep, but very nostalgic for this reviewer.
There is a debate if Transformers or GoBots were the
better series (Transformers is generally agreed to be the
supreme), but each had their fans.
Ultimately
the series were merely a creative and popular manner to sell toys.
This
release contains the first 30 episodes of the series.
The
three disc DVD collection is a mixed bag as far as the technical
features go; supposedly mastered and restored from the original film
elements. The picture is a 1.33 X 1 standard definition full screen
that demonstrates bright colors, crisp lines, and no notable
distortion. Aspects of grain and debris can be seen here and there,
but seldom. The Sound is a lossy Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono that comes
all from the front. There is no distortion to the sound, coming
through clean and clear; but for an action packed, robot series some
rear speaker involvement would have been welcome.
Sadly
no extras appear on this set.
Warner
Archives is a great place to find some of the most obscure Warner
Bros. release; live action and animated alike. It also remains one
of the only places to find select popular animated series (like The
GoBots). Order this and much more at this link:
http://www.warnerarchive.com/
